HAPPY 50Th ANNIVERSARY SAINT PETER CHURCH, MONTICELLO

I WOULDN'T MISS THIS ONE







I was the first resident pastor.




First Confirmation by Archbishop Thomas McDonough. Most of the parish was confirmed that day.



It really looked good today when I drove in. Even the hemlock tree on the right, that I planted many years ago was taller than the church!
The church was built by LAMP, Louisville Archdiocese Mission Promoters around 1967. It was served from Somerset originally. I was its regular tender from 1970-1975. I moved into the basement in 1975 and stayed till 1980. I became the first Catholic priest to live in Wayne County. I also took care of Good Shepherd Mission in Whitley City in McCreary County. It was staffed by several Sister of St. Joseph from Connecticut.



The sign from about 40 years ago is still there! The cross had to be replaced recently , but not bad for 40 years! It is made of old railroad ties.



My parting gift to the parish is this outdoor picnic shelter. The name they gave it was their idea!!!!!



The bishop of Lexington was the celebrant. Next to me, under the cross is Father John Birk who followed me as pastor. After us, St. Peter became part of the Lexington Diocese.



When I started in 1970, there were about 12 parishioners, mostly children. Now there are almost that many in the choir. We had no musicians back then, much less a piano! We got the organ, behind the piano, toward the end, but nobody could play it.




Sandy Bertram, one of the twelve parishioners when I arrived, was a child back then.
That's her - third from the left, front row, in the Conformation picture above.



A table full faithful women members of St. Peter Church for my days.
Linda, Jerry, Ellen and Martha.




R. J Martin, speaking to his wife Linda, were active parishioners in 1975. R. J. just recently retired from mowing the grass. That's 40 plus years of church grass mowing!



The head table with the bishop, a deacon and four priests. Clericalism is not dead in Monticello yet!



I started with 12 parishioners. We grew to about 90. Today they have about 60 families.
About a third of the parish is Latino/Hispanic. They also have Vietnamese and Filipino parishioners.
This is one half of the room at the reception.



This is a terrible picture, but it shows the other half of the room. The table in the front is filled with Sisters who have served in Monticello. There were at least eight Sisters there, including six Sisters of the Holy Union, along with Sister Rose Perry SCN and Sister Joan Wilson SCN.  Several more could not come because of age or distance.
Several communities of Sisters have served in the parish. They are the real under-sung heroes of the parish's fifty year history! When I was there, three Sisters of Notre Dame from Connecticut served with me. Some Sister of St. Joseph from Connecticut served over in Whitley City. Some Sisters of Charity of Nazareth came down from Somerset for some programs.