St. Augustine Catholic Church stands on North Hanover Street in Minster, Ohio, where German settlers founded Stallostown in 1832 and where Father Wilhelm Horstmann celebrated Christmas Day Mass in 1833. It is the oldest Catholic parish in the region, served continuously since 1845 by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, and today it forms part of the Christ Our Light Family of Parishes within the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. From its 1848 brick nave and 190-foot twin Gothic towers to its deep choral tradition and full K-12 religious education program, St. Augustine is the kind of parish where generations of the same families still worship together.
A Mother Church for the Region
The story of St. Augustine begins with the founding of Stallostown in 1832 by Franz Joseph Stallo of Damme, Oldenburg. Bishop Purcell of Cincinnati established the Stallostown Mission in 1834, and in 1836 the mission was formally named Saint Augustine Parish and the town was renamed Minster in remembrance of Münster, Germany, the seat of the prince-bishop to whom the immigrants had strong spiritual and historical ties. The parish at that time numbered more than 200 families and over 830 souls, and its territory was so large that other parishes would later be formed from it. Saint Augustine became, and remains, the Mother Church of the region.
In 1845 the Missionaries of the Precious Blood (C.PP.S.), under Father Franz Salesius Brunner, arrived at the parish, and Sisters of the Precious Blood soon followed to teach in local schools from 1848 to 1988. The first brick church was built in 1848, 120 feet long and 60 feet wide, with a 160-foot tower on the east end. It was dedicated on November 11, 1849, despite a cholera epidemic that summer that claimed more than 300 parishioners, most of whom were buried in a mass grave later marked by a cemetery monument in 1937.
In 1874 master builder and parishioner Johann Anton Goehr removed the original single tower and raised the inspiring Gothic twin towers that still stand today. The 190-foot steeples carry eight-foot crosses on three-foot orbs and, in the words of the parish history, are reminiscent of the cathedral in Münster, Germany. The stately Gothic stained glass windows followed in 1878, a new sanctuary in Romanesque revival style was added to the east end in 1901, side vestibules came in 1947, and a sweeping renovation from 1957 to 1963 brought marble altars, mosaic reredos, a new heating system, and the repainting of the interior in bluish-gray with bands of flat enamel and metallic gold. Bishop Albers consecrated the church in 1931. The towers were first illuminated at night in 1996.
Mass and Reconciliation Times
St. Augustine and its sister parish St. Joseph share a weekly Mass schedule that runs across both churches. Saturday brings the Vigil Mass at 5:00 PM at St. Augustine. On Sunday, Mass is offered at 8:00 AM at St. Joseph and at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM at St. Augustine. Weekday Masses include Wednesday and Friday at 8:00 AM at St. Augustine, Thursday at 8:00 AM at St. Joseph and at 12:00 PM at St. Augustine, and a Monday 8:00 AM Communion Service. Confessions are heard Thursday at 8:30 AM at St. Joseph, Thursday at 12:30 PM at St. Augustine, Friday at 8:30 AM at St. Augustine, and Saturday at 3:45 PM at St. Augustine.
The parish also offers perpetual adoration on Mondays and keeps a careful cancellation policy tied to Minster Schools: when schools delay, the 8:00 AM Communion Service is canceled and adoration begins at noon; when schools are closed, all weekday Masses and adoration are canceled. Weekend Masses are only canceled if Auglaize County is under a Level 3 Snow Emergency, and the obligation to attend Sunday Mass is dispensed for those who are homebound in severe weather, with the suggestion to watch Mass online and pray the Rosary as a family.
The Sacramental Life
St. Augustine prepares parishioners for all seven sacraments. Baptism is offered on Saturdays at 6:00 PM and Sundays at 12:00 PM, and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati requires families to attend a preparation session before the ceremony; sessions are held ten times a year at churches in the Christ Our Light Family on the second Tuesday at 7:00 PM. First Holy Communion is celebrated at the 1:30 PM Mass on the parish's appointed Sunday. Confirmation is celebrated during a student's sophomore year and includes a retreat, service hours, a Saint report, and a readiness interview; the next Confirmation Mass is scheduled with Archbishop Robert Casey presiding.
