St. Andrew Parish

History of Parish

Bishop Michael J. Ready established St. Andrew Parish on June 17, 1955. He appointed Fr. Michael Andrew Nugent as the founding pastor. It has been told that his middle name provided an inside track for becoming pastor, as “Andy” was his commonly used name.

The parish began with 250 families, and the parishioners gathered to worship at the old Fishinger Rd. School, which is now a part of Wellington Academy. In April of 1956 ground was broken on the present site near the corner of Reed and McCoy Roads for a church and a four-classroom school. The school was built under the church. This project was completed in time for the opening of school that September, and there were 140 students and four teaching sisters from the Sisters of St. Joseph in Baden, Pennsylvania.

During the 14 year pastorate of Fr. Nugent, who became Msgr. Nugent in 1992, the school expanded on both sides of the original building, and also a wing was added that served as a cafeteria and social hall. A convent and a rectory were built within the first three years, as initially the sisters lived at 4040 Reed Rd. while Fr. Nugent lived at 1935 Fishinger Rd. The new rectory also provided meeting space for various parish organizations. The parish flourished as the number of parish families increased to 1,200.

In 1969 Fr. Donald C. Schulz became the second pastor. During his 23-year tenure the parish grew in size and stature, and became the premier parish in the diocese. Having served the country as a marine during WWII, Fr. Schulz was considered a formidable opponent in all avenues of life, especially on the golf course. His clever wit and humor was most noticeably displayed in the weekly bulletin. This, along with the reputation of saying Mass in a relatively short fashion, drew people from far and wide. He was affectionately titled “Kindly Pastor,” or just K.P.

During his pastorate the school continued to expand with the building of a multi-purpose center and a media center in 1979. In 1988 the parish rectory/office was expanded on both sides to provide better accommodations. In 1991 a portion of the convent, which no longer housed the Sisters of St. Joseph, was renovated into an art room and a computer lab. In 1992, at the age of 70, Fr. Schulz’s term as pastor expired. Along with Msgr. Nugent, he also received the title of Monsignor in 1992. Currently, Msgr. Schulz is retired and resides at Mohun Hall, located on the campus of Ohio Dominican University.

Fr. Frank Lane succeeded Msgr. Schulz in July of 1992. He also received the title of monsignor later that year, which affirmed both the quality of the parish and the distinctive leaders of the parish. Msgr. Lane was a noted scholar who was grounded in practical wisdom. That wisdom was demonstrated shortly after his arrival, as he responded very capably to a volatile situation involving a former parish employee. From this experience he gained the confidence of the parishioners.

By the time of his arrival the parish had grown to 2,200 families, and the demand for adequate space to serve the many activities of the parishioners was becoming more acute.

He organized a Facilities Committee to identify and evaluate the space needs of the parish. Through his leadership the parish embarked on the most significant event of its life; the construction of a new church. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on March 17,1996. This beginning of a $6.6 million venture culminated on June 7,1998 with the dedication of a new church by Bishop James Griffin. Msgr. Lane was present for this momentous event. However, in June of 1997 he relinquished the pastorate of St. Andrew’s to enter the monastic life in Northern Ireland. Msgr. Lane has returned to the Diocese of Columbus and now serves as Pastor of St. Margaret of Cortona Parish in Columbus.

Msgr. J. Colby Grimes was appointed the fourth pastor of St. Andrew Parish in July of 1997. He was a native son of the parish and was ordained to the priesthood here in 1978. Although Associate Pastor Fr. Thomas Buffer remained as the immediate supervisor of the building of the new church, Msgr. Grimes did oversee this project, as well as the renovation of the former church into school classroom space. Monsignor also began to liturgically update the parish in preparation for worshipping in the new church. Having helped the parish to move into this new era he completed his stay, and in November of 1998 was transferred to the Church of the Resurrection in New Albany. He and Fr. Jerry Rodenfels switched positions, as Fr. Rodenfels, a former St. Andrew Associate Pastor, became the fifth pastor.

Fr. Rodenfels was pastor for two years and in that time spearheaded the parish effort in the diocesan wide “Challenge in Changing Times” campaign. This campaign generated an additional $1.3 million in funds, half of which was returned to the parish. These funds were used for a number of parish projects, and the remainder was directed toward the reduction of the parish debt, which by the end of 2000 was $1.725 million. In October of 2000 Fr. Rodenfels took a leave of absence for personal reasons and shortly thereafter resigned as pastor. Fr. Rodenfels is currently once again serving as Pastor of the Church of the Resurrection in New Albany, succeeding Msgr. Grimes, who died on Good Friday, 2003.

