USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Columbus > History of the city of Columbus, Ohio, from the founding of Franklinton in 1797, through the World War period to the year 1920 > Part 36
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John Ambrose Watterson, seeond Bishop of Columbus, was born in Blairsville, Pa., May 27, 1844, the sixth ehild of John A. and Mary MacAfee Watterson. They were well to do and gave their children good educations. The future Bishop received a good home training, and was educated at Mt. St. Mary's, Emmittsburg, Md. He was ordained in 1868 and at onec became professor of moral theology and saered Seripture at his alma mater, beeom- ing in a very short time president of the famous eollege. This position he continued to fill with eonspieuous sueccss until called to the Bishopric of Columbus in 1880.
Bishop Watterson was sueceeded by Right Reverend Henry Moeller, D. D., who was consecrated third Bishop of Columbus on August 25, 1900, in St. Peter's Cathedral, Cin- einnati. For twenty years Bishop Moeller had been chancellor of the arehdiocese of Cincin- nati, and his experience thus gained enabled him successfully to cope with the task which met him in Columbus, that of discharging the debt which lay heavy on the dioeese and which had accumulated through long years of church and sehool building and in otherwise devel- oping a new see. He took hold of this work in a systematic way and with the loyal and earnest support of the priests of the diocese as well as the responsive generosity of the people, paid off practically the whole sum in three years. He held a Diocesan Synod in 1902, founded new parishes and missions among the rapidly increasing foreign population, and developed and systematized the work of the diocese. His departure was sincerely regretted when he was called by Rome to be Coadjutor Archbishop to Arehbishop Elder of Cinein- nati. He was esteemed alike by priests and people.
There was rejoicing throughout the dioeese when on Deeember 10, 1903, a eablegram announced that Pope Pius X had named Rev. James Joseph Hartley, pastor of Holy Name Church, Steubenville, as the fourth Bishop of Columbus. The new Bishop was not only native to the dioeese but a native of Columbus. His parents were old residents of the capital city, well known and highly respected. He received his early education in St. Patrick's sehool and made his theological studies at Niagara University and Seminary. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1882, and had been pastor of Holy Name parish, where he built a beautiful church, sehool and reetory, for nearly 25 years, when raised to episcopal honors. It was therefore a happy day for priests and people when on February 25, 1904, a son of the diocese was consecrated as their chief shepherd. In the fourteen years which have elapsed Bishop Hartley has worked with indefatigable zeal for the spiritual and material development of the diocese. Innumerable good works have been inaugurated and extended, and monuments to his apostolie zeal are raising everywhere throughout the city and dioeese. By his financial aeumen he has placed the affairs of the diocese on a firm basis. He is interested in the eivie as well as the religious welfare of the eity and is always to the fore in rendering material and moral assistance to all civic, State and national move- ments. Sinee the outbreak of the war he has contributed largely to relief and other war funds, and it was under his auspiees that the Catholie Ladies War Relief Association was started in July, 1917. Rev. John H. O'Neil is secretary to the Right Reverend Bishop Hartley.
When Bishop Moeller came to Columbus in 1900 he reealled the Rev. M. M. Meara to his former offiee as rector of St. Joseph's Cathedral, an office in which he is still presiding with dignity and success. Shortly after his return it was decided to start a school for the Cathe- dral parish, and for this purpose the old Alfred Kelley home on East Broad street was pur- chased, an historie and artistie edifiee built in 1806, and which at one time housed the Gov- ernor of the State during his term of office. The school was opened with the Sisters of Notre
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Dame in charge. The value of this property is now more than four times what it was when it was purchased. In 1914-15 the Cathedral was remodeled and refurnished at a cost of $105,000, making it one of the most beautiful and stately church edifices in the middle West. At this writing under Father Meara's judicious management the Cathedral is almost entirely free from debt.
Sacred Heart Church.
Up until 1875 there was no parish beyond the Union Station or the railroad tracks, and at this time it beeame apparent that something should be done to meet the spiritual needs of the Catholics in that locality. To Rev. John B. Eis was delegated the task of or- ganizing the new parish, and a building designed for church and school both was erected on a plot of ground on First avenue, donated to the Church in Columbus as far baek as 1852, by William Phelan, of Laneaster, Ohio. The ground comprised an entire block. Services were first held in the new structure on Easter Sunday, April 16, 1876, and the school was opened the next week under the care of the Sisters of St. Francis, who were housed in the same building. In the course of the ensuing years as the congregation increased many necessary additions were made to the original building, and the school has grown until now it accommo- dates nearly 400 pupils. Father Eis is still in charge of the parish and has as his assistant Rev. J. M. Ryan.
