Catholic Virtual Archives: Butler County, Ohio
Historical Document Abstracts

Golden and Ruby Jubilee of Right Rev. Monsignor Aloysius M. Gerdes,
December 27, 1936, Middletown, Ohio

The whole Church takes part in the joy that centers about the culmination of years of faithful service to her children. When the years show a golden aureole encircling the head of the cherished minister, the joy of the Church is accentuated.

 The Right Rev. Monsignor Aloysius M. Gerdes is, at present, the cause of such rejoicing in the Church for in a spirit of exultant praise, he invites all to be glad with him as he looks back over the fifty years in the priesthood, forty of which were passed as pastor of St. John Church, Middletown, Ohio.

 Monsignor Aloysius M. Gerdes was born at New Richmond, Clermont County, Ohio, on September 4, 1860. After his years of privileged intimacy at home with a wise Catholic mother, he attended the parochial school for the elementary grade work. During these years he received the sacrament of confirmation, administered by the Most Rev. Archbishop John B. Purcell.

 Three priests who became prominent in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati were cousins of Monsignor Gerdes. They were the Fathers Quatman. Their words and their lives were an inspiration to their cousin of impressionable age and his desire and ambition was to follow their example. With their encouragement he recognized the call to the altar and wholeheartedly resolved to follow it.

 He began his college course with one year at St. Mary Institute, Dayton, in 1875. He attended St. Mary Seminary, Price Hill, Cincinnati, until it was closed. He then became a student at St. Xavier College under the Jesuits and graduated in 1883.

 Archbishop William Henry Elder accepted Monsignor Gerdes as a student in 1883 and he was sent to the Sulpician Seminary at Baltimore, where he remained for over three years. During this period he received minor orders, and the sub-deaconate and deaconate. One of his most cherished memories of that period is his privilege of attending, in November and December 1884, the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore with Archbishop Gibbons presiding. On December 18, 1886, he was ordained to the priesthood in the Cathedral of Cincinnati by Archbishop William Henry Elder. His companions on that occasion were Fathers Charles Hickey, George Vonderahe, Nicholas Kelley, and Martin Neville.

 After the celebration of his first Mass, Monsignor Gerdes was appointed as assistant to Rev. Albert Drufner at Carthage, Ohio. Part of his duty at this post was to care for the faithful at the city and county infirmaries. He also had to satisfy the spiritual needs of the patients at the Longview Asylum. His deep sympathy and keen understanding were great assets to him in the delicate situations arising in the pursuit of these duties. Fifteen months later he was transferred to St. Francis de Sales Church, East Walnut Hills, to act as assistant pastor. The Rev. Augustine M. Quatman was the pastor at this church and for nearly ten years a mutual intimacy was visible between pastor and assistant. Their union of heart and purpose was marked with like response from the parishioners. The marble altars, bells, and stations are silent proofs of the cooeperative good will displayed. The beautiful services on great feast days were as family gatherings where each rejoiced and none were permitted to feel burdened. This period was marked with one poignant grief, the loss of the Monsignor's saintly mother, Bernadine Gerdes, who died June 18, 1893.

 In October, 1896, Monsignor Gerdes was sent to St. John Church, Middletown, Ohio, to succeed the Rev. Henry Bene as pastor. The Reverend Jubilarian's first care was to clinch the decision for the ideal site for a new church, on the property chosen as suitable by his predecessor. This property was at a corner from which three streets radiated. As years passed stern opposition was raised by the congregation which desired a location further from the center of town. The old church was a brick building of 60 feet by 45 feet and was surmounted by a tower of wood. A new locality would bring untold hardships upon the congregation. The new pastor adroitly turned the opposition into good will with firm determination to improve and succeed in any undertaking. Soon the debt of $9,000 on the property was paid, the church was cleaned, the parsonage, Sisters' home, and school were repaired.

 In 1908, a larger school became a necessity when Middletown grew in population, through the location there of new shops and factories, among them which was the American Rolling Mill Company. Many Catholic families arrived during the influx of laborers and the enrollment in the school rose from thirty-six pupils to three hundred and sixty. The old church also had inadequate seating capacity. This necessitated the formulation of plans for the erection of a new church. The Right Rev. Monsignor met each occasion with the same determination to succeed.

 In 1925, the erection of the beautiful Romanesque church was begun. The architecture of the edifice and the beauty of the furnishings manifest the keen apprecation of the arts which Monsignor Gerdes possessed and further cultivated through travel in almost every country in Europe and in North America.

 Monsignor Gerdes' years at Middletown have been filled with activities that have brought cheer and consolation to people of diverse creeds, nationalities, and races. In joy and in sorrow they sought him, knowing they would receive words of encouragement.

 For a time his father, Conrad Gerdes, and his sister Mary enjoyed his successes, until the hand of death lured them away in 1906 and 1930 respectively. Though over seventy-five years of age, Monsignor Gerdes is still active and is keenly interested in all that pertains to the promotion of the welfare of his parishioners and friends.

 Monsignor Gerdes was made a domestic prelate by Pope Pius XI. He was invested with the insignia of his office at his church in January, 1933.

Fifty Years in the Priesthood, Rev. L.L. Denning, 1903-1953

Volumes could and no doubt should be written about Rev. Lawrence L. Denning on the occasion of his fiftieth anniversary as a priest, but with characteristic modesty he would reject such tributes. He would find sufficient honor and personal satisfaction in being thought of as the pastor of St. Mary Church, Hamilton, Ohio, where he has spent thirty-five years of his priestly years serving the people of his parish and the City of Hamilton with dignity, intelligence, and indomitable energy.