In November of 2000, Bishop Griffin appointed Fr. Michael Watson, another former associate pastor, as the sixth pastor. Fr. Watson grew up in Worthington, graduated form Bishop Watterson High School and Ohio State University, and prior to coming back to St. Andrew served as Pastor of St. Mary Parish in German Village. He has helped to initiate significant community building events and activities within the parish; including a parish festival, a Parish Council, a Master Plan Committee which has led to a Strategic Plan for the parish, the parish wide RENEW program, and also helped to retire the parish debt.

In 2005, the parish commemorated its 50th anniversary. Included in the highlights was a 50th anniversary Mass that was held on June 8. It was celebrated by Bishop Campbell and all of the former pastors, except Msgr. J. Colby Grimes, were present, along with a number of former associate pastors. This year also featured a pictorial parish directory, a CD video on the parish history, and concluded with a Gala celebration. Lastly, during 2007 the parish acquired the former Masonic Lodge on Reed Rd.; across the street from the fire station.

Since that time the building has been completely renovated, and is named after the wife and mother of the major donor family. It is called ‘St. Andrew Parish Bryce Eck Activity Center’. The Eck family has been in the parish since the early 70’s, and have been large benefactors to numerous causes, especially to the University of Notre Dame. We are grateful for their support, as well as the 50 or so other donors who helped to make this $2.3 million renovation possible.

From this beautiful and hospitable space new activities have begun. There is a Senior Activities Coordinator in Kathy Barger, who plans events and also oversees the scheduling of this facility. There is already a demand for meetings and social events such as wedding receptions. It is now the gathering place for our youth, and under the dynamic leadership of Fr. Joe Yokum and several talented college parishioners trained for youth ministry, good things are happening. Lastly, our new preschool started up this past September under the direction of Mrs. Kris Pellissier. Approximately 40 children attend classes in a bright environment conducive for learning.

To continue to plan for the future a parish feasibility study was conducted in 2007. This has provided us with a prioritization of facility needs, as well as a good sense of the costs involved. There are no pressing needs, which does give us time in this period of economic uncertainty. With our identity being rooted in the Lord and his saving redemptive power, we embrace the future with confidence.

Saint Andrew

This account of the life of St. Andrew is primarily found in Butler’s ‘Lives of the Saints’. St. Andrew was a native of Bethsaida, a town in Galilee upon the banks of the lake of Genesareth. He was the son of Jona, a fisherman of that town, and brother to Simon Peter. It is not clear from Scripture if he was the younger or older brother. The name Andrew is Greek and means “courageous”.

Initially, Andrew became a disciple of John the Baptist. He was with John shortly after Jesus was baptized. Upon seeing Jesus pass by the way John exclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God!” Andrew was drawn to the Lord and he and another disciple went after Jesus. Jesus recognized their presence and asked, “What seek ye?” They said they wanted to know where he dwelt and he bade them to come and see. In a short time Andrew clearly learned that Jesus was the Messiah and resolved from that moment to follow him. Andrew was the first of Jesus’ disciples, and is therefore styled by the Greeks as the “Protoclete”, or first called. Andrew then fetched his brother, that he might also know him. When Simon came to Jesus he was also admitted as a disciple, and eventually given the name of Peter. This account of bringing his brother to Jesus has led to another title given to Andrew. He is also known as “The Introducer”.

Andrew and Peter were not constant companions of Jesus in the early part of His ministry. They attended to their trade and family affairs in the midst of hearing Jesus preach and teach. Eventually, when Jesus came to their hometown area of Galilee he called them permanently to the ministry of the Gospel, saying that he would make them fishers of men. Whereupon they immediately left their nets to follow him, and they never went from him again.

When Jesus performed his first miracle at the wedding feast at Cana, Simon and Andrew were present, along with Mary, Jesus’ mother. Every time Jesus preached in Capernaum he stayed in the home of Andrew and Peter. Once, because they asked, Jesus cured Peter’s mother in law of a fever. In John’s Gospel Andrew is mentioned as the one who brings a young lad to Jesus who has five barley loaves and two small fish. Jesus blesses the food and has it distributed to the crowd of 5,000.

After Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension, and the descent of the Holy Spirit, Andrew preached the Gospel in many towns and countries. He traveled to areas now known as Greece, Poland, and Russia. He is the patron saint of Russia and Scotland. It is believed that Andrew was crucified at Patras in Achaia; not nailed but bound to a cross on which he suffered and preached to the people for two days before he died. The idea that his cross was of a kind called decussate (X- shaped) was apparently not known before the fourteenth century. He was initially buried at Patras, but through the centuries his remains were moved to Constantinople, then to Amalfi in Italy. A portion of the remains was returned to Patras in 1964.

St. Andrew is a wonderful patron saint for the parish. We are fortunate to have a relic of St. Andrew’s cross enshrined in the south wall of the St. Andrew Chapel. His feast day is celebrated on November 30.

History of Parish 1955 - 1959 (excerpt from 2005 Pictorial Directory)

The rapid growth of the Catholic population in the Tri-Village area of Greater Columbus, and in particular in the area served by St. Agatha in Upper Arlington, was acknowledged in May of 1955 when Bishop Ready announced the establishment of a new parish to be known as St. Andrew. This new parish would serve the people living in the area bounded by Ridgecliff and Swansea Roads on the south, the Olentangy River on the east, Route 161 on the north and the Scioto River on the west. There were approximately two hundred and fifty Catholic families living within the new parish boundaries. Some time before the new St. Andrew was established, ten acres of land at the southwest corner of Reed and McCoy Roads had been purchased. The site for the new parish plan was ideal, being on slightly rolling land overlooking an area rapidly building with new and beautiful home sites. The purchase price of twenty thousand dollars was donated to the infant parish by the Mother parish of St. Agatha.

On June 17^th, 1955, Father Michael A Nugent of Our Lady of Lourdes, Ada, Ohio was appointed first pastor of St. Andrew. Early in July, a home was purchased at 1935 Fishinger Road to serve as the parish rectory and the ladies of the parish held a shower to which they brought many beautiful gifts to help furnish the new parish house. On June 28^th, a meeting of the men of St. Andrew Parish was held at St. Agatha Parish Hall and the newly appointed pastor spoke of some of the immediate needs of the parish and of the plans for the future development. On the following Tuesday, July 5^th, a meeting of the ladies of St. Andrew was held and they matched the enthusiasm and cooperative spirit of the men. During the months of July and August, funds were collected from the parishioners for the purchase of a bus to take the children of St. Andrew to St Agatha School during the 1955-56 school year.

In the meantime, through the assistance of Father George Kennedy, pastor of St. Agatha, arrangements were made with the Upper Arlington School Board to permit the use of Fishinger Road Public School Auditorium for Sunday Masses.

On August 22^nd, Mass was offered for the first time within the confines of St. Andrew’s parish boundaries at the Fishinger Road School. The following Sunday, a parish picnic was held on the grounds of the Pontifical College Josephinum. The over two hundred mothers, fathers and children of St. Andrew that attended the outing had a grand time. On September 18^th, a third Mass was added for Sunday and Father James Kraus of St. Charles College was appointed by Bishop Ready to assist on Sundays.

Meanwhile, architects from the firm of Emerick and McGee were drawing up plans for the new church and school. The proposed structure was to be a combination church and school of native Bellvue stone and contemporary in style. This building was to have three classrooms, a social hall and cafeteria on the ground floor, with an additional classroom, the church proper, entrance lobby and parish office on the main floor. With the approval of Bishop Ready the proposed building was put out for bids and a few weeks later the contract was awarded to the Altman-Coady Company of Columbus.

On Sunday, October 23^rd, with a large crowd of the parishioners and several of the neighboring clergy including Monsignor John B. Donahie, and Fathers George Kennedy, Albert Culliton, Arnold Favret, Raymond Bauchard James Kraus, ground was broken for the new St. Andrew by Father Nugent. Stirring music for the occasion was furnished by the band of the Pontifical College Josephinum.

Through the winter months, despite poor building weather, work on the new structure continued. Low Sunday, April 8^th, 1956 was a great day in the short history of St. Andrew Parish for on that day Bishop Michael J. Ready presided at the laying of the cornerstone of St. Andrew Church and School. In spite of the very cold and unseasonable weather, a fine crowd of the parishioners were present. Bishop Ready was assisted by Monsignor Ronald Winel and several of the neighboring clergy. A brief but eloquent address was given by Bishop Ready.

