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Holy Rosary Catholic Church

Introduction

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Holy Rosary Catholic parish was constructed in 1909 and provided a home for the congregation of mostly Sicilian and Calabrian Italian Immigrants. In November of 1908, the Home Mission Board of the Methodist Episcopal Church appropriated $700 to establish a mission to serve Italian immigrants in Indianapolis. Opening the following year, the church continues to operate in downtown Indianapolis.

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Photograph, Line, Building, Landmark

Backstory and Context

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On 29 January 1909, the land was purchased in which Holy Rosary still stands today. On 2 May of that same year, Father Priori held the church’s first celebration of Mass, leaving the 159-seat temple filled beyond capacity. Father Priori also considered this day to be Holy Rosary’s birthday, and would later embed a plaque attesting to this fact in the facade of the permanent church built later between 1923 and 1925. The congregation offers monthly spaghetti dinners and annual Italian Festas.

Cite This Entry


Alexandra Couch and Clio Admin. "Holy Rosary Catholic Church ." Clio: Your Guide to History. May 24, 2021. Accessed March 16, 2025. https://theclio.com/entry/133857

Sources

Divita , James J. The Italians of Indianapolis: The Story of Holy Rosary Catholic Parish 1909-1984, Accessed May 7th 2021.

Additional Information

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