Saint Mary’s & Sacred Heart Catholic Church History
In 1869,
Chariton saw the formation of the local Catholic community then known as Saint
Mary’s Catholic Church. It was through the efforts of Father Bernard McMenomy of
Georgetown that Saint Mary’s Catholic Church was built in the 1300 block of
Brookdale Avenue. Among the parishioners who were involved in its organization
were John Welch, N. Leinen, James Supple, James Gallagher, James Sullivan,
Patrick Carey, Timothy Lyons, James and William Crosby, Patrick Kinney, Mr.
Reynolds, Mr. Mullen and Mr. Maniette.1
Father Edmund Hayes was the first
Catholic pastor to reside in Chariton. In 1878, he purchased a house
and three lots on Orchard Avenue, near seventh street, for use as a
rectory and, eventually, on the empty lots were to be erected a
church and an academy. In 1881, the church building was
jacked up, placed on skids and moved by horses to the empty lot near
the rectory on Orchard Avenue.
Herman J. Steinbach purchased land on
the corner of Main Street and Auburn Avenue from the Mallory Estate
in 1910. He donated the land to the parish in 1914 with the condition
that the congregation raise $10,000 to build a church. Other families
were equally generous and those who could not afford to pledge money
donated days of labor. Under the guidance of Father McGillan, the
cornerstone to Sacred Heart Catholic Church was laid in 1915.
Sacred Heart
Catholic Church is in the process of writing a history of Saint Mary’s Catholic
Church and Sacred Heart Catholic Church. If you, or anyone you know, has any
information, pictures, newspapers clippings, etc., please send an email to sacredheartchariton@gmail.com.
