St. Michael the Archangel Church
Encyclopedia
St. Michael the Archangel is a Roman Catholic
church located at 3114 Scranton Road in the Clark-Fulton
neighborhood on the west side of Cleveland, Ohio
. The church is named in honor of St. Michael the Archangel and was completed in 1892.
The congregation
was founded in 1881 as a mission
of Ohio City, Cleveland's St. Mary's On-The-Flats to serve a growing German
immigrant population
on Cleveland's
west side. The original church and school
building
was constructed in 1883 but burned on June 29, 1891, while the new building was under construction. The current church, which had its cornerstone
laid in 1889, was completed five years ahead of schedule in 1892.
The church building is considered a good example of High Victorian Gothic architecture
with its two tower
s of unequal height
, the taller of which rises 232 feet, and three archways. An architecturally
notable school
adjacent to the church began construction in 1906 and was completed in 1907. For many years the church was one of the most costly and artistically notable churches in the Cleveland Diocese
.
The church congregation
reached its peak size in the 1950, when only 25% of the parish
ioners were of German
descent
. The first Spanish
Mass
was said in 1971 for the growing number of Hispanic
parishioners. The congregation now is mostly Latin American. The church now offers Masses in both English
and Spanish. An annual Good Friday
Procession
begins or ends at St. Michael's. St Michael's and La Sagrada Familia church alternate every year to begin or end at one of the two churches. There is a stop at St Patrick's on Bridge Avenue to hear the first part of Mass before continuing on the journey to either St Michael's or La Sagrada Familia. The parish
has become a center of Hispanic culture in Cleveland.
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
church located at 3114 Scranton Road in the Clark-Fulton
Clark-Fulton
Clark-Fulton is a neighborhood on the west side of Cleveland, Ohio. It is bounded roughly by Clark Avenue to the north, Scranton Road to the east, Daisy Avenue and I-71 to the south, and W.48th Street on the west.-References:...
neighborhood on the west side of Cleveland, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. The church is named in honor of St. Michael the Archangel and was completed in 1892.
The congregation
Congregation (catholic)
The term "congregation" has three usages specific to the Roman Catholic Church. One concerns the Roman Curia, the other two concern religious institutes.- Roman Curia :...
was founded in 1881 as a mission
Mission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
of Ohio City, Cleveland's St. Mary's On-The-Flats to serve a growing German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
immigrant population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
on Cleveland's
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
west side. The original church and school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
building
Building
In architecture, construction, engineering, real estate development and technology the word building may refer to one of the following:...
was constructed in 1883 but burned on June 29, 1891, while the new building was under construction. The current church, which had its cornerstone
Cornerstone
The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
laid in 1889, was completed five years ahead of schedule in 1892.
The church building is considered a good example of High Victorian Gothic architecture
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
with its two tower
Tower
A tower is a tall structure, usually taller than it is wide, often by a significant margin. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires....
s of unequal height
Height
Height is the measurement of vertical distance, but has two meanings in common use. It can either indicate how "tall" something is, or how "high up" it is. For example "The height of the building is 50 m" or "The height of the airplane is 10,000 m"...
, the taller of which rises 232 feet, and three archways. An architecturally
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
notable school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
adjacent to the church began construction in 1906 and was completed in 1907. For many years the church was one of the most costly and artistically notable churches in the Cleveland Diocese
Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland is a Roman Catholic diocese in Ohio. It was erected on April 23, 1847 by Pope Pius IX. The diocese lost territory in 1910 when the Diocese of Toledo was erected by Pope Pius X, and in 1943 when the Diocese of Youngstown was erected by Pope Pius XII...
.
The church congregation
Christian Church
The Christian Church is the assembly or association of followers of Jesus Christ. The Greek term ἐκκλησία that in its appearances in the New Testament is usually translated as "church" basically means "assembly"...
reached its peak size in the 1950, when only 25% of the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
ioners were of German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
descent
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
. The first Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
was said in 1971 for the growing number of Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
parishioners. The congregation now is mostly Latin American. The church now offers Masses in both English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Spanish. An annual Good Friday
Good Friday
Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...
Procession
Procession
A procession is an organized body of people advancing in a formal or ceremonial manner.-Procession elements:...
begins or ends at St. Michael's. St Michael's and La Sagrada Familia church alternate every year to begin or end at one of the two churches. There is a stop at St Patrick's on Bridge Avenue to hear the first part of Mass before continuing on the journey to either St Michael's or La Sagrada Familia. The parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
has become a center of Hispanic culture in Cleveland.