 A glance at the details of his personal history, however, reveals that he was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on August 20, 1877, the son of Joseph Denning and Catherine Walsh Denning. Another son, Joseph, was ordained to the priesthood and, as the Rt. Rev. Joseph Denning, served as Diplomatic Agent of the U.S. Government in Tangier, Morocco.

 Baptism took place in All Saints Church, Cincinnati, in which Father Denning was also to make his First Holy Communion and to be confirmed. His elementary education was received in All Hallows School, the parish school of All Saints Church.

 Upon completion of the eighth grade Father Denning went at once to study for the priesthood, entering St. Gregory Preparatory Seminary in 1891. His advanced training was continued at Mount St. Mary Seminary in 1897, with ordination occurring on June 21, 1903. Members of Father Denning's class still active in the priesthood are the Rt. Rev. John H. Schwartz of St. Boniface Church, Cincinnati, Ohio, Rev. Louis H. Yauss of Holy Trinity Church, Coldwater, Ohio, and Rev. Thomas Connell of Cincinnati, Ohio.

 Father Denning's first assignment took him to Plain City, Ohio, where he served for eighteen months, this pastorate followed by a five year tour of duty as Chaplain in the United States Army during peace time. After leaving the Army, he was stationed at Lebanon, Ohio, with a mission parish at Monroe; and he went next to Versailles, Ohio, where he spent four and a half years as pastor of St. Denis Church. He came to Hamilton and St. Mary Church in 1918.

 No biographical sketch could do justice to Father Denning's record here at St. Mary. His constructive efforts on behalf of his parish, in providing a beautifully decorated church for their worship and an up-to-date, well-equipped, and attractive school for the education of their children, have endeared him to all members of his congregation. Nor is the honor and respect which he commands limited to members of his parish alone. Father Denning is a community leader in every sense of the word, and his benevolence has spread to Hamiltonians of every religious conviction. Father Denning loves Hamilton and has demonstrated his love by by outstanding works for this city. In very few other areas can be found the same harmonious relationships between Catholics and persons of other faiths which characterize Hamilton, and for this pleasant condition which affects all our lives, Father Denning is largely responsible. People in other cities marvel at the friendly cooperation which exists between Hamilton Catholic High School and Hamilton High School, for example, the joint use of cafeteria, auditorium, and athletic facilities. So unusual, pleasant and desirable is the relationship that it has attracted national attention. In the virtual absence of religious bigotry, Hamilton is a model community, and for this happy situation, Father Denning can take most of the bows.

 As a personality, Father Denning has many distinguishing characteristics. Jovial in temperament, he is known for his keen interest in sports of all varieties. Without a moment's hesitation he could probably give you the batting average of every player in the National League. Similarly, everyone who knows Father Denning knows his interest in dogs: there have been many generations of Boston bull terriers at 604 High Street.

 Proud of his Irish ancestry (as are many of his parishioners), Father Denning has actively promoted those organizations which reflect the spirit and good-fellowship of Irish Americans. He has been a prime mover in the local chapter of The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, the most familiar figure of all at the annual St. Patrick's Day dinner. In 1951, Father Denning was chosen the Man of the Year by the Notre Dame Club, an organization of the local alumni of Notre Dame University.

 But of all Father Denning's interests, none is so outstanding as his affection for children. Through the years, the front porch of the parish house has looked like a nursery school -- with all the neighborhood kids clustered around Father Denning's rocker. Boys at the local golf courses would rather caddy for Father Denning than for anyone else; and every girl and boy who attended St. Mary School remembers the thrill of encouragement which came from Father Denning's visits to the classrooms. To all the children who have known him -- whether as students at St. Mary's or just as Hamilton kids -- Rev. L.L. Denning has indeed been Father Denning, "father" in both a friendly and religious sense.

 Parishioners of St. Mary Church know and remember Father Denning's many acts of generosity and sympathetic understanding during the critical depression years when he accepted voluntarily the responsibility of seeing that all of St. Mary's families were well-provided for. In this respect, however, his charity would have extended to all men, regardless of race, color or creed.

 Under the priestly leadership of Father Denning, St. Mary Church has made remarkable progress -- spiritually, socially, financially. Following the example of their priest, the men and the women of the parish have gone into public life, utilizing their talents to the glory of God and their Church and to the benefit of their fellowmen. No other school of Hamilton -- either parochial or public -- can point to a greater number of graduates who are distinquishing themselves in their chosen fields of endeavor and demonstrating the value of Catholic education. Father Denning's greatest achievement is the zeal, the skill, and the devotion with which members of his congregation make their Catholicity work.

 All people who have ever come in contact with Father Denning join in offering their prayers and best wishes to him on his Golden Anniversary, and they are united in hoping that his beloved guidance will be with them for many years to come.

 Golden Jubilee, Sunday, June 21, 1953
Solemn High Mass, 10:00 A.M., St. Mary's Church
Celebrant: Rev. Thomas A. Connell
Deacon: Rev. Robert Bastian (St. Mary Assistant)
Subdeacon: Rev. Paul Aumen, C.PP.S. (St. Mary Assistant)
Jubilee Address: Rev. L.L. Denning

 Reception: Hotel Anthony Wayne, 7:00-9:00 P.M.

 
 

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This site was created on 29 January 1999.
This site was updated 11 June 2000.