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