A Parish Rooted on Eagle Road
Divine Word Catholic Church has been a presence on Eagle Road in Kirtland, Ohio, since July 1, 1977, when the parish was established by decree of Bishop James A. Hickey of Cleveland. What began as a community of roughly 300 families has grown into a parish of more than 1,300 households, all of whom now look ahead to a Golden Jubilee Year that runs from mid-2026 through the summer of 2027.
The parish is led by Fr. Dave Woost and serves as a spiritual home for Catholics across Lake County, with retired priests Fr. Jim Stenger and Fr. Jim Caddy, Deacons John Grazia and Jeremy Shafer, two pastoral associates, a Director of Religious Education, a Youth Minister, a Director of Music, and a Faith Community Nurse. Fr. Dave is quick to acknowledge the parish's modest footprint: though smaller than some of its Cleveland-area neighbors, the community is described in his own words as "welcoming and mighty in love and devotion," with a particular charism of openness and hospitality.
Mass, Adoration, and the Rhythm of the Week
The worship life at Divine Word follows a steady weekly cadence. Saturday Vigil Mass is celebrated at 4:30 pm, and two Sunday Masses are offered at 8:30 am and 11:00 am, with the 8:30 am Mass live-streamed through Boxcast and available for replay for up to six months. Weekday Mass is celebrated Monday through Friday at 8:30 am, and the Rosary is prayed each weekday morning at 8:00 am in the church.
Every Monday, the parish gathers for Eucharistic Adoration from 9:00 am until 9:00 pm, pausing only for holy days and civic holidays. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered every Saturday from 3:30 to 4:15 pm, with appointments available outside that window. A lively tradition of Neighborhood Masses brings the celebration into parishioners' homes during the warmer months, with a handful of gatherings scheduled in July and August on the parish calendar.
Fifty Years of Faith: The Golden Jubilee
The parish is in the middle of a two-year celebration leading up to its actual 50th anniversary on July 7, 2027. The Jubilee opened on Saturday, June 27, 2026, with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Edward C. Malesic and a reception in Hanson Hall, and will close with another diocesan liturgy on Saturday, June 26, 2027. Between those bookends, parishioners are walking a renewal initiative called 500 Days to 50 Years, a holistic program introduced by Fr. Dave that runs from Ash Wednesday 2026 through the summer of 2027.
500 Days to 50 Years invites parishioners to grow in spiritual, physical, emotional, and relational wellness. The program is structured around 100-day check-ins, with gatherings in Hanson Hall that include dinner and a presentation. Themes move through prayer, relationships, and mission, and the kickoff took place on Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2026. Pilgrimages, anniversary prayer cards, a Jubilee history section, and a memory-and-photo submission portal are all part of the celebration. A pilgrimage to Italy, led through Padre Pio Pilgrimages, has sold out.
One tangible legacy of the Jubilee is a new handcrafted crucifix that now hangs in the church. Carved by craftsman Norbert Koehn over a nine-month process using locally sourced wood and made possible by an anonymous donor, the cross was blessed at the Opening Mass and is intended to inspire prayer for generations.
Faith Formation for Every Age
Faith formation is described at Divine Word as "a lifelong process" rather than a destination. Children in kindergarten through eighth grade are served by the Parish School of Religion (PSR), which meets on Sundays and Wednesday evenings and partners with parents as the first teachers of their children. Sunday morning PSR is closed for first grade, but Wednesday-evening openings remain. Children's Liturgy of the Word is offered at the 11:00 am Mass from September through May, with lessons provided weekly for volunteer leaders.
Vacation Bible School returns each summer with a themed program; the 2026 program, Rainforest Falls, has wrapped up and registration for 2027 is the next milestone. Older students continue their formation in a Youth Ministry program built around monthly gatherings from 12:00 to 1:30 pm in Hanson Hall, with events like Food, Faith and Friendship and a diocesan-wide high school conference called CLE 2:16, held at John Carroll University.
Adults who want to explore the Catholic faith are invited into the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), a process that walks with inquirers through Inquiry, Catechumenate, Purification and Enlightenment, and Mystagogia, generally culminating in reception at the Easter Vigil. OCIA is open to the unbaptized, baptized Christians from other traditions, Catholics seeking to complete their initiation, and children over the age of seven.
Two additional adult formation offerings are popular at the parish. Alpha runs as an eleven-week series on Monday evenings and is described as "a safe space to question life, faith, and meaning" with no pressure and no cost. Genesis to Jesus, a nine-week Scripture study from the St. Paul Center, traces salvation history through the covenants and meets on Monday evenings in Hanson Hall. A parish Spiritual Direction ministry, coordinated by pastoral associate Mary Pat Frey, connects seekers with one of nine trained spiritual directors, with sessions typically held monthly.
The Seven Sacraments
Divine Word celebrates all seven sacraments, and each is supported by a dedicated page on the parish site with formation for parents, sponsors, and adult candidates. Baptisms for children under the age of seven are scheduled after parents attend a Pre-Baptism Instruction class. First Eucharist is prepared through the second-grade PSR program, with special sessions available for older children and adults. Confirmation is celebrated in the eighth grade and includes a Spirit Day retreat and a diocesan Confirmation Mass, with the parish's 2027 Confirmation scheduled for Friday, March 12, 2027, with Bishop Michael Woost. The Sacrament of the Sick can be requested any time through the parish office, before surgery, or during a serious illness. Couples preparing for Matrimony must contact the parish at least six months in advance, attend a Pre-Cana Day (held at Divine Word in late February), and meet with a priest, deacon, or trained married couple. The parish also supports discernment of Holy Orders for men considering the priesthood or diaconate, and the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation is celebrated Saturday afternoons and by appointment, with communal penance services added during Advent and Lent.
