Oakley church looks back and forward

CT/FILE PHOTO

St. Cecilia Church in Oakly has stood as a landmark on Madison Road for 80 years.

By David Eck

ST. FRANCIS DE SALES DEANERY — On the fourth Sunday in July, 1908, a group of Catholics gathered at the Oakley town hall, stretched a white sheet in front of a fire steamer and celebrated the first Mass of the new St. Cecilia Parish.

Now, after a century of baptisms, marriages, funerals, Masses and fellowship, parishioners will celebrate and reminisce. They will mark their parish’s centennial with a special Mass celebrated by Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk on Sept.14 at 2:30 p.m. Other priests who have served there and sons of the parish have been invited back to concelebrate. A reception will follow.

The parish got its start when several dozen Catholics in the area asked then-Archbishop Henry Moeller to create a parish in Oakley, which was not yet part of Cincinnati. The nearest parishes — St. Francis de Sales in Walnut Hills and St. Anthony in Madisonville — were too far away.

After that first Mass the parish acquired land along Madison Road, near the town hall, and used a temporary building as a church. The current church — a landmark that towers over Madison Road — was completed in 1928.

A school opened in 1913 and for nearly 80 years Sisters of Mercy, wearing full habits and toting schoolbags, could be seen walking to and from the school and convent.

Sister Mary Evelyn’s family didn’t move into the parish until the 1940s, but she remembers the parish’s founding members. Close friends of her family, they would share stories of the early days.

She recalls Msgr. Timothy Deasy, a seminary professor and the parish’s first pastor, walking up and down the aisles teaching catechesis.

"That was very touching for me as a little girl," she said. "I remember that so well. To think he was the first pastor, that was very special."

When Msgr. Deasy died in 1945, the parish was heartbroken. Black bunting was hung in the church for a month.

"I can remember people crying when we went to church the following Sunday." Sister Mary Evelyn said. "I remember the hurt in the parish when we used to pray for him."

During festivals women would work cake booths, and the school PTA was very active. Throughout its history the parish has been busy with social, sports, and religious clubs.

There were May crownings and Holy Thursday processions. There have been plenty of celebrations and parties over the years.

"Things were pretty traditional," Sister Mary Evelyn said. "All the mothers were right there to help with the school."

As in many parishes vocations was also a topic of discussion. The parish has produced several priests and many women religious. Parish priests talked about vocations, which helped lead Sister Mary Evelyn to enter the convent.

Father Elmer Smith recently retired after serving as pastor at St. Cecilia for nearly 27 years.

After arriving at St. Cecilia from Dayton, Father Smith said he soon learned of the parish’s rich past.

"It’s been very enjoyable," he said. "People have been very kind. They are very active in so many ways."

The highlights include the holiday dinners the parish holds each year. Every Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, the church opens its doors for a dinner. The event is open to anyone.

"It’s worked out just fine," Father Smith said. "There’s a wonderful spirit here."

That spirit can be seen in the young families who marry at the church and end up becoming parishioners. Other families go back generations.

"I’ve heard people say that when they come here they find a very friendly place," Father Smith said. "It’s a very nice parish for that reason."

As the parish begins a new century, Father James Weber, a young priest who most recently served as associate pastor at St. Margaret of York in Loveland, is pastor. He has invited Father Smith to remain in residence as pastor emeritus.

"I think that’s the high point, to have both of them there to turn the century," Sister Mary Evelyn said. "The two of them are there to pass it on and continue."