Established on January 17, 1946 by Bishop Michael Ready and chosen by our founding pastor, The Reverend John P. Byrne, on January 31, 1946, St. Michael The Archangel Parish has a rich history as being the first and only Catholic parish in one of Ohio’s oldest communities, a distinction held to this day. Through the years, St. Michael’s has grown in the Worthington community from 80 families who attended the first Mass on February 10, 1946 in the seminary chapel at the Pontifical College Josephinum, to the current 1400+ registered families. Parish buildings have also seen growth since those early days, from the first Mass in the first Parish-owned church – The Chase Mansion, on May 26, 1946, to the first Mass in the military-style Quonset Hut on July 11, 1948 to the first Sunday Mass on June 14, 1964 in our current beautiful church of Romanesque design, featuring marble pillars and a golden canopy from Italy on the main altar.
Education has been a cornerstone of St. Michael’s parish since those early days when St. Michael Elementary School opened for the first time on September 3, 1946 in converted classrooms in the Chase Mansion. Staffed by two Joliet Franciscan sisters, attendance on that first day consisted of 44 students and has since grown to the current enrollment of roughly 450 students in grades K-8. Classroom locations also grew from the Chase Mansion to the Quonset Hut to the current school building that was dedicated on November 21, 1954. On February 28, 1982, as enrollment was on the increase, our school saw the addition of a gym, classroom, a religious education office, and a library. The parish plant saw an additional expansion between the years 1997 – 1999 when the former convent was renovated to accommodate parish offices, space for Youth Ministry and Sunday nursery, as well as space for an After-Kindergarten program. During this time the church was linked with a Gathering Space that included meeting rooms in the basement. The school also benefited from the expansion projects with a new library, administrative offices, an art room, and a computer lab. A band room, a music room, storage garages for Festival and maintenance, athletic storage and a collection room for the St. Vincent de Paul Society were added to the gym wing. The Parish plant underwent another expansion in 2011 with the refurbishing of the convent as the new home for the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist and again as recently as 2013 with another addition to house new parish offices, additional meeting rooms, an adoration chapel, pre-K room, a food pantry and clothing room.
Under the guidance of 7 former pastors and our current pastor, Fr. Michael Lumpe, blessed with a large number of active Parish organizations, a perpetual adoration chapel, and one of the most popular parish festivals in the Diocese, St. Michael’s continues to “Rise Up” bringing the message of Jesus Christ to others and making a difference in the Worthington community.
If you are interested in further exploring the rich history of St. Michael Parish, please contact the Historical Committee.
Milestones of St. Michael Church
January 17, 1946
Diocese establishes St. Michael Parish
February 01, 1946
Father John P. Byrne is transferred from Chillicothe and named Pastor
February 10, 1946
Father Byrne offered first Mass in Pontifical College Josephinum
April 12, 1946
Six acre site at the northeast corner of Selby Blvd. and High Street purchased for $45,500 as permanent location for parish facility
May 26, 1946
First Mass offered in original “parish-owned church” – the Chase Mansion. Two rooms had been converted by parishioners into a place of worship
September 03, 1946
St. Michael School opened in converted classrooms in the Chase Mansion with 44 pupils in attendance, staffed by two Joliet Franciscan sisters
March, 1948
Ground broken for Quonset hut that was to house the first parish-built church
July 11, 1948
Quonset Hut dedicated by Bishop Ready with a Pontifical Low Mass
June 20, 1954
Cornerstone laid by Auxiliary Bishop Edward G. Hettinger for new $272,000 parish school
November 21, 1954
New school with 11 classrooms, cafeteria and kitchen is dedicated by Bishop Ready
May, 1957
New rectory with three-room office wing and two-car garage completed. It replaced a small leased house at 28 W. Stanton Avenue in Worthington
September 30, 1962
Ground-breaking ceremonies launched construction of new church
May 14, 1963
Cornerstone of new church laid and blessed by Auxiliary Bishop Hettinger
June 14, 1964
First Sunday Mass offered by Father Byrne in new church
April 18-21, 1971
Celebration of 25th anniversary of St. Michael Parish
July, 1974
Adult choir launches $25,000 fundraising campaign for new electronic church organ
June 10, 1976
Faculty and students of St. Michael School, along with Father Byrne, dedicate the Grotto to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary
October 31, 1976
Founding Pastor Father Byrne retires
November 17, 1976
Reverends John A. Geiger and Robert E. Schneider are appointed as co-pastors
October 08, 1977
St. Michael Homecoming Festival is born
November 20, 1977
Dedication recital of new church electronic organ
September 1-3, 1979
Festival adds another day and new name “St. Michael Annual Labor Day Festival”
July 13, 1980
Father Edward Trenor is named pastor of St. Michael.
