A North Haven Anchor for West Toledo Catholics
St. Catherine of Siena Parish sits on the quiet stretch of North Haven Avenue on Toledo's north end, where the church, school, and Siena Center parish activity center share a single campus. The parish was established in 1930 with a school; the church was built in 1961, and the Siena Center, the parish activity center, was added in 2000. Today, St. Catherine is twinned with nearby St. Clement Parish, and the two communities share clergy, ministries, and a livestreamed worship schedule.
Pastor Rev. Francis Speier and Deacons Michael Learned and Tom Soper lead a parish that describes itself as "diverse and family-like," with a long history of serving Catholics across the area as well as the wider community. James Riedy directs Liturgy and Music, Michael Salwiesz directs the Religious Education program, and Bryan Blevins, Theresa Vargo, and Kathy Huffman serve as parish secretaries. Cindy Hanenkrath is the bookkeeper and business manager, and Tom Weaver oversees the buildings.
Mass and Reconciliation
The Mass schedule is built around a single weekend Mass on Saturday evening and a Sunday morning. Saturday Mass is celebrated at 4:00 PM, with confessions heard from 3:00 to 3:30 PM beforehand. On Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, daily Mass is offered at 9:00 AM; there is no Mass on Thursday. The Sunday Mass is at 9:00 AM.
All Masses from both St. Catherine of Siena and St. Clement are livestreamed on the parish YouTube channel, making the liturgies available to parishioners at home, in the hospital, or otherwise unable to attend in person. Reconciliation is offered every Saturday afternoon before the 4:00 PM Mass and at other times by request. A yearly deanery penance service is held at a different parish, with additional individual confessions at both St. Catherine and St. Clement scheduled through the year.
Sacraments for the Whole Parish
The parish walks with families through every sacrament. Baptisms take place during weekend Masses, with parents asked to call the parish office to arrange the celebration. Baptisms are not scheduled during Advent or Lent, and baptism families are asked to sit in the front reserved pews at the Mass where their child is baptized.
Children preparing for First Communion, First Penance, and Confirmation who attend public school enroll in the Religious Education Program (REP), which meets Sunday mornings from 9:00 to 10:45 AM at St. Clement and includes grades 1 through 8. Students in Catholic schools receive their preparation through their religion curriculum. Registration for REP opens after August.
Anointing of the Sick is given upon request and is also offered twice a year, half an hour before weekend Masses; the dates appear in the Sunday bulletin. The priest anoints the forehead and hands of those who come forward.
Couples planning to marry at St. Catherine are asked to contact the pastor at least six months before the anticipated wedding date. The parish follows the marriage preparation guidelines of the Diocese of Toledo, and couples meet with the pastor, complete preparation workshops, and work with Music Director James Riedy to plan the liturgy. The standard use-of-church fee is $250 for parishioners and $350 for non-parishioners, with the organist fee at $150 and a $100 "Vacate the Bench Fee" if an outside organist is used.
Music That Draws the Assembly Together
Music holds a central place in worship at St. Catherine. The Mixed Choir, whose members range from teenagers to octogenarians, rehearses Tuesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:45 PM, September through June, and sings the 9:00 AM Sunday Mass starting in late September. The Adult Chimers rehearse Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 and add the bright sounds of handchimes monthly at the 9:00 AM Mass, as well as at Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and other special occasions.
Cantors are trained to lead the Responsorial Psalms, Gospel Acclamations, and other sung parts that require a single voice. The Funeral Choir is a dedicated group that sings at funerals throughout the year, often with little advance notice, providing an essential ministry to grieving families.
Music at weddings must be appropriate to a liturgical celebration. The parish Music Director guides couples through the choices. Secular love songs, popular inspirational songs, and even the traditional Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin and the Wedding March from A Midsummer Night's Dream are not used. Prelude music begins 15 to 20 minutes before the ceremony, and a Nuptial Mass typically runs 55 to 60 minutes.
Holy Name and the Marian Society
The parish is anchored by two long-running organizations. Holy Name is the men's society, an outgrowth of decades of men volunteering their time to coach sports teams and serve the parish. Holy Name men raise funds through seven Lenten fish fry dinners and other food events such as Polish or chicken dinners. They meet the second Monday of every month at 7:00 PM in the St. Dominic Room, September through May. Current officers include Deacon Tom Soper, Leo Manion, Jack Anderson, and Bryan Blevins. The yearly newsletter is called The Wags, in honor of parishioner John Wagenknecht.
The Marian Society is the women's organization, with about thirty years of history and a mission of supporting the financial needs of the altar and Masses. Members hold bake sales after weekend liturgies, host a Mother-Daughter breakfast near Mother's Day and a Mother-Son breakfast in March, and run a Ladies Night Out in October. The Marian Society also helps at Lenten fish fry dinners and funeral luncheons. Officers serve two-year terms, with current leadership including President Ellen Schnapp, Vice President Connie Moore, and Secretary Jan Carter.
Saint Vincent de Paul and Outreach
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is active within the parish, providing food, clothing, used furniture, and limited help with utilities, rent, prescriptions, and medical equipment to people within St. Catherine's boundaries. Members meet with clients in person, offering counsel, prayer, and, when funding allows, direct aid. Funding comes primarily from Mass collections, supplemented by donations of money, clothing, and furniture.
