Churches From Far Away

 One day in June, I went around Toledo and took many distance photos of churches. The main theme of these photos is to not only show the church from a distance, but also its surroundings to see how the church shaped its neighborhood. 

This first photo is St. Rose in Perrysburg looking from the city of Maumee. I love the river side view and the steeple rising above the treetops. Easily one of my best photos that day.

This next image is of Immaculate Conception looking west down Eastern Ave. 

This image is of  Historic St. Patrick in downtown. I took this photo at the perfect time when the sun was almost perfectly shining on the facade. Another great photo.

This photo is of the closed St. Hedwig church in the Lagrange neighborhood. The tower on the left is the old school, which is now an apartment building. My greatest enemy is the power lines as they take up much of the image! 

Another image of St. Hedwig, looking south down Lagrange St. 

Here is an image of St. Stephen church in the Birmingham neighborhood. On the left is the original Tony Packo's. This is another one of my best images. I managed to capture all of the Hungarian neighborhood in 1 image.

The last few images were taken at Glass City Metropark in downtown. 

St. Joseph, Toledo just barely rising above the Vistula Historic neighborhood.  

The dome of Good Shepherd Church rising above East Toledo.

St. Francis de Sales Chapel on top of the tree line across the river.

I have more ideas for photos, so stay tuned for more!

St. Sebastian Memorial

 

Back in March, I took a drive out to the small town of Bismark to see what they did to the land that St. Sebastian was located. I was very surprised not just to find a memorial there, but sitting on top were 3 bells! I don't know if the bells were the originals at St. Sebastian or were newly casted. One thing I do know is they were definitely painted that color. All 3 bells had a rope that I wanted to pull so badly, but it might've annoyed the senior living home across the street. 

The original path is the same. The middle plaque says "The Former Site Of St. Sebastian Church, Bismark, Ohio." Below is a timeline of the church. On the left is an image of the original church and on the right is the church that was recently torn down. This memorial is fairly new as it was erected in 2023. 

I also have photos of Assumption in Reed, so I'll post those soon. 

St. Adalbert's Bells

One of the parishioners at St. Adalbert & Hedwig sent me various images of their bells. 

Both bells were casted by the E.W. Vanduzen Co. in Cincinnati. The high bell ring an A tone and the bourdon bell rings an F# tone. 

These 2 images are of the high bell. The motor seems to be new, but the frame, wheel and chain are all rusted. Both of the bell's frames are mounted to a wooden frame you can see in the 1st picture. 

These next 2 images are of the bourdon bell. Just like the other bell, this one has a rusty chain, wheel and frame, however this bell has a noticeable tilt to it. According to the parishioner, they are still working on tolling the bell. There is a hammer to toll the bell, but its not in operation right now. 

There are no stairs leading to the bells. It's just one long ladder. 

Another view of the ladder. 

New Contributor

Excited to share that Jeremy Slovak has started posting here on the "Catholic Toledo" blog. Jeremy has created a YouTube channel, "Church Bells of the Toledo Diocese," and lives in the Toledo area. Looking forward to more of your contributions, Jeremy!

St. Joseph, Maumee Bells

In March 2024, the pastor at St. Joseph Church in Maumee gave me access to the bell tower. It was really cool to see the bells up close and I also got some photos as well. 

The Church has 3 bells. First is the bourdon bell (on the right). It rings a D# tone. Next is the middle bell (on the left). It rings a G tone. Finally the smallest bell (below) It rings an A# tone.  

Bell towers were not intended on being climbed up by normal people like me. That is why the staircase is so steep. The wooden square in the middle is a hatch door and is what I would assume the way they got the bells up in the tower before cranes were invented. The wall at the top of the image houses the organ blower.

 

On the left is the ladder that leads to the belfry. The concrete pile on the wall is the spot where the St. Joseph statue is. At the bottom of the image is the air conditioning for the church.

