The Diocese of Fort Wayne, 1857--September 22--1907, A Book of Historical Reference, 1669-1907.  By the Rt. Rev. H. J. Alerding.  Fort Wayne: The Archer Printing Co.  1907.

CHAPTER XIII.   The Churches--From 1888 to 1897 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
   HAMMOND.   Lake County.  St. Casimir's Church.  [est. 1890] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372-373
   EAST CHICAGO.   Lake County.  St. Mary's Church.  [est. 1890] . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373-374
   FORT WAYNE.   Allen County.  St. Patrick's Church.  [est. 1890] . . . . . . . . . . . . . .374-376
   WHITING.   Lake County.  Sacred Heart Church.  [est. 1891] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376-378
   MICHIGAN CITY.  LaPorte County.  St. Stanislaus' Church.  [est. 1892] . . . . . . . . .378
   GAS CITY.   Grant County.  St. Genevieve's Church.  [est. 1893] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379-380
   ALEXANDRIA.   Madison County.  St. Mary's Church.  [est. 1896] . . . . . . . . . . . . .380-382
   DUNKIRK.   Jay County.  St. Mary's Church.  [est. 1896] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382-384
   EAST CHICAGO.  Lake County.  St. Stanislaus' Church.  [est. 1896] . . . . . . . . . . . . 384-385
   LAFAYETTE.  Tippecanoe County.  St. Lawrence's Church.  [est. 1896] . . . . . . . . . 385-386
   SOUTH BEND.  St. Joseph County.  Sacred Heart Church.  [est. 1896] . . . . . . . . . . 386-387
   HUNTINGTON.  Huntington County.  St. Mary's Church.  [est. 1897] . . . . . . . . . . . 387-388
   HAMMOND.   Lake County.  St. John Baptist's Church.  [est. 1897] . . . . . . . . . . . . 388-389

     East Chicago was founded in the year 1889.  The Rev. H. M. Plaster, of St. Joseph's Church at Hammond, offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, for the first time in East Chicago, in the Todd Opera House and continued to do so until the church was completed, in the fall of 1890.  At that time East Chicago had from thirty-five to forty Catholic families.  The Land company donated six lots, and the parish bought three more for $900, and in the year 1902 the Rev. George Lauer bought five additional lots, at a cost of $2,000, which gives the church property a frontage on three streets, Forsyth Avenue, One Hundred Forty-Fourth street, and Magoun Avenue.
     A frame church was built completed in the the fall of the year 1890.  The architecture is Gothic and the building with its furnishings cost $3,500.  The condition of the parish and church, as we find it in 1890, continued practically for ten years, owing to the small number of people who belonged to the parish.  The priests who had charge of it during this time were:  Rev. H. M. Plaster 1890, from Hammond; Rev. John Tremmel, assistant, attended a short time; Rev. F. G. Lentz, attended four months till January 26, 1891; Rev. M. J. Byrne, till 1894 from Whiting; Rev. F. Koslowski, from 1894 till 1898, from Hammond; Rev. H. C. Kappel, assistant at Hammond, attended from the fall of 1898 till March 1899; Rev. George Lauer, pastor since March 1899.
     When Father Lauer took charge, he found the property in a dilapidated condition, with a debt of $2,700.  He made the necessary repairs and added a sanctuary with two sacristies to the church, increasing the seating capacity to 256.  The whole interior of the church was furnished and decorated, adding two new side altars.  In 1901, Father Lauer built a two-story frame school-house, with four rooms, to accommodate 200 children, at a cost of $3,200.  The Sisters of Providence of St. Mary-of-the-Woods have charge and the usual grades are taught.  The first priest's house, a one-story eight-room frame building, erected in 1899 for $2,000, is now occupied by the Sisters.  The house, occupied at present by the pastor, is a substantial and commodious two-story building, erected in 1902, at an expense of $5,550.
     The debt on the church property is $10,800.  The number of souls is 550, consisting of 122 families, and the number of children, attending school, is 220, taught by four Sisters of Providence.
      St. Mary's Parish has the Young Ladies' Sodality, organized in 1899; the Rosary Society, in 1900; the Purgatorian Society, 1901; the Sacred Heart League, in 1902; the Catholic Order of Foresters, in 1899; the Ancient Order of Hibernians, 1902, and the L. A. O. H., in 1904; the Holy Angels' Sodality; the Women Catholic Order of Foresters.  The total membership of these organizations is 510.