HIoly Family Church.
This church is erected on historic ground, as what is now called the West Side was onee the village of Franklinton, the first settlement of what was to become the capital city of Ohio. In the early days Catholie services were held in the homes of the settlers by trav- eling missionaries, and later on, as the tide of settlement flowed over the river, the few Catholics remaining west of the Scioto were privileged to attend Mass in the small chapel of the Good Shepherd Convent which had been founded in the old Sullivant homestead at the corner of West Broad and Sandusky streets in 1865. In 1877 the Sisters of St. Joseph of Ebensburg, Pa., at the request of Bishop Rosecrans, had opened a day and boarding school in the old ecclesiastical seminary building on Sandusky street opposite the Good Shepherd Convent, which had been closed in 1876 for lack of funds to carry on the work. Rev. R. C. Christy, a former Army Chaplain, was chaplain for these Sisters as well as the Sisters of Good Shepherd and he soon recognized the need of a church for the Catholics of the vicinity. A building, once a barn on the seminary premises was fitted up and for two months divine services were held in this humble structure. Father Christy then secured the old United Brethren Church on Sandusky street and had it remodeled, and on June 8, 1877, it was blessed and dedicated to Catholic uses in the name of the Holy Family. Father Christy died in 1878 and was sueceeded by Rev. T. S. Reynolds, and he in turn in 1879 by Rev. W. S. Hayes, who, because of a flaw in the title, disposed of the Sandusky street property and bought a lot on West Broad at the corner of Skidmore street. Plans were laid for a church and school and Father Hayes worked earnestly in promoting the work. The cornerstone was laid in 1882, but before the church was completed Father Hayes was transferred to the pastorate of St. Francis de Sales Church, Newark, and in 1884 Rev. Dennis A. Clarke took up the task of finishing the edifice and extending the parish. How well he succeeded may be seen in the large, devout and loyal congregation as well as in the valuable church property he has built up. Besides the church, which was dedicated June 2, 1889, by Bishop Watterson, there is a commodious rectory and a convent for the teaching Sisters. A handsome modern school building was erected in 1913 on Sandusky street and was about ready for occupancy when the disastrous flood of that year occurred. Though its basement was flooded the school served as a refuge for scores driven from the lower grounds. The church property on Broad street suffered great damage from the high waters and a great part of the congregation was impoverished, and driven from homes in many cases swept away by the waters. The parish is but now recovering from the effects of the flood. The new school was opened in March, 1914. The Sisters of St. Joseph from Ebens- burg and later from Baden, Pa., were in charge of Holy Family School from its opening in 1877 to June, 1912, when they were succeeded by the Sisters of Mercy from Louisville, Ky. There are nine Sisters in charge of about 250 pupils. There is a commercial high school in connection with the school, and the Sisters also conduct a music academy. At the Diocesan Synod of 1902 Holy Family Church was made a Deanery, with Rev. D. A. Clarke
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as Dean. Dean Clarke died suddenly of heart disease, May 17, 1920, after 36 years at the head of the parish.
St. Dominic's Church.
In 1889 Bishop Watterson appointed Rev. T. J. O'Reilly, who had been acting as his sec- retary, to organize a new parish in the Panhandle district. Six lots were bought at the corner of Twentieth and Devoise streets, and plans made for the erection of a combination church and school building. Meanwhile services were held in Benninghof Hall, at the corner of Twentieth and Hildreth avenue, where the first Mass of the new parish was celebrated on September 1, 1889. The following week school was opened in the same hall in charge of the Sisters of St. Joseph. As there were a large number of pupils this double use of the hall proved to be a great inconvenience for all concerned, and Father O'Reilly petitioned the Board of Education for the temporary use of three rooms in the new public school build- ing at the corner of Mount Vernon avenue and Twenty-third street. The petition was cor- dially granted and Father O'Reilly enjoyed the use of these rooms until February 2, 1881, when his own church and school building was dedicated. In 1896 a rectory was built, and a convent for the Sisters in 1902. Additional property was secured from time to time, the whole now comprising twenty city lots, fronting on Twentieth, Devoise and Medill streets. On November 26, 1916, a beautiful new church was dedicated, one of the handsomest in the middle West. It is built of Bedford stone in the Basilica style of architecture with columns of polished granite. There are artistic stained glass windows and marble altars of pleasing design. The new church was dedicated by Right Reverend Bishop Hartley and the sermon was given by Right Reverend Bishop Muldoon, of Rockford, Ill. In 1914 the Sisters of St. Joseph were succeeded in the school by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, Ky., who have charge of 325 pupils. They also teach musie. St. Dominic's is one of the most active and thriving parishes in the city.