The view of Broadway St. from the belfry

Additional photos of the stained glass

Good Shepherd's Statues at St. Joseph, Maumee

 

Just recently, the pastor at St. Joseph, Maumee acquired 5 statues from Good Shepherd Church in Toledo. Currently, the St. Michael, St. Joseph and Blessed Virgin Mary statues are in storage waiting to be restored and preserved. However, the Pieta and Good Shepherd statues are on display with the Pieta statue in the family center and the Good Shepherd statue in the new school addition. 

The Good Shepherd statue, which used to be on the main high altar, seems to be very well preserved, however his staff is missing

The Pieta statue is also well preserved, however there are many paint chips on the statue.  

Sorrowful Mother Shrine to celebrate 175th Anniversary

 

Great Photos from Around the Diocese

Recently the Toledo Diocese Facebook page linked to some beautiful church photos by Max Schroeder. He has quite a collection of photos from the Toledo area, the Diocese of Lafayette, IN, and Indianapolis. You can check them out at this link:  
https://www.facebook.com/MarathonMax2020/photos. 

On YouTube: Church Bells of the Toledo Diocese

 

Just happened upon this YouTube channel -- click HERE to listen to an assortment of bells throughout the Diocese of Toledo!

Sorrowful Mother Shrine - Renovations to Outdoor Chapel

 

The outdoor chapel at Sorrowful Mother Shrine near Bellevue, Ohio, is undergoing renovations. The large stained-glass window was especially in need of replacement. Work is progressing quickly. For more information on the project and how to support it, click HERE.

Toledo Blade article on local photographers

The Toledo Blade featured the work of two local photographers - Ben Cousino and Kyle Ray - who spotlight churches in their work. Link below (subscription required).

Hallowed history: Two photographers preserve centuries-old local churches through their lenses | The Blade (toledoblade.com)

800th Anniversary of the Nativity Scene

 

Our Lady of Consolation Shrine decorated for Christmas.

In honor of the 800th anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi's nativity scene in Greccio, Catholics can receive an indulgence by praying at a nativity scene in a Franciscan church (such as Our Lady of Consolation in Carey) during January 2024.  Details HERE. 

Last chances to see Toledo Sacred Heart's Christmas window

 
Sacred Heart Catholic Church’s last mass will be Saturday, January 6th, 2024, at 4 p.m. Until then, the usual Sunday mass time is 10:30 a.m. The church is located at 509 Oswald St. in east Toledo.  

Marywood Convent / Pilgrim House

 

Above are two photos of Mary, Queen of the Angels convent in Marywood (sometimes called Frank or Thompson.) The building served as a convent for Sisters of the Precious Blood, then was later used as a Pilgrim House for visitors to nearby Sorrowful Mother Shrine. It still stands today, next to St. Gaspar's church, but has been privately owned for many years. Any additional details would be welcome -- please leave a note in the comments.  Thanks to Mike Czeczele for sharing!

You can see other photos of the building HERE. 

A walk around St. Peter's church in Mansfield

The "Churches of Ohio" Facebook page has posted a short video tour of St. Peter's church in Mansfield, Ohio -- Click HERE to see it. Be sure to check out the many photos of other Ohio churches too.

You can see earlier blog posts about St. Peter HERE, including items about Hungarian muralist Janos Bernat and his wife, sculptor Martha Milligan Bernat.

The Art of Jan Henryk de Rosen Video

 

 A video about Polish artist Jan Henryk de Rosen from the Polish Museum of America in Chicago. De Rosen's work can be seen in Rosary Cathedral and St. Mary's church in Edgerton. The video discusses his work in America at the 5:00 mark.  

Sandusky St. Mary

 

Construction of Sandusky St. Mary's during the 1870s.  Photo from the Sandusky History blog.

St. Joseph, Plymouth; Architect Edward Schulte

 

St. Joseph Church in Plymouth, Ohio, is one of the more distinctive mid-century modern designs in the Diocese. It is the work of Cincinnati architect Edward J. Schulte, who designed more than 88 churches in a career that spanned from 1921 to 1967. His work reflects the changing trends in art and architecture during that period; he assisted in designing St. Meinrad Abbey, much different than his later works. 

