Our History

St. Augustine Parish has had a long and wonderful history. We must remember that this is a story of a people of faith that began in 1860 and continues to this day.  Our parish has always been an "immigrant" community. At our very beginning we welcomed the Irish families that had settled in what is now called the Tremont area of Cleveland. Soon we welcomed people of German  background, and then the other immigrant communities as they came to Cleveland. Later in our history, we welcomed members      of the Hispanic community as they, too, came to Cleveland. As we welcomed all of these diverging communities to our parish, we    tried to respond by ministering to them spiritually, educationally, and socially. Our parish has become a place in which those most in need are honored and served. 

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The parish was especially blessed to become the home to the Catholic Deaf community in 1964. Next, we welcomed members of    the Catholic Blind community, and later still, we welcomed persons with mental illness. Later, we were honored to become the home to minister to all persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities have helped us to develop our parish mission and  ministry, and has allowed us, for the last fifty-five years to be place of special welcome to disabled people and their families. 

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Finally, our efforts to respond to many needs of our people and the needs of the larger community led to the establishment of the St. Augustine Center. That Center, through its daily meal programs, its holiday celebrations, its provision of clothing, utility and rental assistance, crisis ministry, and advocacy for persons in need, has made it possible for us to minister to those most in need.

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Our parish has grown in many ways over the years. But the greatest growth is in the depth of faith in our people. Our people feel a real love and hunger for God's Word, and a sense of joy and peace as they share in the body and blood of the Lord. This is the faith that moves beyond our church walls-- to serve the larger community; aware of any need, our people respond with love and generosity.