Seen are the women of the Altar Society who prepared St. Peter Church for the celebration. They stand in front of the first wooden church of St. Peter’s, located on what was called Oakford Road. In 1911 St. Peter’s bought the Glendora Stanley farm, where the parish is now located. By 1923, it was under construction, and on June 16, 1929, St. Peter’s in Stanley was formally open by Bishop John Alexander Floersh. COURTESY OF GRADY EBELHAR
A peek into the past: Holy Name Society celebration at St. Peter’s
BY GRADY EBELHAR, SPECIAL TO THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC
One of the most elaborate religious celebrations ever held in historic Daviess County took place at St. Peter’s Church near Stanley on Oakford Road in October 1910. (The parish was started in 1873; at that time the Diocese of Owensboro had yet to be established and the territory belonged to the Diocese of Bardstown.) It was held on a Wednesday in commemoration of the patronal feast of St. Peter. In conjunction with the celebration, the Holy Name Society of St. Peter’s congregation was reorganized. There was a big number of the Catholic clergy in the county area as well as the surrounding counties in attendance.
Their pastor at the time was Fr. Joseph Odendahl, the seventh pastor of St. Peter’s, who frequently assisted in a number of celebrations at the Catholic churches in the Owensboro area. (His appointment at St. Peter’s was met with a big approval of the people in the congregation.)
Men who are members of the Holy Name Society carry a banner and prepare to march into St. Peter’s during the October 1910 celebration. COURTESY OF GRADY EBELHAR
Fr. Joseph Wright, of the neighboring parish of St. Mary Magdalene in Sorgho and St. Elizabeth in Curdsville, was the celebrant. The sermon was delivered by Fr. Charles Roffo of Louisville. According to the newspaper article, Fr. Roffo was one of the most distinguished members of the clergy in Kentucky and “was a masterpiece in oratory” and abounded in patriotic sentiments and religious zeal.
During the Mass there was a renewal of the promises of the members of the Holy Name Society to faithfully observe the second commandment. Benediction was held at the conclusion. After the celebration, Fr. Odendahl entertained the visiting clergy with a banquet.
Grady Ebelhar is a parishioner of St. Mary Magdalene Parish in Sorgho.
Originally printed in the January 2025 issue of The Western Kentucky Catholic.
