St. Rose's Catholic Church (St. Rose, Ohio)
Encyclopedia
St. Rose's Catholic Church (also known as "St. Rosa's Catholic Church") is a historic Catholic church in St. Rose, an unincorporated community
in Marion Township
, Mercer County
, Ohio
, United States
.
, which was dedicated to St. Rose
. At that time, the parish encompassed a significantly larger area than it does today; five other parishes — Nativity
in Cassella
, St. Sebastian
in Sebastian
, Precious Blood
in Chickasaw
, St. Aloysius
in Carthagena
, and Our Lady of Guadalupe in Montezuma
— were partially or entirely formed from territory originally included in St. Rose parish.
Mass
was celebrated at the church sporadically for its first eight years; only in 1845, after several priests from the Congregation of the Precious Blood
began serving St. Rose and several surrounding parishes, were the parishioners able to have regular services. By the 1850s, the log church building had become too small, so a replacement brick structure was constructed at a cost of $6,000 and consecrated
in mid-1854. Measuring 42 feet (12.8 m) by 75 feet (22.9 m), it was periodically modernized; by 1907, it featured such improvements as acetylene
lighting. However, this structure in turn was becoming too small by this time; four years later, a third church building was begun, and it was consecrated in September 1912.
Today, St. Rose's remains an active parish of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati
. It is part of the Marion Catholic Community cluster, along with Precious Blood
parish in Chickasaw
, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin parish
in Cassella
, St. Sebastian parish
in Sebastian
, and St. John the Baptist parish
in Maria Stein
. The entire cluster is a part of the St. Marys Deanery
.
, and a former one-room school
.
structure, three bays
wide on the front and five bays long on the sides. Built in the shape of a Latin cross
, the church is a single-story
brick building; it rests on a foundation of blue Bedford limestone
with a basement and is covered with a gable
d roof of asphalt. Among its leading architectural elements is its octagonal steeple
, topped with a louver
ed belfry
. The two corners of the facade feature tall, thin windows and are topped with miniature square towers. Inside, the sanctuary
is decorated with multiple white reredos
and many statues; the interior is illuminated by light from lancet window
s, one of each which is found in each of the side bays. Throughout the building, the architectural elements include high pointed arches. A small cemetery
sits behind the church.
Architectural historians have divided the Precious Blood-related churches of western Ohio into four generations. Constructed in 1912, St. Rose's is a member of the fourth generation, although it resembles many third-generation churches because of its Gothic Revival
architecture that features a single central tower. It is one of three extant churches from the fourth generation that were designed by the DeCurtins family. Although the construction date of the previous church building places it in the middle of the first generation, it more closely resembled second-generation churches such as Holy Family
in Frenchtown
.
foundation; it is covered with a slate roof. Three bays wide on the front and four long on the sides, it features gables on the front and sides, a large verandah
-style front porch, and two bay window
s. Individuals enter the house through an ornate recessed front door, which is ornamented with details such as an elliptical fanlight
with a keystone
, a bevelled
window, and recessed sidelights. Before the rectory's construction, St. Rose parish was served by priests who lived at the nearby Gruenwald
and Maria Stein
Convents.
. Erected in 1892, it was the second school in St. Rose; it replaced a previous building that was destroyed circa 1900. Built as a one-room school
, the building was modified in 1941 and converted into a two-room school. It operated until closure in 1957, due to the enactment of a law by the Ohio General Assembly
requiring all school districts to provide a four-year high school education
. Since that time, local students have attended the schools of the Marion Local School District.
After its closure, the old school was modified to be a parish hall
and a recreation center.
program of the Ohio Historical Society
. All three buildings were found to be in good condition without any threats to their continued survival. At that time, the church was deemed eligible for addition to the National Register of Historic Places
, and all three buildings were added to the Register together in 1979. They were part of a group of more than thirty different Precious Blood-related churches and other religious properties listed on the Register at the same time, including at least one building owned by each of the Marion Catholic Community parishes. The tall Gothic Revival architecture of many churches in this part of far western Ohio has become the namesake of this region, which is nicknamed the "Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches
."