Photos from the interior:  Most Pure Heart of Mary | Catholic Church | Shelby, Ohio (mphmshelby.org)

Gigapan Image of Rosary Cathedral

 Click on link below:

http://www.gigapan.com/embeds/0TJ4_nwNdrQ

Transfiguration of the Lord, Upper Sandusky

 

St. Michael's, Kalida

 

St. Joseph, Tiffin, Stations of the Cross

 

The full set of paintings by Austrian artist Joseph Vittur.

St. Michael's Ukranian Catholic Church, Rossford

An interesting 13abc feature on St. Michael's Ukranian Catholic Church in Rossford:

St. Michael's Ukranian Catholic Church 

More photos HERE.

Blessed New Martyrs of the Ukraine

At Sorrowful Mother Shrine in Bellevue, there is a monument to the Blessed New Martyrs of the Ukraine of the 20th Century. Biographies of each martyr can be found HERE.

Fr. Yuri Kuzara is leading prayers for the Ukraine at the shrine.

St. Bonaventure

 

A new addition to Our Lady of Consolation shrine in Carey.

St. Mary, Tiffin

 

Martha Milligan Bernat, Sculptor

 

A fascinating article HERE about sculptor Martha Milligan Bernat, who created the Stations of the Cross at St. Peter Church in Mansfield.  Her husband, Janos Bernat, painted the murals for the church. 

Feast of the Assumption at Carey, 2021

 

While there will be no candlelight procession or camping at the Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation this year during the Feast of the Assumption, there will still be daily novena services and extra Masses scheduled.  For a full list, click HERE.

Toledo Visitation

Sisters of the Visitation Monastery

St. Francis de Sales

St. Jane de Chantal

You can see videos of their Novena to the Sacred Heart on Facebook.

Fr. Paulinus Trost painting of St. Joseph

 

Painting of the "Flight Into Egypt" at Bellevue's Sorrowful Mother Shrine, painted by Precious Blood Fr. Paulinus Trost.  

Rosary Cathedral, Toledo

 Beautiful views of Rosary Cathedral in this report:

Rosary Cathedral prepares for Holy Week in-person services (13abc.com)

Sorrowful Mother Shrine on Fox 8 News

Searching for Fr. Scollen's Manuscript

 

A request for information from a reader of this blog:

For over 25 years, I have been conducting a search for a missing unpublished manuscript. The last possible known connection with it was Fr Frederick A.Houck who was long associated with your church in Toledo. He died in Toledo in 1954.

Fr Fred and his brother, Msgr. George F Houck, also an Ohio priest grew up in Tiffin, Seneca Co., Ohio in a mainly German/Austrian community in the mid 1800s. Quite a few of the young Catholic men there joined the priesthood and one was their friend, Fr Anthony S Siebenfeurcher who became parish priest in Kenton, Ohio. They all remained life-long friends. 

One of his friend's was an Irish born priest, Fr Constantine M Scollen who had spent many years living and working among the native people of Alberta, Canada, mainly the Blackfoot, before moving down into the USA where he continued to work amongst the native peoples before ending his days in Ohio. He died in Dayton in 1902 and is buried in the Calvary cemetery, there. I created a Wikipedia page of his extraordinary life.

On his death, his personal papers journals and the unpublished manuscript were passed into the care of Fr Siebenfeurcher. He died in 1911, also in Dayton and it is thought that his papers including those of Father Scollen were passed on to George Houck and then again to Frederick.

I live in County Durham, in North East England which is where Fr Scollen was raised and I am surrounded by many of his family. I am hoping that the papers have survived and are lying on a dusty shelf somewhere in Toledo or Ohio just waiting to be rediscovered. It would be lovely to successfully conclude my search because I am now no spring chicken.

Thank you for reading this and for any potential assistance.
Best wishes
Ian Fletcher
Seaham, Co. Durham, England. SR70ER

You can read more about Fr. Scollen HERE and HERE.