Faith and Family: St. Paul Church Adapted from a History of St. Paul's Catholic Church in the 19th Century by Catherine McQuaid Steiner and Bruce E. Steiner and A Remembrance of St. Paul's Parish From the Sunday Bulletins of 1950-1995 compiled by Sabrina Kotts
The beginnings of St. Paul's congregation trace back to the purchase of 320 acres of land located four miles east of Athens village in Athens County by Edward Sheridan on November 9, 1826. Farmers (who were mostly Irish immigrants from the period of the Great Famine) provided the money for the first St. Paul building lot; farmers occupied the pews and served as its legal trustees; and farmers, for the most part, were memorialized in the stained glass windows of the second and present church building.
As immigrants from Ireland, the Sheridans and other families, including the Fagans, Browns, Mulligans, and Walshes, exchanged a Catholic world where the priest, Mass, and sacraments were commonplace for one in which they were only occasionally available. Ohio's first Catholic church near Somerset in Perry County dated from 1818. At the start of 1840, nearby were churches in Chillicothe, Lancaster, and Marietta. At this time, the entire state comprised of the single diocese in Cincinnati, headed by Bishop John B. Purcell.
In 1843, Fr. Daniel M. Hallinan, pastor of the Irish settlement near Wilkesville, informed the Bishop that he had encountered Catholics near Athens during one of his excursions and found that there was a growing need for a church in the area. At this time, Catholic families attended Chauncey Church (Church of the Seven Dolors) once a month. However, the Church of the Seven Dolors never had a resident pastor and was built on expectations that never really materialized. For several years, Fr. Michael Aegidius Olivetti traveled the 20-miles to Chauncey from Chapel Hill in Perry County to offer the sacraments.
On February 21, 1853, Josue M. Young, later the first Bishop of Erie, wrote to Bishop Purcell suggesting that with the new Marietta-Cincinnati rail line passing through Athens bringing 1000-2000 hands for its construction, finding a young priest to serve Chauncey and Athens might become a necessity. Later that same year, Young suggested that "a Church could perhaps be built in Athens itself" because of the mushrooming effect the construction of the railroad had on the Catholic population in the area. The shortage of priests in the Diocese at that time made it impossible for Bishop Purcell to act immediatey on Young's suggestion; however, according to the Catholic Almanac and Laity's Directory of 1854, Athens surfaced for the first time as a distinct mission with Fr. David J. Kelly from St. Mary's in Wilkesville listed as the priest in charge. The rail line was finished in 1857, but its long construction period allowed for many Catholic immigrants to come to the area to work.
Early St. Paul parishioners reported that Fr. John C. H. Albrinck of Pomeory was the first priest to make regular, once-a-month visits to the area. Records from Sacred Heart in Pomeroy show that Albrinck arrived in the area around 1854. His visits were mostly to the camps in the general Athens area and not to the village itself. He was succeeded by Fr. John B. M. Gells in 1858 who served a much smaller Athens mission because of the completion of the railroad line. The rail lines had a lasting impact on Catholicism in the area, however, with the construction of the Columbus-Hocking Valley line from 1867 to 1870. The rail hands who stayed in the area became part of a geographically stable railroad associated workforce. Catholic families were widely dispersed throughout the area both rail lines ran.
By 1860, in an area near the Marietta-Cincinnati railroad bed, there were at least 26 Irish Catholic households - some rail workers, some farmers - that could gather routinely at a single location, and others in nearby areas that could join them occasionaly. Fr. Philip McMahon and several laymen determined that a settled group of that size could build and support a church, and so plans emerged for the establishment of the first St. Paul Church. Fr. McMahon had abandoned St. Mary's in Wilkesville in 1859 after a quarrel with parishioners. He petitioned the now Archbishop Purcell to live at Zaleski or in Athens and to officiate at the church in Jackson. Having settled in Zaleski, Fr. McMahon's interest in Athens grew and on January 24, 1860, he visited "to arrange about purchasing some Church property." Three weeks later, McMahon sent word to Purcell that he had bought a site for a church in Athens village, paying $250 given by only five families in the area. It is believed that the five donors were the landowning farmers: the Sheridans, Fagans, Walshes, Mulligans, and Browns. McMahon estimated that he could begin building with $600.
The location for the Church to be in Athens village was decided on for one reason: It was a regular stop in the Marietta-Cincinnati line. This allowed for the small number of clergy serving the area to move rapidly about the widespread area to minister to their spiritual needs. From Zaleski, McMahon could visit Jackson's Catholics twice a day by car and Athens by train. Pomeroy's priest, without a rail connection, had more difficulty in accessing Athens. As a result, Fr. Gells at Sacred Heart, although assigned to Athens in the Catholic Directory as late as 1861 was content to have Fr. McMahon take the initiative.
