Beginnings

    Catholics were few in number at the birth of our nation. They were only about six-tenths of one percent - 25,000 out of 4,000,000 of the population. Most of these were clustered in Maryland and Pennsylvania. However, soon after the Revolutionary War ended two great migrations affected the new nation.

    The treaty ending the Revolutionary War clarified American claims to vast territories outside the thirteen colonies. Soon large numbers from the eastern seaboard began to cross the mountains into Tennessee, Kentucky and the Northwest Territory (i.e., the territory north and west of the Ohio River). The other factor was increased immigration from Europe into the United States - first a trickle, later a flood.

    Ohio, the first state of the "Old Northwest," received a number of persons from the east coast and others from Europe. Catholics were still few in number and scattered. Although Mass had been celebrated as early as 1749 by missionaries to Native American Indians in the northern part of the present state of Ohio and later in the century in the colony at Gallipolis, the first permanent Catholic community in Ohio was centered around Somerset. In 1808, Father (later Bishop) Edward Dominic Fenwick of the Order of Preachers -- Dominican Friars -- visited that area and returned periodically to the small group of Catholics. A log Church, the first Catholic Church in Ohio, was dedicated by Father Fenwick and Father Nicholas Dominic Young, O.P., his nephew and co-worker, on December 6, 1818. The church building was constructed on land donated to the Dominican friars by the Dittoe and Finck families. The church was named in honor of Saint Joseph, the patron of the Universal Church and special patron of the Dominican Order in America.

    In the Spring of 1819, Father Young passed through Zanesville, then a small village. There he met three Catholic families and celebrated Mass -- the first Mass in Zanesville -- at the Green Tree Tavern, an Inn owned by John S. Dugan. Later that same year Mass was celebrated in the Burnham Hotel in Putnam, then a village distinct from Zanesville. Nineteen people constituted the Catholic community in Zanesville in those early days but soon the number increased. In November 1820, John Dugan purchased a lot with a small brick warehouse (20 x 50 feet) and converted it into a church. That Church, dedicated a few months later, was called Trinity Church or "the brick chapel," the first Catholic Church in this area. Father Young, O.P. came twice each month (from Somerset) to Trinity Church in Zanesville but great feasts such as Easter presented a special problem. Father Young could not leave his larger congregation in Somerset. Consequently Catholics from the Zanesville area would have to make the difficult trip (nearly twenty five miles each way) on horseback or by carriage on poor roads. The situation was eased in 1823 when the first resident pastor, Father Stephen Hyacinth Montgomery, a Dominican Friar, was named for Trinity Church in Zanesville.

    The population in the area continued to grow and Catholics were attracted by the presence of a church. The converted brick warehouse proved too small for the growing congregation but funds for a larger church were scarce. John Dugan again showed his generosity when he purchased a lot at the corner of Fifth Street and Spruce Alley, the site of the present church. A further donation by Mr. Dugan as well as the generosity of many other local people -- both Catholics and Protestants -- allowed Father Montgomery to begin construction of a new church of stone and brick. The cornerstone of the new structure, almost three times the size of the original warehouse-church, was laid on March 4, 1825. It was dedicated by Bishop Edward Dominic Fenwick, O.P. (the first Bishop of Cincinnati) and named in honor of Saint John. The church building did not completely fill the lot, so a small Catholic cemetery was established at the rear of the plot.

    In 1825 Mr. Dugan and Father Nicholas D. Young, O.P. went in Mr. Dugan's stagecoach to Maryland to meet Bishop Fenwick (who had been in Rome) to bring him back to Ohio. In Washington they were joined by Father Gabriel Richard from Detroit, then a member of Congress. On their return trip a tragic accident occurred near Cumberland, Maryland. While they were descending a mountain the horses became unmanageable and the stagecoach overturned. Bishop Fenwick and the two priests received only minor injuries but Mr. Dugan suffered serious injuries and died a few hours later in the arms of Bishop Fenwick on March 11, 1825. His body was brought back to Zanesville and he was the first buried in the new Catholic cemetery on the land he had purchased for the new church. His body now rests under the present Church of Saint Thomas Aquinas.

