A Small Church with a Big Heart on Kirby Avenue
St. Therese Little Flower Catholic Church sits at 5560 Kirby Avenue in the Mt. Airy neighborhood of Cincinnati, where it has gathered Catholics for Mass, the sacraments, and the devotional life of a parish since 1926. The parish's own description, "a small church with a big heart," captures the spirit of a community that is large in devotion to its patron saint, in service to its neighborhood, and in its commitments far beyond Cincinnati. The parish is part of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Family of Parishes, sharing pastoral life with St. Boniface in Northside, Holy Family in East Price Hill, and St. Leo the Great in Fairmount.
From a Blacksmith Shop to "The Shrine of the Little Flower"
Little Flower's story began in 1926, when a blacksmith shop at the corner of North Bend Road and Colerain Avenue was converted into a chapel. Archbishop John T. McNicholas granted permission to build a permanent church and school in July 1928, and both were completed in March 1929. A memorial rose garden honoring St. Therese of Lisieux was finished in 1930, and devotion to the Little Flower grew so quickly that the parish became known as "The Shrine of the Little Flower." Pilgrims traveled from across the country, and in 1937 a nine-day Novena to St. Therese drew more than 50,000 people.
The present church was completed and dedicated on April 9, 1961, by Bishop Paul F. Liebold and Archbishop Karl J. Alter. The school expanded in the 1950s and again in 1964 with a junior high wing and cafeteria enlargement. In 1996 the school gained a new office, additional meeting rooms, and a Parish Center that combined a gymnasium and auditorium. In 2006, parishioners funded a beautiful new electronic organ for the church. The "Precious Blood Lamb" plaque, which had adorned the altar at St. Richard of Chichester, was carried into Little Flower when the two parishes merged on January 19, 1992; the plaque was re-enameled in 2020 and was added to the tabernacle stand, where it remains today.
From 2010 to 2015, the parish implemented a multi-year pastoral plan called "Embracing the Future," focused on six pastoral areas: Parish Leadership, Faith Formation and Transformation, Stewardship and Sustainability, Community Building, Neighborhood Outreach, and Communications. A Pastoral Council and Faith Formation and Social Justice Commissions were formed as a result. On July 1, 2022, the parish entered the next major phase of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's Beacons of Light pastoral plan by joining the new Our Lady of Guadalupe Family of Parishes and beginning intentional pastoral planning as a family.
The Patron Saint and Her Roses
The parish takes its name from St. Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897), the French Carmelite nun whose "little way of spiritual childhood" has inspired millions. Born on January 2, 1873, the last of nine children of Louis and Zelie Martin (later canonized as the first-ever married couple with children to be canonized together, by Pope Francis on October 18, 2015), Therese lost her mother at the age of four. On Christmas Eve 1886, at fourteen, she had a conversion that turned her powerful energy toward love. She entered the Carmelite convent in Lisieux at fifteen, took the name Sister Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, and died of tuberculosis on September 30, 1897, at the age of twenty-four. Her last words were "My God, I love You."
The world came to know Therese through her autobiography, "Story of a Soul," in which she described her life as a "little way of spiritual childhood." She taught that "what matters in life is not great deeds, but great love," and that holiness is found in doing the ordinary with extraordinary love. Therese said, "My mission - to make God loved - will begin after my death. I will spend my heaven doing good on earth. I will let fall a shower of roses." She was canonized by Pope Pius XI on May 17, 1925, and declared a Doctor of the Church, the only Doctor of his pontificate, by Pope John Paul II on October 19, 1997.
The parish keeps Therese's memory alive through the Rosegarden Society. Enrolled members are remembered in eight Masses on the principal feast days of St. Therese and at least once a month at a Sunday Mass throughout the year. A rose garden is maintained on the northwest side of the church at the Shrine of the Little Flower. Enrollments are accepted at the Parish Office for a $35 stipend. The parish also publishes a Novena prayer to St. Therese, asking her intercession for the special intentions of each petitioner.
