Our Lady of Perpetual Help

The Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help was organized on May 12, 1878 by the Franciscan Fathers,(1) a German parish from St. Vincent de Paul.(2) An old school structure located near the Ohio River on Sedam Street in Sedamsville was purchased, and the upper floor was used as a place of worship, while the basement was used as a parochial school and as a residence for the teacher's. Several years later, a new parochial residence was constructed on Dehli Avenue.(1)

Frequent flooding required relocation, and property was purchased along Steiner Avenue for a new church. On June 10, 1888, the cornerstone was laid for the new building, and the new facility, designed in the Gothic Revival architectural style, was dedicated on May 5, 1889.(1)(2) Stretching for 145-feet in length, 51-feet in width, transept 70-feet and soaring high for 170-feet, the church that was perched on the hillside offered a commanding presence that overlooked the business district of Sedamsville.

The church contained four bells in the tower and an organ that was given to the parish by Pope Leo XIII.(2) The basement housed the parochial school, while the edifice contained furnishings that cost approximately $30,000.(1)

In 1890-1891, a new parsonage was constructed and the old residence was reused as a house for the Sisters who taught in the parochial school.(1) In 1907, a new three-story school structure was constructed, although it was closed in 1976.(2)

The Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help closed in 1989 when it merged with the Holy Family parish in East Price Hill.(2) The building was stripped of any decorative items, and the church bells and organ were installed at Holy Family.

Links

1. The Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help at Grave Addiction
2. The Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help at Queen City Discovery.

Sources