Old St. Mary's Church
Encyclopedia
Old St. Mary's Church is a parish church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati
in the United States
. It is located at 123 E. Thirteenth Street in the Over-the-Rhine
neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio
. This Roman Catholic parish was organized in 1840 by German
immigrants. Designed in the Greek Revival style by Franz Ignatz Erd, it is the second-oldest German-Catholic parish in the city and the oldest standing church in Cincinnati. The church is 142 feet long, 66 feet wide and with a steeple
170 feet tall. When built, it was the largest in the Ohio Valley. The original church was dedicated on July 3, 1842.
In 1840, German immigrants were arriving in Cincinnati at the rate of 200 per day. Many of the men donated their own labor to build the church, making the bricks by hand. The numbers of German immigrants increased in mid-century. They built a strong community, with St. Mary's at the heart of it. They also built a school and later a second school as the number of children increased.
In May through August 1849, 796 parishioners of St. Mary's died in the cholera
epidemic
. There were 345 funerals in July alone. The "Old" was added in 1904 when St. Mary's in Hyde Park (Cincinnati) was founded. The parish, which today draws parishioners from some 50 different zip codes, practices the rich liturgical, musical and cultural heritage of the Roman Catholic tradition. The Church offers Masses in Latin
, German and English every Sunday. The Latin Mass features a Gregorian chant
choir.
The parish complex includes a rectory and building that once served the parish as a Catholic girls’ grammar school. At present St. John Social Services leases the building from the parish to house several of their outreach programs for the Over-the-Rhine
neighborhood. The three buildings of the parish complex were listed together on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1976. Seven years later, they were among more than two thousand Over-the-Rhine buildings listed on the Register together as a historic district
, the Over-the-Rhine Historic District.
The parent parish was Holy Trinity Church
(Heilige Dreieinigkeit) which was located at West Fifth Street and Barr Street/Mound Street, in Cincinnati's Old West End. Organized in 1834, Holy Trinity was the first German parish and second Roman Catholic parish in Cincinnati. The Holy Trinity Parish was closed in 1958 because of changing demographics.
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati covers the southwest region of the U.S. state of Ohio, including the greater Cincinnati and Dayton metropolitan areas. The Archbishop of Cincinnati is Most Rev...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located at 123 E. Thirteenth Street in the Over-the-Rhine
Over-the-Rhine
Over-the-Rhine, sometimes shortened to OTR, is a neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is believed to be the largest, most intact urban historic district in the United States. Over-the-Rhine was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 with 943 contributing buildings...
neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. This Roman Catholic parish was organized in 1840 by German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
immigrants. Designed in the Greek Revival style by Franz Ignatz Erd, it is the second-oldest German-Catholic parish in the city and the oldest standing church in Cincinnati. The church is 142 feet long, 66 feet wide and with a steeple
Steeple (architecture)
A steeple, in architecture, is a tall tower on a building, often topped by a spire. Steeples are very common on Christian churches and cathedrals and the use of the term generally connotes a religious structure...
170 feet tall. When built, it was the largest in the Ohio Valley. The original church was dedicated on July 3, 1842.
In 1840, German immigrants were arriving in Cincinnati at the rate of 200 per day. Many of the men donated their own labor to build the church, making the bricks by hand. The numbers of German immigrants increased in mid-century. They built a strong community, with St. Mary's at the heart of it. They also built a school and later a second school as the number of children increased.
In May through August 1849, 796 parishioners of St. Mary's died in the cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
. There were 345 funerals in July alone. The "Old" was added in 1904 when St. Mary's in Hyde Park (Cincinnati) was founded. The parish, which today draws parishioners from some 50 different zip codes, practices the rich liturgical, musical and cultural heritage of the Roman Catholic tradition. The Church offers Masses in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, German and English every Sunday. The Latin Mass features a Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic liturgical music within Western Christianity that accompanied the celebration of Mass and other ritual services...
choir.
The parish complex includes a rectory and building that once served the parish as a Catholic girls’ grammar school. At present St. John Social Services leases the building from the parish to house several of their outreach programs for the Over-the-Rhine
Over-the-Rhine
Over-the-Rhine, sometimes shortened to OTR, is a neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is believed to be the largest, most intact urban historic district in the United States. Over-the-Rhine was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 with 943 contributing buildings...
neighborhood. The three buildings of the parish complex were listed together on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1976. Seven years later, they were among more than two thousand Over-the-Rhine buildings listed on the Register together as a historic district
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
, the Over-the-Rhine Historic District.
The parent parish was Holy Trinity Church
Holy Trinity Church, Cincinnati, Ohio
Holy Trinity Church was the first German-speaking Roman Catholic church in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was located at West Fifth Street and Mound Street in Cincinnati's historic West End. The parish was founded in 1834 and the church was dedicated on October 5, 1834.Holy Trinity was founded to serve the...
(Heilige Dreieinigkeit) which was located at West Fifth Street and Barr Street/Mound Street, in Cincinnati's Old West End. Organized in 1834, Holy Trinity was the first German parish and second Roman Catholic parish in Cincinnati. The Holy Trinity Parish was closed in 1958 because of changing demographics.
Further reading
- Cincinnati, a Guide to the Queen City and Its Neighbors, American Guide Series, The Weisen-Hart Press, May 1943, p. 213