St. Francis of Assisi.
One of the first offshoots from Sacred Heart parish was the congregation of St. Francis of Assisi. It was organized in 1892 when Rev. A. M. Levden, formerly of Toronto, Ohio. was chosen as pastor of the projected parish, designed to take care of the rapidly growing number of Catholics west of High street and north of the railroad tracks. Services were first held in Neil Chapel at the corner of Neil and Goodale streets, formerly a Methodist church, which was remodeled and blessed as a Catholic place of worship on Sunday, June 19, 1892. The parish grew and prospered, and in 1896 the present handsome church on Buttles avenue was built. It is of Romanesque architecture and has been enlarged since its erection to meet the needs of a large and constantly increasing congregation. Father Leyden built a substan- tial rcetory in 1893, and in 1906 a fine modern school building was erected. It contains a large hall for parish meetings and entertainments. There are 400 pupils in the school taught by the Sisters of St. Dominic from St. Mary's of the Springs. The population of the parish is given as 1873 people, the majority of Irish extraction. Father Leyden is still the pastor, and is assisted on Sundays by the Dominican Fathers from Aquinas College.
St. Peter's Church.
The extension of the city east and northward into what was then known as Milo and Grogan and the settlement of Catholics there made necessary some provision for their spir- itual interests. In 1895 Bishop Watterson authorized Father Eis to look out for a suitable church property in that locality. Lots were secured on New York avenue and a small school opened September of that year in Benson's Hall, Milo, with a Franciscan Sister from Sacred Heart school in charge of the few children. The Bishop placed Rev. Hugh Ewing, assistant at Sacred Heart, in charge of the new parish, and the next year a combination church and school building was put up. Here school was started in September, 1896, and in October services were first held in the new church. It was dedicated on October 11. The little con- gregation flourished from the first and the school grew rapidly. In 1900 a rectory was built for the pastor, who had until then lived in a rented house adjoining; and a convent for the teaching Sisters was erected in 1913. Additional property has been purchased at intervals and at this writing the property includes twelve lots on New York avenue, ten on Fifth avenue
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and a third of an acre adjoining. The parish extends about twelve miles north into the country and has about 250 families and 280 children in the school.
In addition to his work as pastor of St. Peter's Father Ewing has charge of the Mission at Westerville, which with the Bishop's permission he started in 1913. At first Mass was celebrated in Westerville once a month, Sunday school being held on intermediate Sundays, but since October, 1916, Father Ewing goes up twice a month for Mass. The Mission has about 60 people. Their neat little chapel is on the second floor of a business block in the center of the town, on North State street. It is fitted up with the old altar from St. Patrick's Church and some of the old pews from St. Joseph's Cathedral. Father Ewing is often assisted at the Westerville Mission by Rev. Conrad Conrardy of the Josephinum. His assistant at St. Peter's is Rev. Biebl from the same institution.
Church of St. John the Evangelist.
During the preliminary organization of this parish, for a period of eighteen months, services were held in the chapel of the Josephinum through the kindness of Monsignor Joseph Jessing, then rector of the institution. The parish was planned for the Catholics of the newer section of the city in the vicinity of Ohio and Livingston avenues rapidly building up with comfortable and substantial homes. The work of organization was given to Rev. S. P. Weisinger on June 13, 1898, who prosecuted it with so much success that a little over a year later the handsome new Church of St. John the Evangelist on Ohio avenue was com- pleted and was dedicated on September 24 by Monsignor Specht, V. G. A suitable resi- dence for the pastor was completed at the same time. In 1905 a modern school building was erccted, adding greatly to the value and appearance of this handsome church property. The church is of excellent design and construction and is well fitted up, and has the embellish- ment of beautiful stained glass windows. The parish started with 75 families and now has 540, with 400 pupils in the school. The teachers are Sisters of St. Francis, for whom a convent was built in 1908. Father Weisinger is still in charge of the parish, and has as assistant Rev. J. F. Plunket.
