On the eastern edge of Dayton, Ohio, in the Belmont neighborhood that grew up around Smithville Road in the early twentieth century, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Parish has been a Catholic anchor since 1938. Today it is home to roughly one thousand families who pray, serve, and learn in two languages, support a parish elementary school, and reach out to neighbors who are struggling with food, housing, or grief. The parish is a member of the Bread of Life / Pan de Vida Family of Parishes, an Archdiocese of Cincinnati grouping that also includes St. Anthony, St. Helen, Holy Angels, and St. Mary.
A Parish Shaped by Dayton's Belmont Neighborhood
The need for a new parish on Dayton's eastern edge first became evident in the early 1900s as Catholic families settled in Belmont. Archbishop John T. McNicholas asked the Marianist Order to assume responsibility for the new parish and suggest a name, and on May 10, 1938, with the appointment of Fr. John Rauscher, S.M., as pastor, the Parish of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception was born. Shortly after his arrival, the parish bought a former bowling alley at the corner of Smithville and Watervliet and set out to build a school, completing the first story in 1940 and adding a second floor in 1949.
The present church was built in 1966 at a total cost of about $1,300,000, including furnishings and outside landscaping. Fr. James Sherman, who served as pastor from 1956 to 1976, oversaw every aspect of the fundraising and construction. As its name implies, the church is dedicated to Mary, the Mother of Jesus, venerated not only as Christ's physical mother but as the model of what it means to follow him. Under the title of Immaculate Conception, the parish honors Mary's perfect responsiveness to God. Fr. Satish A. Joseph has been the pastor since 2015 and also serves as pastor of the surrounding NE7 Family of Parishes and as moderator of Hispanic Ministry in the Dayton area.
Mass in English and Spanish, With Five Weekend Options
The weekend schedule reflects the bilingual character of the parish. Saturday Vigil Mass is celebrated at 4:30 PM in English, accompanied by the Traditional Choir. On Sunday morning, Mass is offered in Spanish at 9:00 AM with the Spanish Choir, followed by an 11:00 AM Mass in English with the Traditional Choir that is livestreamed on YouTube. Sunday evening closes with a 5:00 PM Mass accompanied by the parish's Rock 'n Soul Band, drawing on contemporary Christian music and the Voices and Gather 4 hymnals. Daily Mass is celebrated Monday through Friday at 9:00 AM in English at Immaculate Conception.
Eucharistic Adoration takes place on Thursdays from 6:00 to 7:00 PM in the church, with worshippers entering through the North doors. During that same hour, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered bilingually, the Anointing of the Sick is available, and the two are often celebrated together as a single evening of healing. Reconciliation can also be scheduled by appointment with Fr. Satish, Fr. Len, or Fr. Jose.
The Seven Sacraments: Welcome, Healing, and Vows
The parish describes baptism as the great sacrament of welcome. Baptism workshops are held on the second Sunday of each month at 9:30 AM in English and at 10:15 AM in Spanish, with registration required. Baptisms are typically scheduled during the 9:00 AM Spanish Mass on the third Sunday of the month, after the 4:30 PM Saturday Mass, or after the 11:00 AM Sunday Mass. Will Marsh is the English-language point of contact, while Sonia Trejo coordinates the Spanish track.
First Reconciliation and First Communion are prepared for during the second grade, with older children also welcome. Children enrolled in Immaculate Conception School or in Sunday or Tuesday faith formation classes come together with their parents for four evening sessions on prayer, the Bible, Reconciliation, and the Eucharist, followed by a Jesus Day morning retreat. Rachael Griggs coordinates the English track and Sonia Trejo the Spanish track. Confirmation preparation, designed for eighth graders but open to older teens, runs from October through April with monthly sessions, an overnight retreat, and service projects at Mission of Mary Farm, St. Vincent's Hotel, and the parish itself.
Marriage preparation asks engaged couples to contact the parish at least nine months before the wedding. After meeting with the presider and confirming freedom to marry, a date can be set and the parish marriage preparation program begins. The parish also celebrates Quinceañeras, with Mary Alice Ordonez coordinating; quinceañeras are asked to attend a retreat and either have received or be preparing for Confirmation. The Anointing of the Sick is offered every Thursday during Adoration and can be scheduled for surgeries or other serious needs by calling the parish office at 937-252-9919 or the after-hours emergency line at 937-272-4898.
Faith Formation from Toddler through Adult
Immaculate Conception organizes faith formation around five stated goals: providing knowledge of God, creating opportunities for a deep experience of God, providing an experience of community, communicating the sense of being needed, and developing a wider social responsibility. The flagship program for young children is Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a Montessori-rooted atrium program for children age three (potty trained) through sixth grade. Atriums meet on Sundays from 9:00 to 10:45 AM for Levels 1 through 3, and on Tuesdays at 4:30 PM and 6:30 PM for younger and older groupings. Jana Bennett coordinates the program with Rachael Griggs.
Middle-schoolers in grades 7 and 8 are invited to Uprising, a youth ministry that gathers on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8:00 PM for games, snacks, a talk or video, intentional small groups, and a weekly challenge. Uprising fulfills the religious education requirement for public-school teens. Adults have several paths. The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA, formerly RCIA) meets Sunday mornings from 9:30 to 10:45 AM with the dismissal of catechumens for further discussion of the day's scriptures during the 11:00 AM Mass; it generally runs from late August through Pentecost. Ite Missa Est is the parish's adult faith formation program, and Small Communities of Disciples gathers parishioners for prayer, Bible study, book clubs, and dinner conversations, with the parish helping new groups get started through Will Marsh.