     In the year 1886, a school was opened in what was known as "The Bond Building."  It was established for children, who, on account of the distance, could not attend the Cathedral School.  The opening of this school of two rooms may be considered the beginning of St. Patrick's parish.
     In 1889 Bishop Dwenger bought four lots on Fairfield avenue, from Peter Owens, whose dwelling house was converted into a school of four rooms.  In September, of the same year, the pupils were transferred from "The Bond Building" to these new quarters, henceforth known as "St. Patrick's School."  In October, 1889, Bishop Dwenger formed the new congregation of St. Patrick's, and gave them the Rev. Thomas M. O'Leary, as pastor.
     Bishop Dwenger was prevailed upon to locate the new church where it now stands, but, before the lots could be secured, Father O'Leary died within three weeks after his appointment.  A month later Bishop Dwenger donated the property on Fairfield avenue to the new congregation and appointed the Rev. Joseph F. Delaney pastor, to succeed Father O'Leary.
     Four lots of the present site had been secured in the mean time, and Father Delaney at once purchased the two remaining lots, thus completing the half square fronting on Dewald street.  In 1905 Father Delaney secured the seventh lot opposite the church.
      The corner-stone of the new St. Patrick's Church was laid on May 20, 1890, by Bishop Dwenger, and on November 22, 1891, the church was dedicated by the Vicar General, Father Brammer.  The church is of Gothic design, 167 feet in length, with a frontage of ninety-four feet.  The spire rises to a height of 185 feet.  The interior decorations are beautiful, the furnishings complete in every detail, and the seating capacity is 800.  The total cost, including furnishings, was $59,000.
     The school, with nine large well equipped school-rooms, and an assembly hall, was built in 1891.  The building is 85x72 feet and affords room for more than 500 pupils.  The cost was $14,500.  Improvements were made on it in 1887, and again in 1890, aggregating an additional cost of $2,000.  The Sisters of Providence, from St. Mary-of-the-Woods, have had charge of the school from the beginning.  The number of teachers has increased from six to sixteen, and the number of pupils from 175 to 480.  Eight grades are taught in the parochial school; but in 1901, at a cost of $14,000, Father Delaney erected St. Catharine's Academy, adjoining the school, wherein [376] a High-school and a Commercial Course for the pupils, desiring to fit themselves for a business career, are being conducted.
     The original parochial residence, erected in 1891 at a cost of $3,800, having become too small, was remodeled and enlarged, in 1906, at a cost of $11,000.  The lot opposite the church, on Harrison street, will at a later date have on it a Parish Hall.  The church property is out of debt, and has a cash balance of $3,000 in the treasury.
     St. Patrick's Church has Sodalities for married men, with 223 members, for young men, with 206 members, and for boys, with ninety-two members; and it has Sodalities for young women, with 268 members, and for girls, with 306 members, together with a Living Rosary Society, with 430 members, and the Guardian Angel Society, with 306 members.  Benevolent organizations of the parish are:  St. Joseph's Society, Indiana League, with thirty-seven members, the Ladies' Catholic Benevolent Association, with ninety members, and the Ladies' Auxiliary A. O. H. with seventy-three members.  The above Sodalities and Church Societies, aside from the spiritual purposes for which they were organized, are also a great help to the pastor in the work of up-building the parish.
     The parish has 476 families.  The number of souls is 2064.  Six boys of the parish have become priests, and twenty-three girls have entered religious communities.  George P. Gordon deserves special mention since through his devotedness and energy all the original church property of St. Patrick's was acquired.
      The Assistant priests at St. Patrick's Church, in the order given, were:  Revs. Edward F. Barrett, Frederick Dandurand, Patrick J. Crawley, Thomas A. Mungovan, Rev. Edward J. Mungovan, and Rev. James Durham, since June 8, 1907.

     The Rev. M. J. Byrne visited Whiting, from East Chicago, for the first time on February 1, 1891.  He found there a congregation of about twenty families, and some 100 single men, clamoring for a church.  Prior to this, Rev. F. H. Joseph Kroll had visited Whiting, and had started a subscription list with about fifty names on it, and had secured five lots on Center street, one of them donated by Colonel Forsyth and the other four bought for $400 each.  Father Byrne bought five additional lots, at the same price.  Ground for the new church was broken on March 19, 1891.  The church was 50x35 feet.  It received a Main Altar and two side Altars, and was ready for dedication, which took place on May 24, 1891, the Vicar General, Father Brammer, officiating.  Before Whiting had a church, Father Kroll, from Chesterton, had celebrated Mass for the first time in a pavilion, and after that in a school-house in Oklahoma, and in a hall over Green's saloon.  In September, 1891, Father Byrne erected the new Orient Hall, which was destroyed by fire on March 31, 1897, the pastor settling with the insurance company for $762.  Statues of the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph were provided in 1891, and in September, 1892, the Vicar General, Father Brammer, blessed a 1000 pound bell, naming it St. Matthias.  Confirmation was administered for the first time in Whiting by Bishop Rademacher of Nashville, on October 16, 1892.
      The parochial school was opened in September 3, 1895, in the old Orient Hall which had in it two school-rooms.  The Sisters of Providence of St. Mary-of-the-Woods had charge.  The attendance on the first day was 150 children.  After the destruction of the Orient Hall by fire in 1897, Father Byrne built a two-story, brick school-house, with three large school-rooms on the first floor, and a large hall on the second.  At the same time a two-story frame building was erected for the Sister' dwelling.  And also was built, a two-story brick structure with all the modern improvements, for a pastoral residence.  Father Byrne was removed from Whiting, in August 1898, and was succeeded by Rev. Charles Thiele.  The new pastor found Whiting to consist of a floating population; and the church property was indebted to the amount of $9,265.  During his pastorate, he built an addition to the church, bought ten new lots for a church site costing $2,500, and reduced the debt to $6,500.  On July 1, 1905, Father Thiele was succeeded by Rev. John B. Berg.
     Whiting has 165 Catholic families, numbering 782 souls.  The parochial school, taught by five Sisters of Providence, has an attendance of 177 children.  The debt on the church property is $6,500.
     The church Societies are:  The Rosary Society, thirty-eight members; St. John's, thirty members; St. Mary's, sixteen members; the Children of Mary, forty members.  Other organizations are:  The Catholic Order of Foresters and Ladies Auxiliary of same; and the Ancient Order of Hibernians, with the Ladies' Auxiliary of the same.

