The Italian heritage and history of our church
The following history is portion of that which is currently published on on the Web site of the Italian Heritage Society.
Before 1909, Italian Catholics attended Mass at St. Mary German Church and attended the services and missions occasionally offered by visiting Italian-speaking clergy.
When the Methodists decided to proselytize the city's Italians, Bishop Francis Silas Chatard authorized the newly-arrived Father Marino Priori to organize a parish for Italians on the southeast side about midpoint between St. Mary and St. Patrick Irish Church. Priori laid the foundation of the present Holy Rosary Church in 1911 but, delayed by lack of funds, the superstructure was completed only in 1925 at a cost of around $50,000.
Architects J. Edwin Kopf and Kenneth K. Woolling were inspired by the medieval design of the Church of San Giorgio on Via Velabro in Rome. They used Indiana limestone columns and pilasters to outline the main entrance to a nearly square nave (62 by 65 feet) which seats 400 comfortably.
Bishop Joseph Chartrand dedicated the church on 3 May 1925.
The membership statistics of Holy Rosary parish reflect the economic well-being of the Italian community. The prosperous 1920s encouraged move-outs to better neighborhoods and membership declined from 887 in 1923 to 689 by 1933. Membership peaked at 1,011 parishioners in 1950. The expansion of Eli Lilly and Company property and the destruction of homes west of East Street contributed to a decrease in parishioners. Only 155 members belonged to Holy Rosary in 1978, when the Latin School closed.
Since then membership has increased because of the revival of parish life and renewed ethnic consciousness. One of 12 parishes in Marion County with a membership under 1,000, today Holy Rosary is spiritual home to around 400 parishioners. About two-thirds are Italian-Americans, the remaining one-third, of various ethnic backgrounds. The latter enjoy the "Italian" atmosphere of the parish and are fully integrated in its life. Since Holy Rosary is a "personal parish" (no territorial limits) according to canon law, about one-half its members live outside the immediate neighborhood.
Debt-free since 1945, the parish maintains its financial balance by drawing a city-wide crowd to its two money raising events. At first Holy Rosary conducted the traditional lawn fete and bazaar, but after 1934 the parish attracted larger summer crowds by erecting stands and rides in the street and offering entertainment. Highly successful, other parishes imitated Holy Rosary. In 1984, parishioners revived the Italian Street Festival. This two-night event features ethnic food and amusements, attracts as many as 25,000 people, and has produced a half-million dollar income over the last ten years.
The St. Joseph's Table is scheduled on the Sunday closest to 19 March. The patron saint of the home and family is honored by an Italian all-you-can-eat buffet which raises money toward parish educational expenses. These events build community and provide a social side to complement Holy Rosary's religious side.
In 1998 the Tridentine Mass Apostolate moved from St. Patrick's to Holy Rosary and shares the church facility with the Italian-American congregation.
(Get the rest here -- the full text includes many details about the actual church building.)