The Need for a New Church

    For the first fifty years after the beginning of the American Revolution, the number of immigrants to the United States was relatively small but that situation changed drastically after 1830. The small stream of immigrants became a torrent. For example, in the decade of the 1830's about 600,000 people came to this country as immigrants. That was about 50% more than had come in the fifty years before 1830. In the next decade about three times as many came as in the 1830's. A significant number of those immigrants were Catholics. Experts estimate that of the five million people who came as immigrants before the Civil War, 40% were Irish and 30% were German. Many of these immigrants clustered in the growing cities of the East but many headed West. With the opening of the National Road through Zanesville about 1830 and the development of the steamboat travel on the Muskingum River, the population in this area increased rapidly. Many of the new residents were German speaking immigrants. The first meeting of German speaking Catholics was reported in the Catholic Telegraph of 1836. Bishop Purcell (who had succeeded Bishop Fenwick in Cincinnati), in company with a German speaking priest, Father Joseph Stahlschmidt, visited Zanesville on July 11. The Germans wanted their own parish where preaching and devotional exercises could be in their own language. After a few years, the Germans formed their own parish and dedicated their own church in honor of Saint Nicholas on December 1, 1842.

    Meanwhile the congregation at Saint John recognized the need for a new and larger church but money was scarce. Father Stephen Hyacinth Montgomery, O.P. had been influential in the building and furnishing of the Church of Saint John. Now another Father Mongtomery -- Charles Pius Montgomery, O.P. -- had a similar role with regard to the Church of Saint Thomas Aquinas. He first came to Zanesville in 1832. He succeeded Father Richard Pius Miles, O.P. who left Zanesville to become Prior of Saint Rose Priory in Springfield, Kentucky (and who, in 1836, became Provincial and, in 1838, became the first Bishop of Nashville, Tennessee). (Father Charles P. Montgomery, O.P. became Provincial in 1838 but seems to have continued to spend much of his time in Zanesville). When Father Montgomery became Provincial he was succeeded as Pastor by Father George A. J. Wilson, O.P. Father Wilson had lived in the parish before he entered the Dominican Order and now returned to the parish as its pastor.

Plans for the New Church
(Saint Thomas Aquinas)

    Both Catholics and Protestants contributed to the building of the Church of Saint Thomas Aquinas (the present church). A Quaker, John C. Howard, made a generous offer with regard to the new church. He spoke to Father Montgomery and offered the building stone for the new structure from land that he owned about two miles down the river. The offer was most gratefully accepted as was the gift of the plans for the new church from Patrick Keely of Brooklyn, New York. The architectural style was described as "English Gothic." The Church of Saint John was razed to make room for the new church. For the time being, services were held on the third floor of the Blocksom Building on Main Street. Most of the bodies in the small Catholic Cemetery behind Saint John's Church were moved to the new Saint Thomas Cemetery on Greenwood Avenue. Many remain interred under the present church including the body of John S. Dugan.

    The cornerstone of Saint Thomas Aquinas Church was laid on March 17, 1842, and the first Mass was celebrated in the basement of the building on the following Christmas. The Church was dedicated in 1844 and consecrated on December 14, 1851, by Archbishop Purcell of Cincinnati. At that time Saint Thomas Aquinas Church was the only consecrated church of the Archdiocese except for the Cathedral in Cincinnati.

    The cost of the building was $40,000 -- a very large sum of money in 1842. The interior of the building at its opening however was very bare. Benches were used instead of pews. A parishioner, Mr. William Mattingly, donated $3,000 for furnishing the interior of the Church. A few years later Mr. Mattingly again showed his generosity in donating a bell for the church. This bell, which weighed 1200 pounds, was made in Cincinnati and cost $1,200. It continued to serve the congregation until 1928 when a crack in the bell became so serious that it was considered dangerous to continue using it.