The initial plot of land purchased for the Church was situated at what is now 7 North Congress Street. A Catholic family purchased the adjacent lot and built a house on the property. This is where the first Masses were held until the Church structure could be built. A lengthy project, the first Masses held in the first Catholic Church structure in Athens dated to 1865 or 1866. By the late 1860s/early 1870s, the Athens congregation became a part of the Columbus diocese and was served by priests moved in and out of the village through the Marietta-Cincinnati rail line.
In 1874, Fr. Francis Campbell began to serve the Athens village Catholic Church. His arrival sparked the purchase of property near West State Street where a small rectory was built. The name St. Paul Church first appeared in the parish register in a marriage entry completed by Fr. Campbell on November 7, 1875. It was at this time that the sacraments began to be offered with more regularity in Athens, and priests served the town's Catholics in addition to missions in the surrounding counties. Mount Calvary Cemetery on Columbia Avenue was acquired during the pastorate of Fr. John Madden.
In the 1890s, the church structure at the Congress Street location became increasingly more dilapidated, in need of a significant facelift. The building campaign was shaky for a few years, with little support coming from the parishioners. In 1893, Bishop Watterson threatened to remove the current pastor, Fr. William Boden, and make Athens a mission to the newly constructed St. Andrew in Nelsonville. The congregation finally agreed to the repairs and building projects, but Boden was still moved to Nelsonville.
Fr. Jerome Mattingly was assigned to Athens and took on the building project with his father's financial help. Shortly after his arrival, Mattingly acquired the property on the corner of Mill and College streets where the present St. Paul stands today. The cost of construction when completed would be about $10,000, according to a report by the Athens Messenger. The cornerstone was laid on May 12, 1895 in a ceremony with Bishop Watterson. On Sunday, July 26, 1896, Mass was offered for the first time in the new St. Paul. Although the interior was far from complete and even the pews were temporary hand me downs, Fr. Mattingly switched worship locations at the earliest opportunity to help with the realization of finances to finish funding the project. The stained glass windows which still adorn the Church today were installed in late 1896. The Church was finally dedicated on May 14, 1899 by Vicar General F. X. Specht.
From 1950-1975, St. Paul Parish built and operated a parochial elementary school, St. Paul Elementary, located on Kern Street. The school was very successful and was a project of Msgr. Kish - repairs and updates were made consistently in its years of operation. It closed in 1975 after Chauncey and Guysville were excised from St. Paul and made Diocesan Missions.
In 1952 while looking for a short circuit in the bells of St. Paul bell tower, it was discovered that there was an automatic Angelus bell to ring at 6AM, noon, and 6PM and so the bells have rung at noon and 6PM everyday since then. In 1954, the first air conditioners for the present structure were considered, and in 1955, major repairs were made to the bell tower to secure it from collapsing.
In 1958, a campaign to redecorate the interior of St. Paul was begun. The Bishop approved the plan to redecorate at a cost of $8,000. Parishioners had pledged more than half of the total prior to obtaining the Bishop's approval. In late October 1958, Church services were moved to the school hall for six weeks. This redecoration saw the installation of the symbols of the 12 apostles on the interior arch of the sanctuary and the symbols of the seven sacraments in the canopy.
The needs of the university population put a strain on St. Paul Parish and Msgr. Kish's ministry. In early 1962, the parish bulletins began mentioning the need for a new and larger church. The committee expected to find an architect for the project by Christmas of that year. By July 1963, Msgr. Kish wrote that it was estimated that at least 200 Catholics in Athens miss Mass on Sundays because they cannot get into the Church for overcrowding. The lot adjacent to the school was procured for the new church and boasted the ability to seat 600, have room for additional classrooms, and more parking. Plans to fundraise began, but hit snags by 1964. In August 1965, Msgr. Kish and Fr. Cronin, the priest serving the student population in Athens, were notified that the Student Chapel serving the Ohio University campus was given the status of parish. Crowded Masses, however, were still an issue, and discussions about expanding the current Church buildings or building a new structure continued but were still met with inaction.
In 1967, a Sunday Mass was scheduled in Memorial Auditorium to help with overcrowding at the Masses until bigger churches could be built in Athens. Discussions continued to be met with inaction, so Msgr. Kish decided in late 1967 to repair, improve, and remodel St. Paul. The first phase of renovation - replacing the Church roof and recovering the steeple - was completed in December 1967. The second phase - fixing the bowing of the floors of the sanctuary, the addition of pillars and columns in the basement, kitchen repairs, and additional restrooms - took place in the basement Hall in early 1968. The second half of 1968 was devoted to phase 3 - new floors, pews, and aisle carpeting in the Sanctuary and the addition of an annex to the rear of the Church. The interior improvements to phase 3 were completed by Christmas 1968 and the annex was completed in April 1969. With all of the repairs and remodeling, St. Paul was selected to be the site of the celebration of the Diocese of Steubenville's 25th Jubilee celebration of its founding. The Mass was held on May 6, 1970.
