History

The official canonical decree establishing the parish of the Precious Blood and its boundaries was given on November 17th, 1950.  Father Ambrose Newton was the first pastor of Precious Blood parish.

In 1948, the Sisters of the Precious Blood generously donated 11.28 acres of land situated approximately one-quarter mile east of Denlinger Road on Salem Avenue to be the site of the new parish.  In 1949, an exchange of land was made with the Sisters of the Precious Blood for an equal amount of property northwest of the site originally donated.  This exchanged plot, which is the current site of the parish, had the advantage of having three buildings on it:  a barn, a garage/henhouse, as well as a house approximately one hundred years old.  Work was immediately started by the men of the parish to renovate the forty by eighty foot, seventy-five year old barn into a church and two classrooms.

The first celebration of Eucharist in the converted barn/church was on August 14th, 1949.  The new church was blessed on August 21st, 1949.  The resulting church was able to seat three hundred people.

The parish grew from forty-five families in 1949 to three hundred and fifty families in 1953.

Ground breaking for the new school took place on May 3rd, 1954.  This building included four classrooms, the principal’s office, and a cafeteria in the basement.

The summer months of 1957 saw more construction started.  A much-needed rectory was begun.  Up to this time, the priests had been living in the original farmhouse.  Also, six additional classrooms were added to the school building this year.

Mass was offered for the last time in the Old Barn Church on June 15th, 1958.  The church was next located in the semi-basement of the new school building.  There were accommodations for five hundred people.  It was also during the summer of 1958 that the rectory was completed.

On July 1st, 1961, the official notice was published that Precious Blood Parish had purchased the Keller property on Denlinger Road, adjacent to the church property, for $22,000.00.  This was to serve as a convent for the Precious Blood Sisters teaching at the parish school.  Up to this time, the sisters resided in the Precious Blood Motherhouse.  Moving day was on September 2nd, 1961.

In December, 1962, ground was broken for an addition to the convent to accommodate a total of twelve Precious Blood Sisters.  The work was completed by September of 1963.

On November 23rd, 1963, ground was broken for the next school addition, which included eight classrooms, a lounge, cafeteria, and a gymnasium to be used as a church until a permanent church could be built.

In 1975, Precious Blood celebrated its 25th anniversary with a series of events throughout the year.  A parish directory was prepared, containing a parish history and pictures of parish families.  A special liturgy to initiate the 25 year celebration was held on May 25th, 1975.  At the festival in June, a history booth presented information about Precious Blood’s first 25 years.

A special liturgy in July, 1975 provided a solemn celebration of the feast of the Precious Blood.  A blacktop dance was also held on a July Saturday evening.  The 25th anniversary was commemorated at the parish picnic, held at the Westbrook Club in August, 1975.

Archbishop Joseph Bernardin was the celebrant at the Solemn Jubilee celebration held on November 2nd, 1975.  A reception and dinner at Hara’s Silver Ballroom followed the Mass.

In his “Pastor’s Notes” in the July 18th, 1976, Sunday bulletin, Father Cody said that Precious Blood needed to reach some important decisions to meet the parish’s goals of giving worship a fitting place and of providing facilities for various school activities.  He noted that the Archbishop had asked Precious Blood to investigate the possible use of Maria Joseph Chapel as a parish church.  Father Cody recognized that a new church would be expensive, but also outlined the school’s need for more space and the parish’s need for meeting and activity rooms.  He said that a new church would permit the existing church to be used for its intended purpose, that of a gym.

A 1976 Planning Committee studied the following alternatives:
1.    Do nothing.
2.    Build a church.
3.    Build a multi-purpose building.
4.    Build a church at a new site and convert the existing church into a gym.
5.    Use as a parish church the convent chapel located across Salem Ave. (at Maria Joseph) and convert the existing church into a gym.

The committee recommended building an activity center and remodeling the existing church.

At an open parish meeting on October 2, 1978, parishioners voted three to one against any building program at that time because they felt that the parish couldn’t afford it.  The building committee, therefore, recommended postponement of any building plans and recommended that, in lieu of a building, improvements should be made to the existing church (intended for a gym).  These renovation plans were finalized in early 1982.

The last Mass in the pre-renovated church was celebrated on Monday morning, March 22nd, 1982.  During construction, weekday Masses, baptisms, funerals, and weddings were held at the Maria Joseph chapel.  Saturday evening and Sunday Masses were celebrated in the cafeteria.  The first Masses in the renovated church were celebrated during the weekend of June 12-13th, 1982.

In 1990, the Parish celebrated its 40th Anniversary with many activities.  There were pictures taken for another parish directory.   

In May, 1995, a Project 2000 Committee was announced.  The purpose of the committee was to look at current and projected needs of the parish from a physical point of view, taking into consideration the parish’s spiritual, educational, and mission outreach to the broad community area.

After studying many aspects of construction programs, the Project 2000 Committee developed two alternatives:

1.    Construct a new church and convert the existing church into a gym and multi-purpose facility.
2.    Construct a new multi-purpose facility and remodel the existing church.

In July, 1996, parish-wide meetings were held to discuss the alternatives for construction.  The general consensus was that a new church should be built.

Because the number of people who attended the July, 1996, meetings was not considered representative of the entire parish, a discussion was held after all the Masses on February 23rd, 1997.  Parishioners were given commitment forms to indicate whether they would support a church construction program.  With 534 persons responding, 94% said they would support such a program financially.

The Archdiocese gave permission to proceed with Project 2000 plans in September, 1997.  In November and December of the same year, a fundraising drive, entitled “Fulfilling the Dream”, was held.

Construction of the new storage building began in March, 1998, and was considered complete in August, 1998.

After a last Mass celebrated at the site of the Old Barn Church on June 28th, 1998, demolition of the Old Barn began.  In August, 1998, the Archdiocese approved the plans for the new church.  Ground breaking for the new church was held on Pentecost Sunday, May 23rd, 1999.

School Community

Catholic Community