    In 1843 Father Wilson became Provincial although he maintained his residence in Zanesville. Father C.P. Montgomery resumed the office of Pastor which he held until 1857. Father Bokel succeeded him but in 1859 he returned as Pastor for the third time. He died suddenly in Zanesville in 1860. About ten years earlier Father Montgomery had been nominated as Bishop of Monterey in California but he refused the office. Instead, another Dominican, Spanish by birth but working in the United States, Joseph Sadoc Alemany was appointed Bishop of Monterey and later the first Archbishop of San Francisco.

The Present Church
of Saint Thomas Aquinas

    The new Church in Zanesville was a remarkable structure when it was built. At this period some described it as one of the most impressive Catholic Churches in the Midwest. The donations of Mr. Mattingly had done much to assure appropriate interior furnishings but in 1851 the women of the parish had a dinner to raise money for a new organ. The history of the parish reads like a litany of redecorations, repairs and improvements. When the church was about 25 years old it was redecorated. On Christmas 1865 the parish celebrated the reopening with great ceremony. Mozart's Twelfth Mass (first performance in Zanesville) was sung by a choir of thirty voices with organ and orchestra accompanying.

    A notable addition was made in 1871 when a steeple of wooden timbers covered with slate was built on the tower of the Church. At the same time a clock was installed in the tower. The steeple added a dramatic impact to the building for the cross atop it was about 160 feet above the level of the street. The Pastor at that time, Father J.V. Edelen, O.P., also improved the interior of the Church by the installation of a pipe organ. In 1881 the completion of new decorations was celebrated with a concert of sacred music. Most Reverend Jose Maria Larroca, O.P., Master General of the Order of Friars Preachers, attended the program. This was the first time the head of the Dominican Order throughout the world had visited Zanesville.

    The Golden Jubilee of the Church drew a capacity crowd; some, in fact, were turned away. Bishop Watterson of Columbus celebrated the 7:00 a.m. Pontifical Mass on October 8, 1892. The hour might seem a strange one for a celebration but at that time the Eucharistic Fast was from midnight and liturgical celebrations were often early in the morning.

In 1894, Father Lawrence F. Kearney, O.P. was named Pastor of Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish and began a 30 year connection with Saint Thomas Aquinas in Zanesville. After serving as Prior at Saint Joseph, Somerset (1891-1894) he served as Pastor of Saint Thomas Aquinas from 1894 until 1897. He then became Provincial of the Province of Saint Joseph from 1897 until 1909 but remained at Zanesville while serving as Provincial. In 1911 he again became Pastor and held this position until 1924.

    Father Kearney was a builder. During his time as Provincial he had supervised the construction of the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC, and Aquinas High School in Columbus, Ohio. He used these same talents in Zanesville where he built a new school and new Rectory. He renovated the convent and twice refurbished the Church. He installed steam heat in the church and built a building next to the church as a boiler house and laundry. The building served in the 1940's as a classroom.

    Tragedy struck the church on June 16, 1912, when a cyclone swept through Zanesville. Saint Thomas Aquinas Church was a kind of midpoint on its path of destruction. It toppled the steeple of the church during an early Sunday morning Mass. Three men in the congregation were killed and twenty-eight other persons were injured. Besides the human toll, the cyclone caused much physical damage to the building. The steeple was totally destroyed and never rebuilt. As it fell it made a huge hole in the roof of the church. The balcony was damaged and the pipe organ totally destroyed.

    Less than a year later another catastrophe struck. The flood waters of 1913 were five feet deep in front of the church. Water reached all of the parish buildings but the most extensive damage was to the basement of the church.

