By Mary Knapke

SIDNEY DEANERY — One hundred fifty years after its founding, St. Patrick remains the only Roman Catholic church in Troy and includes a membership of 1,300 families. St. Patrick School enrolls 138 students in kindergarten through grade 6.

CT FILE PHOTO

St. Patrick Church, Troy

In honor of the anniversary, parishioners’ donations provided for three new statues, which have been installed in the church. The previous wooden crucifix behind the altar, which represented Christ in the triumph of resurrection, has been replaced with a painted fiberglass crucifix representing the suffering Christ. Statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph were also replaced. Dayton Church Supply furnished the new statues, which were designed by Demetz Art Studio in Ortesei, a small village in the Italian Alps.

Also in celebration of the anniversary, music director David Berger has planned a series of music programs at the church that are free and open to the public. The first program, featuring classical guitarist Ben Westfall and pianist and soprano Sonya Gaier, was held Sept. 23. The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra Principal String Quartet will perform Nov. 3 at 1:30 p.m., and an Advent evensong is scheduled for Dec. 2 at 3 p.m.

At the Oct. 28 anniversary Mass, prelude music will begin at 12:45 p.m. and will feature the adult and children’s choirs and a brass quartet.

Berger said one of his greatest joys since joining St. Patrick parish in 2005 has been working with the schoolchildren.

"One of the biggest successes is the children’s choir," he said, noting that the choir was founded 18 months ago and already includes 36 members. "The children have a lot of enthusiasm to try out to be cantors. The outreach has been successful, and there is a high quality of musicianship."

A potluck dinner and entertainment is scheduled for Oct. 27, following the 4:30 Mass. At the dinner, there will also be a retrospective of the parish’s history and the presentation of Spirit of St. Patrick awards to parishioners who have provided extraordinary service to the parish.

Father Duell, who has been St. Patrick’s pastor for three years, said one of St. Patrick’s most positive characteristics is the parish’s strong sense of community.

"There are a lot of good people on staff here," he said. "The coherence we have in working together as a group has been very good."

St. Patrick’s rich history was detailed in a parish cookbook published this year in honor of the parish’s anniversary. According to parish history records, a small group of Irish Catholic immigrants began meeting for prayer services 150 years ago in a home across the street from the current church. A missionary priest came to Troy about once a month to say Mass. When the group grew too large to meet in the family home, a local judge provided space on the second floor of a building that also housed the jail and sheriff’s residence.

In 1858, the first Catholic church in Troy was built at a cost of $402.38. From 1858 to 1877, St. Patrick was a mission sponsored by the Fathers of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit and attended by people from surrounding areas. In 1877, St. Patrick became a parish with its own resident priest — Father John Menke — with St. John in Tippecanoe City (now Tipp City) under its auspices as a mission. Since then, there have been 17 resident pastors and 22 assistant pastors, including Sunday associates. Six sons of the parish have entered into the priesthood. In 1907, Father Anthony Mentink initiated a fund for a new church; the building was dedicated on Thanksgiving Day 1916 and remains in use today. A notable feature of the current church is the incorporation of 10 stained-glass windows from the first church.

In 1888, parishioners worked together to ensure St. Patrick’s first parochial school was built without incurring any debt to the parish; the current school was built in 1953.

Bob Barrett said of his role as St. Patrick School principal that "it has been a joy to work with such a supportive parish community that has a great interest in their child’s education as well as their learning of the Catholic faith."

One aspect of a Catholic education that Barrett finds especially rewarding is school Masses. "The children plan it, participate in it and can be seen as an active part of their religious training and commitment to the church and the school," he said.