OUR PARISH

We heartily welcome all new families and persons to our parish. Please stop by the parish office or complete the form below to register. The Parish Registration Form can be returned to the Parish Office or emailed to Joni Palumbo. As a member of the Church, you are accepting the responsiblity of supporting God's work here through giving of yourself, your time and talents, and a worthy Sunday offering to show your love for Christ and your gratitute of His many favors. Please see our Online Giving page for electronic offerings.

Membership is required for the reception of the Sacraments of Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, and Marriage as well as enrollment in Religious Education. Registration and contributing membership are also required before the parish can issue a sponsorship certificate for those asked to be Sacramental Sponsors.

Our Lady of Lourdes began its rich history with humble beginnings. In the early 1850s, railroad workers, mostly Irish Catholics, settled in the Delaware and Marysville areas and attended St. Mary's Parish in Delaware. On May 24, 1866, Father Henry Fehlings, then pastor of Delaware St. Mary's, purchased a lot on Water Street (later Oak Street) in Marysville near the raiload depot for $200. Almost immediately construction began on a 52' x 35' frame structure that would become Marysville's first Catholic Church. On September 8, 1866, Bishop Sylvester Rosecrans dedicated the new church in Marysville to Saint Peter. Sixteen families are listed in the original Baptismal and Marriage records of the parish.

Officially documented in 1881, St. Peter changed its name to Our Lady of Lourdes in response to the verified existence of the apparitions of the Blessed Mother to Bernadette Soubiroux in Lourdes, France.

On April 25, 1883, land was purchased on Peoria (Raymond) Road to establish a parish cemetery. The Oak Street church was rededicated in 1901 following the enlargement and remodeling of the building and the parish had grown to 31 families. Our Lady of Lourdes remained part of the Diocese of Cincinnati until Union County was annexed to the Diocese of Columbus in 1944.

Our Lady of Lourdes continued to flourish under the leadership of many priests, including Fr. Leonard Falvey. It was Fr. Falvey who oversaw the planning and construction for a new church on West Fifth Street, our current location, after a generous land donation was received from Ed Radebaugh in 1953. Ground was broken on May 23, 1953, and the new church was completed and blessed on September 28, 1954. Under the direction of Fr. Pat Toner, the Catholic Community Center was added in 1978.

By the year 2000, Our Lady of Lourdes parish outgrew the capacity of the church and a major renovation was undertaken by Fr. J. Barry Bentz. The church was rededicated in the summer of 2001. To meet the needs of the growing parish, the Parish Life Center replaced the Catholic Community Center in 2019. 

What began with 16 families has grown and prospered to around 1,000 families. 

Our Lady of Lourdes is a dynamic Catholic family dedicated to worshipping God and sharing together in the Good News of Jesus Christ. We are uniquely blessed with the traditions of our faith and an abundance of God's gifts.

Our strength, vitality, and ability to grow as a parish community are rooted in our commitment to nurture our unity with God while acknowledging our diversity. Our efforts shall be directed towards developing our relationships with each other to encompass the entire spiritual, moral, and social needs of our parish family as we grow toward a deeper relationship with God, our Father, Jesus, our Brother, and the Holy Spirit, our Advocate.

For those new to our parish, our Welcome Committee invites you to join us the third Sunday of each month between the Masses for Pastries with Parishioners. This gathering features homemade baked goodies (feel free to bring one to share), coffee and water and provides the opportunity for new parishioners and current parishioners to meet and visit with one another. ALL ARE WELCOME!