    The parish responded vigorously and repairs costing about $25,000 -- including a new pipe organ -- were made after the cyclone and again after the flood. Father Kearney saw the need for more extensive renovations, especially to the windows. In 1914 new stained glass windows were ordered from Joseph Osterrath of Liege, Belgium, but their completion was delayed by the war. Mr. Osterrath was imprisoned by the Germans in 1915 but eventually escaped and returned quietly to Liege. With a few workmen he secretly completed the windows but they had to be buried twice to avoid their confiscation. Mr. Osterrath, who later joined the Belgium Army, was able to fulfill the project soon after the war.

The Windows

    There are two subjects in each window. Odd numbers designate windows on the north side of the church; even numbers on the south side.

1. (a) Christ the Savior as a youth. (The Greek letters 'Alpha and Omega' over his head indicate that he is the beginning and the end. (b) The Blessed Virgin Mary.

2. (a) Saint Joseph, patron of the Dominican province; (b) Saint John the Evangelist, the beloved disciple.

3. (a) and (b) Saints Joachim and Ann, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

4. (a) and (b) Saints Elizabeth and John the Baptizer.

5. (a) Saint Mary Magdelen and (b) Saint Catherine of Alexandria, protectresses of the Dominican Order.

6. (a) Saint Dominic (1170-1221), founder of the Friars Preachers and (b) Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), patron of our Parish.

7. (a) Saint Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) Dominican sister and first woman Doctor of the Church and (b) Saint Rose of Lima (1586-1617) Dominican sister and first canonized Saint of the New World.

8. (a) Pope Saint Pius V (1 504-1 572) Dominican reformer of the liturgy and theological studies and (b) Saint Antoninus (1379-1459) Dominican Archbishop of Florence, a famous moral guide.

9. (a) Pope Blessed Innocent V (1226-1277), first Dominican Pope and (b) Dominican Pope Blessed Benedict XI, (1240-1304).

10. (a) Saint Albert the Great (1206-1280) Dominican teacher of Saint Thomas Aquinas, patron of Natural Scientists, Doctor of the Church and (b) Blessed Imelda Lambertini (1322-1333) Dominican patroness of First Holy Communicants.

    The work of renovation was continued by Father Kearney's successor, Father J.P. Roach, O.P. He had been an associate in the parish for years under Father Kearney and succeeded him as Pastor. In the years 1926-29 renovations were planned and executed: a new altar and altar rail, remodeling of the 1912 organ with a new console, a new clock in the tower and a new bell to replace the cracked bell dating from 1851 with structural improvements to the tower. The new bell and clock were the gift of L. J. Luby. First used at Christmas 1928, this third bell weighs 2300 pounds and is named in honor of Saint Brigid of Ireland. "Vocor Brigida et plebem congrego" -- "I am called Brigid and into a flock I gather the people." Repairs and extensive redecoration prepared for the week long celebration of the centennial of the Church: December 9-15, 1942.

    The celebration of the 125^th anniversary of the church building was not held within the church itself but in the Municipal (Secrest) Auditorium. About 2,000 people -- Catholics and representatives of other faiths --joined on December 31, 1967 to celebrate the 125^th anniversary of two events: the building of Saint Thomas Aquinas Church and the establishment of Saint Nicholas Parish.

    Some adaptations of the sanctuary were made during the pastorate of Father Camillus Musselman, O.P., and more extensive modifications, in keeping with the liturgical changes of Vatican Council II, were made when Father Paul J.D. Scanlon, O.P. was pastor. At this time a side entrance to the church was added with a ramp for the handicapped. The most visible change in recent decades, however, came during the pastorate of Father Michael Ciccone, O.P. The stone of the church had darkened over the years so that parishioners knew it as an almost black building. A newly developed washing process took away the grime of decades and restored the original light color of the building. A building of this age needs regular maintenance and small modifications from time to time to make it more attractive and useful for it is not a museum piece but a center of prayerful activity of a vital, believing community.

