We visited St. Lawrence today and it is a beautiful church. As for it's history, the first church…read morewas built as a smaller, 2-story red brick building across the street from it's present location. However, after the floods of 1883 and 84, many residents around Cincinnati moved to the higher areas of price hill. So many that a new, much larger church had to be built and was dedicated in 1894. It is now a Gothic-style church made mostly of limestone. One of it's spires reaches 189 feet and inside it's largest tower are housed 2 huge bells - one of them 1 ton and the other over 2 tons! Looking in the front, you will see an enormous rose window which is breathtaking! Part of it is hidden inside by an immense pipe organ with over 3,000 pipes! The stations of the cross were crafted in heavy plaster in France and are a sight to see. Truly this church is gorgeous inside and out. Something that might appeal to parishioners (at least on the day that we went), was that the services lasted all of 37 minutes! Only 2 verses of each song was sang and the rest of mass felt faster paced. No consecrated wine was offered. This church is associated with it's own school. They still have bingo, Knights of Columbus, scouting, an annual festival and a monthly social.

It's a great warm friendly church. Father Walkens does a great job as a priest. We need more priest…read morelike father Watkins in churches. Stop by and visit father Walkens and his parish.

Visited St. Francis Seraph in the heart of Over-the-Rhine today and was so enamored with the entire…read moreexperience. First of all, as we were walking up the front of the outside of the church we were greeted by Friar Brother Tim. What an amazing personality! He is great with names and was able to say hello to parishioners he already knew. Asked about us, told us a little about the church, welcomed us to the church and extended an invitation to the coffee and donuts served after mass. The church itself was very pretty, but if you read some of the history and see photos of it in earlier years, you can see that it was magnificent! They couldn't keep up with maintaining some of the intricate painting on the walls and just were painted over. There is still much to see. Their music ministry amazed us. The pianist is from CCM and as a matter of fact was to be conducting the opera tonight! You can tell he loves what he does and in fact they all do. There was a friar playing guitar as well as a few others, someone playing the trumpet and I'm told that there is normally someone who plays the clarinet, too. Even though they are a smaller group of singers, they sing with enthusiasm. The priest talked in a very down to earth way that seemed to resonate with everyone, including me. I listened intently to every word. Giving the sign of peace was also unique in that everyone got up and gave the sign of peace to pretty much everyone else in the church - loved that! Then those who walked up to the same level where they were preparing the eucharist. We stood/sat in open rooms to the side. That's something we had never done before. Also, there was the most resplendent autumn garnitures at that level. Not surprisingly, Friar Tim announced by name those who were returning from school or different homes in other cities/states to be in attendance. Introduced us by name and thanked those on parish council. What a lovely personal touch! Once mass was over, Brother Tim found us and walked us to where the coffee and donuts were being served where we passed windows looking into a beautiful courtyard garden. While getting refreshments, Father David came over and talked with me which was nice. Afterwards, Brother Tim brought us outside to see the courtyard which he helped get back into shape. There were hydrangeas, brick paths, a koi pond and a firepit which people were sitting around while visiting each other. We sat with them for awhile and felt very comfortable with them all before we were given a short tour before being led to another courtyard where there will be a live nativity in December. Brother Tim showed us a poster of the amazing Advent Wreath that actually hangs over your head! Also, the church is lent space by Christian Moerlein where there will be lots to see near Christmas. It's so extensive that they will start setting up in November! We know for sure we will be going back in the month of December and are truly looking forward to it. They have ministries such as a soup kitchen, too. Please take the time to visit this wonderful church and you might find yourself a regular.