St. John the Baptist Church.
The first priest appointed to look after the spiritual welfare of the Italian Catholics of Columbus was the Rev. Alexander Cestelli. He was a professor at the Josephinum and in 1895 was chosen for this work by Bishop Watterson, building the present church and rec- tory at the corner of Lincoln and Hamlet streets. In 1901 Father Cestelli was succeeded by Rev. Victor Sovilla, who worked faithfully in building up the parish for twelve years when he returned to Italy. In August, 1913, Rev. Rocco Petrarca was placed in charge of the parish by Bishop Hartley, and in five years has succeeded in paying off the debt and in repairing and embellishing the church. There is no parish school, but there are Catechism classes held every Wednesday afternoon in the church, conducted by ladies from different parts of the city, who also prepare the children for First Communion and confirmation.
St. Leo's Church.
The city was growing in all directions, and in 1902 it became evident that a division of St. Mary's parish was necessary to take care of Catholics living in the extreme south end. Rev. Charles F. Kessler, assistant pastor at the Cathedral, was appointed by Bishop Moeller to organize the new congregation, under the patronage of St. Lco. In 1903 a tract of land was bought on Hanford street and work begun on a building designed both for church and school purposes. The cornerstone was laid on July 19, 1913, and on December 13 of the same year services were held in the new church. The school was opened in 1904 with an enrollment of 150 children, in charge of Franciscan Sisters. Father Kessler built his rectory in 1901, and the next year a home for the Sisters was erccted. Despite all this building the parish was free from debt by 1911, and a fund was started for a new church, made necessary by the growth of the congregation. Ground for the new church was broken in 1915, and on May 16, 1917, the handsome and well appointed edifice was dedicated by Rt. Rev. Bishop Hartley. It cost over $61,000, and three months after its completion was entirely paid for. The former chapel in the old building was converted into needed school rooms and the whole building made fireproof. St. Lco's is a handsome church property, all
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the buildings being of buff vitrified briek and built in substantial style. Father Kessler had the distinetion of starting the first free parish sehool in the city. There are now 250 children in the sehool.
On February 8, 1920, occurred the death from influenza of the pastor and founder of St. Leo's, the beloved Father Kessler. The splendid group of ehureh buildings were left, by his idefatigable labors, entirely free of debt, but far exeeeding this material gift to his peo- ple, was the great spiritual heritage he left them. Rev. Bernard P. Vogel succeeded to the pastorate.
St. Thomas Church, East Columbus.
This parish is located at the extreme eastern edge of Columbus, two miles this side of Taylor's Station, where in the early days Mass was said for the few Catholies there at irregular intervals by priests from the Cathedral and St. Patrick's Chureh. The ereetion of the steel plant in that vieinity brought a few more Catholic settlers, and the neeessity of a chureh beeame apparent. Rev. Andrew J. Johnson, who had been pastor at St. Joseph's, Lieking county, was entrusted with the work of organizing this widely seattered floek, and on May 26, 1900, started the foundation of the parish under the patronage of St. Thomas the Apostle. Serviees were for a time held in the publie sehool building. In 1902 a beautiful little ehureh was built on a plot of ground generously given by Mr. Thomas Cassady, and located at the corner of Cassady and Fifth avenues. It was dedicated by Bishop Moeller on August 10 of that year. A parish house was ready for oecupaney by 1901. Father Johnson was earnestly engaged in building up the parish when his health began to fail, and in 1913 he became ineapaeitated for aetive parish duties. He died at Mount Carmel Hos- pital on December 15, 1916, and two days later his funeral was held from the little church which he had built and loved so much. His body was taken to his former home, Brooklyn, N. Y., for interment. He was a priest of many fine qualities, with a eultivated and discrimi- nating mind and a keen appreciation of good musie. He had many friends and was deeply and widely mourned.
On June 23, 1916, Rev. John O'Neil, seeretary to the Bishop, was made pastor of St. Thomas ehureh, and is now working zealously to the end that the parish may soon have its own school. There are 168 children of school age in the parish, which has about 700 members. About one-half the congregation is made up of foreigners,-Poles, Slavs, Bohe- mians and Hungarians, who recently took np residenee in that loeality. At present the Sunday school is in charge of Dominican Sisters from St. Mary's of the Springs, who go over every Sunday to teach the children.