Heart of the Complex

    The parish church is, in a real sense, the center of a variety of activities. Physically too it must stand in the midst of things, for all of the activities of the parish do not center in the church building but other places are necessary for instruction, community building, et cetera.

    It is difficult for a parish to flourish without a resident priest. Consequently the Rectory takes on great significance. The first rectory for the Catholic parish of Zanesville was a large, two-story building on Fifth Street, next to the church. It was built in 1827 and served the parish for about a century. The need for a new rectory was seen and so two lots on Fifth Street, across Spruce Alley, on the other side of the church were purchased. Work began on the three story brick structure (the present rectory) in May 1920 and was completed in March 1921.

    A Catholic School was begun in the parish in 1830 in the basement of the Church of Saint John. When this building was torn down to make way for the Church of Saint Thomas Aquinas, temporary quarters were found for the school across the street. Somewhat later a two room school was built on leased land at Sixth and Elberon (then Center) Street. It was the first building built as a Catholic School in Zanesville. It was used for about ten years before a new and larger school was built across the street from the church. In this early period instruction was given by laymen to the boys and by laywomen to the girls.

    In 1853 Dominican Sisters took charge of the school. Because their rule discouraged the teaching of boys, two brothers of the Holy Cross from Notre Dame taught the boys in the years 1857-59. When the Brothers left, laymen took their place until 1866. At that time, the Sisters started to teach the younger boys and -- with a modification of their rule -- in the 1870's took over the instructional responsibility for all the children of the parish. The Sisters had also conducted a private academy for girls -- Saint Columba's Female Academy -- for about twenty years but when they took over the parish entirely they closed the academy and used the building as a convent. That convent continued to serve the Sisters for about a century. Ground was broken for a new parish convent on July 2, 1961, and Bishop Clarence Issenmann of Columbus dedicated the building on September 16, 1962.

    Father Kearney recognized that the school building built in the 1850's could no longer meet the needs of the parish. In March 1921, the old building was razed and the new school, on the same site, was blessed on May 1, 1922. Within a few months a four year High School program was begun. About 1950, with the merger of Saint Thomas Aquinas High School and Saint Nicholas High School into Bishop Rosecrans High School, the building was given over entirely to Saint Thomas Elementary School.

    The number of Sisters available for the school decreased and eventually the parish returned to the situation of 1830: all instruction was by laymen and laywomen. The Convent became the Parish Center with various parish offices and meeting rooms located in the former convent. During the summers of 1990 and 1991, it has also served for the Affiliate Program for men preparing to enter the Novitiate for the Dominican Province of Saint Joseph, the Province of Friars that serve the Parish.

The need for suitable space for meetings and other activities had long been experienced in the parish. The school cafeteria has been used for this purpose and at times the church basement fulfills that role. Father Michael Ciccone led the parish in building a new Activities Center adjacent to the school so that the facilities of each may be used separately or together. For the school itself, the Activities Center serves as a Physical Education gymnasium and athletic facility.

    The first burial ground as mentioned previously was the small space behind the Church of Saint John. Since the new Church of Saint Thomas Aquinas would occupy that space, most of the bodies buried there were moved to Saint Thomas Cemetery -- a plot of land about two acres purchased in 1835 for $160 -- on Greenwood Avenue adjacent to Greenwood Cemetery. This cemetery is still cared for but not in use. On December 24, 1881, the Mount Calvary Cemetery Association was formed and it purchased sixty-two acres off West Main Street. Mount Calvary Cemetery is still in use. In 1991, a Cemetery Committee was formed to develop improvements to Mount Calvary, and in the fall of 1991, an outdoor Altar was constructed. Plans have been formulated for a new section and a new roadway in the cemetery.

