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Friday, March 27, 2009

Gone But Not Forgotten

Engraved picture of Saint Patrick Church from memorial plaque

St. Patrick Catholic Church was organized as a parish in 1862. The first church made of logs, was built in 1863. At that time the community was mostly Irish. The second church, a wood frame building was erected in 1874. The last church built of bricks, was constructed in 1915.

Picture of Saint Patrick Church Memorial with statue of Saint Patrick and Cemetary in the foreground

Over the years, people of German heritage settled in this area. The parish community grew to over 100 families. St. Patrick Church operated a school until 1954. The church closed in 1994, and the building itself was razed in 2001.

Statue of Saint Patrick

The St. Patrick parishioners contributed their spiritual, physical, and material resources to make the parish community successful. The parish thrived due to the religious zeal of its members. At least 24 parishioners entered religious vocations.

Close up of church bell with inscription St. Patrick pray for us

In the spirit of the St. Patrick Community, welcome to all who visit here! May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warmly upon your face, and may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Close up of the head of Saint Patrick StatueThe above pictures are of the memorial to the St. Patrick Church of St. Patrick Ohio. The memorial sits where the church use to be. The text is from the plaque honoring the Church's memory and parishioners. I found the blessing at the end very fitting.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

My father was raised at St. Patrick's church and was saddened by the destrucation. He does have his "family pew" and, I believe, the 3 leaf clover shown in the picture.

Beautiful pictures--AMY

RussDaMan said...

Thanks Amy,

It is a shame that they tore down the church. I am pretty sure its destruction was one of the leading forces to get the remainder churches on the historical list. I wished I could have seen it. These churches are not just buildings but a collection of generations of family worship and history, with each one of them unique and precious in their own right. I cannot fathomed the lose the community of St. Patrick must have felt. I was surprised but happy to find the memorial for the church.