We visited St James as part of our monthly pilgrimage to a different Catholic Church once a month…read more It's actually fairly close to where we live so I'm not sure why it took us so long. The church itself is a very pretty one. Although there seems to be ample parking behind the church, we did not find any signs leading us to where that parking might be. There used to be a school associated with this church, but there is no more. Because it was a snowy week-end, there were not many parishioners so we have no idea how many attend on a regular basis. It had a very different feel as it seemed a little more relaxed. For instance, towards the end of the services a little girl in the first row directly right in front of us was let down by her mother in front of the pews. The little girl began to dance along with the music which we thought was very sweet. After all, shouldn't we be moved by the hymns, if not physically, but spiritually. That would NEVER have happened at our church. There would have been tsk's, appalled looking faces and someone would have made her stop, if not her mother. I found it refreshing. The parishioners seemed to be friendly and the sermon a good one.

This is an absolutely beautiful church with quite a few masses available. Any Sunday you can find a…read morerange of times and languages! They do offer a German mass and it is obviously pretty popular. There's a parking lot across the street! It is quite small and fills up quickly. But we've easily found free street parking. Know that in the winter time this church is cold. It just doesn't hold heat well. Also, there's no quiet room. So if you have little ones who can't make it through the whole time, be prepared to make it up. But there is a bathroom and a changing table on the left side entrance.

I had been to Old St. Mary's before to listen to a Catacoustic Concert and was mesmerized by how…read moregorgeous it was. So we added it to our monthly trek to try out a different church. Let's start with a little of it's rich history. This church is the oldest church in Cincinnati built in 1841 by German immigrants. Their 170-foot-high steeple is one of the oldest clock towers in the USA and was once used as a fire watchtower as well as by Union soldiers during the Civil War. The church bells were cast in 1843 by Levi Coffin, leader of the Underground Railroad. This church likes to hold onto tradition as they have mass in English, Latin and German depending on which service you decide to attend. The altar is still facing the back of the church and you go up to kneel on the long kneeling bench in the front of the church to take part in Communion. By looking at how beautiful the painting, ornamentation, pipe organ and stained glass, it is easy to see how well-maintained this place is. However, some things should be brought into the 21st century, specifically, their sound system! Honestly, I left feeling fairly empty as we couldn't hear most of what was being said. I checked with our friends we went with and they couldn't hear very well either. Some of the stained glass windows were able to open and were open. However, there must be a tree close by with numerous birds singing all through the hour. Nature is sweet, but in this case it was a distraction. So for the actual mass itself, it was disappointing, but I rated it so highly still because it is just that magnificent looking on the inside.

I am a new parishioner. But I love this beautiful Church and Parish. There is a reverence and…read moreholiness here that is not found in every Parish.

Great, small church located in Covington. If you're coming from the highway, it may be fastest to…read moreget off at the 12 St exit. There's no official "cry room" for children but I suggest staying in the back pew for an easy getaway to the front foyer.

Wonderful sermons, wonderful folks who sing old time hymns and wonderful Bible lessons.read more

I love the staff of this church. They do an excellent job. The church is very compassionate and…read moreloving. It is growing and starting to have more young families. It has been a wonderful place of worship for my family. There are lots of ways to get connected. They also have options of modern and traditional services.

My wife (Methodist) and I (Catholic) moved to the Cincinnati area in 2011. It took us a number of…read moreyears and a number of churches to finally find a church we love. So much so, we are now Presbyterians! Sycamore is a very friendly and welcoming congregation. Going to service on Sundays and participating in other activities is so enjoyable. The new Pastor and Associate Pastor are wonderful and they are truly committed to the congregation and especially making the church experience enjoyable for the children. If you are looking for a new or different church, I highly recommend Sycamore Presbyterian. Check it out online if you are not ready to attend. But attending is where true fellowship with these wonderful people thrives!

I love this parish. The members are very kind and welcoming, the music is outstanding, and the…read morepastors are all wonderful. Whether you are looking for a beautiful church service to attend while visiting Cincinnati or a parish to call home, I cannot recommend St. Xavier enough. I have found a vibrant community here, with many opportunities for enriching one's faith and serving others in greater Cincinnati area.

Love the architecture and history...... Mass on Saturday…read moreis larger than one expected. Check out their post on Cincinnati Refined