ST. CHRISTOPHER PARISH COMMUNITY: A CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
By Ginni Going
On May 14, 1922, Rocky River’s original Town Hall was also the site of the first Mass of the newly established Catholic parish of St. Christopher. The name for the new church was selected by the new pastor, Fr. Patterson, for the Patron Saint of Travelers. At the time, commerce and travel were increasing to the west; largely due to the railroad, and the 1910 construction of the new “longest unreinforced concrete span in the world.” The new Rocky River Bridge provided pedestrian, automobile, and streetcar access to Rocky River, and increased traffic was most evident.
Later that same year, the diocese purchased 7 acres of farmland on Detroit Road, Rocky River, and on Palm Sunday, March 18, 1923, the first Mass was celebrated in the newly constructed frame church. On July 25, 1925, the popular tradition of blessing motor vehicles at St. Christopher was begun and continued into the 1960s. Fr. Patterson’s reminder to all was “St. Christopher jumps out after you hit 60 mph.” The car blessing will return on July 24, 2022, as part of the Centennial Celebration.
The congregation continued to grow, and in 1954 under the direction of Fr. Ahern, the need for a new, larger church was met with the construction of the present Romanesque building on Detroit Rd., Rocky River. The next 64 years have seen continued growth. The building of the multi-use Community Center came to fruition in 1981 along with a major remodeling of the church, including large stained-glass windows, a new altar, and other upgrades, which were accomplished in the mid-’80s. In 2001 under Fr. Chlebo’s leadership, the newly built Parish Center provided a large multi-purpose room, smaller meeting rooms, a library, and a computer lab, along with new education offices.
With the very dedicated efforts of parish members and the strong support of Fr. Chlebo, Centennial Park became a reality in July of 2020. The public is welcome to visit Centennial Park with its playground, Pavilion, Meditation Garden, outdoor amphitheater, picnic tables, walking paths, and multiple seating areas.
Celebrations will be occurring throughout this year and a few highlights are:
May 14, 2022, was the Anniversary of the first Mass
July 24, 2022: There will be a blessing of cars and other modes of transportation, along with a car wash and ice cream social.
There are monthly activities planned including concerts, some outdoors. The annual Block Party will become a weekend event.
During this Centennial year, St. Christopher will install their Century Landmark Plaque on the Lakeview Avenue side, indicating the site of the original church.
The entire community is welcome to the Centennial Celebration, and further notice will be in local publications.
