Saint Mary, Mother of God Church (Columbus, Ohio) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Saint Mary, Mother of God Church
St. Mary Church or Grand Old St. Mary's
Saint Mary Church in the springtime
Location	684 South 3rd Street in Columbus, Ohio
Country	United States
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Architecture
Heritage designation	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Designated	December 30, 1974
Architect(s)	Blackburn and Koehler
Style	Gothic revival
Groundbreaking	1866
Completed	1893
Construction cost	$40,000
Specifications
Length	140 feet (43 m)
Width	62.5 feet (19 m)
Height	75 feet (23 m)
Number of spires	1
Spire height	197 feet (60 m)
Materials	Brick
Bells	3
Administration
Diocese	Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus
Saint Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
Location	Columbus, Ohio
Part of	German Village (ID74001490)
Designated CP	December 30, 1974

Saint Mary, Mother of God Church is a historic Catholic church in Columbus, Ohio. People often call it St. Mary Church or Grand Old St. Mary's. It is the third oldest Catholic church building in Columbus. This church is part of an active community called a parish. The church and its neighborhood, German Village, were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Church History

Building the Church

In 1865, many German immigrants lived in Columbus, Ohio. About one-third of the city's population was German. Many of these families settled in the South End, now known as German Village. The Catholic community there had grown too large for the existing Holy Cross Church. German-speaking residents wanted their own church.

So, in 1865, the St. Mary's parish was started. Father Francis X. Sprecht became its first leader. Construction of the church began in 1866. The church was officially opened on November 29, 1868. Its tall spire was added later in 1893. A clock was installed in the spire the following year.

The church is named after Mary, who Christians believe is the Mother of God. The church spire is 197 feet (60 meters) tall. This makes it a very noticeable landmark. It is also the tallest building in the historic German Village area.

Celebrating 150 Years

On August 14, 2015, the church celebrated its 150th anniversary. They had a special parade with a mobile carillon, which is like a set of bells. This parade was a reenactment of the procession that happened before the church's first dedication in 1868.

Repairs and Restoration

On August 28, 2016, lightning struck the church building. This caused a lot of damage. Engineers said the church was unsafe because of damage to the roof, bricks, and ceiling. While repairs were being made, church services were held in the St. Mary School gym. Some special services took place at Saint Leo Church.

The church used this time to fix and improve almost the entire building. The community helped raise $7.5 million for the project. Many parts of the church were repaired or replaced. This included the roof, foundations, and new heating and cooling systems. The floors were also redone, and statues were repainted. Even the beautiful stained-glass windows needed to be taken out and fixed.

The church reopened for services on April 19, 2019. This was just before Palm Sunday. After these big renovations, the church was voted the best religious wedding venue in Columbus in 2022. It also became a place where the ProMusica Columbus orchestra performs.

Joining Parishes

On April 5, 2023, two nearby parishes, St. Ladislas and Corpus Christi, joined with St. Mary's. This happened because of changes in the community. There were fewer people attending services and a shortage of priests.

Inside the Church

Main Altar Area

Behind the main altar is a large wooden screen called a reredos. It is 20 feet wide and 45 feet tall. This beautiful piece was carved in 1866. It was moved to St. Mary Church from another church in Cincinnati.

A statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary stands in the center of the reredos. She is the church's special patron. On her left is a statue of Saint Catherine of Alexandria. On her right is Saint Boniface. All these statues are made of carved wood.

A large crucifix hangs from the dome above the altar. It is 10 feet wide and 12 feet long. At each end of the cross, there is a symbol for one of the four Gospels. A church member created this crucifix in the early 1930s.

Stained Glass Windows

The church's first stained glass windows had religious symbols and shapes. You can still see some of these in the stairways and other areas. The windows along the main walls of the church were replaced. These new windows show pictures of saints and scenes from the life of Jesus Christ.

Paintings and Art

The church ceiling has ten painted panels. These images show different titles of Mary from a prayer called the Litany of Loreto. The ceiling was first painted in the 1890s and restored in 1987.

Gerhart Lemars, an artist from Munich, painted the sanctuary between 1930 and 1935. The ceiling above the altar shows a symbol of God called the Eye of Providence. Oval symbols nearby represent salvation. Angels holding items from Jesus's suffering stand over a Latin phrase. It means, "Behold the wood of the cross on which hung the salvation of the world… Faithful cross, most noble tree of all."

Oil frescos are located above the side altars. These were painted in 1867. The painting on the left shows the Adoration of the Magi. The painting on the right shows the Holy Family with Saint Anne.

St. Mary School

St. Mary's School of 1887, now a private house

The former Third Street School (1868), now part of the St. Mary School

A school for the growing parish started in 1865. At first, regular teachers worked there. Then, in 1874, Sisters of Notre Dame took over. They were replaced by Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate in 1875. A new school building was built in 1887 and made bigger in 1897.

In 1914, a building for a high school was bought on Third Street. It opened later that year with 14 students. This was the first four-year high school run by a parish in Columbus.

The current elementary school building was built in 1956. The high school moved to the old primary school building. In 1965, it was announced that the high school would close. Most students moved to another high school. The last class graduated in 1968. St. Mary's High School helped about 3,300 students graduate over 50 years.

The parish school has been growing. In 2020, the parish bought a historic schoolhouse from the city. In October 2022, work began on a 10,000 square foot addition to the school. This will allow it to grow from 430 to 500 students. The new space will also have a learning center for adults. It will also include a healthcare center in partnership with Nationwide Children's Hospital.

The old high school building on Mohawk Street was used for offices and a bank. In 2013, Robert D. Walter bought the building. He turned it into his home, making it the second-largest house in Columbus.

Images for kids

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  The church nave after its 2019 restoration.

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  The sanctuary after the 2019 restoration.

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  A confessional after the 2019 restoration.

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  The baptismal font after the 2019 restoration.

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  The ambo (pulpit) after the 2019 restoration.

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  Detail of the reredos with statues of saints.

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  The large crucifix inside the church.

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  A ceiling panel depicting "Vessel of Honor."