The parish prepares couples for Marriage and offers Anointing of the Sick to anyone weakened by age, afflicted by serious illness, or preparing for surgery; the Christ Our Light Family also offers a communal Anointing Mass in the spring and fall. Reconciliation is available weekly as listed above, and the parish prays for vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
Sacred Music at St. Augustine
St. Augustine has a long tradition of excellence in sacred music, firmly rooted in the Catholic choral tradition. The Music Ministry is built around the Director of Music, Jared Post, and welcomes singers and instrumentalists of all ages.
The Minster Folk Group rehearses on Tuesday nights and leads the sung prayer at Mass two to four times per month using various instruments. The Children's Choir, open to students in fourth through eighth grade, rehearses on Thursdays after school from September through May and sings at the weekly Wednesday School Mass and one Sunday Mass per month. The Men's Choir, a musical brotherhood founded in 1907, continues a strong tradition of excellence and rehearses Wednesday evenings at 7:00 PM in the choir loft. The Resurrection Choir sings at funerals, and a separate group of cantors and instrumentalists round out the program. Music selections and guidelines for weddings are coordinated through the Director of Music.
Forming Young Catholics, K through 12
The St. Augustine / St. Joseph Parish School of Religion sees religious education as a lifelong process that begins with Baptism, is nurtured in the family, and continues throughout adulthood. Students are formed in faith through weekly PSR classes, and a revised schedule for the 2026 to 2027 school year places kindergarten through second grade on Thursday afternoons, third through fifth grade on Wednesday mornings following the school Mass, and sixth through twelfth grade on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 PM to 8:45 PM. Curriculum follows the Allelu series for kindergarten, the Faith and Life series from Ignatius Press for grades one through eight, the Chosen series from Ascension Press for freshmen and sophomores, the You series on the theology of the body for second-semester sophomores, and a FaithFire seminar for juniors and seniors that tackles hot topics in small and large group discussions.
Younger children can join Little Flowers for girls in first through fourth grade and Blue Knights for boys in the same grades, and Ablaze is a special program for fifth and sixth graders. Jr. High Bible Study meets monthly, and the high school youth ministry gathers for monthly Jesus Nights on Sunday evenings focused on community, discipleship, and encounter, with additional service through Via Dolorosa on Good Friday and a Food Pantry Scavenger Hunt. Summer brings Vacation Bible School and opportunities for Catholic Youth Summer Camp, Catholic Heart Work Camp, and the Steubenville Youth Conference at Franciscan University, with parish scholarships available for camp costs.
Adult Faith Communities
The Adult Faith Formation team works with the pastor to assess the spiritual needs of the parish and meets every three months. Brothers in Faith, the men's ministry, gathers on the first Thursday of the month at 7:00 PM in the Parish Center to help one another become better men, fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons through God's guidance, and offers Stronger in the Word on Saturday mornings from 7:30 to 8:30 AM for a weekly exploration of the Sunday Mass readings. The Women's Prayer Group meets every Tuesday at 8:30 AM at the Rectory for Gospel reflection, prayer, and fellowship. Ministry of Mothers is a sisterhood of Catholic mothers who gather on the first Monday of each month at 7:30 PM at the Parish Center and host a Divine Mercy Encounter each spring.
The parish also provides a library at staugustinecatholic.library.site and a subscription to Formed.org for the Christ Our Light Family of Parishes, giving parishioners free access to Catholic films, talks, ebooks, and podcasts on demand. The MyParish App keeps the community connected with announcements, calendars, and giving.
Reaching Beyond the Parish
Outreach at St. Augustine takes many forms. Caring Ministers visit parishioners who are bereaved, homebound, hospitalized, or in particular need. GriefShare, a 13-week program of video seminars and group discussion, is offered each September. Stephen Ministry, a confidential one-on-one Christian care ministry, has been active in the wider NW8 Family of Parishes and now serves the Christ Our Light Family through trained lay caregivers who accompany people through bereavement, illness, job transitions, and family changes.