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Marion Township
Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio
Marion Township is one of the fourteen townships of Mercer County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 2,969 people in the township, 2,605 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
, Mercer County
Mercer County, Ohio
Mercer County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. Its county seat is Celina and is named for Hugh Mercer, an officer in the American Revolutionary War.The Celina Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Mercer County.-Geography:...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Parish history
Catholics near the community of St. Rose began meeting for worship in 1837; they built a log church building in the following year, and in early 1842, they purchased land ultimately to be used for a cemetery and a larger church. In 1844, these individuals were erected into a separate parishParish
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...
, which was dedicated to St. Rose
Rose of Lima
Rose of Lima, , the first Catholic saint of the Americas, was born in Lima, Peru.-Biography:Saint Rose of Lima was born in the city of that name, the daughter of Gaspar Flores, a harquebusier from San German, Puerto Rico, and his wife, Maria de Oliva, who was a native of Lima. She was part of a...
. At that time, the parish encompassed a significantly larger area than it does today; five other parishes — Nativity
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church
The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church is a historic Catholic church in Cassella, an unincorporated community in Mercer County, Ohio, United States...
in Cassella
Cassella, Ohio
Cassella is an unincorporated community in Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio, United States. Located at , it lies at an elevation of 955 feet...
, St. Sebastian
St. Sebastian's Catholic Church (Sebastian, Ohio)
St. Sebastian's Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic church in Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio, United States. Located in the unincorporated community of Sebastian, it is the home of an active congregation and has been declared a historic site because of its well-preserved early...
in Sebastian
Sebastian, Ohio
Sebastian is an unincorporated community in northern Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio, United States. Its elevation is 932 feet , and it is located at...
, Precious Blood
Precious Blood Catholic Church (Chickasaw, Ohio)
Precious Blood Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Chickasaw, Ohio, United States. Erected in 1903 and still an active parish, the church historically owned two buildings constructed in its early years that have been designated as historic sites....
in Chickasaw
Chickasaw, Ohio
Chickasaw is a village in Mercer County, Ohio, United States. The population was 364 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Chickasaw is located at ....
, St. Aloysius
St. Aloysius' Catholic Church (Carthagena, Ohio)
St. Aloysius' Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic church in Carthagena, an unincorporated community in Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio, United States...
in Carthagena
Carthagena, Ohio
Carthagena is an unincorporated community in Mercer County, Ohio, United States. It has an elevation of and is located at .The Saint Charles Center, originally Saint Charles Seminary, operated by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood is located in Carthagena.Carthagena is named after Cartagena,...
, and Our Lady of Guadalupe in Montezuma
Montezuma, Ohio
Montezuma is a village in Mercer County, Ohio, United States. The population was 191 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Montezuma is located at ....
— were partially or entirely formed from territory originally included in St. Rose parish.
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 celebrated at the church sporadically for its first eight years; only in 1845, after several priests from the Congregation of the Precious Blood
Missionaries of the Precious Blood
The Missionaries of the Precious Blood form a community of priests and brothers within the Latin Church, one of the 23 sui iuris churches which make up the universal Catholic Church. The Society was founded by Saint Gaspar del Bufalo in 1815...
began serving St. Rose and several surrounding parishes, were the parishioners able to have regular services. By the 1850s, the log church building had become too small, so a replacement brick structure was constructed at a cost of $6,000 and consecrated
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
in mid-1854. Measuring 42 feet (12.8 m) by 75 feet (22.9 m), it was periodically modernized; by 1907, it featured such improvements as acetylene
Acetylene
Acetylene is the chemical compound with the formula C2H2. It is a hydrocarbon and the simplest alkyne. This colorless gas is widely used as a fuel and a chemical building block. It is unstable in pure form and thus is usually handled as a solution.As an alkyne, acetylene is unsaturated because...
lighting. However, this structure in turn was becoming too small by this time; four years later, a third church building was begun, and it was consecrated in September 1912.
Today, St. Rose's remains an active parish of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati
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...
