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.

When you have a very busy weekend, it's nice that this church offers a range of times. We visited…read morefor the 5:30p Sunday mass this past weekend. I couldn't get over how beautiful this church is!!! High ceilings, stained glass, pretty tiles covering the walls. I was also happy to see how packed the mass was. This is obviously a thriving community. I really appreciated the children's area downstairs. There was plenty of space, toys and books to keep my 14 month old entertained. And don't worry, they have speakers down there so you can still hear!!

It's awkward to write a review for a church; let's start there. I'll stick to the concrete, and…read moreleave the rest up to you. Mass Times: Saturday 4:30; Sunday 8:15, 10:30, 5:30 Daily Mass: 8:00 in the chapel on the third floor of the Catholic Center (enter the ground floor double doors off Herman St.) This church has the feel and beauty of old Catholic churches-elaborate interior painting, stained glass, stone structure. Fun fact: It served as the Cathedral during the 40's and 50's. (It's very popular for weddings.) The congregation is led by a Franciscan priest, and is diverse in many realms. This is the Newman Center for UC, so there is a student population-most prominent at the 5:30 Sunday masses. Logistically, parking can be a bit tricky-especially for the 10:30 mass during the academic year. The entrance to the parking lot is off of the University Ct./Fairview side as the street curves. The entrance to the back parking lot is further up Herman St. There is additional parking on Sundays in the Deaconess lot, also off of Herman St. or University Ct. Meeting space is available in the Catholic Center. Entrances, again, can be a little tricky-there are three options. There are double doors on the ground floor off of Herman St., there are glass doors on the Herman Street side at the top of the stairs, and finally, there is an entrance to the hall from the parking lot on the side of the church rectory-it's down about 4 steps. I've found people friendly, they have parish-wide events frequently throughout the year-and these usually have great pot-lucks!

Beautiful church. Friendly volunteers…read more While I didn't attend a church service here, I did experience a great choral and organ performance by the May Festival Chorus. It was great. I arrived a little late so there was no spots in their rather large parking lot, so I parked on a side street in the cozy neighborhood that surrounds the church. The volunteers handing out programs were nice and gave me directions as to locations of available seats. Oh, my only complaint, the pews aren't padded and my bony posterior wasn't that comfortable. Oh well. The sanctuary is full of beautiful stained glass comprised mostly of rich purple and blue colors. The wooded ceiling reminds me of old European churches. Brides to be should consider this church. The acoustics are great. If you like organ music, this church has a great set of pipes that are expertly played by Heather MacPhail, the Director of Music Ministries AND the Accompanist for May Festival Chorus. Busy lady. Anyways, while much of this church seems to have been remodeled, there are plenty of charming remnants and vestiges of the past that help keep the place grounded and welcoming. I may never get a chance to attend an actual service here, but I had a great experience nonetheless.

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.

We lived in Cinci for five years and called Good Shepherd home for most of that time. Worship here…read moreis simple and biblical, and the gospel is preached in every sermon. It's a small group, so it's not for everyone -- though, I think people overrate church size. This is a place where people can really get to know one another, and lasting friendships can form. Though we've moved away, I'm in touch with a number of folks from Good Shepherd, which I can't say for every church I've attended.

Very nice church with a lot of space. Sat and Sun Services are temporarily held in the undercroft…read morewhile they repair the AC installation.

Stopped by this morning and found the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption was an incredible…read moreexperience. Big private parking lot and walked in to admire and appreciate the stained glass, incredible woodwork and took the time to walk the stations of the cross One of the volunteers (Ann) was patient, kind and a fountain of knowledge, taking time to share with this out of town visitor. Thank you Ann for a memorable visit.

Gorgeous Catholic basilica in Covington, KY. We were fortunate enough to visit this space in lieu…read moreof a family member's wedding. This church began construction in 1894 and was partially completed by 1915. It is of French Gothic Architectural style and is on the US National Register of Historic Places. Per Wikipedia, "The cathedral is famous for what is said to be the world's largest handmade church stained glass window." "The window was created by Mayer and Company of Munich, Germany, and installed in 1911. It was fully restored in 2001." There is ample parking in the church grounds with an additional overflow lot nearby. It is definitely a beautiful space to visit and attend mass.

This is a very welcoming community. My wife and I new no one when we moved to Cincinnati, but…read morelearned about this church through a coworker and when we visited we felt like we had found a home. The people are very welcoming, and we quickly made a new circle of friends through this church. It made the transition to life away from our family much easier. New City just moved from meeting in John P. Parker Elementary's cafeteria, to a beautiful old church building in Norwood. If you're looking for a church in the neighborhood, put this one on your list to consider.

Wonderful, welcoming community tucked in a residential neighborhood of Norwood. I had no…read moreknowledge/previous involvement of the Presbyterian faith prior to attending New City, but I felt wanted and invited there all the same, and I found New City to be a place that truly lives out love, grace, and sacrifice. The attendants act out their faith through generous giving to those in need in Norwood, especially Sharpsburg students. Huge perk of New City: they have a great kids' ministry with separate classes for every age, so your child gets individualized attention and age-appropriate lessons while you're in the church service. All kids' ministry volunteers are background checked and trained. I highly encourage checking out New City, whether or not you have any faith background. You will be welcomed with open arms. Be sure to get there a little early so you can find street parking and grab a fresh cup of Deeper Roots coffee.