Outreach Beyond the Parish
Fr. Dave identifies outreach as one of the parish's most distinctive marks, especially two Cleveland inner-city ministries to refugees and a long-running clothing pantry. The Joseph House clothing pantry has been "a beacon of hope for over twenty-five years," providing clothing and household goods to neighbors in need. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul conference at Divine Word fields a help line at 440-547-6718 and provides direct assistance to local families.
Within Kirtland itself, the parish supports the Kirtland Community Food Pantry, the Kirtland Community Meal, and the Bishop Cosgrove Meal Program, with Sunday Community Meals scheduled in September, October, November, and December each year. The Kirtland Community Food Pantry, a partnership with local organizations and religious groups, stocks shelves and recruits volunteers year-round. Other outreach arms include the Cross and Nails Handymen ministry, the Homebound visitation program, and a network of practical supports such as Church Cleaners, Money Counters, Parish Office Support, Blessed Card Ministry, a Cancer Support Group, and a Widows and Widowers Group, all coordinated through the Support and Care ministries.
The parish also operates a Bereavement Ministry that hosts a Growing Through Grief series, with afternoon and evening sessions running in the fall. A Prayer Shawl Ministry gathers informally on the fourth Thursday of each month in the Gathering Area, with knitters and crocheters creating shawls, throws, baby blankets, and hats that have already topped 300 in distribution. Members also knit scarves and mittens for the homeless.
Music, Liturgy, and the Pastoral Family
Music Ministry is led by Director of Music Becky Harper and welcomes singers and instrumentalists. The parish draws on the Church's teaching that "liturgical worship is given a more noble form when it is celebrated in song," inviting parishioners to join the choir, cantors, or instrumental ensemble.
Five liturgical ministries support every Mass: Altar Servers (open to students in fourth grade and up who have received First Communion), Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Lectors, Sacristans, and Ushers. Extraordinary Ministers also bring Communion to the homebound, parishioners in local nursing homes, and those in hospitals. The parish's Bereavement, Prayer Shawl, and Parish Nurse ministries are under the care of pastoral associates and parish staff.
A Faith Community Nurse on Staff
Floreene Inghram, RN, a parishioner of nearly forty years and a Registered Nurse with a Master's Degree in Community Health Education, serves as Divine Word's Parish Nurse. The Parish Nurse Ministry supports parishioners through health education, advocacy, prayer, and visits to the homebound, hospitalized, and those in nursing and assisted living facilities. The ministry covers nutrition and healthy living, medication safety, chronic disease management, and preventive care, and it offers caregiver support and connection to community resources. Floreene describes her work as "caring for the whole person by integrating faith and health, encouraging individuals to live healthier lives while strengthening their relationship with God and their faith community."
Groups for Moms, Boomers, and the Brotherhood
A wide range of parish groups meets in Hanson Hall, the Gathering Area, and in parishioners' homes. Mom's Faith Sharing and Study gathers mothers monthly for prayer, Scripture, and reflection, with the regular series meeting in Hanson Hall. Baby Boomers and Up offers fellowship for older adults, while the Holy Name Society brings the men of the parish together for service and fraternity. Our Lady's Guild serves women of the parish through fellowship, fundraising, and spiritual support. The Mom's Faith Sharing group, the Baby Boomers, and the parish's fellowship and social events all flow from the same conviction that community is built one gathering at a time.
Called to Flourish: Building for the Future
Alongside the 50th anniversary, Divine Word is part of Called to Flourish: Our Church for the Future, a diocesan-wide campaign raising $200 million across the eight counties of the Diocese of Cleveland to support parishes, worship, evangelization, and service. At Divine Word, half of every dollar raised returns to the parish to fund three priorities: a new rectory, a new chapel, and a renovation of the parish office to create more workspaces.
The parish's goal is $1,245,000, and as of late August 2026, parishioners had pledged $2,280,298, well past the goal. A campaign leadership team of parishioners and Deacon John Grazia has guided the effort, and pledges can be fulfilled over five years. Information about stock gifts, IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions, donor-advised funds, and legacy giving is available through the parish's Ways to Give and Leave a Legacy pages, with the parish's tax ID listed for easy reference. Online giving runs through We Share, and text-to-give is available by texting "GIVE" to 440-276-3094.
Joining the Parish
Registration as a parishioner is open to any family wishing to call Divine Word home. The parish office, reached at (440) 256-1412, is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and is closed on weekends and a long list of civic and liturgical holidays. The Diocese of Cleveland maintains a 24-hour reporting and assistance line at (216) 334-2999 for anyone who needs to report suspected abuse or seek counseling. With its Jubilee Year underway, its outreach programs reaching across Lake County and into the city of Cleveland, and its daily round of Mass, Rosary, and Adoration, Divine Word Catholic Church continues to grow as the kind of parish Fr. Dave describes in his welcome letter: a place "where all are embraced with open arms."