. It is part of the Marion Catholic Community cluster, along with Precious Blood
Precious Blood Catholic Church (Chickasaw, Ohio)
Precious Blood Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Chickasaw, Ohio, United States. Erected in 1903 and still an active parish, the church historically owned two buildings constructed in its early years that have been designated as historic sites....
parish in Chickasaw
Chickasaw, Ohio
Chickasaw is a village in Mercer County, Ohio, United States. The population was 364 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Chickasaw is located at ....
, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin parish
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church
The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church is a historic Catholic church in Cassella, an unincorporated community in Mercer County, Ohio, United States...
in Cassella
Cassella, Ohio
Cassella is an unincorporated community in Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio, United States. Located at , it lies at an elevation of 955 feet...
, St. Sebastian parish
St. Sebastian's Catholic Church (Sebastian, Ohio)
St. Sebastian's Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic church in Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio, United States. Located in the unincorporated community of Sebastian, it is the home of an active congregation and has been declared a historic site because of its well-preserved early...
in Sebastian
Sebastian, Ohio
Sebastian is an unincorporated community in northern Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio, United States. Its elevation is 932 feet , and it is located at...
, and St. John the Baptist parish
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church (Maria Stein, Ohio)
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic church in Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio, United States. Located in the unincorporated community of Maria Stein, it is the home of an active congregation and has been recognized as a historic site because of its well-preserved...
in Maria Stein
Maria Stein, Ohio
Maria Stein is an unincorporated community in central Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio, United States. The community and the Maria Stein Convent lie at the center of the area known as the Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches, where a missionary priest, Father Francis de Sales Brunner,...
. The entire cluster is a part of the St. Marys Deanery
Deanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
.
Buildings
The parish owns three buildings located adjacent to each other: the church, a rectoryRectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
, and a former one-room school
One-room school
One-room schools were commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In most rural and small town schools, all of the students met in a single room...
.
Church
St. Rose's Church is a High Gothic RevivalGothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
structure, three bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
wide on the front and five bays long on the sides. Built in the shape of a Latin cross
Christian cross
The Christian cross, seen as a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, is the best-known religious symbol of Christianity...
, the church is a single-story
Storey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
brick building; it rests on a foundation of blue Bedford limestone
Indiana Limestone
Indiana Limestone, also known as Bedford Limestone is a common regional term for Salem limestone, a geological formation primarily quarried in south central Indiana between Bloomington and Bedford....
with a basement and is covered with a gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d roof of asphalt. Among its leading architectural elements is its octagonal 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...
, topped with a louver
Louver
A louver or louvre , from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal slats that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise...
ed belfry
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
. The two corners of the facade feature tall, thin windows and are topped with miniature square towers. Inside, the sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
is decorated with multiple white reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
and many statues; the interior is illuminated by light from lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
s, one of each which is found in each of the side bays. Throughout the building, the architectural elements include high pointed arches. A small cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
sits behind the church.
Architectural historians have divided the Precious Blood-related churches of western Ohio into four generations. Constructed in 1912, St. Rose's is a member of the fourth generation, although it resembles many third-generation churches because of its Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
architecture that features a single central tower. It is one of three extant churches from the fourth generation that were designed by the DeCurtins family. Although the construction date of the previous church building places it in the middle of the first generation, it more closely resembled second-generation churches such as Holy Family
Holy Family Catholic Church (Frenchtown, Ohio)
Holy Family Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic church in Wayne Township, Darke County, Ohio, United States. Located in the unincorporated community of Frenchtown, it houses an active congregation, and it has been accorded historic site status because of its well-preserved Gothic Revival...
in Frenchtown
Frenchtown, Ohio
Frenchtown is an unincorporated community in Wayne Township, Darke County, Ohio, United States. The community lies at the intersection of State Route 185 with Burns and Mangen Roads, approximately northwest of the village of Versailles...
.
Rectory
Located adjacent to the church on the west is a three-story rectory. Built in 1905 at a cost of $6,000, it is a rectangular brick building that rests on an ashlarAshlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
foundation; it is covered with a slate roof. Three bays wide on the front and four long on the sides, it features gables on the front and sides, a large verandah
Verandah
A veranda or verandah is a roofed opened gallery or porch. It is also described as an open pillared gallery, generally roofed, built around a central structure...