A separate but related ministry, the parish vegetable and fruit garden at the end of Corbin Road, donates its produce to Feed Your Neighbor and to St. Louis Helping Hands. In 2022 the garden donated 2,300 pounds of food; in 2023, more than 6,500 pounds. Six fruit trees are already in the ground, with more planned. Plots in the garden are available for $20 per year for a 4-by-8 bed, and volunteers help with watering, weeding, picking, and plowing.
The parish also takes a turn every six weeks on the St. Louis Helping Hands lunch team, cooking, delivering, and serving food for those in need in the broader Toledo community.
Religious Education for All Ages
The Religious Education Program (REP) gathers public-school children in grades 1 through 6 on Sunday mornings from 9:00 to 10:45 AM at St. Clement. Michael Salwiesz coordinates the program and recruits catechists.
Adults have several paths. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) begins in September and concludes at the Easter Vigil, with weekly meetings for those preparing to enter the Catholic Church. Adult Education covers the teaching of the Church in programs that run several weeks at a time. Deacon Tom Soper leads small-group discussions through Formed.org, a partnership with the Diocese of Toledo using video programs such as The Search, Forgiven, and Presence, followed by conversation and reflection.
Health Ministry and Pastoral Care
St. Catherine's Health Ministry Program brings together volunteers, some with medical backgrounds, to support the physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being of parishioners and the wider community. They offer blood pressure checks after some Sunday Masses, visit or send cards to the sick, and create prayer shawls. Lunch-n-Learn sessions bring health topics to the parish, and the ministry organizes blood drives at both St. Catherine and St. Clement parishes.
Mass Ministries and Liturgical Service
Worship depends on dozens of lay volunteers. Lectors proclaim the Word of God at Mass and are encouraged to prepare carefully using resources provided by the parish and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion assist the priest and deacon in distributing the Body and Blood of Christ and bring Communion to the sick and dying. Eight ministers are scheduled for each Mass, with four stationed at the back of the church and four moving forward.
Altar Servers may begin in fourth grade and continue through high school and into adulthood. They light candles, carry the processional cross, hold the book for the priest, present the water and wine, ring bells at the consecration, and clean up after Mass. Ushers greet and seat parishioners, take up the collections, direct Communion, distribute bulletins, assist those with limited mobility, manage lost and found, and lock up the facilities after the last Mass.
Preschool and School
The St. Catherine of Siena Early Childhood Education Center offers programs for three-year-old preschoolers, four-year-old preschoolers, and four- and five-year-old prekindergartners. Before-school care and extended day care are available, and a hot lunch program is part of the daily schedule.
St. Catherine School is now part of the Northwest Community Catholic Schools (NCCS), a regional consortium. Families can reach the parish school office at 419-478-9900.
Annunciation Radio
Deacon Mike Learned and his wife Kris founded Annunciation Radio, a Catholic media apostolate broadcasting in Northwest and North Central Ohio and affiliated with the EWTN Global Catholic Radio Network and Ave Maria Radio. The mission is to proclaim the truth in love, equip Catholics to live and share their faith, draw inactive Catholics back to the Church, and connect Catholics with the Bishop of Toledo. Frequencies include WNOC 89.7 FM Bowling Green-Toledo, WHRQ 88.1 FM Sandusky, WFOT 89.5 FM Lexington-Mansfield, and WSHB 90.9 FM Willard. The station holds spring and fall fundraisers each year.
Staying Connected
The parish keeps in touch through several channels. The Sunday bulletin is published weekly in print and online, with submissions due to the parish office by noon on Monday. The Parish Pulse newsletter comes out quarterly, gathering news from across the ministries and the parish community; articles can be submitted to the parish office or emailed to Mary Weiher. Activities appear on the parish Google calendar, and the parish Facebook page carries regular updates along with a Neighbor Helping Neighbor Facebook group for parish outreach. Formation, ongoing study, and small-group resources are available through Formed.org, with Deacon Tom Soper coordinating the parish's small groups.
Parish office hours run 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM Monday through Friday, September through May, with summer hours of 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM Monday through Thursday and 9:00 AM to noon on Friday. The parish office is at 4555 N. Haven, Toledo, OH 43612, and the phone number is 419-478-9558. From I-75, take the Alexis Road exit, turn right on Lewis Avenue, right on Eleanor Street, and right on N. Haven; the parish is on the left. From I-475, take the ProMedica Parkway exit, turn left on Upton Avenue, right on Sylvania Avenue, and left on N. Haven.
The parish mission statement gathers it together: "We, the St. Catherine of Siena Parish Family, a community of Christian people called to discipleship through Baptism, seek to share our giftedness and grow in our relationship with the Lord and one another. We gather around the table of the Lord in a spirit of unity and fellowship to be nourished by the Eucharist and strengthened by the Word. We are called, as individuals and as a community, to grow in prayer, worship, and education. The Lord sends us forth to be His witnesses and to minister to all in our parish and in our world."