About Our Parish

St. Margaret-St. John Parish is a merger of two parishes in the Archdiocese of Cinicnnati located approximately one mile from each other. The parish merger took place on September 14, 2008, making the church of St. Margaret of Cortona the primary parish location, with St. John Vianney  the secondary site. The parish currently maintains a Mass schedule at both church locations. Below is a history of the two churches.

St. John Vianney Church

On August 21, 1949, the building program was announced for the purchase of fourteen and-a-half acres at Berwick and Windward Streets in Madison Place.  Archbishop Karl Alter
approved the building of the Parish Center that included a church, a convent, a school, and a rectory.  In the fall of 1949, Msgr. Hoban solicited the help of the seminarians to clear the land – Fr. Paul Edrich was among those seminarians.  On February 26, 1950, all the Masses were said in the church for the first time.  The formal blessing of the church by Msgr. Clarence Issenmann took place on April 23, 1950.  On March 30, 1952, groundbreaking for the school took place. On the Feast of St. John Vianney – August 9, 1953, the new school was blessed and it was announced that the school would named “Cure of Ars,’ since St. John Vianney was known as the priest of the village of Ars in France.   Cure of Ars School merged with St. Margaret of Cortona School in August 2002 and became known as Prince of Peace School. The fiftieth anniversary of St. John Vianney
parish was celebrated in August of 2000 – the Pastor, Father Paul Edrich, celebrated the Mass with many of the founding members in attendance.

St. Margaret of Cortona Church

On January 24, 1920, the building committee met to ask for the appointment of a
Pastor for a new parish in Fairfax.  Rev. Harry Ansbury was chosen to organize the new parish. Mr. Mike Roche built the first church of stucco at Watterson and Murray Sts. The parish took the name St. Margaret, and Sr. Josephine of Brown County suggested that St. Margaret of Cortona be adopted – a saint with
a fine example of perseverance and penance. The church was completed and dedicated on Sunday, September 11, 1921, Rev. Archbishop Henry Moeller, officiated. In 1922, a frame school building with four classrooms was built by the men of the parish at Watterson St. under the supervision of Mr. Joe Meyers, with all of the labor supplied free. The first framed temporary school was opened in September 1922.   In 1927, a four-room brick school – the beginning of our present church/school building was opened.  In 1950 Rev. Basil Haneberg opened the new church located in the current school/church building, celebrating the first mass on Christmas Day.  St. Margaret of Cortona School merged with Cure of Ars School in August 2002 and became known as Prince of Peace School, which is now housed in the St. Margaret School building.

1949            Msgr. Joseph Schneider

1949-62       Msgr. James Hoban

1962-77       Rev. Robert Leugers

1977-85       Rev. Norbert Brinkman

1985-02       Rev. Paul Edrich

2002-04       Rev. Len Fecko

2004-08       Rev. David Lemkuhl

St. Margaret of Cortona Pastors:

1921-35        Rev. Harry J. Ansbury

1935-44         Rev. Eugene C. Gerlach

1944-56         Rev. Basil Haneberg

1956-63         Rev. Henry J. Imbus

1963-65         Rev. Albert H. Metz

1965-70         Rev. John R. Berning

1970-86         Rev. Carl A. Lizza

1986-98         Rev. Michael Flaherty

1998-04         Rev. Len Fecko

2004-08         Rev. David Lemkuhl

St. Margaret-St. John Pastors:

2008-             Rev. David Lemkuhl