St. Joseph of Nazareth Church, Cincinnati

1963: "Weathered doors of St. Joseph of Nazareth church, Cincinnati, will be closed by the pastor, Father John J. Meiser, O.F.M., for the final time on Aug. 1, when the parish will be officially discontinued. The church, at Liberty and Elm streets, is more than a century old, having served Protestant congregations before it was acquired for the archdiocese in 1919." (See related story, The Catholic Telegraph, July 26, 1963)

A reader of this blog requested a photo of St. Joseph of Nazareth Church, formerly located in Cincinnati, and some information about the parish. The photo above is the only one of the church in the files of the Telegraph. The text of the accompanying article, headlined "Last Masses Will Be Said July 28 In St. Joseph’s," reads:

“The Sacrifice of the Mass will be offered for the last times in St. Joseph of Nazareth church, Cincinnati, on Sunday, July 28, at 8 and 10 a.m., Father John Meister, O.F.M., the pastor, has announced. Four days later, on Aug. 1, the church will be closed for the last time and the parish officially discontinued. This will mark the end of 44 years of service to German-Hungarian immigrants in the Over-the-Rhine section of Cincinnati’s basin area.

“The parish is being discontinued, according to an announcement by Archbishop Alter (Telegraph, July 5), because its services are no longer needed. Most of the immigrants and their families have moved from the locality, and other churches in the area can easily accommodate those who remain.

“St. Joseph’s school, staffed by Franciscan Sisters of Oldenburg, Ind., was discontinued at the end of the school term in May. About 100 children who attended classes there will be transferred to nearby St. Francis Seraph school this September.

“Opened in 1919, St. Joseph of Nazareth parish owes its origin largely to the generosity of Agnes, Anthony and Wilhelmine Macke, whose contribution of $17,000 made possible the purchase of the church and rectory. These buildings had served Protestant congregations for many years before passing into Catholic hands.

“The Most Rev. Henry Moeller, Archbishop of Cincinnati at that time, provided that the parish was to be entrusted to the Franciscan Fathers and that it was to continue until it had served its purpose as a parochial center for German-speaking Hungarian immigrants and their families. The parish property then was to be diverted to the archdiocese.

“For some years before this time, the immigrant families had attended services in St. Stanislaus’ church (since discontinued) at Liberty and Cutter streets and, after 1915, in the old convent of the Good Shepherd on Baum Street.

“St. Joseph’s was dedicated a Catholic place of worship on Aug. 10, 1919. The school opened next month with an enrollment of 86 children. The parish began with an enrollment of 200 families and, according to its records, reached its zenith in 1924 with 600 families registered at the church while more than 300 children attended the school.

“The final disposition of the property — church, school, and rectory — is in the hands of the Cincinnati Archdiocese.”

Demolition of St. Joseph of Nazareth Church was completed in August 1965, according to The Catholic Telegraph’s files. “An automobile service station will occupy the former church site,” the Telegraph reported on August 27.