Parish Histories

1840

St. Peter

A parish rich in history, dating back to the mid-1800’s, St. Peter’s of New Richmond is home to some of the deepest Catholic roots in all of Clermont County.

In late 1840, St. Peter’s parishioners used a building on the corner of Front and Race Street as the first meeting and worship space.

1840
1850

St. Peter

In late 1840, St. Peter’s parishioners used a building on the corner of Front and Race Street as the first meeting and worship space. Archbishop Purcell organized the St. Peter Society and purchased three lots from the McMurhy subdivision where the first church, rectory, and original convent were constructed on Plum and Willow Streets. That building was dedicated by Archbishop Purcell in late 1850. Rev. Michael Herzog was the first permanent pastor.

1850
1855

St. Peter

Under the parish’s second pastor, Rev. August Toebbe, the St. Peter Cemetery was conceived in June of 1855.

1855
1884

St. Peter

The first of several devastating floods to hit the heart of downtown New Richmond occurred in January of 1884 when the Ohio River flooded over its banks and into the walls of the little church at the corner of Front & Race. By the grace of God, the community re-built, as did the parish. And, that little parish began blossom and outgrow its space.

1884
1897

St. Peter

In 1895, then Pastor Rev. Muething recognized the parish growth, and a new church was built at Union and Willow Street, and dedicated in May of 1897.

1897
1913

St. Peter

But, in March of 1913, “Ohio’s Greatest Weather Disaster” occurred, where the Ohio River rose 21 feet in 24 hours. Considerable damage was done to the church, and the convent collapsed.

1913
1929

St. Peter

The community came together and continued to flourish, despite Mother Nature’s wrath, and in October of 1929, the new St. Peter School was dedicated (the present-day Light-Ashburn Municipal Building).

1929
1937

St. Peter

St. Peter, and the town of New Richmond, continued to weather through a number of additional devastating floods. In January of 1937, the Ohio River crested at 80 feet (28 feet over flood stage) and brought considerable damage for miles and miles.

1937
1941

St. Mary

The only Catholic church in Bethel, OH, St. Mary’s Parish is nestled right outside the heart of town on Ohio Pike/State Route 125, on the same grounds it has called home since construction of the original church in 1941. The worship space has changed considerably in recent decades, but the original stone church is still utilized by the congregation to this day.

The little country parish’s roots run deep to an anonymous donor and a hard-working parish family. The property St. Mary’s currently resides was purchased for $7,700 – a significant sum in the early 1940s. The very stones of the church came from nearby Clover Creek. Despite the strain of the war effort, parishioners donated time, money, and labor to help create a building where they could be proud to celebrate Mass.

1941
1942

St. Mary

On May 3, 1942, they enjoyed the fruits of their labor when Monsignor Joseph Schneider celebrated the first Mass in the completed St. Mary’s Catholic Church of Bethel.

1942
1943-1964

St. Peter

On January 4, 1943 the Ohio River crested high enough to cover half the front church doors at 61 feet. March of 1945 delivered another 70 foot of river water, and the damage to the floors of the church were beyond repair – a full floor replacement was required. In April of 1948, the river rose again, this time half-way up the church doors. Additional floods occurred to the heart of New Richmond in 1958, 1962 and 1964.
Seventy-three years and too many floods meant that it was time to move!

1943-1964

St. Mary

Over the years, the church continued to grow and change. Pews eventually replaced the original chairs, kneelers were introduced, and the choir loft was added.

1964

St. Mary

In 1964, Archbishop Alter blessed the parish center

1964
1970

St. Peter

In November of 1970, five acres of hillside land was purchased for the present church grounds, and in October of the following year, the new church was dedicated.

1970
1980

St. Peter

In 1980, then Pastor Fr. Bill Kennedy started the first food pantry, and the rectory was also built.

1980
1988

St. Mary

In 1988, the current rectory was built

1988
1988

St. Peter

In 1988, the beautiful Grotto for Mary was constructed under the guidance of Rev. William Krumpe.

1988
1989

St. Peter

 Fr. Ted Kosse was pastor from 1989 to 2000, and provided an outstanding re-organization to committees and commissions. St. Peter greatly flourished under his leadership.

1989
1997

St. Peter

On March 6, 1997, the Ohio River once again crested above its banks at 65 feet. In March of 1997, the wrath of Mother Nature struck again. The Ohio River crested above its banks at 65 feet. Only this time, St. Peter’s Parish was safe up on the hill – praise God! Parishioners worked diligently to help the other churches down in the village to recover, and provided assistance to those in the community.