Priests and People

    Saint Thomas Aquinas Church and the two previous churches of the parish have always been staffed by the Dominican friars of the Province of Saint Joseph. Consequently, most of the priests have not been from the area but from other parts of the nation or the world. Some of the priests had been born in Ireland, Italy, Spain or Poland. Strangers came to serve in Zanesville; natives of the parish have gone to serve in other places as priests. More than twenty-five men from the parish have been ordained: most of them Dominican priests but some for the Diocese or other Religious Communities. One native son is a Cooperator Brother in the Dominican Order. The number of vocations varies from one generation to another. Perhaps the "Golden Age" was in the 1930's when in a five year span five men from the parish were ordained to the priesthood in the Dominican Order.

    Occasionally a native son returns to serve in his home parish. Father George Wilson, a convert from Methodism and a member of the parish before entering the Dominican Order, was pastor here when Saint Thomas Aquinas Church was built. In 1904, John Hyacinth Lynch, O.P. celebrated the Golden Jubilee of his ordination to the priesthood. Nearly thirty of those fifty years were spent at Saint Thomas. Closer to our time Father Camillus Musselman returned to his home parish as pastor in 1963 until 1969 and later in retirement.

    Throughout much of its history Saint Thomas Aquinas School was staffed principally by Dominican sisters. Their example and generous service inspired many to follow their way of life. About fifty religious women came from our parish. Most of these entered the Dominican Sisters of Saint Mary of the Springs (Columbus) but others embraced the cloistered life or served in other Religious Communities.

    Priests and Religious are more likely to be listed in the chronicles of a parish, but other parish records -- Baptismal and Marriage, First Communion or Confirmation, the sick call register or the Burial records of the parish cemetery -- give witness to the much larger number who belong to the parish. After all, a parish is a community of worship and service. Here we would like to list some aspects of parish life at St. Thomas.

1. Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish is a community of prayer. The central prayer of course is the Eucharistic Sacrifice. The parish has a long and glorious history of devotion to the Blessed Eucharist both at Mass and other Eucharistic devotions. So much of the life of prayer, however, is hidden. We can speak of the approximately 13,000 people who have been Baptized in this church building -- but who can count the times that Holy Communion was received or absolution given? The Purgatorian Society (established 1877), various prayer groups, Holy Hours, personal reflections -- there is such a variety in the forms of prayer. The Rosary is a favorite form of prayer for many. Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish has the distinction of having the first canonically established chapter of the Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary in the United States: November 8, 1848.

2. Saint Thomas Parish wants to share its Catholic Heritage. The priests of Saint Thomas at various stages of its history provided their ministry to other Catholic Communities: Saint Anne in Dresden; Saint Mary in Mattingly Settlement; Saints Mary and Nicholas (predecessor churches to Our Lady of Lourdes), Wills Creek; Saint Ann in Philo; Good Samaritan Hospital.

    The parish is anxious to transmit the faith to its younger members not only in a Catholic School but also through an active CCD program. The faith must be clearly grasped by those carrying the responsibility of transmitting the faith to family or students. Hence sound preaching, Catholic reading, adult education, study groups, et cetera are of great importance.

    Everyone has the responsibility of witnessing to the Gospel: to believer and non-believer alike. Pope John XXIII wanted the church to be such an evident sign of the Gospel that those outside would be attracted by the way of life of Catholics. That challenge must be a parish priority. The Gospel must also be preached to those who do not know Christ or who know Him imperfectly. Nearly seventy years ago an Associate Pastor in the Parish, Father Adam Paul Curran, O.P., was assigned to the American Dominican Foreign Mission in China, the first to be so designated. Later Father Curran worked for some time in the United States but returned to China and served as Prefect Apostolic (an office in the missions analogous to that of Bishop). Another Associate from the 1950's, Father Timothy Carney, O.P., went from Saint Thomas Aquinas more than 35 years ago to Pakistan and is still serving there. Most, of course, cannot personally engage in mission activity but Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish has a good record of support spiritually and financially of the Dominican Foreign Missions and other missionary activities.

3. Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish helps the poor. In the 1850's the women of Saint Thomas Parish are said to have had a supper to raise money for the poor -- admission: twenty-five cents. In a variety of ways over the years this care has continued. Fortunately many people are conscious of the need to help the poor and many of these look to the parish as a channel of this help. A sandwich at the Rectory door or a tank of gas may meet an immediate need, but often effective help, especially for a family or an elderly person, requires a much greater outlay of time, attention and money. In July 1951, Father C. M. Mulvey, O.P., determined to try to meet the needs more effectively by establishing a parish unit of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. Thus charitable service would be given and the resources available would be used in the most effective way. Father Mulvey asked eleven men to carry out this time consuming but significant ministry. Jack Mahle was named president of this group; Cecil Baughman, secretary; and Alfred DeVol, treasurer. Dr. George Malley, Nat Dutro, Joe McNerney, Ed Whittlinger, Frank Withers, Paul Finneran, Loren Hillis and Frank Luby made up the remainder of the original group. A few years later Roy Koechlm, Bob Merry and Pat Kearney were added. In the 1960's, Howard Kendrick, Bob Dutro and Herb McNally accepted this responsibility. New members have since been added to carry out this important work. In 1991, the Pastor added, for the first time in its history at Saint Thomas, women to serve in the Society. In September 1991, Ann Howell was elected the first woman officer. Only the "baby" of the original eleven remains active after more than 40 years: Cecil Baughman. The dedicated work of the Saint Vincent de Paul Society assures a careful attention to the charitable mission of the parish and a careful use of the funds earmarked for helping the poor.

4. Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish invites the active participation of all its members. The basic kind of participation, of course, is the full living of Catholic life, an enthusiastic discipleship within the Church and a clear witness to the truth and goodness of Jesus Christ. Many are able to help in other ways. The parish societies and groups provide service for the parish and support for their members. Vatican Council II called for a more active involvement of the laity, for example, in a Parish Council. These ideas were not exactly new at Saint Thomas. For example, in the pastorate of Father Johannsen the Holy Name Society carried on some of the functions now done by a Parish Council.

    Through the years literally hundreds have served the parish as choir members and Mass servers; as ushers, lectors; as ministers of the Eucharist, of hospitality and of charity; as instructors of the young and helpers of the elderly. There are countless persons who served on various standing and ad-hoc committees and boards. These works -- and many like them -- are indispensable for healthy parish life. While we praise the generosity of past service we must note the continuing need for such dedicated service now and in the future.

    It is dangerous to try to list exceptional service of present day members of the parish -- it is too easy to omit some names from the litany. Yet it is helpful to recall a few people whose work a few years -- or a few decades -- ago so fostered the life of the parish. If asked to suggest some exceptional service of the past, many might mention Herb McNally's and Howard Kendrick's work with Grand-A-Month and the great help that that activity gave to Catholic Education. Others might recall the years of devoted service in the sacristy and sanctuary given by Mrs. Parrish and later by Frank Euman. Stan Kinskey, for nearly two decades, gave dedicated volunteer service as the Basketball Coach at Saint Thomas High School and thus enriched the life of many young men. Mary Flood -- and before her, Gertrude and Margaret Dennis --shared their musical talents. Rowena Schneider, Ann Archer and Peg Holtzclaw kept Parish Records in order and fulfilled countless clerical tasks. The Diocese of Columbus recently honored the devoted service of Arcelia Fuller: she was named Catholic Woman of the Year in the Diocese. These names are only a sampling. Perhaps, recalling their service, some will be inspired to a more active participation in the life of the parish.

5. Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish calls us to the responsibilities of citizenship. If asked for a definition of good citizenship a variety of answers might be given: keeping the law, being a good neighbor, fulfilling responsibilities, help build a better place to live, voting, paying taxes, et cetera. As Vatican Council II reminds us, the laity have a special role in trying to build a just society where human dignity is respected, where life is protected, where human beings can live in peace and security, where family life is stable, in short, where people have the opportunity to relate to family and friends, for recreation and human culture, for the love and service of God.

