Side A: St. Mary of the Assumption parish — Ohio’s second and Fairfield County’s first — was founded circa 1817-1820 by Father Edward Dominic Fenwick. Dominican priests from Somerset began ministering regularly to Lancaster faithful and a small church was dedicated during Easter 1819. Construction on the parish’s third church building, The Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption, began in February 1854 under the pastorate of Rev. Henry Lange. On August 15, 1859, the Very Rev. John Purcell, Bishop of Cincinnati, laid the cornerstone and it was blessed by former pastor Rev. Josue M. Young, Bishop of Erie, Pennsylvania. Construction proved slow as the Civil War depleted both parish funds and available workers. Father Lange rallied his parishioners, enlisted local contracters Guy and George Blair, and continued the work until his death in February 1864. (Continued on other side)
Side B: (Continued from other side) On June 5, 1864, ten years after groundbreaking, St. Mary was solemnly consecrated by the Very Rev. J. B. Purcell, Archbishop of Cincinnati. The beautiful Gothic Revival structure, with its square tower and three-bay façade was so admired that it was a cathedral candidate when the Diocese of Columbus was created in 1868. Later renovations included a new pulpit, a pipe organ, and sixteen stained glass windows made in Germany. For two centuries, the parish and its churches have been a center for Catholic worship and education in Lancaster. In recognition of its importance to the history of Catholicism in Ohio, the beauty of the structure, and its active and pastoral liturgy, Pope Francis raised St. Mary of the Assumption Church to the dignity of a Minor Basilica on July 7, 2022.
Sponsors: William G. Pomeroy Foundation, The Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, Ohio HIstory Connection
