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Parish Celebrates 25 Years -- November 3, 1994
Cartersville Blessing Caps Construction Project -- February 10, 1994
Parish Profiles: Saint Francis, Cartersville -- January 27, 1972
Shortly before World War II, a mission church was established in
Cartersville from the parish in Dalton. Father Edward Moriarty was the first
priest to offer Mass in Cartersville on a regular basis. He is remembered
especially for his early ecumenical work, which helped dispel some of the
myths that surrounded Catholicism in the rural South of the day.
Initially, Mass was celebrated in a room in City Hall, and later, the church
was moved to the second floor of the Shackleford Building.
Finally, in the 1940s a permanent church was established over Young
Brother's Pharmacy on Main Street. Members of the fledgling parish were
elated to have their own church in spite of minor inconveniences such as
Summer heat and the passing of trains right outside the window. Parishioners
from those days remember how the priest would have to suspend the Mass for a
short while every time a train passed. These interruptions averaged once
every 11 minutes, extending the Mass to an hour and a half.
In 1950 some $10,000 was raised by the Diocese of Savannah to help the tiny
parish build its first church. The building was dedicated in 1951.
The current church and parish center were dedicated on January, 30, 1994. By
that time the parish numbered 204 families.
Do you have a story about St. Francis that you would like to share?
Please let us know.
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