Parish History

St. Felicitas Parish was established by Archbishop Hobanon November 12, 1950, in the areas between St. Paul's in Euclid and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Wickliffe. The original parish consisted of 150-200 families.
Under the leadership of our first pastor, Father John Lees, this small seed took root. Approximately one hundred and fifty people attended the first parish mass, celebrated in the Veteran's Hall near Euclid Avenue. In 1951 Sunday masses were moved and held in the Marycrest School Chapel (now Borromeo Seminary), and a home was purchased at 25400 Euclid to serve as a rectory during the "building years". In addition, property was secured on Richmond Road for the eventual permanent parish site.
Sunday Masses were continued at the Marycrest Chapel for the next three years. However, in order to provide an opportunity for daily Mass, the men of the parish began transforming a small concrete block structure on the Rectory property into a chapel. With many hours of hard labor, St. Felicitas Parish soon had its own chapel to serve the needs of its parishioners. Though small, seating only 85 people, this chapel represented home for the Parish.
Due to the generosity of the early parishioners, the growth of St. Felicitas was rapid. The primary goal of the community was to establish a building fund for the permanent church. Many fund-raising projects were held such as raffles, bazaars and dances. Considering the small number of registered parishioners at this time, it is amazing that with only the help of a diocesan loan, ground was broken in the spring of 1952 for the church. A year later Archbishop Hoban officiated at the dedication of the church in June, 1953.
With the Church completed, attention was shifted to other areas. The school was opened in 1955, the Rectory built in 1958 and the convent completed in 1959. Along with the growth of the physical structures, came the growth in parish membership. By 1960 there were approximately 1400 families registered. These families had built St. Felicitas through their dedication and generosity.
Throughout the years St. Felicitas has continually evolved to meet the changing needs of the parish and surrounding community by providing the physical structures that are important to a parish. In 1973 a Pastoral Team was begun at St. Felicitas. The original members of the team, Fr. Bober, Fr. Kraker and Fr. Mehok all continued to serve in their teaching capacity at Borromeo Seminary as well as to minister here in the parish. Under their leadership the parish experienced a renewal based on the principles of the Second Vatican Council. In 1975 Fr. Bob Kraig was added to the team as well as a Director of Religious Education, Miss Marybeth Muehle. During the later years of the 1970's the parish engaged in a concerted effort to renew the parish community by concentrating on spiritual growth and building a sense of parish community and lay leadership. This was an effort to help parishioners understand our changing Church. Numerous adult education classes provided understanding of Scripture, Liturgy, Social Justice and the call to spiritual growth. Opportunities for developing spirituality abounded with Christ Renews His Parish, Genesis II, Movement for a Better World, Renew, and many others.
This was a period of growth within the parish. A parish census was conducted to update our parish records as well as to listen to the needs and dreams of parishioners. The census was also an outreach into the broader community which the parish served. The growing population made it necessary to expand the school. A library and two classrooms were added to accommodate the increased enrollment as well as to provide the addition of kindergarten classes. The Education Commission was formed to provide direction. With the growth in the school eventually a School Development Board was also formed to insure that the future of the school would be secure both financially and to encourage more lay involvement in decision making. Within a few years there was a need for additional classrooms again. A library was added and the existing library was converted to two classrooms. After serving the parish for many years, the Notre Dame Sisters informed the parish administration they would no longer be able to staff our school. In the early 1990's St. Felicitas School had its first lay principal. Great care was taken to insure that the Catholic Christian character of the school remained as strong as it has always been. Children's liturgies, retreat programs, prayer experiences and numerous other spiritual experience have provided and continue to provide the students with a strong sense of their Catholic tradition and life. With the convent left empty, a Preschool was begun in 1993. This has provided children of ages 3, 4, and 5 the opportunity to begin their formation in the faith at an even earlier age. Today there are waiting lists for enrollment in the school.
The 1980's and 1990's have seen the parish concentrate on continuing the spiritual nurturing of our parishioners. Scripture Study and other small faith groups provide parishioners with the opportunity to nourish faith and family. Sacramental programs such as the RCIA, Baptism Preparation, Engaged Couples, First Communion, and Confirmation Preparation enable individuals and families to deepen their understanding of living the Catholic Christian faith. Parish Missions and Stewardship programs are helping to develop a broader sense of responsibility for parish life. Involvement in ISAC--the Interfaith Suburban Action Coalition has enabled St. Felicitas to reach out into the broader community through this ecumenical effort to take faith into the public arena.
With the changes that have taken place within the broader Church, especially the declining number of clergy and religious, the parish has made efforts to develop a growing sense of lay leadership. Programs such as New Exodus have provided training for parishioners, enabling them to assume a growing role in the life of the parish. Today there are 54 ministries and services that are an essential part of our parish life. The various commissions and committees provide expertise in the many different areas of parish life. Liturgical renewal continues to be a high priority. In 1994 the interior of the Church and the Sanctuary were refurbished. A variety of style of liturgical celebration are offered to help meet the needs of all members of the community. The Hospitality Ministry was added to insure that all people coming into liturgical celebrations will feel welcome and important to our community.
Beginning in the spring of 1995 we initiated a Garden Club which takes on the responsibility for planting and caring for the flowers on the parish grounds. Thirty people come together to plant all the beds in May and then spend the remainder of the summer weeding and caring for our beautiful grounds. In the summer of 1997 we are began a Parish Wellness Program which has as its purpose to provide wellness care for the members of our community. Volunteer nurses who are members of the parish will provide educational, advocacy, and home visitations to parishioners. The goal is to continue the healing ministry of the Lord Jesus in our community. A Family Life Ministry Council will begin in early 1998. We recognize families are the future of our Church and we hope to strengthen them in whatever way we can.
As we look forward to celebrating our 50th anniversary in the year 2000 our goal is to enhance the "Church On the Hill" as a place of welcome, hospitality and faith growth for all who are members as well as those who visit. We are grateful to the Spirit for the abundance blessings on our community and for the people who continue sharing their time, talent and treasure in this parish.