Somerset, Ohio's Catholic Cradle

St. Joseph Somerset is the oldest Catholic parish in Ohio (1818), its present church was begun in 1840. Somerset has 1400+ people, and two parishes.

St. Joseph Somerset 

The southeastern part of the State of Ohio was the first developed by settlement at the beginning of the 19ᵗʰ century. Zane's Trace ran from Wheeling to Maysville on an arc between two towns on the Ohio. Jacob Dittoe, a German immigrant, began writing (starting in 1805?) the bishop of the United States in Baltimore for a priest to come. Later when Bardstown Kentucky became one of the four new dioceses, a resident priest came.

 

Holy Trinity's present church was built in 1857. Both are Dominican parishes.

 

In the 19ᵗʰ century many buildings had the year built up high in front, instead on cornerstones. This is why i refer to yearstones. This is the yearstone for St. Joseph's.

yearstone of Holy Trinity, also the capstone of the arch

Third Sorrowful Mystery: The crowning with thorns.

St. Joseph's interior is pristine, and probably had some or much work done for the parish's bicentennial. That would include new wood flooring, and cleaning of stained glass, and new carved statues, and a museum in a former sacristy (vestry). The windows are not original, they include the original 15 Mysteries of the Rosary. They look like South German painterly style early 20ᵗʰ century (?).

In the now museum room is a window of St. Thomas Aquinas in conversation with a crucifix. The Latin is below (not in foto) the scene, and i can not make out two words. Thoma, bene scripsisti de me: Quid _____ ___ Qui respondit Domine, non nisi te. Thomas, you have written well about me:  What _____ ___ He responded, “Lord, nothing except You.”  The missing is Jesus asking Thomas what he wants.

The tall, thin, twin light, nave windows in Holy Trinity look like American 19ᵗʰ century. The pair nearest the sanctuary have the more detailed images.

The rose window is much newer.