Father Aloysius Gerdes was not expected to recover from surgery during St. John the Baptist Church’s construction, but he said he’d be back for another 20 years—and he was! Pastor for 46 years until his death in 1942, Father Gerdes presided over 488  marriages, 688 funerals and 2,080 baptisms. 1872 …

1844 Visiting priests celebrated Masses for Irish immigrants on the porch of Jacob Klein’s home in Xenia. 1849 Parish created and named for St. Michael the Archangel. Its first pastor was Father James Kearney. 1851 Irish priest Father Thomas Blake appointed as first resident pastor. He began construction of a …

The following is a modified version of an article written by Father Earl Fernandes for The Catholic Telegraph in Feb. 2011. The U.S. has a rich history of freedom. Still, every nation’s history is filled with shadows and light; great evils have been tolerated and even perpetuated. This year marks …

Where is Archbishop Purcell buried? I have heard that he might not have been buried in the grave bearing his name. There is an old riddle: “Who’s buried in Grant’s tomb?” The answer could be “no one” (since his body, strictly speaking, remains entombed above ground in a mausoleum). We …

In 1833 the Diocese of Cincinnati encompassed the entire state of Ohio. Bishop Fenwick did what he could to minister to the French and Native American Catholics located 500 miles north of Cincinnati. But Catholics were scattered throughout the state and infrequently visited by a priest. Missionary efforts in the …

During the 1849 cholera epidemic that killed thousands in Cincinnati alone, parishioners of what is now Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Cassella gathered in their log church and prayed to St. Sebastian for relief – and no one from the parish died. Maria-Kapelle (Maria Chapel) is the name …

    “History” is not the accumulation of facts in the past, but rather what we say about, and the use we put to, those facts. This is not to say the facts are unimportant, nor should they be manipulated by the historian. A conscientious historian wants to be as …

by Eileen Connelly, OSU For its 175-year history, the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains in Downtown Cincinnati has stood as a testament to the faith of Catholics in the archdiocese. The impressive Greek Revival structure, located at the intersection of Eighth and Plum Streets, is dedicated to God in …

by Gail Finke There is a piece of the True Cross at Holy Cross-Immaculata in Mt. Adams. It is available for veneration on a side altar in the main church on Good Friday – see it when you pray the steps! Is the relic of the True Cross real? While …