Mass, Confession, and the St. Therese Novena
Mass is offered on Saturday evening at 4:30 p.m. and on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. in Spanish. Weekday Mass is celebrated Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 8:30 a.m., preceded by the Rosary. The St. Therese Novena is prayed on Tuesdays after the 8:30 a.m. Mass. Confessions are heard on Saturdays from 3:30 to 4:00 p.m. and by appointment through the Parish Office. The Parish Office is open Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and can be reached at (513) 541-5560.
Mass and recent services are livestreamed on YouTube, with a Spiritual Communion prayer printed for those who join the broadcast: "My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You in my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart." A weekly email called Little Flower Connect delivers the bulletin and parish news to subscribers who email the Parish Office to sign up.
Pastor and Staff
Father Louis Okot, MCCJ, serves as pastor of the parish. A native of South Sudan who speaks five languages, Father Louis has served as a missionary in Peru, South Sudan, and the United States. He shepherds the Our Lady of Guadalupe Family of Parishes, which unites St. Therese Little Flower, St. Boniface, Holy Family, and St. Leo the Great. Kathy Parsons is the Director of Music Ministry, bringing degrees in music education from Xavier University and the University of Miami and years of parish music experience to the role; she and her husband Michael have three daughters who play instruments and occasionally assist with music at Mass.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Family of Parishes
The family is named for the Virgin of Guadalupe, who first introduced herself as the Mother of God and the mother of all humanity when she appeared on the hill of Tepeyac in Mexico in 1531. The story, best known from a manuscript in Nahuatl by the scholar Antonio Valeriano written sometime after 1556, tells how the indigenous peasant Juan Diego gathered Castilian roses in his tilma during winter to present to Archbishop Juan de Zumárraga; when the flowers fell out, the tilma was found to bear a miraculous image of the Virgin. Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patron of Mexico, the United States, and all of the Americas, and the protector of unborn children. The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the same hill draws more than 20 million visitors each year.
The Our Lady of Guadalupe Family includes St. Boniface at 1750 Chase Avenue in Northside, Holy Family at 3006 W 8th Street in East Price Hill, and St. Leo the Great at 2573 Saint Leo Place in Fairmount, alongside St. Therese Little Flower at 5560 Kirby Avenue. Each parish maintains its own Mass schedule and identity, while sharing pastoral leadership and certain ministries. The family follows the Pastoral Planning Pathway of the Beacons of Light initiative to create a pastoral plan for the parishes in the family, articulating how they will live out the six Beacons principles and abide by the parameters aimed toward vital, mission-driven parish life within the family and ultimately as one canonical parish.
The Madagascar Twinning Mission
Since 2000, Little Flower has maintained a twinning relationship with the Sisters of Divine Providence in Madagascar. The twinning covenant reads, "we have been friends since 2000. Since then, we have set aside each Thursday to think about and pray for one another. We remember the deceased and living supporters in our daily prayer intentions." Parishioners have visited the Sisters in 2005, 2011, and 2018, and the Sisters have visited Cincinnati several times in return. "As the Body of Christ," the covenant reads, "we share in the grace of God's love across the miles and across cultures." Pope Francis's call to "a pastoral and missionary conversion which cannot leave things as they presently are" frames the relationship, and the covenant was formally renewed on June 7, 2018.
Concrete projects have grown out of the friendship. Twenty-four Little Flower parishioners now sponsor students at Pont Sofia, a rural school struggling to launch because most of the parents are illiterate. A sizeable donation purchased a new vehicle for the Sisters, who travel increasingly rough roads. The parish supports the construction of additional rooms in the novitiate. A chapel and eight guest rooms have been built at the Ambondrona children's rehabilitation center, where visitors are welcomed to spend vacation days at the seaside on Nosy-Be. Earlier, parishioners helped build the Marguerite la Compte School in Tavenina, near Antsakabary. The Madagascar Christmas Shoppe, held during November and December Hospitality Sundays, sells items of all ages with proceeds benefiting the Madagascar missions. The province numbers 133 Malagasy Sisters and one French Sister, with fifteen novices and eight postulants in formation.
