Saint Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Saint Mary of the Assumption Catholic 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 of the Assumption Catholic Church, often called St. Mary Church, is one of the oldest Catholic churches in Columbus, Ohio. It's a special place for its community, known as a 'parish,' within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus. This historic church, along with the whole German Village area, was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 30, 1974. This means it's a really important building.

Discovering St. Mary's History

How St. Mary's Church Began

In 1865, many German immigrants lived in Columbus. About one-third of the city's people were from Germany. Many settled in the South End, now called German Village. The Catholic community there needed a bigger church. So, St. Mary's parish was started in 1865.

Construction of the church began in 1866. It was finished and dedicated on November 29, 1868. The tall spire, or steeple, was added in 1893. It cost about $5,000 back then. A clock was put in the spire the next year.

The church is named after an old Christian belief. It says that Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, was taken "body and soul into heavenly glory." 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 neighborhood.

Celebrating 150 Years

On August 14, 2015, the church had a special celebration. It was for the parish's 150th anniversary. They had a parade with a mobile carillon, which is like a set of bells. This parade was a reenactment of the procession from 1868. That was when the church was first dedicated.

Repairs and Reopening

On August 28, 2016, lightning hit the church building. This caused a lot of damage. Engineers said the church was unsafe. It had to close temporarily for repairs. Services were held in the St. Mary School gym.

The church used this time to make many improvements. They raised $7.5 million for the project. The repairs included the roof, foundations, and walls. They also put in new stairs, a prayer garden, and sidewalks. The church got new wiring, heating, and air conditioning. The floors were replaced, and statues were repainted. Even the stained-glass windows needed repair.

The church reopened for worship on April 19, 2019. This was for Palm Sunday Mass. After these big renovations, the church was chosen as the best wedding venue in Columbus in 2022. It also hosts performances by the ProMusica Columbus orchestra.

Growing the Parish Community

In 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 members and less money coming in. Also, there were not enough priests. Bishop Earl K. Fernandes made this decision.

Inside St. Mary's Church

The Main Altar Area

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

A statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary stands in the center. She is the church's special patron saint. On her left is 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. It has symbols for the four Gospels at each end. A church member made it in the 1930s.

Beautiful Stained Glass Windows

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

Amazing Paintings

Ten painted panels on the ceiling show images of Mary. These images are from the Litany of Loreto. The ceiling was first painted in the 1890s. It was restored in 1987.

Gerhart Lemars painted the sanctuary area between 1930 and 1935. The ceiling above the altar shows the Eye of Providence. This symbol represents God. Oval symbols near the altar represent salvation. Angels holding symbols of Jesus' suffering are also painted there. They are above a Latin phrase that means, "Behold the wood of the cross on which hung the salvation of the world… Faithful cross, most noble tree of all."

Oil paintings are above the side altars. Wenceslaus Thein and William Lamprecht painted them in 1867. The left painting shows the Adoration of the Magi. The right painting 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 parish started in 1865. At first, regular people taught there. Then, Sisters of Notre Dame took over in 1874. 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. 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. The high school closed in 1965. The last class graduated in 1968. About 3,300 students graduated from St. Mary's High School over 50 years.

The parish plans to move the historic rectory building. This will allow the elementary and middle school to expand. This plan is being looked at closely. This is because the church has protected historic status. In 2020, the parish also bought an old Civil War-era schoolhouse.

In October 2022, work began on a new 10,000 square foot addition to the school. This will allow the school to grow from 430 to 500 students. The new space will also have the Dominican Learning Center. This center helps adults learn, like English as a Second Language. It will also have a health center with Nationwide Children's Hospital.

The old high school building now has offices. The founder of Cardinal Health, Robert D. Walter, bought it in 2013. He turned it into his home. It is now the second-largest home in Columbus.

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