In 1964, St. Paul began offering Mass and the sacraments in English, and the first Masses of the novus ordo were implemented. In 1970, the Saturday vigil was added to help the "late sleepers" fulfill their Sunday obligations.
In 1985, Msgr. Kish submitted his resignation as he had long surpassed the age of retirement for priests. The Parish Counctil submitted a profile of the ind of pastor St. Paul needed to succeed Msgr. Kish and Bishop Ottenweller named Fr. Pat Gaughan as the new pastor effective July 1. The same year, Fr. Martin Holler was named Director of Campus Ministry in residence. In 1987, Fr. Pat submitted plans to the Diocesan Building commission to renovate the Church basement, to add a second story over the Sacristy of the Church, and to construct a new Rectory. Construction began in 1988 and was slated to finish in 1989. The new Hall and Rectory were dedicated on November 12, 1989. The parishioners agreed to name the hall the Msgr. Jan B. Kish Hall.
In 1992, Fr. Pat and the parish council instituted a restoration project in anticipation of the 100th anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone of the church. The multiphase project included restoring the exterior of the Church and repainting of all painted surfaces (started in1992 and completed in 1993), refurbishing of the organ (started and completed in 1994; dedicated in 1995), and renovating the interior of the Church (started and completed in 1995).
In 1995, the congregation of St. Paul Church celebrated the 100 year anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone. In addition to a celebration of the faith life of the parish, a restoration project for the church was planned. Painting of the sanctuary, work to the HVAC system, and new glass for the chandaliers was purchased and installed.
In 2011, Fr. Pat was named pastor of both Christ the King and St. Paul Church, with Fr. Mark Moore serving as parochial vicar. Fr. Pat retired the next year, and Fr. Mark was named pastor of the Athens Catholic Community, serving St. Paul and Christ the King Churches and the needs of the Ohio University community. The parish offices were consolidated and moved to 75 Stewart Street during this time. In 2014, the offices were renovated on the campus of Christ the King and parish life was conducted out of the offices in the rectory at St. Paul until completion of the building project. The Holy Family Center reopened in March 2015 and, as of July 2016, houses the operations of both parishes in the Athens Catholic Community and Sacred Heart Parish in Pomeroy.
Below is a list of the priests who served St. Paul Church:
Fr. Francis J. Campbell (1874-1875)
Fr. Martin M. A. Hartnedy (1875-1878)
Fr. Thomas J. Lane (1878-1880)
Fr. John C. Madden (1881-1884)
Fr. William F. Boden (Assistant, 1883)
Fr. Walter Ross (Assistant, 1883)
Fr. John E. McGuirk (1884-1889)
Fr. William F. Boden (1889-1893)
Fr. Jerome B. Mattingly (1893-1904)
Fr. James T. Banahan (1904-1917)
Fr. Elwood S. Berry (1917-1922)
Fr. John W. Byrne (1922-1928)
Fr. William Connolly (1928-1931)
Fr. William G. Dowd (1931-1945)
Fr. James McMahon (1945-1951)
Fr. Joseph Wadowicz (Assistant 1945-1947)
Fr. Francis Connor (Assistant, 1947)
Fr. Donald Nuss (Assistant, 1948)
Fr. Adolph Gobulewski (Assistant, 1949)
Fr. Joseph Pollock (Assistant, 1950)
Fr. Vincent Tanzola (Assistant, 1951)
Msgr. Jan B. Kish (August 1951-1985)
Fr. Robert Krauter (Assistant, 1954; 1958)
Fr. John McCarthy (Assistant, 1955)
Fr. Francis Patala (Assistant, 1956)
Fr. William Patala (Assistant, 1956)
Fr. Joseph Sands (Assistant, 1958)
Fr. Julian Wenda (1958)
Fr. James Coleman (Assistant, 1958)
Fr. William Konus (Pro. Tem., 1958)
Fr. Ashley Pettis (Pro. Tem., 1959)
Fr. Francis Maloney (Assistant, 1960)
Fr. Robert Marrer (1966)
Fr. Edward Strujinski (Assistant, 1966)
Fr. Anthony Pandolfo (Assistant Pastor, 1966)
Fr. Francis McCarthy (Assitant, 1969-1970)
Fr. Francis Cronin (Assistant, 1970; Administrator, 1970)
Fr. Donald Happe (Assistant, 1971)
Msgr. Patrick E. Gaughan (1985-2012)
Fr. Mark A. Moore (2012-present)
Fr. Jonas Shell (Parochial Vicar, 2015-2017)
Fr. Thomas Nelson (Parochial Vicar, June 2018-June 2021)
Fr. Matthew Gossett (Parochial Vicar, July 2019-June 2022)
Fr. Edward Maxfield (Parochial Vicar, July 2021-June 2022)
Fr. Jeremiah Hahn (Parochial Vicar, June 2022-present)