POSTPONED - St. Mary 100th Birthday Block Party

IMPORTANT//EVENT POSTPONED!

Due to the recent severe storm, several people are still waiting for power, water, and cleaning up damage. St. Mary's leadership has made the decision to postpone our block party until a day when we can celebrate more fully. Sorry for any inconvenience; we look forward to celebrating with you on our new date, September 15th!

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We're blocking off the street to welcome you to our 100th birthday celebration! Grab some BBQ from Ruhlman's food truck, enjoy live music by Riverfront, play games for all ages, and be merry. There will be a giant and delicious cake served. Come one, come all! THIS is a momentous occasion!

Another celebratory event will take place on November 3rd with Mass with Bishop Conley. 

A brief history:

St. Mary Catholic Church of Ashland was founded in 1924 with a membership of twelve families. A former Baptist Church was purchased and dedicated at that time. Initially, Franciscan Capuchins and Oblate Fathers served the parish until 1932 when the priests from the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraksa, took over.

A new rectory was built in 1950 so Ashland could have their first resident priest. By 1956 the parish had grown to 60 families, and they voted to build a new church that still stands today. The stone building was dedicated in 1957, seats 325 people and was built for a cost of $60k.

By 1970, St. Mary's had grown to 85 families. In 1980, the bell tower was built using the bell which originally belonged to the old Baptist church, and the Grotto dedicated to Our Lady was constructed, along with the garage and parking lot.

The needs of the growing parish were again addressed in 1981 when the Education Center was erected. The center includes seven classrooms and a library and serves both parishes. In 2003-2004 extensive renovations were completed to the interior of the Church. The fall of 2004 saw the construction and dedication of the Monument to the Unborn in front of the education center on Silver Street. 

The growing needs of the parish are currently being evaluated, and there is much excitement around the future!