    Most of the ordinary duties of citizenship do not get mentioned in parish chronicles but many get incorporated into parish life. Thanksgiving Day becomes a religious as well as a civic holiday; Mother's Day and Father's Day give renewed emphasis to family life; Labor Day reminds us that Jesus was known as a carpenter's son. The obligations of citizenship are tested especially in time of war or other national crisis because then there is a danger that values might be distorted or lost. Historical records give more attention to this exceptional service.

    A Chaplain in the Civil War, Father Constantine L. Egan, O.P., was pastor of Saint Thomas (1873-1876). During World War I, many young men from the parish served in the armed forces and at home the Catholic Ladies War Relief Association was at work. During World War II in March 1944 one of the Associate Pastors, Father Michael Goldrick, O.P., became an Army Chaplain and the following year Father James A. O'Donnell, O.P., became a Navy Chaplain. An honor roll of those serving was displayed in the vestibule. A newspaper article of 1945 telling of the service of Thanksgiving for the end of the war noted the names of eight young men from the parish who had given their lives for their country. Others from the parish served with valor in Korea, Vietnam and the Gulf.

    The flag is a usual symbol of loyalty to the country. On May 17, 1861 a flag was presented at Saint Thomas to the Zanesville Blues, a company of Civil War volunteers. On the same spot 57 years later, Father Kearney dedicated a national flag. On December 14, 1942, during the centennial observance, there was a formal presentation and blessing of American and Papal flags. At the suggestion of the eighth grade students, a new flag pole was erected on July 4, 1967. This year (1991) plans have been formulated to illuminate at night the flag flying from this pole.

Church of Saint Ann in Philo, Ohio

    The congregation of Saint Ann in Philo, Ohio, developed as a Catholic community at about the same time the present Church of Saint Thomas Aquinas was constructed. The history of the two has been intertwined through much of their history. Philo, then known as Taylorsville, had been laid out in 1833 by James Taylor, a leader of the Catholic community. It seems that he was related by marriage to John S. Dugan, the great benefactor of the Catholic Church in Zanesville. It was in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Taylor (in Duncan Falls) that Mass was celebrated until a small church, a frame structure measuring 25 x 40 feet, was built in 1836 and dedicated by Bishop Purcell. This building, about the same dimensions as the original Trinity Church in Zanesville (the brick warehouse) served the needs of the local community for nearly a century and a half. Saint Ann Church was the first church in Philo although a Methodist Church was built that same year. It has been a continuing sign of Catholicism in an area where Catholics are a minority.

    In the early nineteen seventies the community recognized the need for more adequate facilities. On April 7, 1975, ground was broken for a new church and parish hall. On November 30, 1975, it was dedicated by Bishop Edward Herrmann, Bishop of Columbus. Saint Ann has never had a resident pastor. In the early days of the congregation, the Dominican priests from Saint Thomas Aquinas in Zanesville cared for the pastoral needs of the community. At times through its history, priests from Saint Nicholas in Zanesville fulfilled that role. For much of its history however, the resident priest at Saint James in McConnelsville went regularly to Saint Ann in Philo. In 1944 this arrangement was modified because of the creation of the new Diocese of Steubenville, Ohio, which placed McConnelsville in a different diocese from Philo: the division was along county lines and McConnelsville in Morgan County was included in the new Diocese while Philo, in Muskingum County, remained in the Diocese of Columbus. Once again the Dominican friars from Saint Thomas Aquinas in Zanesville began to provide priestly ministry to the congregation of Saint Ann in Philo. For nearly fifty years, this happy relationship has continued. Perhaps the most memorable priest of this period was the late Stephen B. Jurasko, O.P., a gentle and powerful influence especially in leading the community in building their new church and parish hall.