Guide to the Saint Louis Parish and School Collection

History of Saint Louis Parish and School Collection

Established in 1926, St. Louis Parish held its first Confirmation in 1928. Since there was not yet a parish school, the Pastor asked for several Sisters of Charity from the nearby St. Joseph's Sanitarium to prepare the children with regular catechetical classes. In 1929, a grade school opened, staffed by the Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters from Monroe, Michigan. Because of rapidly increasing enrollment, the Sisters' convent had to be used for classrooms, so the Sisters could no longer live in the parish. In 1943, with an arrangement with St. Joseph Sanitarium, it was agreed the four teaching Sisters of Charity would live at the Sanitarium and commute to the school. The first Directress was Sister Mary Gemma Gunn. This arrangement remained in operation until 1951 when a convent was completed. Meanwhile, the school grew. In 1951, a ninth grade was added; in 1952, a tenth, etc. The first graduation for St. Louis High School occurred in 1955. The school flourished for a time, but finances forced its closure in 1970. One year later, the grade school closed, also. Three Sisters of Charity remained at St. Louis to do parish work. In 1988, a Sister of Charity was Parish Minister. The last Sister of Charity left St. Louis in 1999.

Scope and Content

Included in this collection is four file folders containing, in part, annual historical reports, correspondence, news clippings, and listings of the Sisters who had ministered there.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Access and Use

Permission to use the collection can be obtained from the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati Congregational Archivist. External researchers need to complete a request form stating the purpose of their research and a list of collections to be consulted upon their visit, which must be approved by the Archivist prior to an on-site visit. If a researcher is unable to visit the Archives in person, the Archivist will conduct a minimum amount of research and provide scanned copies of some materials if requested.

Photos -- 7 Box 29 in repository Can be viewed in notebook 22 Material on this mission may also be included among our oral history and presentation transcription collections. Please consult with the Congregational Archivist if you would like to explore and possibly utilize these collections.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

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Preferred Citation

Saint Louis Parish and School Collection, Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati Archives, Mount Saint Joseph, Ohio.

Detailed Description of The Collection