This non-professional website was created by a Holy Family parishioner in 2014.

This is not an "official" Holy Family website.

The intent was to post information and photos of the Fr. Marchino/Fr. Burkert years at Holy Family but the time-frame has been extended somewhat to ???.

 

Parish History

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Father Louis Marchino, an assistant pastor at Holy Trinity Parish in New Albany, was delegated by Archbishop Paul Schulte on March 15, 1953 to begin organizing a new parish. Father's written comment was: "Surprised - Elated - Bewildered - Happy - Confused - O God, will need a lot of help from You."

 

The new parish site was to be located on 6.25 acres at 129 W. Daisy Lane. The archdiocese had purchased 5 acres from the old Doctor Johnson estate in 1951 for $8,400. In 1953 an additional 1.25 acres was purchased for $3,200 from an heir, Thomas Johnson. The latter was land for the convent.

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On March 20th 1953, Father Marchino contacted architect Clarence Edward Bedan of Paoli Pike for help with design and contractors. Plans were drawn by Edward and Robert Bedan. On April 13th the archbishop gave "go ahead" on plans and  estimates. The Leo Miller Corp was to construct the building under the direction of George Grable. Plumbing & Heating to be by Bud Drake and Electrical work by Louis Bulleit.

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Catholic parishes had strict boundaries and Catholics had to attend the parish within the boundaries where they lived. Holy Family’s area was a 6.5 square mile area in the northwest section of New Albany. The boundaries were roughly, Grantline Road on the east, the top of the knobs on the west and Old Vincennes Road on the south. Chartres Street was in the St. Mary’s/Holy Trinity boundaries but Daisy Lane was all Holy Family.

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On March 31st, Father Marchino had a meeting at the K of C at which around 34 women agreed to take a census of all Catholic families within the new Holy Family boundary. They accomplished this by house to house visits.

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To provide nuns to teach at Holy Family School, Father Marchino contacted several religious orders but all refused. From June 10th to 13th Father attended a retreat at Saint Mary of the Woods. He visited with the Reverent Mother and showed her the plans for the new Holy Family convent. She agreed to send 4 Sisters of Providence to teach at Holy Family School. 
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On June 14th, 1953 Father Marchino began visiting each family of the parish. He blessed each home and gave the family a picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, saying a prayer consecrating the family to the Sacred Heart. Some parishioners say they still have the picture. A Sacred Heart of Jesus statue was placed in the church.

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Some of Father Marchino's trips relating to parish construction:

July 21 - Trip to Tell City for prices on brick. To St. Meinrad for prices on sandstone and statues.
July 23 - Trip to Effingham about pews.
July 31 - Trip to Milwaukee, Meyer Studio concerning statues.
Aug 1 -  Trip to Chicago, about tabernacle at Del Prieto
Aug12 - Trip to St. Meinrad with plans for sandstone
Aug12 - Trip to Bedford for price on sandstone
 

Ground was broken on August 15th, 1953, the Feast of the Assumption. Work began 2 days later.

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Father Marchino would go to Holy Trinity and St. Mary’s to get the part of the collection that was from the Holy Family people. The church was under construction, so his parishioners were still going to the old established churches. Carl Wolford remembers how he would go door to door asking for donations and reminding people that they were within the new Holy Family boundaries.

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The first Mass was celebrated on Memorial Day, May 30, 1954. Also on this day Fr. Marchino took up residence in a school room until the rectory was built.

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The first parish picnic was August 8, 1954.

 

Four Sisters of Providence arrived on August 16, 1954. The first day of school was September 7. The enrollment for the first year was 188 students. Twenty three students graduated from the 8th grade the first year.

 

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The original school had 8 classrooms on the second floor. Only the four on the Daisy Lane side were used for classrooms as there were only 4 nuns. There were 2 classes per room, 1&2, 3&4, 5&6 and 7&8.

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The four classrooms on the south side of the hall were the living quarters for the pastor and the four nuns. Father Marchino lived in one classroom until the rectory was built in 1957. The next room was for storage. The nuns lived in the next two rooms in 1954 and 1955 until the convent was completed in 1956.

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The formal dedication of the Church and School was held by Archbishop Paul Schulte on September 19,1954. 

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The Rectory was built in 1957. The gym (now Marchino Hall) was built in 1965. The first school addition was completed in 1960. In 1994 a new addition was completed which connected the existing building to the gym.

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Merle Denny donated $700 for the first organ. Jim and Miriam Thornton donated the colored glass windows. Joe Binford of Hoosier Panel donated the wood paneling around the altar.

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The Marian Guild started meeting in October 1953, at St. Mary’s in New Albany before the church was finished. Clara Wolford was the first Marian Guild President. Tommy Lancaster was the first basketball coach. Joe Grantz reminisced about how he and Dave Fricke were the 1st grass cutters at Holy Family.