St. Mary's, retitled Immaculate Heart at some point when the Bishop (I forget which one) required all the "St. Mary's" parishes in the diocese except for the first one to rename themselves under one of the Blessed Mother's titles, sits along Brush Creek, at 2416 Swope Parkway.
St. Mary's was no architectural exemplar of "Catholic Triumphalism" that purportedly worried some of the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council. The plant was modest: the church (built in 1939) was small, the rectory and school were pretty common-looking, much as you might find in a small town. Even pictures are hard to get because the buildings are so tight on the lots and an iron fence surrounds the church. Now, the church and rectory are the Emmanuel Family & Child Care Center, and the School is the Kansas City Job Corps office.
In my last race through This Far by Faith, didn't pick up any information about when, how and why St. Mary's was supressed, but I'll update this when I do.
3 comments:
I attended Immaculate Heart of Mary school from 1960 through 1968. The congregation celebrated its last Mass on Sunday, June 29, 1969. Fr. Hartigan was the pastor and Fr. Bauman was the assistant pastor. The final sermon, printed in the bulletin which I still have today, says, "The official decree ending the Parish used the word 'suppressed,' but really the wording makes little difference....the Parish ceases to exist." The sermon went on, "we will not waste any time or effort asking the senseless question, 'Why?', but we take this time and effort...to thank God for all He has already done for us."
Mass was celebrated in the basement of the school building, not in the building which your photo indicates is the Church. That building was the convent and the rectory was east of the convent.
My recollection is that the parish was closed due to a lack of funds. In my graduating class, a combined 7th and 8th grade, there were only 16 students.
I attended Immaculate Heart of Mary school. I went there from 1961 until 1969. I still think about those times and I wonder what some of my classmates have grown up to be! May every continue their journeys down the right path and May God Bless you and your families!
Thank you so much for this info and picture. I attended Saint Mary’s in the 50s and early 60’s as a child. I didn’t attend the school but went to the religious instructions in the school building. In the summer we would have communion and then eat our breakfast along Brush Creek. Such fond memories. Every once in a while I go over there just to reminisce. I remember when the church was in that daycare center – seemed like it was in the basement. Then later they held mass in the basement of the school, I believe. Thank you so much for this post
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