|
|
The Catholic Community of |
|||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
307 W. Dixie Avenue, Elizabethtown KY 42701 270-765-6268 Email Us |
|||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||
|
The first two priests who served St. James Church came to Kentucky in the late 1780’s. The early Churches established in Hardin County were: St. James Church was started as a mission Church in 1851, attended to by Fr. Augustine Degauquier of St. John the Baptist. In 1852, the first Church, which was 58 feet by 36 feet, was built. In 1869, Fr. Terrence John Disney became the first resident priest at St. James. He also attended St. Clare and St. Ignatius. In 1870, Fr. Disney persuaded the Sisters of Loretto to open an Academy in Elizabethtown. St. Mary’s Academy was established in a two-story residence at the corner of Poplar and Miles Street. The School was owned and run by the Sisters of Loretto. Sister Mary James Cannon was the first Superior. She was succeeded by Sister Theresa Augusta James.
Father Disney built the first rectory at St. James in 1872. In 1873, Fr. James J. Ryan was pastor for only one year. He was succeeded as pastor by Fr. Patrick M. Joseph Rock in 1874. During Fr. Rock’s pastorate, 24 German families became members of St. James. In 1875, Fr. James John Cooke was appointed pastor. The congregation had outgrown the frame Church, and in the same year, Fr. Cook begun the campaign to build a new Church. In August 1884, the cornerstone of the new brick St. James Church was blessed. Fr. William P. McCarthy was appointed assistant pastor. Fr. Cook died suddenly in 1888 and was buried in the parish cemetery. Fr. Stephen A. Holleran was appointed administrator of the parish. Later that year, Fr. Hugh Daly was appointed pastor. In 1894, Fr. Daly was appointed Dean of the Elizabethtown Region. St. James Church had grown to 90 families with a membership of 500.
In 1902, the School’s name was changed to St. James School. The Knights of Columbus Council #1455 was organized in 1909, with Damon Cooper, the first Grand Knight. The Knights met in a room above J.M. Rihn Dry Goods store on the public square. In 1916, the KC’s purchased the Harding Collegiate Building for their meeting hall. In 1918, Fr. Vincent Sciolla was appointed assistant pastor to Fr. Daly. Fr. Daly died in 1919 and was buried in the parish cemetery. Fr. Patrick M. Monaghan was named pastor. In 1923, St. James Church purchased the school property from the Sisters of Loretto and demolished the old building then they started construction of a new school. The St. James School graduate its first class of six: Bernadine Hagan, Pauline Edmonson, Lulu Mae Wellman, Lorene Whitehead, Terrence Thornberry, and Henry Clark.
In 1928, Fr. Thomas Murray was appointed pastor of St. James Church. Fr. Murray closed the junior and senior classes of St. James High School because of poor enrollment. The next year the first two years of the high school were closed. In 1933, Fr. Barth Beruatto was assigned as an assistant; due to the poor health of Fr. Murray. Fr. Murray died in July of 1933, and Fr. Edward J. Menke was appointed pastor. In 1937, Fr. Edward A. Reavy was assigned to St. James. Also in 1937, the St. James School PTA was formed, with its first president elect, Mrs. J.E. Wise. In 1941, Fr. Wilfred J. Hayden was appointed pastor. Fr. Hayden reopened St. James High School with 12 students in the ninth grade. Fr. Hayden also began a drive for a new convent for the Sisters of Loretto. In 1943, the high school had 9 ninth graders and 11 tenth graders. In 1949, work began on the new convent for the Sisters on the west corner of Poplar and North Miles, across from the school and next to the Carroll house. In 1951, the fourth year of the high school was added. Fr. Hayden applied to Frankfort and the new high school was named Elizabethtown Catholic High School (ECHS). Ed Hanes was hired to teach ninth grade English and to establish both, a physical education and an athletic program. The school’s team name the “Knights” was named in honor of the Knights of Columbus and their work and support of the school. The Knights won their first basketball game in 1952, defeating Hodgenville 37-34. The first graduating class of ECHS consisted of five members, Cora Vessels, Helen Jean Peak, Betty Joyce Thompson, Bob Spink, and Charles “Boots” Jenkins. In 1954, ground was broken for a new high school behind the Carroll house. In 1963, Father Louis Bossung was named the new pastor at St. James Church. Fr. John Lehmenkuler was named as his assistant. St. Anthony’s in Red Mills was then a mission church of St. James. In 1964, Fr. John Talbott Spalding was named pastor. The new twelve room grade school building was opened. It cost $194,000. In 1968, a steering committee was formed for a building fund drive for building a new church. The estimated cost was $300,000. In 1969, ground was broken in November for the construction of the new church. The completed cost was $500,000 and it held about 650 people.
In 1969, ECHS closed at the end of the term, due to finances. The building was then used as the junior high school. The cornerstone of the new church was laid on January 19th, 1971 and the first Mass was celebrated in the new building on February 5th. The dedication Mass was on April 18th, with Bishop McDonough celebrating. St. James seventh and eighth grades were discontinued at the end of the school year.
In 1972, Fr. Stan Osborne was assigned as associate pastor. The first Parish Council was formed with James Hartlage as President. In 1979, Fr. C. Joseph Batcheldor was named pastor. Fr. John Spalding died in November 8,1982. He was buried in the parish cemetery. Batcheldor Hall was dedicated in 1982. Fr. William L. Fichteman was assigned pastor of St. James in June 1989. In 1990, the Stewardship program under which the parish operates, was established. The seventh grade was added to St. James School for the first time since 1970. The eighth grade was added following year. In 1995, St. James re-purchased the former grade school building on the corner of Miles and Poplar Streets for $335,000. The building was renovated in 1996 and was ready for classes in the fall of 1997. In 1997, Fr. J. Richard Sullivan was installed as pastor of St. James by Archbishop Kelly. In 2005, the first Regional School was established in Elizabethtown. The regional school was set up to provide a Catholic education to all church families in Region 10. |
|||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||