Holy Name Church.
With the continued growth of the eity northward a new parish in that section beeame a necessity, and in 1905 Bishop Hartley appointed Rev. William MeDermott to the work of organization. The parish lay north of Eleventh avenue and lots were purchased on Patterson avenue for a new church to be dedicated to the Holy Name. During the ereetion of the church building services for the small congregation of only about 50 people were held in a hall on North High street. The building, which combined a ehureh and sehool, was dedi- eated by Bishop Hartley on January 28, 1906. Sehool was opened the next September with 52 children, and the Dominican Sisters from St. Mary's of the Springs in charge. Father McDermott also built a reetory the same year the church was built. In 1916 a convent for the Sisters was ereeted, and a home for the church sexton was bought in 1917. The church property is a very complete one, located in one of the prettiest sections of the North Side, and is valued at $100,000. The parish has about 365 families, and 204 children in the school. It is free from debt and has a growing fund for a new church which it is hoped to build in the not distant future.
The Newman Club, a society for the Catholic young people attending Ohio State Uni- versity, was organized by Father MeDermott in 1906, and has proved to be a valuable or- ganization. It serves to bring these young people together, to promote their acquaintance with others of their faith, and to give them every necessary opportunity for the practice of their religion.
Holy Rosary Church.
Meanwhile the eity was still extending southeastward and a new parish was planned for the growing scetion in the territory lying east of Linwood and Wilson avenues, between
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Broad street and Livingston avenue. On May 5, 1905, Rev. Franeis W. Howard was appointed to take charge of this parish, which was to be known as Holy Rosary parish. Many of the Catholies living in this distriet had been attending services in the Chapel of St. Vineent's Orphanage, and in anticipation of the organization of a new parish a fund of $1,900 had been collected. There were sixty-four Catholie families in the distriet with sixty children of school age. Plans were made for a building that would eventually be exelu- sively devoted to school uses, but which would also serve for a church for the present. The cornerstone of the building was laid on October 1, 1905, and on March 25, 1906, the building was dedieated by Bishop Hartley. The parish school was opened the following September with the Sisters of St. Franeis in charge. The parish grew rapidly and in a few years a new church was planned. Work was begun in November, 1913, and the cornerstone was laid Mareh 24, 1914. In less than two years the beautiful edifice was completed and was dedieated by Bishop Hartley on February 2, 1916. Regular serviees in the church began on February 27 of that year.
The new church is a structure one hundred and ninety-three feet long and sixty-five feet wide in the nave, with a chapel at the east side sixty by thirty feet. The exterior is plain, early North Italian style, while the interior is thirteenth century Renaissance. The architecture is unusual and rarely seen in this part of the country, and has been pronounced to be a very perfeet and devotional type. The church is built on the corner of Main street and Seymour avenue, and the school is on Seymour. The parish now numbers 260 families with an enrollment in the school of 240 children.
As Father Howard is Secretary General of the National Catholic Educational Associa- tion, the general offices of the Association are located in Holy Rosary reetory, adjoining the ehurel.
St. Aloysius Church.
For many years there was only one Catholie parish on the West Side. In 1905 a new parish was projeeted for the western seetion and the Hilltop, so-called, and Bishop Hartley appointed Rev. J. J. Cahalen as pastor. Ground was bought on West Broad street between Midland and Clarendon avenues, and ground broken for St. Aloysius Church. While the church was building services were held in a room on West Broad street with only a few people in attendance. The parish was small and had a struggle for existenee until the exten- sion of its boundaries and the building up of newer subdivisions when it gradually beeame more thriving. Father Cahalen resigned in 1910 and was succeeded in the pastorate by Rev. Rudolph Schwarz, of Buehtel, who proceeded with energy to build up the parish and reduce the eneumbering debt. This seetion has grown steadily and there are now 175 families in the parish and 180 children in the school. The school is taught by the Sisters of Notre Dame who go out every day from the convent on Rieh street. Church and school are both housed in the same building, as are also the pastor's apartments; but a new ehureh is becom- ing a necessity and it is planned later to ereet a suitable and substantial edifice.
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