When Irish Catholic immigrants arrived in Columbus in 1848 to escape the Great Famine, the only Catholic church in the city was Holy Cross Church, a predominantly German Catholic parish.[8] The German and Irish worshipers shared Holy Cross until 1850, when the parish voted to split. Archbishop Purcell of Cincinnati approved the new parish February 1851 and appointed Reverend John Furlong as its pastor. The lot on which the church stands was purchased from Robert E. Neill for $1000. [9]
The new parish was named for Ireland's patron saint, Saint Patrick. The site chosen was on the west side of town at the corner of Grant and Naghten Streets (then known as the "Irish Broadway").[10] English-speaking worshipers continued attending Holy Cross during construction, with $1,200 toward the building fund donated by Holy Cross parishioners.[5][8] it was the first Catholic church in Columbus to have a bell, which was acquired in around 1865.[9]
Aquinas High School
in 1905, bishop James Hartley requested that the Dominican Fathers open a high school. Initially called St. Patrick High School and housed in the parochial school building at the corner of Grant and Mt. Vernon, it was renamed Aquinas High School and relocated to a dedicated building in 1912. It was the largest high school in the Diocese into the mid-20th century, until the need for new facilities and lack of personnel due to the Vatican asking for more of the Dominican Fathers to enter missionary work resulted in the announcing of the closure of the school in 1962. The final class graduated in 1965 and the school building was sold to the Columbus Board of Education. It is currently used by Columbus State Community College.[11]
^Fitz, Gretchen. "St. Gianna Beretta Molla: A Modern Mother's Heroism". St. Gianna Beretta Molla: A Modern Mother’s Heroism – Get Fed – A Catholic Blog to Feed Your Faith. The Catholic Company. Retrieved 14 November 2016.