Dayton was surveyed and platted in 1796. Following the War of 1812 and the completion of the Miami and Erie Canals in 1829, Dayton began to thrive. Emmanuel Parish established the first Catholic Church in Dayton in 1837. As with many churches in “mission” territory, it served as a base …

Although he serves as pastor for St. John and St. Lewis Parish in Portsmouth on the picturesque island of Dominica, Father Herman Sharplis has discovered a “home away from home” in Piqua, where he recently concluded a whirlwind visit with parishioners of  twinning parishes at St. Mary and St. Boniface …