Food donations are collected at all entrances of church year-round, and the parish runs a twice-yearly food drive for Agape Food Pantry in St. Marys, the Calvary Baptist Food Bank in Minster, and other neighbors. Parishioners also carpool from St. Augustine to assist at the Holy Angels Soup Kitchen in Sidney every Wednesday morning. The Mission Commission reaches out to community members in need through several annual fund drives. Christmas brings the Angel Tree program for families in need and foster children of Auglaize County, and the parish regularly sends care packages to parishioners and loved ones serving in the military.
The Mission Commission, the parish's Education Commission, the Parish Council, the Finance Committee, the Cemetery Board, the Knights of Columbus, the Ministry of Mothers, the Right to Life group, the Brothers in Faith men's ministry, the Women's Prayer Group, and many smaller ministries all offer ways to serve. Volunteers over 18 who work with children complete the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's SafeParish child protection training and background check.
Inside the Brick Church on Hanover Street
Visitors to St. Augustine step into a sanctuary shaped by more than 175 years of devotion. The half-barrel ceiling, added in the 1900 to 1901 renovation, carries seven paintings by copyist painter Joseph Vittur, and the marble altars, mosaic reredos, and Stations of the Cross were added during the 1957 to 1963 renovation. The central mosaic of the high altar is based on Albrecht Dürer's painting The Blessed Trinity, and the side altars depict the aurora borealis as a sign of the Eternal Flame of Christ. Statues of the Blessed Virgin and Saint Joseph, carved from Italian Botticino marble, stand before the reredoses. Four linden wood statues carved in Oberammergau accent the sanctuary in pairs.
The stained glass windows are a feature in their own right. The north vestibule windows in etched blue glass depict the German heritage of the settlers of Stallostown, and the south vestibule windows use the theme Life after Death in memory of the deceased of the parish. The 1896 Pilcher pipe organ was rebuilt in 1939 with electro-pneumatic action and additional ranks of pipes, and the music department also acquired a console piano and a Grand Steinway in 1996. The Conrad Schmitt Studios of Wisconsin repainted and redecorated the interior in 1997, and the pews and floor were refinished in 2007.
In 1982, as part of the village sesquicentennial, the Heimatsverein of Oldenburger Münsterland presented the parish with a replica of the ancient Cross venerated in the Pilgrimage Church of Lage, carved by Ferdinand Starmann, in memory of the early settlers.
Caring for the Gothic Towers
The 190-foot twin towers have been a defining feature of Minster since 1874, and the parish has launched a major stewardship effort to restore them. The history of their care spans nearly 150 years: 1893 repairs and repainting, a $650 tower clock purchased in 1897, gilding of the spheres and crosses in 1922, copper replacement of the crosses in 1929, extensive copper work in 1939 that developed into a green-gray patina, electrification of the clock and bell ringing system in 1942, reinforcement work by Wellman Brothers after 1964 wind damage, the end of the original bells in 1966 to 1967 with the purchase of an electronic carillon, and the first nighttime illumination in 1996. The campaign invites donations online, with forms for cash, check, EFT, and RMD gifts.
Pastoral Leadership
St. Augustine is pastored by Rev. Ken Schnipke, C.PP.S., a Precious Blood Missionary ordained in 1990 who first served at St. Augustine in Minster from 1990 to 1993 before assignments in Florida and seventeen years of vocation and formation ministry with the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. Deacons Roger Klosterman and Ken Wuebker assist at the parish. Jared Post directs the Music Ministry, Will Hahn serves as Coordinator of Religious Education for Grades 6 to 12 and Youth Minister, Jeanette Wente coordinates Grades K to 5, and Julie Homan coordinates youth ministry across the St. Augustine and St. Joseph cluster. The parish also has a robust Education Commission and many volunteer-led committees and ministries.
Parishioners seeking to become Catholic, return to the practice of the faith, or simply learn more about St. Augustine can explore the Becoming Catholic, Returning Catholics, and New to the Area pages, or contact the parish office at 419-628-2614 or info@staugie.com.