Parishioners pray a Madagascar Covenant Prayer, asking that "civil leaders of this country work in harmony with the religious leaders to bring about changes to create a better life for the people and their environment," and praying "for the guidance of Your Holy Spirit in nurturing the mutual relationship we have with the Sisters of Divine Providence in their mission work with the people of Madagascar."
Music Ministry
Music at Little Flower aims to "heighten the musical life" of the parish, supporting congregational singing and offering special music to elevate the liturgy. The Parish Choir leads congregational singing and shares choral anthems at one of the Sunday Masses and at special celebrations from early September through Corpus Christi. Rehearsals take place on Thursday evenings, and singers age 14 and older are welcome to join without audition. When the choir is not singing for Mass, a cantor helps lead congregational singing throughout the year at Saturday and Sunday Masses.
Thérèse Brass, led by Bill Haase, performs at local retirement facilities as a way to give back to the elders of the community, and occasionally joins the Director of Music Ministry and Parish Choir at Mass. A new Youth Music program invites K-8 students to take part in a Children's Choir and a Ukulele Club, with the music director open to other ideas from interested families. Recordings of the Music Ministry are available on the parish's SoundCloud account.
Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners serve at Mass as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Lectors, Greeters, Ushers, Servers, and Gift Presenters. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion are confirmed parishioners who assist the priest in distributing Communion and may also bring it to the homebound. Lectors proclaim the Word of God at Mass and other liturgical celebrations. The Greeter Ministry welcomes parishioners and visitors at the door, with a monthly schedule matched to volunteers' Mass preferences and availability. Ushers help with seating and the stewardship offering. Servers are boys and girls of the parish who have made their First Communion and who assist the priest in preparation for and celebration of the Church's liturgical rites. Gift Presenters, a ministry especially fitting for families, bring the bread and wine to the altar. The parish invites anyone interested in any of these liturgical ministries to contact the Parish Office.
Sacraments and Faith Formation
Parish Religious Education aims at preparing Catholics for the central mission of evangelizing in the world. Children are prepared for First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation through the home and through catechesis at Our Lady of Grace School or at the parish. First Reconciliation is celebrated with children who have reached the age of reason (seven years); First Communion is celebrated in May during a weekend parish liturgy; and Confirmation is open to baptized Catholic youth at least twelve years of age, after the prescribed period of catechesis. Infant Baptism, for children up to age six, requires prospective parents and godparents to attend a one-session preparation program that includes reflection on Christian parenting, the theology of Baptism, and the components of the Rite.
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is the Church's four-period process for evangelizing, catechizing, and initiating adults and children age seven and beyond into Christ and the Church. The process culminates in Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist at the Easter Vigil Mass on Holy Saturday. Those already baptized in another Christian tradition are not re-baptized but make a profession of faith prior to their Confirmation and First Communion. Anointing of the Sick is offered to anyone who is seriously ill, anticipating a serious medical procedure, or near the end of life, often at the conclusion of a regular weekday or weekend Mass; arrangements are made through the Parish Office. Couples preparing for Matrimony are asked to contact the Parish Office no later than six months before the desired wedding date. Adult Faith Formation is offered through live and media presentations, print resources in the parish lending library housed in the Conference Room, and small faith-sharing groups.
Outreach and the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry
Outreach at Little Flower takes many forms. The Bereavement Ministry is a visible sign of the parish community's care and concern for families and individuals mourning the loss of a loved one; parishioners assist in planning the liturgy for the deceased and attend the Mass of Christian Burial. A Bereavement Support Group meets to discuss the emotions of grief, with an eight-week session held once a year to help members learn to accept and embrace loss. The Ministry for the Homebound and Hospitalized brings Communion to the sick and shut-ins, and parishioners are asked to notify the Parish Office if they or a family member are hospitalized, since privacy laws prevent hospitals from notifying parishes directly. The Prayer Chain gathers petitions at the Parish Office and circulates them by email on Monday afternoons, with urgent requests sent as soon as they are received; communication is by email and the praying is individual, in the home, at each member's convenience. A large Book of Prayer sits in the church near the choir area for handwritten intentions.
