OLDEST CATHOLIC CHURCH IN CLERMONT COUNTY

The parish of St. Philomena was established in 1839 and was sometimes referred to as the Little Church in the Valley. It has the distinction of being the oldest Catholic Church in Clermont County!  The founders of the church were residents of the area before Ohio become a state n 1803. 

Traveling priests from Cincinnati bringing the sacraments occasionally met with the Catholic families from Stonelick Township. These families met in homes from 1835 to 1837 on Sunday mornings, holy days, and other times, especially during Lent. A log church was built in 1837 at a cost of $50 and was dedicated to St. Philomena. 

CEMETERIES

There are two cemeteries at the church.  One is called the "old cemetery," at which burials were made until the late 1800s.  Many of the burials were children less than one year of age due to the hardships of the wilderness and the lack of available medical attention. Burials of Civil War veterans were also made in this cemetery.  

The "new cemetery" was dedicated in 1890 with the first burial in 1891.  Many veterans from the area who served in the wars between 1900 and today are buried in this cemetery.  The cemetery is currently in use and both cemeteries are a tribute to the history of Catholicism in the Stonelick area. 
 

RECENT HISTORY

On July 1, 2012, the four parish region of Holy Trinity, St. Ann, St. Louis, and St. Philomena were gathered together under the name of Clermont Catholic Communities. The overseer of this process and the pastor of this new four-parish region was Father Jerry Hiland, who up until that time had been pastor of St. Louis and St. Philomena.  Father Martin Bachman was assigned to the parish region in 2015, and in 2022, Father Thomas McCarthy was named pastor of this parish region, now known as Beacons of Light SE-5 or Holy Family Parishes.  

A special thank you to Ron Yeager for this information