Saint Patrick Church (Columbus, Ohio)

Saint Patrick Church is a historic building and the second-oldest Catholic church building in Columbus, Ohio.[7] Located in the Discovery District neighborhood, the structure served as the pro-cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus until the consecration of Saint Joseph Cathedral. It has been served by priests of the Dominican Order since 1885[3] and is currently home to an active parish.

Saint Patrick Church
Saint Patrick Church and parish center
39.969016°N 82.991732°W
Location	280 N. Grant Ave. in Columbus, Ohio[1]
Country	United States
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Membership	1100 families (2013)[2]
Website	www.stpatrickcolumbus.org
History
Founded	February 1851[3]
Dedicated	September 25, 1853
Cult(s) present	Margaret of Castello[4]
Relics held	Margaret of Castello[4]
Events	Cathedral of the Diocese of Columbus (1867–1872)[3]
Past bishop(s)	Sylvester Horton Rosecrans[3]
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Style	Norman Gothic[5]
Groundbreaking	September 5, 1852
Completed	1853
Administration
Diocese	Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus
Clergy
Senior pastor(s)	Fr. Stephen Alcott, O.P.[6]
Pastor(s)	Fr. Boniface Endorf, O.P., Fr. Charles Shonk, O.P., Fr. Jerome Zeiler, O.P., Fr. Thomas Blau, O.P.[6]
Chaplain(s)	Br. Paul Kennedy, O.P.[6]
Laity
Religious education coordinator	Sr. Maria Vianney Kysely, O.P.[6]
RCIA coordinator	Gina Switzer[2]
Youth ministry coordinator	Patrick Reis[4]

History

When Irish Catholic immigrants arrived in Columbus in 1848 to escape the Great Famine, the only Catholic church in the city was Holy Cross Church, a predominantly German Catholic parish.[8] The German and Irish worshipers shared Holy Cross until 1850, when the parish voted to split. Archbishop Purcell of Cincinnati approved the new parish February 1851 and appointed Reverend John Furlong as its pastor.

The new parish was named for Ireland's patron saint, Saint Patrick. The site chosen was on the west side of town at the corner of Grant and Naghten Streets (then known as the "Irish Broadway").[9] English-speaking worshipers continued attending Holy Cross during construction, with $1,200 toward the building fund donated by Holy Cross parishioners.[5][8]

Notable clergy

Missionary of Mercy certificates posted in the church hall

Notable Clergyman	Office / Appointment
Sylvester Horton Rosecrans	Bishop of Columbus (1868–1878)
Edward Fitzgerald	Bishop of Little Rock (1822–1832)
Nicolaus Aloysius Gallagher	Bishop of Galveston (1882–1918)
Michael Dosch	Missionary of Mercy (2015–2016)
Cassian Derbes	Missionary of Mercy (2015–2016)
Thomas Blau	Missionary of Mercy (2015–2016)
Boniface Endorf	Missionary of Mercy (2015–2016)

Interior

Stained glass windows

The church's window depicting Saint Patrick baptizing the King of Ireland

Subjects of stained glass windows as arranged from east to west
North Side	South Side
Apse
Saint Dominic receiving the Rosary from the Virgin Mary	Saint Patrick explaining the Trinity
Nave
The Last Supper	The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple
The Annunciation	The Resurrection of Jesus
Sacred Heart of Jesus appearing to St. Margaret Mary	Death of Saint Joseph
The Marriage at Cana	The Anointing of Jesus
Saint Patrick's baptism of the High King of Ireland	Jesus on a crucifix speaking to Saint Thomas Aquinas
non-pictorial window over a door	Saints Vincent de Paul and Anthony of Padua

Paintings

There is a fresco of a medallion depicting a Dominican saint over each stained glass window in the nave.

A medallion depicting St. Gianna Beretta Molla (a lay Dominican[10]) and her child.

Subjects of the medallion frescos as arranged from east to west
North Side	South Side
Saint Thomas Aquinas	Saint Dominic
Saint Catherine of Siena	Saint Rose of Lima
Saint Antoninus	Pope Saint Pius V
Saint Agnes	Saint Catherine de Ricci
Saint Vincent Ferrer	Saint Hyacinth
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati	Saint Gianna Beretta Molla

References

1. "St. Patrick Church – Served by the Dominicans". St. Patrick Church. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
2. Puet, Tim. "St. Patrick Church Draws Members from Near and Far" (PDF).
3. "St. Patrick Church – The Tabulated Parish History". St. Patrick Church tabulated history. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
4. "A Dominican Miracle in Columbus, Ohio".
5. "St. Patrick Church – Our History". St. Patrick Church history. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
6. "St. Patrick Church – Our Staff".
7. Puet, Tim. "Columbus St. Mary Church: GERMAN VILLAGE PARISH 'BELONGS TO EVERYBODY'" (PDF).
8. Puet, Tim. "Holy Cross: 175 Years Serving the City" (PDF).
9. "73-25 St. Patrick Church [5]".
10. Fitz, Gretchen. "St. Gianna Beretta Molla: A Modern Mother's Heroism". St. Gianna Beretta Molla: A Modern Mother’s Heroism – Get Fed – A Catholic Blog to Feed Your Faith. The Catholic Company. Retrieved 14 November 2016.