Parochial Vicar

Fr. Jerry Gardner

A priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati for 42 years, my family home was in Deer Park with my parents, Bill and Connie, two older brothers and one younger sister. With my family as parishioners of St. Vincent Ferrer Parish, I attended the parish elementary school. I graduated from Moeller High School in 1971. I continued my studies at the Archdiocesan seminaries, St. Gregory College program (1971 – 1975) and Mt. St. Mary of the West Theology Program (1975-1979, M.A Biblical Studies). I was ordained to the priesthood on June 16, 1979, by Archbishop Joseph Bernardin.  With my brother Jack’s death in 1980, my father’s death in 1994 and the recent death of my mom on July 1, 2020 (at the age of 98 during the Covid-19 pandemic while a resident at an assisting living facility), my oldest brother, Tom (Jan) and his 2 married children are residents in the southern Dayton region and my younger sister Jane and her 2 children, live in the Cincinnati area.

I enjoy following sports especially the Cincinnati area teams: professional, college and high school.  I enjoy gardening and raising plants as the opportunity and space at various rectories have allowed.  I enjoy reading and have reacquainted myself with cooking during the pandemic months.

I have served as a parochial vicar at St. Margaret Mary Parish, North College Hill (1979-1982); St. Helen Parish, Dayton (1982-1987); Our Lady of Victory Parish, Delhi (1987-1995); and Sacred Heart Parish, Fairfield (1995-1997). I served as Pastor of St. Patrick Parish, Fayetteville (1997-2003) until the implementing of their pastoral region’s plan for their three parish communities to form one parish, St. Angela Merici, served by one pastor, in 2003.

I presently serve as Pastor of the collaborative pastoral parish region of St. Margaret Mary Parish (North College Hill (2003 - ) and Assumption Parish, Mt. Healthy (2011 - ) until the commencement of the Families of Parishes on July 1, 2022, and the start of my new assignment as a Parochial Vicar for the S6 Family of Parishes on July 1, 2022.

I find in my new assignment, with its challenges and role adjustment for myself, now the opportunity to serve communities that have many connections to my family history, being the neighborhoods and parishes in which my grandparents lived; my parents were married and lived; my childhood parks or schools and family home are located and happy memories of attending the area’s parish festivals.