History of St. Patrick’s Parish in Maryville
History of St. Patrick’s Parish from Catholic Tribune Nov 17, 1923
ST. PATRICK’S PARISH. Established in 1880, the parish reflects the Irish and English Catholics’ desire for an English-speaking community, underscoring its foundational importance to local history and community identity. Daniel Pembroke, to organize the parish. A committee composed of John O’Connor, Sylvester Dooley, Edward Lavan, Martin Hunt, and Michael Tobin, as the first trustees of the newly organized parish, purchased the property on First and Buchanan Streets, which they, on November 14 and 15, 1881, deeded to Bishop Hogan in trust for a Catholic church, schöol and residence. Until the church was built, the congregation worshiped in what was known as Union Hall. The congregation at that time numbered about seventy families. The church was built in 1882 as a frame building, 75×35. Soon after, two lots were purchased on Filmore Street, and a residence was built for the pastor. After a brief period of prosperity, for various reasons, the parish began to decline, and many families moved elsewhere. In December 1895, Right Rev. Bishop Burke of St. Joseph appointed the Rev. Henry F. Niemann, pastor of St. Patrick’s. Father Niemann took charge on January 3, 1896. At the time, only about 45 families belonged to the parish. The new pastor set to work at once to pay off a debt still resting on the church, make necessary repairs, and renovate and enlarge the pastoral residence. By the fall of 1897, the number of families had increased to about 80, and in January 1898, the pastor announced his intention to build a new church if the people of the parish would give their support and co-operation. After a bit of hesitation, the people entered the work with great enthusiasm and energy. Work began in September 1898, and the building was completed and dedicated in November 1899. The new church is a substantial structure, 130 feet long and 48 feet wide in the body of the building, 54 feet in the transept. The walls from the floor are 28 feet high, and the ceiling is 38 feet high. There are two towers, one 95 feet high and the other 75 feet high. There is a basement under the entire building, where a chapel, a large hall, and the furnace rooms are located. The building is of brick, faced on the outside with pressed brick and ornamented with stone and buff brick. The entire cost was only about $17,000. This was possible for various reasons. In the first place, the church was built during the country’s most significant financial depression, when labor and materials were at their lowest ever. The principal reason, however, why a building of such dimensions could be built with SO little expense, was the self-sacrificing spirit of the people. The excavation for the basement, removing over 13,000 yards of dirt, was the work of the people, who not only saved a great deal of expense but also, by selling the dirt, actually cleared $400 for other expenses. The people hauled all the sand and brick, and the pastor, having leased the old brick yards. Since the new church was built, the parish has grown rapidly, now over 150 families strong, inspiring Confidence in its future. On the 25th of the same month and year, the property in the rear of the church, facing First and Filmore streets, was purchased, and in June of the same year, work on the school was begun. The building was finished in the spring of 1911, and the school opened in September of the same year. The school building is 80×60 feet, built of vitrified brick, two stories high, with a ten-foot basement, one-half of which is below ground. There are six large classrooms and a science laboratory, with residence for the Sisters consisting of nine rooms and a chapel. In the basement are the toilets, furnace room, and playrooms. In addition to the usual eight grades, a full four-year high school course is taught and has received credit from the State University. The school is under the Benedictine Sisters of Atchison, Kans., and has an attendance of 130 at present. Following are the names of heads of families when the parish was organized in 1881, as far as it is now possible to enumerate them: Daniel Harrigen, S. V. Dooley, Patrick McNellis, Peter Hamill, John Mahoney, L. J. Growney, Patrick Growney, Patrick Dougan, Thomas Dougan, John Dougan, Cornelius Brady, Dudly Brady, Bernard Moran, Matthew Joyce, John Joyce, Martin Hune, Mrs. J. McCoy, Michael Barry, John Redmond, John Hallesay, Michael Quinlan, Martin Calt, Thomas Sherlock, Thomas Mooney, Martin Lavin, Edward Lavin, Michael Lavin, Maurice Joy, Thomas Harmon, Patrick Gallagher, Martin Dyer, John Washington, Owen Murrin, Michael Casey, Jas. Dunlavey, Michael Dunlavey, John Kane, William Doran, Lawrence Doran, Martin Doran, John McDermott, Michael McDermott, Patrick, James, Frank, John and Thomas Davis, Thomas O’Brien, Jerry O’Connell, John Vaughn, Thomas Burns, Philip, John and Frank O’Riley, William Murphy, John Allen, Michael Tobin, Michael Shortell, John Risban, Patrick Feely, John Carey, Martin O’Rourke, Thos. O’Day, John Lee, Patrick Gorman, John Russell, Thomas Parle, Martin Sweeney, Maurice Brennan, John O’Connor, and Michael McGettigan. Only a few of these are still among the living, though most of these names are still familiar in the parish to this day.
