History of our Parish
The Armorial Bearings of:
Saint George Parish
Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Saint Martin Deanery
Georgetown, (Brown County), Ohio
Founded 1902
Argent on a Cross voided throughout another entire Gules.
In the arms of the parish, the cross of St. George (a red cross on a white field) appears twice, the center of one red cross being cut away so that the second also may rest on the white field. One cross of St. George stands for the parish and the other for the village of Georgetown. Above the shield, the parish church, bell tower, and hall are depicted in the stylized manner of heraldry.
Dohrman W. Byers - Armorist
Ground was broken for a new Catholic Church in Georgetown, in May, 1902 on a lot at Apple and Plum Streets. It had been deeded on Sept. 17, 1831 by John Rooney to Father Martin Kundig who had established a parish at St. Martin. The new Church was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, under the title Assumption, by Archbishop Elder on October 1, 1902. The cost of building this Church was provided by the friends and benefactors of six families: $2,488.01. This church served the Parish until 1952. It still stands and is now the Apple Street Christian Church.
For the first 52 years of the parish, the community was served by Benedictine priests:
Fr. Fridolin Meyer, O.S.B. 1902 –Fr. Ignatius Meyer, O.S.B.1902-1905Fr. Raphael Obermeier, O.S.B.1905-1909Fr. Albert Hilger, O.S.B.1909-1921Fr. Joseph Stangl, O.S.B.1921-1934Fr. Clement Zanki, O.S.B.1934-1944Fr. Clarence F. Meyer, O.S.B.1944-1954On Sunday, May 18, 1952, approximately 300 people attended the cornerstone laying for a new Church to be built on Route 125 on property purchased in 1935 from Mrs. Anna Thompson. Rt. Rev. Clarence J. Issenmann, Vicar General of the Archdiocese was the celebrant.
Fr. Clarence J. Meyer, O.S.B. celebrated the first Mass in the new church on October 15, 1952. An open house was held on October 26, 1952.
More than 400 persons attended dedication services on Sunday, November 2, 1952. Archbishop Karl J. Alter consecrated the new church and dedicated it to St. George.
Father Clarence J. Meyer O.S.B. served the parish until January 15, 1954. He was the last priest of the Benedictine Order to serve a parish in Ohio. Father Vincent J. Lewis, a member of the faculty at St. Gregory Seminary became the Administrator of St. George. Father Roland E. Flinn succeeded Fr. Lewis as administrator of St.George and Pastor of St. Mary, Arnheim. A house for a rectory was bought from Mr. And Mrs. Theodore Moyer at 320 E. State Street on November 19, 1954. Father Roland E. Flinn was installed as Pastor on June 27, 1955, with residence at the new rectory. Rt. Rev. Mons. Alexander G. Koenig and Rev. Francis B. Pilliod celebrated the installation. Fr. Flinn became the first resident pastor. Father Flinn was followed by Father William Hackett. Father Hackett purchased a house on Elm Street from Robert and Lily Frodge in
October 1959 for a new rectory closer to the church. At this time about 100 families made up the parish.
Father Alfred J. Powers succeeded Fr. Hackett in July, 1965. Father Hackett died just 3 days before being transferred to his new assignment, July 25, 1965. In the light of Vatican II, the sanctuary was updated and a new altar in memory of Fr. Hackett was added.
Work began in 1983 on a new $224,000 addition to add classrooms, a social hall and a bell tower. The bell tower featured one bell taken from Old St. Mary and a second from Mt. St. Mary Seminary of the West, located on Beechmont Avenue. This addition featured a stained glass window of St. George, the patron of the Parish, designed and executed by Jerry Blum, Sr., a member of the Parish. All stained glass windows in both the old church and the new were memorial donations. Also, a memorial garden featuring a fountain was created between the Church and the new hall. Auxiliary Archbishop Nicholas T. Elko was the principal celebrant for the dedication and blessing of the new addition on April 28, 1984. About 170 families made up the Parish at that time. On February 10, 1987, Fr. Earl O. Metz became Pastor of St. George and St. Michael, Mt. Orab.
In May, 1988, the Archdiocese sold the property at 612 E. State Street which it had purchased February 21, 1955, to be used as a catechetical center for Brown County. The Glenmary order of Sisters lived there for ten years. Sisters of St. Ursula helped out with the instruction of children and were followed by the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1966. Parents of the children of the Parish now teach the religion classes. The basement area of the church was converted into a baptistery.
Starting in 1954, Pastors at St. George have been:
Fr. Vincent J. Lewis1954Fr. Roland E. Flinn1954-1958Fr. William H. Hackett1958-1965Fr. Alfred J. Powers1965-1987Fr. Earl O. Metz1987-2001
1987-2001Fr. John P. Fischer 2001-2007
Fr. James Schmitmeyer 2007-2009
The current Pastor of St. George (as of July 2009) is Fr. Dohrman W. Byers. He serves three parishes: St. George , Georgetown, St. Michael, Ripley and St. Mary, Arnheim.
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