• Immaculate Conception Parish

   2006 Schrage Avenue - Whiting, IN 46394     Phone: (219) 659-0724
• St. Adalbert Parish

   1340 121st Street - Whiting, IN 46394   Phone: (219) 659-3848
• St. John the Baptist Parish

   1849 Lincoln Avenue - P.O. Box 711 - Whiting, IN 46394
   Phone: (219) 659-0023   E-mail:  egk@aol.com
• Ss. Peter and Paul Parish

   1709 Center Street - Whiting, IN 46394   Phone: (219) 659-1291

      In 1890, the Polish Catholic population of Michigan City numbered about ninety families.  Until their church was completed towards the middle of 1892, St. Mary's Hall was fitted up as a chapel for their use.  Rev. E. J. Wrobel was appointed their pastor, on January 15, 1891.  He resided with the pastor of St. Mary's Church, from July 1890 until a residence was provided for him, at St. Stanislaus' Church.  The two-story building, enlarged in 1906, serves the purposes of church, school and Sisters' residence.  The priest's house is a comfortable, two-story brick building.
     The parish has 426 families, numbering 2050 souls.  The parochial school has an attendance of 353 children, and is conducted by School Sisters of Notre Dame.
     St. Hedwig, St. Stanislaus and St. Casimir's Societies, for married men, have 439 members; the Rosary Society, for married women, has 145 members; St. Joseph's Society, for single men, has 125 members; the Rosary Society, for single women has 110 members; the Sacred Heart Society, for children, has 100 members.
      The indebtedness of the church property is $14,000.  Rev. Anthony Stachowiak was the assistant at St. Stanislaus' Church, from May, 1902 till June 22, 1906, on which day he ws transferred to Indiana Harbor, and was succeeded as assistant, at Michigan City, by Rev. John Kasprzykowksi.  Father Wrobel, since November 1906, has been sojourning in the South, to recuperate his health.

     The first Mass in Gas City was celebrated in the Barracks of the United States Glass Company, in 1892.  The church property consists of seven lots, located on North A street, was donated by the Gas City Land Company, in 1893.  The church building is a frame structure erected in 1893.  The pastoral residence is a commodious brick building built in 1894.  The Rev. F. C. Wiechmann was the first resident pastor until December 15, 1905, the date of his death.  There is no debt on the church property, with over $3,000 in the treasury, intended for the erection of a new church.  Gas City has seventy-three Catholic families, numbering 316 souls.  The parish has the Rosary Society, for married women, with thirty-eight members; the St. Genevieve's Society, for single women, with twenty members; the Holy Name Society, for boys, with twenty-five members, and the Sodality of the Children of Mary, for girls, with twenty members.
     The pastor of St. Genevieve's Church, at Gas City is also the chaplain of Marion Branch of the National Soldiers' Home, located about two miles from Gas City.  Until 1894 this mission, under the patronage of St. Ignatius, was regularly visited by the pastors of Marion; but in that year Father Wiechmann was appointed chaplain, having his residence at Gas City.  For several years Mass was celebrated in basement of Barracks number one.  The present beautiful chapel was erected by the Government, in 1899.  The following General Orders Number Twenty, was issued December 16, 1905, by Governor G. W. Steele:
     "The death of Father Frederick C. Wiechmann, Chaplain of this Branch, at his home in Gas City, December 15th, is announced with profound sorrow.  He was an agreeable companion, cheerful of disposition, and a Christian gentleman.  He performed the duties of Chaplain to the entire satisfaction of the members of the Home, from February 10, 1894, until he became so severely afflicted as to be unable to do so.  He bore his long and severe affliction with patience and hopeful resignation.  His loss will be sincerely mourned by all good [380] people who had the pleasure of his acquaintance.  The flag will be displayed at half-mast until after the funeral, on the 19th, instant."
     The present pastor and chaplain of the Soldiers' Home is Rev. Charles E. McCabe, who was appointed on January 4, 1906.  St. Ignatius' Chapel at the Soldiers' Home is attended on all Sundays, Fridays and Holydays of obligation.

     Grant County is encompassed by the Diocese of Lafayette, established in 1944, from the Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Notes:  Union City is located in Randolph County, Indiana, Hartford City is within Blackford County, Indiana, and Portland is situated northeast of Dunkirk and Redkey, all contained within Jay County, Indiana.  There is also a community by the name of Dunkirk, located near Logansport, in Cass County, Indiana.

The Catholic Churches in East Chicago, Lake County, in 2001, include the following:

In the early days, the few Belgian families living in South Bend worshipped at St. Patrick's Church.