1997
2000

St. Peter

On September 17, 2000, St. Peter celebrated the 150th Anniversary Mass, which included the presence of Most Reverend Daniel E. Pilarcyk, assisted by Rev. Ted Kosse and Rev. Gary Witsken. The picnic shelter was built for the blessed occasion, and is still used today by St. Peter’s parishioners and neighboring St. Mary’s for a variety of parish functions.

2000
2005

St. Mary

In 2005, the need for change became evident when St. Mary Parish began to share a priest with St. Peter’s Parish in New Richmond. With Fr. Don West administering the sacraments at both churches, there were fewer Masses at each location. St. Mary was no longer large enough to contain the congregation, and Mass was temporarily moved to the Bethel-Tate Middle School gymnasium. The parishioners turned a trying time into a chance to demonstrate patience and perseverance, enduring less-than-comfortable bleacher seats and pitching in to help set up and clean up the equipment needed for Mass.

2005
2006

St. Mary

The construction process of an addition to the old church would take some time, but be well worth the sacrifice!



The new church addition to St. Mary occurred in 2006. The crucifix from the old church (current Gathering Space) was moved to the new church. Beautiful wood furniture in the sanctuary was custom made by Jim Floyd using cherry trees from Buck and MaryJo Jarman’s property. And, after more than seventy-five years when Monsignor Schneider laid the cornerstone of the church, St. Mary’s Parish celebrated the addition of the new church building with many of the original parishioners, as well as many welcomed new families. With the grace of God and the continued pride and involvement of the parishioners, St. Mary’s Parish will remain a beacon of faith for many years to come.


2006

St. Mary & St. Peter

A variety of throughout the Catholic Church in recent decades, including the retirement of priests across the nation, have caused many archdioceses to reconsider effective operational best practices. Our continued prayers for vocations have brought positive results and a recent influx to our local seminary; however, those men will not be active priests for a number of years. The result that we see throughout the Archdiocese of Cincinnati is pastoral regions where one pastor is responsible for two or more parishes. That transition occurred in our southern Clermont region, merging St. Mary & St. Peter into a parish region circa 2010. The transition occurred over time with several dedicated priests to faithfully serve and guide.
Initially, Fr. Don West administered the sacraments and said Mass at both St. Peter and St. Mary in the early 2000’s. A year following the new St. Mary’s construction, Fr. Michael Leshney took over both parishes, initially as administrator and later as pastor. Fr. Leshney helped to provide a more unified way to recognize our pastoral region. Under his guidance, St. Peter and St. Mary became known as the “Christ Catholic Community.” 

2017

St. Mary & St. Peter

Following Fr. Leshney’s retirement in October of 2017, Fr. Pat Crone became the temporary Parochial Administrator through 2017. Fr. Adam Puntel was appointed temporary Parochial Administrator over the region in early 2018, but shortly thereafter, Fr. David Howard was permanently appointed to the region. He was welcome with open arms to this community that was in dire need of a priest to unite with strong leadership. However, a chronic back injury took its toll on Fr. Howard during his tenure in 2018. During this time of prayer and discernment, an extraordinary opportunity was offered to him that would allow for less time on his feet and far less pressure on his debilitating back. Fr. Howard accepted a position with the USCCB in Washington, D.C. and was relieved of his duties of this parish region (clearly a gift from God, as he’s a Canon lawyer).

2017
2020

St. Mary

Due to extraordinary tithing stewardship and financial support of the St. Mary’s community, the last mortgage payment on the new addition occurred in 2020.

2020
2017

St. Mary & St. Peter

Following Fr. Leshney’s retirement in October of 2017, Fr. Pat Crone became the temporary Parochial Administrator through 2017.

2017
2018

St. Mary & St. Peter

Fr. Adam Puntel was appointed temporary Parochial Administrator over the region in early 2018, but shortly thereafter, Fr. David Howard was permanently appointed to the region. He was welcome with open arms to this community that was in dire need of a priest to unite with strong leadership. However, a chronic back injury took its toll on Fr. Howard during his tenure in 2018. During this time of prayer and discernment, an extraordinary opportunity was offered to him that would allow for less time on his feet and far less pressure on his debilitating back. Fr. Howard accepted a position with the USCCB in Washington, D.C. and was relieved of his duties of this parish region (clearly a gift from God, as he’s a Canon lawyer).

2018
2019 – Today

St. Mary & St. Peter

After several years of transition, the parish region was thankful to welcome Fr. James Reutter in July of 2019 to pastor over both St. Mary and St. Peter. Prior, Fr. Reutter had spent 12 years at Our Lady of Victory on the west side of Cincinnati. His rich Catholic heritage, traditional beliefs and commitment to both parish communities is uniting this region in faith like never before.

2019 – Today

God is truly good.

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