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St. Casimir's Catholic Church [Photos: 1907 and 1995]
Prior to the 1900's Adena was devoid of Catholics. Our neighbor, Dillonvale, St. Adalberts, was a well
established Catholic parish. With coalmines in heavy operation, the neighborhood began to grow.
Immigrants moved into Adena mining camps of Robyville, Ramsey, Long Run, Blairmont, and Herrick in large numbers of mostly Polish and Slovak descent.
The greatest need for these immigrants was the freedom of worship. They bgean a Catholic community. Fortunately, the neighboring town of Dillonvale had already
established a parish. Twas from this parish that Father Casimir Smoger commuted offering eucharistic sacrifice wherever a group could congregate. Fr. Smoger
officiated the first mass in Adena and the parish was named St. Casimir's. Masses were held in homes and other places, such as Miners Union Hall in Robyville,
before the establishment of St. Joseph's Lodge in 1901. Two years later the first catholic organization formed was the St. Casimir's Society. The society then developed into the St. Casimir's parish. Members of the growing community realized they needed regular spiritual
ministry for themselves and their families. The first pastor of St. Casimir's parish was Father Joseph Robaczewski in 1903. The church was later built and
dedicated on May 18, 1905 with the Most Rev. James J. Hartley
Hartley to conduct the dedication services.
The church's next pastor, Father Julian Jaworek came to St. Casimir's in late 1905 to begin a plan for Catholic Education for children.
A temporary school was provided by the addition of an annex to the church sacristy. In 1908, Father Wiercinski bought property
of five acres- one mile east of town for a parish cemetery. Dedication of the cemetery was held on May 3, 1908.
The site provided the young parish with a near-complete plant of church, school, rectory and cemetery. Rev. Anthony Weircinski died and was the first pastor to be
buriedin the cemetery that he acquired. The Reverend Stanislaus Szadinski was the new pastor organized a staff of sisters from the Felician Order whose motherhouse was
located in Coraopolis, PA. After being a pastor from only two months and re-opening the school, he was transferred to be replaced by Rev. Louis A. Phillips. He orchastrated
a more modern catholic school in 1946 that included a spacious and well-supplied social areal for the parishioners that is housed in the basement of the school still
known as Seton Hall. After serving seventeen years in the parish, he was transferred and replaced by Rev. Patrick K. Maher, on Setp. 22, 1952. Rev. Maher accomplished
a new section of the St. Casimirs Cemetery in April of 1956, and purchased the Valentine property across the street from the church. The building was remodeled into
a new convent for the Sisters. Work was completed in 1958, and the convent still remains there today. Rev. Edward Kakascik was appointed administrator that year
and instituted building funds for a new church and rectory in 1964. In August of 1968, the cornerstone of the new church was blessed and Sunday Mass was offered.
on April 29, 1969, the new church was dedicated. From that day forward, dramatic drops in scholastic enrollment occurred. Rev. Francis J. Baudo replaced Fr. Kakascik
on April 9, 1973. By December 30, 1978, Fr. Baudo received word from the Provincial Superior of the Felician Sisters that they could no longer continue to staff the
St. Casimir School; hence their ministry as religious educators. The sisters withdrew from Adena and Dillonvale Catholic Schools. Rev. Bernard Bober as assigned to the parish,
and later in 1985, so became Msgr. John Kolesar who still remains. Although due to the closing of Catholic Schools, the school is currently being used as the JCCAC
Adena Head Start. Religion classes are held in the evenings of the school and Seton hall is still the church's social hall.
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St. Casimir's Mass Schedule
St. Adalberts Catholic Church, Dillonvale 39 Smithfield St., Dillonvale, OH |
Sunday 9:00 a.m. |
St. Casimirs Catholic Church, Adena 221 Hanna Ave., Adena, OH |
Sunday 11:00 a.m. |
"To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it."
--Mother Teresa
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