A local treasure here in Hamilton, Ohio, is
St. Julie Billiart, a Roman Catholic church on Dayton Street, just two blocks north of the Butler County Courthouse Square.
St. Julie's was formed in 1989 when three parishes--St. Stephen, St. Mary, and St. Veronica--merged into one. The parish is named for the founder of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. The former St. Stephen's building dates from 1854, and features a beautiful sanctuary, above.
The baptismal font, above, and the view from the front of the sanctuary looking back toward the entrance (below) are striking.
The church was not originally cruciform in shape, but in 1893 the sanctuary was enlarged and a new transept added.
Along with the 1893 expansion, two Rose windows were purchased for $800, one with Jesus at the center and the other featuring Mary.
A few years later, hand-carved Stations of the Cross figures were commissioned from South Tyrol, Austria. They and the art glass windows lining the sanctuary make a beautiful impression from virtually any angle.
St. Julie's offers services in English and Spanish. The current pastor is Rev. Michael Pucke.
In the spirit of the history of the origination of ST. STEPHEN's, the name should never have changed. Some say the fire was maybe a "sign" to the priest and some parish members to not waste money at a time when parishes were shutting down or combining. During the last 'remodel/gut' the interior of the church was mostly destroyed. Sad waste of funding that could have helped united the parishes that merged. Little know fact - there was an indoor pool that had a wooden floor that covered it when the children weren't using it for gym class... era in the 40's maybe.
ReplyDelete