St. Francis Xavier Church
Cincinnati OH

We’re A Jesuit Parish

A "Jesuit" parish is a Catholic parish that is staffed and sponsored by the priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus. In the United States, there are 66 Jesuit parishes. A Jesuit parish is guided by the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola, which encourages people to reflect on their experiences and to discern God’s presence in their lives. Such a parish aims to nurture lay leadership as well as personal faith. It is also committed to “the faith that does justice” by way of solidarity with the poor and dedication to the greater good. Jesuit parishes are located in inner cities, suburbs and rural outposts, as well as on college campuses and Native American reservations.

St Francis Xavier Church was originally founded in 1819 as Cincinnati’s first Catholic church. In 1845 when the Archdiocese invited the Jesuits to administer the parish and its adjacent school, our parish has been infused with the Jesuit charism. Because Jesuits are primarily missionaries and academics, there simply aren’t an abundance of Jesuit parishes in the U.S. St. Xavier Church is thus a bit of a rarity. Following the example of the order’s founder, St Ignatius Loyola, our parishioners strive to be men and women living for others, working towards a world where faith, justice, peace, and love can flourish. We seek to foster the spiritual development of all our members with regular opportunities for personal spiritual growth.

In its service of the faith, a Jesuit parish is called upon to promote local and global justice by means of both personal conversion and structural change. We strive to create a genuine culture of solidarity which transcends parish boundaries. In practice , this reflects our wide-ranging community, which spans over 100 zip codes and is part of the larger mission of the United States Midwest Jesuit Province.

Mission Statement

St. Xavier Church, the Jesuit Parish in downtown Cincinnati, welcomes and serves people from the tri-state area. Our mission is to proclaim and live the gospel of Jesus Christ. We do this: by our celebration of scripture and sacraments by fostering adult spiritual development, by service to the poor, and by promotion of justice.

Inward Reflection - Outward Action

Our Ignatian Charism

In the tradition of Ignatian Spirituality, our parish life is a holy and outward action that flourishes out of sincere inward reflection. The eloquent, dual motto “Inward Reflection Outward Action” characterizes the gift (charism) of discernment which is typical of a Jesuit parish. All we are and do comes from the life of Jesus Christ interior to each member, inspiring all of us to outward discipleship and service.

 

https://www.stxchurch.org/  

 

Free parking in the lot north of church (SW 7th and Sycamore) is available for Saturday 4pm and Sunday Masses. This DOES NOT include the parking lot on Sixth Street nor does it include the parking spaces beyond the alley. You will be ticketed if you are not parked in the designated lot. Free parking ends after the last Mass that day.  

St. Francis Xavier Church is located at 611 Sycamore Street, Cincinnati, Ohio.

The first Catholic Mass in Cincinnati was celebrated in 1811 in the house of Michael Scott. It was celebrated by Dominican Father Edward Fenwick, who would later become the first bishop of the new diocese. The house of Mr. Scott was on the west side of Walnut St. halfway between Third and Fourth. The first Catholic Church building was erected outside the city limits under the title of Saint Patrick in 1818 at the northwest corner of Liberty and Vine. The first Mass was said in this church (now Christ Church) on Easter Sunday, April 11, 1819. Two years later, Pope Pius VII formally erected Cincinnati into an episcopal diocese with Edward Fenwick O.P as the first bishop.

Because of the difficulty of getting to the little church, now his cathedral, especially over the mud roads of winter, Bishop Fenwick purchased the Sycamore Street site and had the little cathedral put on rollers and moved to where our church now stands. Fenwick dedicated it to St Peter on December 17, 1826. Bishop Fenwick died in 1832 and was succeeded by Bishop John B. Purcell. Bishop Purcell bought additional property on Sycamore Street next to his cathedral and established a seminary and college there. Then, in 1840, he brought in the Jesuits to run the college and seminary. Meanwhile, he had begun to build a new cathedral at Eighth and Plum. When it was dedicated in 1845, the title of St. Peter-in-Chains was given to the new cathedral. The Jesuit church and college on Sycamore was then placed under the patronage of St. Francis Xavier. The seminary, retaining its name of “ Athenaeum of Ohio,” moved to Price Hill in 1848.

The title of "parish" was returned to St. Francis Xavier when the cathedral relocated. The parish has been under the direction of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) since 1840. The present brick edifice with sandstone facing and ornate clock tower was built in 1859. Although a horrific fire damaged this building in 1882, it has since been restored and renovated.

Xavier University and St. Xavier High School were founded as a "college" next door to St. Xavier Church. Those two institutions have since moved to separate locations due to space constraints and expansion: XU in 1920 and X High in 1960. Today the parish church serves the downtown community with two daily Masses, six weekend Masses, daily confessions, and service outreach to those in the downtown area.