-style front porch, and two bay window
Bay window
A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a bay in a room, either square or polygonal in plan. The angles most commonly used on the inside corners of the bay are 90, 135 and 150 degrees. Bay windows are often associated with Victorian architecture...
s. Individuals enter the house through an ornate recessed front door, which is ornamented with details such as an elliptical fanlight
Fanlight
A fanlight is a window, semicircular or semi-elliptical in shape, with glazing bars or tracery sets radiating out like an open fan, It is placed over another window or a doorway. and is sometimes hinged to a transom. The bars in the fixed glazed window spread out in the manner a sunburst...
with a keystone
Keystone (architecture)
A keystone is the wedge-shaped stone piece at the apex of a masonry vault or arch, which is the final piece placed during construction and locks all the stones into position, allowing the arch to bear weight. This makes a keystone very important structurally...
, a bevelled
Bevel
A beveled edge refers to an edge of a structure that is not perpendicular to the faces of the piece. The words bevel and chamfer overlap in usage; in general usage they are often interchanged, while in technical usage they may sometimes be differentiated as shown in the image at right.-Cutting...
window, and recessed sidelights. Before the rectory's construction, St. Rose parish was served by priests who lived at the nearby Gruenwald
Gruenwald Convent
The Gruenwald Convent is a historic former Roman Catholic convent in the far western part of the U.S. state of Ohio. Located approximately south of the small community of Cassella in Mercer County, the convent was built in 1854...
and Maria Stein
Shrine of the Holy Relics
The Shrine of the Holy Relics in Maria Stein, Ohio is the second largest collection of relics in the United States. It is a part of the historic Maria Stein Convent.-History:...
Convents.
School
Located adjacent to the church on the east is a single-story former parish schoolCatholic schools in the United States
Catholic schools in the United States are accredited by independent and/or state agencies, and teachers are generally certified. Catholic schools are supported through tuition payments and fund raising.-Operation:...
. Erected in 1892, it was the second school in St. Rose; it replaced a previous building that was destroyed circa 1900. Built as a one-room school
One-room school
One-room schools were commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In most rural and small town schools, all of the students met in a single room...
, the building was modified in 1941 and converted into a two-room school. It operated until closure in 1957, due to the enactment of a law by the Ohio General Assembly
Ohio General Assembly
The Ohio General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio. It consists of the 99-member Ohio House of Representatives and the 33-member Ohio Senate...
requiring all school districts to provide a four-year high school education
Secondary education in the United States
In most jurisdictions, secondary education in the United States refers to the last six or seven years of statutory formal education. Secondary education is generally split between junior high school or middle school, usually beginning with sixth or seventh grade , and high school, beginning with...
. Since that time, local students have attended the schools of the Marion Local School District.
After its closure, the old school was modified to be a parish hall
Church hall
A church hall is a room or building associated with a church, general for community and charitable use . It is normally located near the church, typically in smaller and village communities. Activities in the hall are not necessarily religious, but are typically an important part of local community...
and a recreation center.
Recognition
In 1977, St. Rose's Church, its rectory, and its school were studied by the Ohio Historic Inventory, a historic preservationHistoric preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
program of the Ohio Historical Society
Ohio Historical Society
The Ohio Historical Society is a non-profit organization incorporated in 1885 as The Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society "to promote a knowledge of archaeology and history, especially in Ohio"...
. All three buildings were found to be in good condition without any threats to their continued survival. At that time, the church was deemed eligible for addition to 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...
, and all three buildings were added to the Register together in 1979. They were part of a group of more than thirty different Precious Blood-related churches and other religious properties listed on the Register at the same time, including at least one building owned by each of the Marion Catholic Community parishes. The tall Gothic Revival architecture of many churches in this part of far western Ohio has become the namesake of this region, which is nicknamed the "Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches
Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches
The Land of the Cross-Tipped Churches is a rural region in the western part of the U.S. state of Ohio, centered near Maria Stein in Mercer County. Its name is derived from the dense concentration of large Catholic churches that dominate the area's architecture...
."