St. Boniface, New Riegel 1890

Schoolchildren pose for a picture in front of St. Boniface church in New Riegel, in 1890.  The pastor and sister are of the Precious Blood order.  The church is now part of All Saints parish.

Pope John Paul II Exhibit

The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage in Beachwood, Ohio (near Cleveland) is hosting an exhibit on Pope John Paul II, highlighting the Pope's special friendship with the Jewish people.  A Blessing to One Another will be on display from May 18 through Sunday, August 5, 2012.  You can see more details HERE.

St. Mary, Toledo

Above is a photo of the first St. Mary's church in Toledo, located on Cherry Street.  The church was initially dedicated in 1857, and served as the main parish for German Catholics in the city.  Jesuit priests were asked to administer the parish in 1869, eventually resulting in the establishment of St. John's College.  In 1876, Cherry Street was lowered, and the church's foundation had to be rebuilt.  A new St. Mary's church was built on Page St. in 1904; the old church was in use until 1932, and finally razed in 1934. 

An interesting note:  BGSU's Center for Archival Collections has a set of scrapbooks from the parish's Loyola Club, which had a special outreach to men of the parish serving in World War I.  Click HERE for more details.

St. Michael, Kalida

Photo borrowed from the parish blog.

Blue Mass in Sandusky

The Knights of Columbus in Sandusky sponsor a "Blue Mass" each year to pray for law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency medical personnel in Erie County.  You can view photos from this year's mass HERE.

Ss. Patrick & Andrew, Bascom

Crucifix at St. Patrick's in Bascom.

St. Nicholas Chapel, Frenchtown

Margaret H. Lawless, Poet

A Catholic poet living in Toledo in the late 1800s, Margaret Lawless was published in many periodicals of the time. The above (poorly scanned) photo is from a 1893 directory of prominent women, "A Woman of the Century." Lawless was a native of Adrian, Michigan.

From "Catholic World," December 1890, you can read "Fighting Fire," a poem about a farmer battling a blaze that threatens his farm. Click HERE, then on "page 497".

St. John the Baptist, Landeck

A postcard from 1916, showing the interior of St. John the Baptist church at Landeck. This is the church that was destroyed by a tornado in 1948; two school boys died in the tragedy.

Sorrowful Mother Shrine, Bellevue

The pilgrimage season at Sorrowful Mother Shrine begins on April 15, Divine Mercy Sunday, with special events on most weekends into October. See the schedule HERE.

"Messages of Glory"

Cincinnati photographer Robert Flischel has recently published a book, "Messages of Glory: The Narrative Art of Roman Catholicism," detailing artwork in Catholic churches of Cincinnati. Cincinnati and Covington, KY were centers of religious art in the late 1800s, influencing more than a few churches of the Toledo Diocese. You can watch a video slide show of Flischel's photos HERE. Purchase information for the book can be found HERE.

Bishop Donovan at Carey, 1971

Toledo Bishop John Donovan at Our Lady of Consolation shrine in Carey, in August 1971. The shrine was dedicated as a Minor Basilica in October of that year. What is a Minor Basilica? Click HERE.

Holy Water

At the entrance to St. Mary's church, Millersville.

St. Mary, Tiffin

Recently repainted from solid colors.

Holy Thursday

Lithograph from a First Communion certificate, used locally in the 1930s.

St. Rose Steeple Fire in Perrysburg

Apparently lightning struck the steeple at St. Rose church in Perrysburg, starting a fire in the steeple, causing the cross to fall to the ground. More detail HERE.

UPDATE: Fortunately, fire crews extinguished the fire quickly. Details and video HERE.

Good Friday Walk from Frenchtown to Carey

UPDATE FOR 2015:  For information on the Frenchtown to Carey Good Friday Walk, click HERE.
2015 Our Lady of Consolation Holy Week Schedule, click HERE.
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 On Good Friday, April 6, 2012, youth groups will be walking from St. Nicholas chapel of All Saints Parish in Frenchtown to the Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation in Carey. This walk is similar to the 1875 procession which brought the statue of Our Lady to Carey. Pictured above is St. Nicholas chapel.