Saint Catharine's falls

Saint Catharine's property is listed, to-day [a,b], for $495,000 on the diocesan realty internet site. A parcel transferred 8 August for $200,000 to Schoolhouse Finance LLC of Columbus, O. (Arlington Virginia). St. Catharine's is being torn down. To-day is the 5th day of demolition, which began on Monday. I saw the pipe organ go down in bits. As of an hour and a half ago, the front facade and bell tower were still standing.
Part of a rank of the longest diapason flue pipes of the pipe organ are making a final descent, from the left, water flows from a hose to keep the dust down.
From behind a large pile of soil the remaining exterior is visible, behind these bricks at the moment of photographing is a large vehicle with a front loader bucket that has gnawed away the rest of the building.
On an arch, there was painted these words from John i. xlix, “Rabbi, thou art the Son of God”. Within two seconds it was mostly gone.
The plaque is from the Second World War. It is entitled, "Our Boys and Girls Serve their Country". Three chaplains are listed, and then 250 of the laity. Four names are preceded by a star (died in service?).

The parish was founded in 1898 as a mission, and then daughter parish, of Holy Name. Bishop Ignatius Horstmann founded thirty parishes in his episcopacy (1892-1908). He donated a marble statue of St. Catharine to the parish. He chose the patronal name to be that of his mother's patron saint, Catharine of Alexandria. The first church building burned in 1899, three months after its dedication. For the second church the statue was given. A grander building with an upper and lower church was built during the First World War [then known as the European War]. The first Mass in the new building was said in 1917. That building is now being destroyed.

rubble and tower

The last Mass held, was one of eviction. Richard Lennon presided at the last Masses of St. Henry, and St. Catherine on 30 December 2007. They were the fifth and sixth churches he closed in Cleveland. They merged with St. Timothy's. The Catharine statue is now at Timothy's.

former italian marble altar of St. Catharine's Church, once priced by an agent of the diocese for $200,000 sans statues, St. Catharine at center