The months following the ground breaking passed rather quickly, culminating with the dedication of the new church and school on June 7, 1956. The school opened immediately and was staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph of West Baden, Pa. Pastor and people of St. Andrew Parish were deeply appreciative to the Sisters of St. Joseph for agreeing to staff their new school. A beautiful new Sister’s Convent was purchased in December of 1955 at 4040 Reed Road just across the street from the new St. Andrew Parish property. Prior to this, daily Mass was offered in the rectory on Fishinger Road. Since the purchase of the convent, daily Mass began to be offered in the Sister’s residence.

The growth of St. Andrew Parish since its establishment in May of 1955 was very steady and by dedication day it numbered about 375 families.

History of Parish 1990 - 1999 (excerpt from 2005 Pictorial Directory)

In 1991, the convent building, which had not housed the Sisters of St. Joseph since 1985, was renovated into additional classroom space. In 1992, at the age of 70, Father Schulz’s term as pastor expired. Shortly thereafter, he received the title of Monsignor by Pope John Paul II. He currently lives at St. Aloysius Parish in Columbus.

Fr. Frank Lane, who received the title of Monsignor shortly after his arrival, succeeded Father Schulz. Msgr. Lane was a noted scholar who was also grounded in practical wisdom. That wisdom was demonstrated early after his arrival, as he capably responded to a volatile situation involving a former parish employee. He gained the confidence of the parishioners.

Soon thereafter a Facilities Committee was established to evaluate the space needs of the parish. Through his leadership, the parish embarked on the most significant event in its life, the construction of a new church. A groundbreaking ceremony took place on March 17, 1996. On June 7, 1998, Bishop Griffin dedicated the new church. Msgr. Lane was present at this momentous event; however, in June of 1997 he left St. Andrew to enter the monastic life in Northern Ireland. Since then, Msgr. Lane has returned to the Diocese of Columbus and now serves as the Pastor of St. Margaret of Cortona Parish.

Msgr. J. Colby Grimes was appointed the fourth pastor of St. Andrew Parish in July of 1997. Although Associate Pastor Fr. Thomas Buffer supervised completion of the new church, Msgr. Grimes did oversee the building of the church, as well as the renovation of the former church into school classroom space. Monsignor also began to liturgically update the parish in preparation for worshiping in the new church. Having helped to move the parish into this new era, he completed his stay, and in November of 1998 was transferred to the Church of the Resurrection in New Albany. He and Fr. Jerry Rodenfels switched positions, as Fr. Rodenfels, a former St. Andrew associate pastor, became the fifth pastor.

On June 7, 1998, Bishop James Griffin dedicated a beautiful new church for St. Andrew Parish that had been 43 years in the making. The faithful members of the parish were finally able to worship and celebrate in a church that was originally planned to be built around 1960. The idea of a new church had been in dreamed since then, but the rapid growth of the parish would not allow for anything more time-consuming than small renovations. This final renovation, in the form of a whole new building, masterfully incorporates certain traditional symbols with modern design and function.

Father Lane and a team of architects from Feinkopf, Macioce, and Schappa Architects, Inc. consulted the original plan, as well as traveled throughout Europe to view nearly 60 churches from which they drew inspiration. The east side of the church is made up of modern-design stained glass, which is an art form dating back to the 12^th century. These windows were designed by Sarah Hall of Toronto, Ontario and fabricated at Sattler Studios, West LaHave, Nova Scotia. Likewise, the architects gave the traditional Mary the Virgin Mother and St. Joseph statues behind the sanctuary a slight modern flair by incorporating a curved Apse wall behind them.

Parishioner, local physician, and gifted woodcrafter Dr. Chuck Caranna provided the talent and inspiration for the hand-made wood encasement for the organ pipes. Additional pieces in the church that highlight his magnificent talent are the altar chairs that seat the priests and deacons as well as the cantor podium, sanctuary table, and a podium used in the parish hall.

The bulk of the organ was built by the Austin Organ Company in Hartford, Connecticut and was specifically designed for the new church. It contains 4 levels of keyboards and 2,080 pipes in 36 rows, ranging from the approximate size of a pencil to 18 feet in length. The organ was originally intended to be complete with 14 more rows of pipes, but those 854 more pipes were removed from the construction plan.