The St. Vincent de Paul Society runs a food pantry and offers help to neighbors in need. Since the closing of Little Flower School, the parish has received rental income through leasing the school building; the current tenant has been with the parish since July 2017. Electronic giving through WeShare allows parishioners to make weekly or monthly contributions online by debit, credit, or ACH transfer, and the Kroger Community Rewards Program channels a portion of registered Kroger Plus Card purchases back to the parish.
Parish Life: Men's Society, Old Timers, and Hospitality
Parish Life is dedicated to fostering the unconditional love of Jesus Christ throughout the parish community, with a focus on listening to, understanding, and responding to the needs of parishioners. Hospitality Sundays are held once a month after Sunday Masses, with coffee, juice, and baked goods shared among parishioners. During Lent, the parish hosts Wednesday soup suppers, where parishioners bring soup to share and listen to presentations from local service organizations, with proceeds benefiting those organizations. A Wedding Anniversary Mass celebrates couples marking 25, 50, or more years of marriage, with a reception to follow.
The Men's Society is open to all men of the parish age 18 and older. Optional annual dues are $5, and meetings are held on the first Wednesday of every month at 7:30 p.m. in the Parish Center meeting room (6:30 p.m. for summer cookouts). Activities include a golf outing, summer cookouts, and the Men's Appreciation Dinner. The society also offers an annual Catholic Action scholarship to a Little Flower student attending Our Lady of Grace School. The Old Timers Softball Club is an organization of men 35 and older that fields a team in the Catholic Old Timer's Social League, described as "a good way to get to know the men of the parish" with "no ball-playing talent required."
Our Lady of Grace Catholic School
To keep Catholic education affordable and accessible, St. Therese Little Flower joined St. Ann in Groesbeck, St. Margaret Mary in North College Hill, and Assumption in Mt. Healthy in establishing Our Lady of Grace Catholic School (OLG) in 2008. The regional K-8 school, located at 2940 West Galbraith Road in Groesbeck on the St. Ann campus, follows the graded course of study for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and provides opportunities for liturgical catechesis and participation as well as Christian service as part of the Catholic school experience. Our Lady of Grace students are eligible for the Little Flower Men's Society's annual Catholic Action scholarship.
Parish Facilities
Little Flower's campus is anchored by a church that seats up to 896 people, a rectory and Parish Office, the school building with meeting rooms and cafeteria, a Parish Center that combines a gymnasium and auditorium, a concession building and deck, athletic fields, and a storage building. The Parish Center, with retractable motorized basketball backboards, a stage, and a concession room, can seat 500 in concentrated seating or 350 with tables and a dance floor. The cafeteria seats 350 in concentrated seating or 250 with tables and a dance floor, with a full kitchen and P.A. system. The athletic fields and concession area are open from March 1 through September 30, primarily for children's sports and organized adult recreation. The school building's cafeteria, kitchen, Parish Center, deck, and fields are available for use after 4:00 p.m. and on weekends by prior reservation. All parish buildings are nonsmoking, and reservations are arranged through the Parish Office.
Joining the Parish
New parishioners are asked to call the Parish Office at (513) 541-5560 or register through the parish's online form. The office also welcomes updates when families move or change address or phone number. Little Flower describes itself as "a Roman Catholic parish dedicated to praising God and to building a strong faith community," where "the sharing of our gifts through teaching, serving and supporting each other enables us to live as signs of God's loving presence." The parish mission is to be "a community of evangelizing disciples being transformed by the Gospel in order to transform our parish, our neighborhood and our world," by cultivating faith formation, participating in spirit-filled worship, fostering stewardship, and reaching out in the name of Jesus to those in need.
SafeParish child protection training is required for every adult who works or volunteers with youth or vulnerable adults in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Beth Gideon serves as the parish's Safe Environment Coordinator and can be reached at 513.541.5560. The parish publishes a weekly bulletin that includes the Sunday readings, reflections, news, and the week's calendar, and offers the bulletin and parish news in a weekly email called Little Flower Connect.