Marion St. Mary Church, 251 N. Main St., will celebrate the 125th anniversary of the current church building’s dedication with an open house from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 15 and a Mass celebrated by Bishop Earl Fernandes at 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22.
Visitors to the open house can see the white sandstone, Victorian Gothic church’s restored stained-glass windows, grapevine-inlaid sanctuary floor, restored wooden nave floor and more.
The church took four years to build, preceded by three years of planning. Its cornerstone was laid on Oct. 10, 1894 and bears the inscription “Ecclesia Sanctae Mariae – Mater Dei, Ora Pro Nobis,” which means “Church of St. Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.” Father Michael Mulvihill dedicated the church on Oct. 23, 1898.
Father Edward Shikina, its current pastor, said, “St. Mary Church was built to symbolize the glory of heaven. Thus, the high ceiling draws one’s eyes upward to heaven. The sandstone symbolizes the permanency and eternity of heaven. The statues symbolize the communion of saints who long for us to be with them in heaven.
“The beauty of the church inspires us to a greater worship of God and urges us onward to that heavenly glory. I continue to notice something new and quite beautiful each time I enter the church. We invite you to discover her beauty as well.”
“The church is a beautiful witness and testament to the faith of so many in Marion over the last 125 years,” said Father Seth Keller, parochial vicar of St. Mary. “In that time, the interior of the church has undergone several changes, and in the last decades a couple of major beautification projects.
“We hope many will come and experience the beauty of this historic Marion building which reflects a deeper history of faith and life.”