May 17, 1981
Father Byrne celebrates 50 years of priesthood
February 28, 1982
New activity center and school addition dedicated with a noon concelebrated Mass, open house, and school science fair
May 22, 1985
Father Edward Trenor celebrates 25 years of priesthood
May 29, 1988
St. Michael Elementary School receives national recognition and Exemplary School Award from U. S. Department of Education
Spring 1988
New pipe organ installed
July 10, 1990
Father William A. Dunn is named pastor of St. Michael Parish. Father Trenor assigned pastor of Christ the King Parish in Columbus
May 26, 1991
Father Byrne celebrates 60th anniversary of priesthood with Sunday Mass
February 15, 1992
John Crerand and John Vellani, St. Michael parishioners, are ordained permanent deacons in ceremonies at St. Joseph Cathedral, Columbus
March, 1995
Charter installation of St. Michael Council #11445 of the Knights of Columbus
May 04, 1996
50th Anniversary Mass and Golden Jubilee Dinner
May, 1997
Ordination of Jeff Coning
March, 1998
St. Michael School receives full accreditation
February, 2001
Klaus Fricke and Jim Keating ordained permanent deacons
September, 2001
25th Anniversary of the St. Michael Festival
January, 2002
Deacons John Crerand and John Vellani celebrate 10 years of ordained service.
June, 2002
Msgr. Dunn leaves St. Michael Parish
June, 2002
Deacon Jim Keating reassigned
July, 2002
Fr. Richard Pendolphi assigned as pastor
May 01, 2003
New adoration chapel opens
April, 2004
Knights of Columbus break ground on Respect Life Memorial
December, 2004
Stained glass windows installed in church
February, 2006
St. Michael Parish turns 60
October, 2006
Fr. Pendolphi celebrates 30 years of priesthood
January, 2007
Baptistry painted
August, 2007
Fr. Losh moves to the Villas of St. Therese
November, 2008
Bill Demidovich ordained a permanent Deacon
March, 2009
Renovation of the pipe organ begins with removal of 464 pipes to be revoiced
November 08, 2009
Dedication and blessing of Muller-Stantz organ
November 08, 2009
Dedication and blessing of ambo
August, 2011
At the invitation of Bishop Campbell, Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist begin teaching at and administering St. Michael School
September 18, 2012
Fr. Pendolphi reassigned as Priest/Moderator of St. Aloysius and St. Agnes Parishes (Columbus, OH)
September 18, 2012
Fr. Anthony A. Dinovo, Jr. appointed as pastor
March 17, 2013
Groundbreaking ceremony for new Parish Ministry Center
November 30, 2013
Blessing of new Parish Ministry Center by Bishop Frederick Campbell
July 11, 2023 Father Anthony Dinovo assigned to be Pastor of St. Patrick, London OH
July 11, 2023 Father Michael Lumpe appointed as Pastor, Father Wojciech Stachura, SAC appointed as Parochial Vicar, Father Robert Kitsmiller appointed Priest in Residence.
June 30, 2024 Father Wojciech Stachura, SAC called back to ministry with the Pallottine Fathers.
July 1, 2024 Father David Johnstone, newly ordained priest for the Diocese of Columbus, assigned to St. Michael as Parochial Vicar and Chaplain for St. Francis De Sales High School.
August 1, 2024 Father Michael Lumpe assigned as Chaplain at Mother Angeline McCrory Manor and The Villas at St. Therese.
August 1, 2024 Father Stash Dailey appointed as Pastor of St. Michael.