History of Parish 2000 - 2007 (excerpt from 2005 Pictorial Directory)

Fr. Rodenfels closed the last two years of the previous decade as pastor. In that time he headed the Challenge in Changing Times Campaign for the parish. This campaign helped to provide funds for an irrigation system; for the installation of cooking equipment in the Parish Hall; to support the religious education program; to landscape the area around the parish patio; and to reduce the parish debt. He celebrated the 25th Anniversary of his Ordination to the priesthood in May 1999. In October 2000, Fr. Rodenfels took a leave of absence from the parish for personal reasons and shortly thereafter resigned. Fr. Rodenfels is currently serving as the Pastor of the Church of the Resurrection in New Albany, following the death of Msgr. J. Colby Grimes, who died on Good Friday, 2003.

In November of 2000, Bishop Griffin appointed Fr. Michael B. Watson, another former associate pastor, as the sixth pastor. Fr. Watson grew up in Worthington, graduated from Bishop Watterson, and prior to coming to St. Andrew, served as Pastor of St. Mary Parish in German Village. His leadership has provided pastoral and financial stability, as well as a vision for the future. With the help of parishioners a new tabernacle was installed in 2001, an outdoor Marian grotto was constructed in 2002; the St. Andrew Chapel was transformed in 2003, and in the same year a new patio area was developed near the back entrance of the school. Adult education offerings expanded in 2002 as Bishop Griffin appointed renowned moral theologian Deacon James Keating a deacon to the parish. On the social and financial front Fr. Watson had a hand in organizing the festival, spring and fall social events, the Christmas Tree Sale, and the Valentine’s Bash. Improvements have been made to the rectory/office area, the most recent

Being the conversion of the original garage into a hospitable den. Lastly, in this the 50^th year of the parish, the parish debt on the new church has been retired, and a new chapter of history has begun with the purchase of the former Masonic Lodge.

A Solemn Mass was celebrated on June 8, 2005, which honored the 50th anniversary of the founding of the parish as well as the 7th anniversary of the dedication of the second parish church. Bishop Campbell, joined by former St. Andrew pastors, celebrated mass for parishioners and guests. Among the attendees were former pastors, associate pastors, principals, and staff members. After the mass the audience acknowledged the contributions of these people through kind words from Father Watson and ovations. The parish debt was retired with the presentation of a check to Bishop Campbell. All in attendance were treated to a champagne and dessert reception in the Monsignor Nugent Parish Hall.

That same week, on June 11th, the festivities continued with an Act of Charity Day for the benefit of the Holy Family Soup Kitchen. Over 40 parishioners gathered to clean the walls, halls, and restrooms of the facility in preparation for final painting. These parishioners exhibited the fine cooperative spirit that was indicative of the earliest St. Andrew parishioners.

Hundreds of parishioners, of all ages, danced the evening of June 26th away, under the direction of Ron Clarke, who for twenty years has led the tradition of the 8th Grade Dance Club. The parking lot was transformed into a giant picnic ground adorned with tables topped with red gingham checked tablecloths. Participants were treated to the debut of the 50th anniversary DVD while seated in the cool comfort of the school gymnasium. This DVD included interviews with the former pastors, principals, sisters, and parishioners who have helped this parish grow.

Over 550 parish families chose to mark the present history of the parish by participating in the photo sessions for this pictorial directory. This commemorative issue captures the faces of the current families as well as many photos from the faces from the past history of the parish.

In addition, the present history of the Catholic Church was celebrated throughout this year with the mourning of Pope John Paul II and the welcoming of the newly elected Pope Benedict XVI. The Diocese of Columbus also welcomed newly assigned Bishop Frederick Campbell.

This 50th year appropriately included opportunities to begin new chapters in the life of the parish. Parishioners met these upcoming events with the same optimism and enthusiasm as the original parishioners did in 1955.

On May 9, 2005 the parish took possession of the former Masonic Temple located on Reed Road across from the Upper Arlington Fire Station. Investigation for its renovation and future use will be ongoing throughout the end of the year. Possible uses for the facility, suggested by parishioners during an open house sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, included a preschool, gymnasium, social hall, senior center, and meeting rooms.

On July 1, the school staff welcomed Mrs. Dawn Franz as the ninth principal of St. Andrew School.

On July 12th, the parish hosted an appreciation and going away reception for Father Anthony Dinovo, the fifteenth pastoral associate assigned to St. Andrew Parish. Father Dinovo was appointed Pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Kenton, Ohio.

Description of St. Andrew Church

Description of The Cross of the St. Andrew Chapel - Page 2

*Historical summaries about each parish organization are available on the individual website pages for each organization.

Photo Gallery

Msgr. Dittoe's Celebration - View the video presentation (Windows Media Player file)