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Parish History |
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Parish History |
HOLY CROSS CHURCH A LOOK AT OUR ROOTS ... AND OUR FUTURE The Most Reverend Joseph Schrembs established Holy Cross Parish in 1924 to provide for the residents on or near Lake Shore Boulevard east from Nottingham Road to the eastern limits of the, then, Euclid Village. The Reverend Thomas A. Kirby was named the founding pastor. The first Mass was celebrated in a house adjoining the church property. Before the combined church and school building could be constructed, services were held in Shore High School at the corner of Boulevard and Bliss Road.In September of that year the first meeting of the parishioners was held. From this meeting came the election of six men to the parish council. By August 15, 1926, Holy Cross had 200 families. On this date, only a year and half after its founding, the cornerstone for the school / church combination was laid. In November 27, 1927 the school was opened with a faculty consisting of four Ursuline Nuns. The enrollment in the school was ninety-one. The year 1930 brought the first assistant to aid Dr. Kirby in ministering to the parish. Fr. William Rooney came from St. Brendan in Youngstown. Throughout these years, during and after the Great Depression, times were hard for everyone. Money was raised by parishioners and used to provide breakfast for the school children. The parish struggled to keep open the school during these times and sacrificed their time and money to sustain the growing school and to foster the faith of their families. By the 1940's the temporary church was beginning to overflow. In June, 1944, construction began on a much needed addition to the school. The new wing consisted of six classrooms and was opened in February of 1945. In that same year the rectory was moved from East 191 Street to a new home on East 201 street across from the church. In 1946, a new parish was founded from part of the territory of Holy Cross. St. William parish provided much relief to the over-crowded situation for the parish of Holy Cross. During this time the councilmen and Dr. Kirby had many discussions and disagreements over the administration of the parish and the building of a permanent church for the parish. Their differences of opinions grew to such an extent that Dr. Kirby was transferred to Sacred Heart in Oberlin. Father Ralph McMonagle, pastor of the neighboring Our Lady of Mt Carmel parish, was named the new pastor. When Fr. McMonagle was appointed pastor, the parish consisted of 650 families. In 1950 the parish of St. Robert was established relieving Holy Cross of an overcrowding situation. In that year Fr. McMonagle began an extensive building campaign. A new church was planned, for which ground breaking took place in September of 1950. By 1953 building had progressed to the stage that allowed Mass to be celebrated in the basement of the new church. In December, 1955 the altar of the new church was consecrated. Six months later the church was completed and dedicated. In 1958 another addition of six classrooms was added to the school. In 1960 the building program for Holy Cross was completed with the building of a new convent which housed seventeen sisters. During the 1960's the school enrollment growth slowed while the PSR classes grew. The parish members numbered 2000 households by the end of 1969. In 1972, forty-nine years after his ordination, Fr. McMonagle retired as pastor. Fr. Martin Scully was appointed the third pastor of the parish. Under his leadership the parish developed sacramental programs and became involved in the program of Christ Renews His Parish. The school continued to be administered by the Ursuline Sisters with a large lay staff. During the 1980's the parish was blessed with the ministry of permanent deacons to assist the parish meet its growing ministerial needs. In 1989 at the age of seventy, Fr. Scully retired as pastor. Fr. John P. McNulty was named the fourth pastor. The 1990's has seen a re-growth for the parish. New ministries have been established to serve the needs of the elderly and sick of the parish community. There has been a renewal of sacramental programs, opportunities for service and activity, and focus on our life together as a community of faith and worship. With the establishment of the RCIA process, the parish has welcomed new people as part of the believing community.A new parish council has been established with a Financial Council to advise the parish staff. The parish has embarked on a building and renovation campaign to build a gym and to renovate the worship space of the church. The school has seen a growth in enrollment under the leadership of its first lay principal. To date, there are over 450 students in the school. The parish has seen a revitalization as younger families settle in this area and as the parish becomes more involved in the community of Euclid/Cleveland. Approximately 2200 households are registered in the parish. Presently, Holy Cross is served by the ministries of a pastoral staff which includes: Father John P. McMulty, Pastor ... whose ministries are supported and shared by many, many active parishioners who make our parish what it is today. The parish of Holy Cross has a strong history in proclaiming the Gospel message to those it serves. It will continue to do what its original purpose was: to proclaim the Gospel and to serve others on the journey of life. |