History:

It was the intrepid spirit of men like Fr. James Kearney, Fr. Maurice Howard, and Fr. Thomas Blake who fanned out on horseback along Indian trails from St. Raphael's in Springfield, Ohio in the 1800's to visit clusters of Catholic immigrants spread throughout the wilderness that kept the faith alive. Their efforts organized St. Patrick's in London, St. Brigid's in Xenia, St. Paul's in Yellow Springs, and The Immaculate Conception in Urbana.
It was the priestly visits of Fr. John Conway from St. Patrick's in London on horseback every month to the Jefferson area that organized the Catholic families here. One Sunday evening after Mass in the old town hall on Main Street, Fr. Conway rallied the people in an eloquent sermon to build their own house of worship. A building fund was started immediately in the spring of 1866. Edward Buck, a parishioner and local businessman, donated the property on which the rectory and the church now stand. It was the volunteer efforts of the congregation of approximately 70 Irish and German Families that cleared the land and dug the church foundation.

A proud group of people greeted Bishop Rosecrans, Auxiliary Bishop of Cincinnati, that bright sunny morning May 19, 1867, for the laying of the corner stone. The small community, with new energy and enthusiasm, worked together and built our church of bricks and mortar and stained glass windows. The two years of love and labor were finally crowned with success when on the morning of November 1, 1869 Bishop Edward Fitzgerald of Little Rock, Arkansas dedicated the new house of God. The wilderness people finally had a home of their own.

This monument of faith on Route 40, "Main Street USA," has been a home for thousand of Catholic Families over the past 131 years. Six presidents have passed through the shadow of the steeple and cross of Sts. Simon & Jude Church on their way to Washington along the National Road. The spiritual leadership has been passed down through the years in an unbroken succession of priests dedicated to the people of God.

When the new diocese of Steubenville was formed in Ohio and territorial boundaries restructured in the spring of 1944, Sts. Simon & Jude parish was included in the Columbus Diocese. The newly consecrated Bishop Michael Ready of Columbus invited the parish. The Oblates, early in 1948, established a Mission house in West Jefferson. Oblate Missionaries, specialists in the preaching ministry, gave many parish missions, retreats for Priest, Sister and high school students as well as Days of Recollection in the Columbus Area. The institutional chaplains for the Columbus State Hospital (for the retarded), Good Samaritan Hospital in Zanesville, and the Veterans Hospital in Chillicothe all worked their ministries from this house.

Under the guidance of the Columbus Diocese, the parish has grown through the years to 344 families. Presently, Father Daniel Millisor is pastor. In 2005 we broke ground for our new home. The new church is located at 9350 High Free Pike along Interstate 70. This parish has a history of service to the community. May God bless it with continued service to all.