Music from Traditional Choir to Rock 'n Soul
The Music Ministry at Immaculate Conception has open enrollment year-round, though fall is the ideal time to join. Five distinct ensembles accompany the weekend liturgies. The Traditional Choir sings for the Saturday 4:30 PM Vigil Mass, rehearsing in the sanctuary at 3:30 PM and singing from the Gather 4 hymnal with occasional choral anthems. The Spanish Choir leads the 9:00 AM Sunday Mass, rehearsing on Thursdays at 4:30 PM and warming up on Sunday mornings at 8:15 AM, drawing from Flor y Canto. A second Traditional Choir sings for the 11:00 AM Mass, rehearsing on Tuesdays at 7:00 PM and warming up Sundays at 10:15 AM. The Rock 'n Soul Band leads the Sunday evening Mass with a combined rehearsal on Tuesdays at 5:30 PM and Sunday warm-ups at 3:00 PM for instrumentalists and 3:45 PM for vocalists. A Children's Choir for grades K-6 rehearses on Thursdays at 4:00 PM and sings monthly at the 11:00 AM Mass from September through May. Madeleine Demetriades coordinates all of the musical groups and can be reached at the parish office.
A Lending Library on the North Side of the Vestibule
Before and after each Mass, the parish library is open on the north side of the main vestibule. The lending library is organized into thematic sections that read like a small theological seminary: Ancient to Contemporary Theology, Christian Lives, Church, Discipleship, Family, Jesus, Liturgy and Sacraments, Mary, Morality and Social Justice, Non-Catholic Faith Traditions, Prayer, Scripture, Seasonal, and Seasons of Life. Each section includes both classics and contemporary releases, and parishioners can search the catalog, become a patron, recommend books, or review books online. Donations of books are welcome through the parish office.
Feeding Belmont Through the Food Pantry, BOGG, and St. Vincent de Paul
Service to neighbors in need is woven into parish life. The Immaculate Conception Food Pantry serves both the parish community and the Belmont neighborhood, providing grocery boxes in two sizes that feed a family or a single person or couple for three to five days. Standard stock items include dried pinto or black beans, canned soups, boxed cereal bars, spaghetti, peanut butter, boxed macaroni and cheese, ramen noodles, and canned tuna. Through a partnership with BOGG Ministries, the parish hosts the Mobile Meals program on the third Thursday of each month on the Immaculate Conception School playground, with a family of three receiving three meals a day for three to five days; from April through October BOGG adds a cookout and activities, and from November through March the program focuses on groceries. The Immaculate Conception School Blessing Bag Program provides weekend nutrition to students who need supplemental food, with bags distributed each week during the school year containing breakfast, fruit, lunch, and a snack.
The parish also supports unhoused neighbors through St. Vincent de Paul. Each month, parishioners provide pasta casseroles and canned vegetables or fruit for guests staying at the St. Vincent de Paul Hotel, with casseroles collected on the first Tuesday of the month from 5:00 to 5:30 PM in the lower level kitchen. Through the Bread of Life Family of Parishes Social Justice Committee, the parish studies Catholic social teaching and organizes related programs; the committee meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM in the RCIA room at Immaculate Conception.
Walking with the Bereaved and Grieving
The Bereavement Ministry accompanies families through the funeral and beyond. Funerals are typically scheduled at 11:00 AM on weekdays, with arrangements handled through the funeral home in coordination with the parish. Once a date and time are confirmed, a trained member of the bereavement team reaches out to help the family choose readings and music and to share memories that will assist the presider in preparing a homily. A Funeral Choir rehearses about an hour before each funeral and sings pieces chosen by the family. Pre-planning is also available through experienced volunteers. The Grief Ministry hosts GriefShare, a thirteen-week support group, along with special seminars on the loss of a spouse and surviving the holidays. Will Marsh oversees both the bereavement and funeral ministry and the grief support programs.
Becoming Catholic, Joining the Parish, and Giving
Anyone exploring baptism, First Communion, or full communion with the Catholic Church is welcome to begin the conversation through OCIA, with the Easter Vigil as the traditional moment of initiation. New parishioners can register online. The parish also supports the Blessing of Ten stewardship program, inviting parishioners to share ten percent of extraordinary gifts (such as proceeds from a garage sale, a tax refund, or an inheritance) with the parish, as well as the Blessing of Ten Leaving a Legacy Gift program for those wishing to include the parish in wills, life insurance policies, IRAs, and other instruments. Online giving is available through ParishSOFT and FaithDirect.
Rosary of the Aurora, the Parish Library, and Beacons of Light
On the first Saturday of each month at 7:00 AM, the parish gathers outside the Marian shrine to pray the Rosary of the Aurora, followed by coffee and medialunas; in cold or rainy weather the rosary moves inside the church, and Heidi Acuna coordinates. The parish is part of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's Beacons of Light initiative and the Bread of Life / Pan de Vida Family of Parishes, a regional grouping that allows five parishes to share resources and ministry while preserving each community's character.
Immaculate Conception Parish sits at 2300 S. Smithville Road in Dayton, with the parish office open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM and Friday from 8:00 AM to noon (summer hours are Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to noon). The Immaculate Conception School office can be reached at 937-253-8831. Fr. Satish Joseph and his team of parochial vicars, deacons, parish staff, and hundreds of volunteers continue the work begun in 1938 by Fr. John Rauscher and the Marianists, making God's unconditional love evident in the Belmont neighborhood and across Dayton's east side.