Holy Rosary Catholic Church (St. Marys, Ohio) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Holy Rosary Catholic Church |
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Front of the present Holy Rosary Church
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 Holy Rosary Catholic Church
Location in Ohio
Holy Rosary Catholic Church
Location in the United States
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| 40°32′42″N 84°22′58″W / 40.54500°N 84.38278°W | |
| Location | Junction of E. Spring and S. Pine Sts. in St. Marys, Ohio |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | www.holyrosarychurch.us |
| History | |
| Founded | 1852 |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | St. Marys Deanery |
| Archdiocese | Archdiocese of Cincinnati |
Holy Rosary Catholic Church is a Catholic church located in St. Marys, Ohio, United States. It was started in 1852. The church was once known for its beautiful old building from the 1860s. This old building was taken down in the 1970s to make way for a new, modern church.
Contents
Starting the Church in St. Marys
The first Catholic families came to St. Marys in 1831. More people arrived in the 1840s. This was when the Miami and Erie Canal and Grand Lake St. Marys were being built. Many German Catholic families moved to western Ohio, near St. Marys.
Priests from the Society of the Precious Blood settled in Minster. This town is about 10 miles south of St. Marys. For 20 years, Catholics in St. Marys often traveled to Minster for Mass. This changed when Holy Rosary parish was created in 1852.
In its early years, Holy Rosary parish worked with St. Thomas parish. St. Thomas was in Six Mile, about 5 miles northeast.
Growing the Community
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By 1854, the church members built their first church. It was a simple building made of logs. In 1861, the church bought more land for a cemetery and a small rectory (a house for the priest).
The number of church members grew quickly. The log church became too small for everyone. But the parish did not have enough money to build a bigger church. With help from Archbishop John Baptist Purcell, other churches in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati gave money.
The parish finished its new church in 1867. It cost $12,000. Anton Goehr, an architect from Minster, designed it. The new church was a simple brick building with a bell tower. It had a strong stone foundation. The original log church was moved to the canal in downtown St. Marys.
As the parish kept growing into the 1880s, a bell was added to the church's steeple. A new rectory was also built for almost $3,000. People who were not Catholic in the community helped pay for nearly half of the rectory's cost. In 1902, the church started a parish school.
New Buildings for the Future
By the 1940s, the church building needed a lot of repairs. More people joined the church in the 1950s, and the school became too crowded. A new school was built and opened in 1957.
By the late 1960s, the church building, which was over 100 years old, was too small. Plans for a new church began in 1969. Surveys showed that almost three out of four church members wanted a new building. The old church was taken down in 1978. The new church was finished the next year. Some parts of the old church, like its organ and some windows, were saved and used in the new building.
Historic Recognition
One year after the old church was taken down, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This is a list of important historical places in the United States. It was recognized for its special design. Many other Catholic churches in western Ohio, known as the "Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches," are also on this list. Even though the old church was demolished, it is still on the National Register.
Since the mid-1800s, the Catholic Church has been a very important part of life in this area. Many large Gothic Revival churches were built in small farming towns. When Holy Rosary Church was first suggested for the National Register in 1977, it was seen as one of the most important Catholic churches built in the mid-1800s.
Eight churches in the area were built during this time. They were simple brick buildings with small bell towers. Only Holy Rosary and Holy Family Church in Frenchtown kept their original look. The other six churches added tall spires. Few churches built before this time still exist. Only St. John's Catholic Church in Fryburg has not changed much. Holy Rosary's first building, which is now a house by the canal, is one of the few that survived.
Holy Rosary is still an active church in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. It works together with St. Patrick parish in Glynwood. Both churches are part of the St. Marys Deanery.
