St. Paul Parish in New Middletown Ohio was created when he 1948 diocesan census revealed that there were 90 Catholic families living in Springfield Township. Bishop McFadden appointed a pastor to serve these families and created St. Paul the Apostle Parish on June 19, 1952. Until a permanent worship space could be built, the new parish celebrated Mass in the New Middletown School.
The parish purchased property, and the bishop granted permission for a church and rectory to be built, with religious instruction and parish meetings to be held in the basement of the church. Sisters of the Humility of Mary were chosen to assist with religious education. The first Mass in the new church was at the Christmas Midnight Mass in 1953. The Ursuline Sisters replaced the Humility of Mary Sisters in 1964, and a religious education center was built and dedicated in 1969. The last Ursuline Sister to serve the parish left in 1993.
The parish property, which includes a lake, has been utilized for outdoor Masses and concerts over the years, and St. Paul’s erected a new church building on the property in 1998. Other additions to the parish included a parish hall and bocce court. Today, St. Paul Parish has an active Knights of Columbus Council, a homebound ministry, a mission team, nursing home ministry, St. Vincent de Paul Society, prison outreach and more. The parish’s homemade and sales run fall through spring. Saint Paul the Apostle, martyred for spreading the word of Christ in the first century, was known for helping to establish Christianity as a global religion. The parish’s dedication to him helps remind parishioners to follow his example of faith and service in their own lives.
Description from The March of the Eucharist, 2nd edition (2025) published by The Catholic Echo
