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In the year 1817, one year after Indiana became a state, Mr. Edward
Pennington recorded the plat of his new community called Lanesville.
The town was named for the man who designed it, a government surveyor
named Lane.
Three years earlier, a Catholic man of German descent, Mr. John Miller
(Muller), staked a government claim nearby and began building his
two-story log-house, in which he dedicated one room as a chapel.
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was offered here once a year, and so this
log room is known as the first place of Catholic worship in Harrison
County.
It would not be until around 1833 that the first Catholic family arrived
in Lanesville. Jacob and Maria Anna Yanners were born in Germany,
and finally made their way to Lanesville through Louisville, Kentucky.
By 1843, Lanesville had grown, and he Catholics there had a great desire
to build a dwelling place for the Lord. Father Charles Opperman a
visiting priest to the area, reported, "The Lanesville Catholics are
making preparations to build a church, buying four lots for $325.00 in
the town." However, it would be many years of having only visiting
missionary priests until St. Mary's could claim its own priest.
In 1849, the first frame church was built. In 1852 , St. Mary's
Lanesville received its first resident pastor, Father Aegidius Moschall,
and immigrant from Alsace, France, who also built the first rectory.
But it was in 1854 when Father Alphonse Munschina arrived as newly
appointed pastor to St. Mary's Lanesville that the work began on today's
church building. Father Munschina was a well-born immigrant from
France, and was ordained on February 18, 1843. Upon arrival
in Lanesville, he immediately began a school in which the children could
avail themselves of a good education. It opened in September 1854,
and the Sisters of Providence, from St. Mary's of the Woods, accepted
the challenge of beginning Catholic-based instruction. Father
Munschina wasted no time in continuing to inspire his
parishioners. In 1856, work began on the building that would
become Lanesville's most prominent landmark for generations to come, the
Catholic Church on the hill.
The site was an ideal one: a hill overlooking a
village. In Germany, many similar villages were watched over by
their church on a hill. But it is a remarkable fact indeed that a
community of abut 120 families, many still struggling to establish
themselves, found the resources to build a relatively large and
beautifully decorated parish church.
On April 16, 1859, this article was printed in the
Louisville Guardian newspaper: "NEW CHURCH AT LANESVILLE
INDIANA- On Sunday the 27th of March, the cornerstone of a new church in
Lanesville, Indiana, was solemnly blessed and laid in the
foundation by the Rev. Alphonse Munschina."
Over time, the improvements made at St. Mary's were a
source of pride for the entire community. The 1906 Atlas and
History of Harrison County declared: "The Catholic Church at
Lanesville is one of the finest churches in the State."
By the 1920's, parish picnics seemed to be the
rage, and St. Mary's Lanesville was no exception.
Sunday, August 31, 1924, was the beginning of a tradition
which would grow tremendously through the decades. It was the
resident pastor at the time, Father Adam Baron, who made it clear that
while neighboring pastors rand their picnics, he was not going to run
St. Mary's. That job would be dependent upon an overall parish
involvement. That tradition continues today.
Easily the saddest and darkest day of St. Mary's
history was July 30th, 1948, for on that date, the church building
caught fire. Although Father Hunger rushed into the church and was
able to rescue the ciboriums filled with the Holy Eucharist,
everything else but the four exterior brick walls was
completely destroyed. The parishioners decided to rebuild
the church inside the old walls, preserving as much of the
historic exterior as possible. The total cost was $125,000.
While the brick walls themselves were preserved, the tall thrusting
steeple was not rebuild. In its place was a much shorter steeple
of a much simpler design. Inside the church, the neo-gothic design
of the 19th Century was gone; in its place was a
simplified interior that reflected the latest design of the 1940's.
St. Mary's Lanesville has continued to grow since
that time. Like the original German settlers, its parishioners are
just as determined to hold sacred and dear their Catholic Church on the
hill which, after 162 years of service to our Lord, continues to be a
beacon of His light to the surrounding area and its inhabitants.
Since its inception, St. Mary's has produced, from it parishioners,
seven ordained Priests, twenty-four Sisters, and one Brother. Most
importantly, St Mary's Catholic Church in Lanesville, Indiana, remains a
strong and devoted community of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ and
His Holy Church.
Reference: Sesquicentennial 1843-1993.
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