History of St. Patrick Parish
Enduring
faith built a strong church By Roger
J. DiPaolo St.
Patrick School wouldn't exist if it weren't for St. Patrick Church, - and the
church wouldn't exist if it weren't for a tiny group of Catholic families who
gathered in a house on Water Street in 1850. The John
Fiedler home, located on South Water Street, was the site of the first Roman
Catholic service in what then was known as the village of Franklin Mills. It isn't
known how many Catholics turned out for the service at the Fiedler residence,
but the number probably wasn't very large, given the size and nature of the
community, which had about 1,750 residents. From those
humble beginnings, however, grew a full-fledged Catholic parish whose members
have played an important role in the growth and development of the community
for more than a century. Today,
1,400 households look to St. Patrick Church as their religious home and take
pride in the elementary school whose centennial is being celebrated this year
[1986]. The roots
of the Catholic Church in Ohio date to the 1700s, when the Northwest Territory
was being settled. The first recorded Mass was celebrated in 1793 by two
missionaries on their way to Kentucky, and the first Catholic community in
Northeastern Ohio was established in Dungannon in Columbiana County in 1812. In Portage
County, St. Joseph Church in Randolph was organized as the first Catholic
mission in 1831, with missionaries from Cleveland and other areas serving the
religious needs of the community. Traveling
priests such as these served Catholics in outlying areas, such as Franklin
Mills and Ravenna, where the first church services were held in private homes. As the
number of Catholics increased, so did the need for a larger, more permanent
meeting place, and arrangements were made in 1862 to move the services to the
Town Hall building located on what is now Gougler Avenue. The advent
of the Atlantic & Great Western Railroad in 1863 helped to transform
Franklin Mills from a struggling manufacturing community to an important rail
center. The size of the Catholic population was boosted in the process as a
large number of German and Irish immigrants migrated to the area to work on the
railroad The
growing number of Catholics prompted the creation of separate parishes in
Ravenna and in Kent - the community was renamed in 1863 - under the direction
of Father Patrick Brown. Plans for
construction of a permanent place of worship were initiated by Father Brown in
1864, and a site on Portage Street was donated to the Catholic Congregation by
railroad president Marvin Kent. Construction
of the church began in 1867, and a handsome brick and stone edifice was
completed a year later. The church, which seated 350, was named St.
Patrick-possibly in honor of the founding pastor, but more likely because of
the large number of Irish immigrants among the ranks of the parish. As Kent
grew, so did St. Patrick Church. Father Brown served as pastor until 1872, when
he was succeeded by Father W.J. Gibbons, the first of a series of short-term
adminstrators who guided the fledgling parish during its infancy. All lived
in Ravenna while ministering to both the Kent and Ravenna congregations. As the
membership became strong enough to support itself, Father Francis J. O'Neill
became the first resident pastor in 1878. At about
this same time, members of the church raised the possibility of forming a
parish school - a new dream which became a reality when construction of a
four-room wooden school house was begun next door to the church in 1881. The
project took five years to complete. Kent's
growth as a "railroad town," fueled largely by the establishment of
the Erie car shops and related industries, made the community a popular place
of employment for immigrants. As the
German and Irish continued their migration to the community, they were joined
by newcomers from Italy, Poland and Eastern Europe - including many Catholics
who helped swell the ranks of St. Patrick Church and the parish school. Both
institutions helped serve as a powerful "Americanizing" influence on
these new residents. A night school for "working boys," organized by
Father George Branigan in 1906, was only one example of the manner in which the
church ministered to this special constituency. Father
Brannigan's pastorate, which lasted from 1904 to 1909, saw the completion of a
remodeling project at the Portage Street church. A gala dedication program was
held on Labor Day 1904 to mark the inauguration of the new facilities, which
the Kent Courier hailed as "one of the most beautiful church edifices in
this section." The
Gothic-style church included a 100-foot tall bell tower which made it one of
the more prominent landmarks in the downtown area. Seating capacity was 400,
which was thought sufficient to accommodate the 175 families served by church.
The project cost $25,000. The coming
of the 1920s saw continued expansion under the pastorates of Father James
Nolan, who came to Kent in 1921, and Father Patrick A. Logan, who suceeeded him
in 1928. Under
Father Nolan's leadership, an eight-classroom school building was constructed
next to the church at a cost of $90,000. The brick facility replaced the frame
structure which had fallen into disrepair and was overcrowded. The church
also was extensively repaired in 1928, and a $50,000 pledge drive was initiated
during Father Logan's pastorate to retire the debt on the church and the
school. The
postwar era brought phenomenal growth to the Portage area, and Kent — and its
Catholic population — proved to be no exception.
As the
parish increased to 1,300 families, it became evident that the charming little
church on Portage Street could no longer hold its flock. Crowding became such a
problem that some parishioners were forced to stand outside the church to
listen to services. Under the
leadership of Father George P. Mulroy, who became pastor in 1950, the parish
mounted a subscription effort to raise $300,000 to build the new facility.
Robert Bissler and Dr. Victor Yahner served as co-chairmen of the drive, which
surpassed its goal by $57,000. On August
15, 1952 — the Feast of the Assumption — ground was broken for the new church,
which was to be located on a hilltop site on North DePeyster Street overlooking
the old parish complex. Plans were made for construction of a parish rectory
and fellowship center as part of the new church. The
facility was dedicated by Bishop Walsh on Nov. 1, 1953 during a three-hour
ceremony attended by 1,000, including 45 priests and 50 nuns. Following
its completion, plans where announced for a $255,000 addition to the parish
school which more than doubled that facility. The first stage of the project
was completed in 1959, and four more classrooms were added two years later. A
convent for the Sisters of the Humility of Mary also was built near the church. When
Monsignor Joseph Koch was named pastor of the parish in 1964, a major effort
was mounted to reduce the debt from the capital improvement projects. Efforts
to upgrade the school were undertaken as enrollment there peaked at 800
students. The advent
of the Second Vatican Council, coupled with the nation's civil rights struggles
and growing involvement in the Vietnam War, led to an often turbulent period of
change which made itself felt in parish life. Activities at the church
generated controversy throughout this period. Father
Robert Brengartner was named pastor in 1971, a position he held until 1982,
when he was suceeded by Father John Cassidy. The present Pastor is Father Timothy
Kenny, who was named to his position in 1985.