St. Gertrude Catholic Church (Dominican Priory) — Church Directory

Quick Facts

Pastor — the shepherd God holds accountable Pastoral team led by Dominican Friars of the Province of St. Joseph; Fr. Henry Stephan, OP — the priest who baptized JD Vance (2019) — has historic association with the priory

Founded 1855 (Cincinnati Dominican presence) / parish formally erected later 19th c.

Denomination Roman Catholic

Service Times Daily Mass + Sunday Masses + Latin Mass occasional; verify on parish site

Men's Ministry Yes

Kids Ministry Yes

Website stgertrude.org/

Pastor Credentials Order of Preachers (Dominicans), Province of St. Joseph

10-Point Theological Scorecard

Christology

Is Jesus the only way? (John 14:6)

Nicene Trinitarian orthodox; Dominican order has been a historical defender of Catholic orthodoxy and Thomistic philosophy since 1216.

Strong

Scripture

Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?

Catholic Scripture + Tradition + Magisterium triad; not sola scriptura per MOOP frame, but the Dominican intellectual tradition is rigorously confessional within Catholic standards.

Caution

Men's Discipleship

Intentional formation for men?

Dominican parishes typically host men's groups + Knights of Columbus; specific St. Gertrude program not verified in this pass.

Caution

Soteriology

Faith alone? How is salvation presented?

Catholic sacramental soteriology — outside sola fide per MOOP rubric.

WARNING!

Gender / Biblical Design

Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?

Male-only priesthood; complementarian in practice within Catholic theology of the body.

Male-only Dominican friars and priests per Catholic teaching.

Caution

Leadership Structure

Male elders/pastors? Accountability?

Dominican Friars Province of St. Joseph; hierarchical episcopal accountability.

Caution

Preaching Style

Expository or topical/therapeutic?

Lectionary-bound but Dominicans are an Order of Preachers — preaching tradition seriously developed; substantively richer than typical diocesan homily but not Protestant expository.

Caution

Mission Clarity

Great Commission central?

Dominican charism includes preaching, teaching, evangelization globally.

Strong

Cultural Alignment

DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?

Dominican parishes have strong reputation for theological orthodoxy and Thomism; St. Gertrude is known for substantive catechesis. No DEI/CRT signals.

Strong

Accountability Structure

Denominational home, elder plurality, or external network — is the pastor answerable to anyone?

Catholic / Dominican Province of St. Joseph — confessionally serious within Catholic frame.

Caution

Assessment

St. Gertrude Catholic Church in Cincinnati is run by the Dominican Friars of the Province of St. Joseph — an 800-year-old order founded by St. Dominic in 1216, historically associated with Thomistic theology and orthodox Catholic teaching. JD Vance was baptized and confirmed here in August 2019. The Dominican priest who guided his conversion, Fr. Henry Stephan, OP, met with Vance for months over coffee and lunch discussing theology, mysticism, and moral philosophy. Vance's memoir Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith (set for release June 16, 2026) details this journey. From a MOOP Protestant theological-due-diligence frame, this is YELLOW — Catholic sacramental soteriology and the Magisterium-Scripture-Tradition triad fall outside sola fide / sola scriptura, but the Dominican intellectual tradition is rigorously orthodox within Catholic standards and bears noting for situational awareness about where a sitting Vice President converted to the Catholic faith.

#catholic#dominican#order-of-preachers#jd-vance-conversion-parish#thomistic#ohio#cincinnati#historic

MOOP Engagement Tracker

How this church was personally verified by the MOOP directory team:

✓ Researched church website

Sources & Evidence

Enrichment Notes

Live-fetched https://stgertrude.org/ + The Letters from Leo + Deacon Greg Kandra + American Conservative + RealClearBooks + National Today coverage on 2026-05-16 — confirmed Dominican Friars Province of St. Joseph + Cincinnati OH (Madeira/Miami Ave) + JD Vance baptized + confirmed August 2019 by Fr. Henry Stephan OP. Vance memoir Communion (June 16, 2026 release) corroborates.

These are the URLs consulted to arrive at this church's scoring. Score-note claims are synthesized from homepage content, denominational directories, and public statements of faith at the time of review. Church websites change frequently; we're progressively adding Internet Archive snapshots to prevent link rot.

[1] Live source stgertrude.org
[2] Live source thelettersfromleo.com/p/the-dominican-friars-who-guided-jd
[3] Live source thedeaconsbench.com/meet-j-d-vance-trumps-catholic-runnin…
[4] Live source theamericanconservative.com/j-d-vance-becomes-catholic/

Transparency note: MOOP ratings are researcher judgments about publicly available theological and ecclesial evidence. They are not infallible. If a church's public posture has changed since our review, or if we've mis-read evidence, tell us — we publish corrections.