Like most Catholic parishes, our beginnings are rather humble.
St. Gertrude's origins date back to November 16, 1923, when a group representing approximately 25 Catholic families gathered to petition the Archbishop of Cincinnati, Henry Moeller, to have Mass celebrated each Sunday in the general vicinity of Madeira. Archbishop Moeller granted their request rather quickly. Just over a week later, on November 25, 1923, two Masses began to be said at a private residence at the corner of Naomi and Miami Avenues. The little group adopted the name “St. Gertrude’s Mission” due to the date of their first meeting with the archbishop—which providentially fell on the feast day of St. Gertrude.
St. Gertrude's origins date back to November 16, 1923, when a group representing approximately 25 Catholic families gathered to petition the Archbishop of Cincinnati, Henry Moeller, to have Mass celebrated each Sunday in the general vicinity of Madeira. Archbishop Moeller granted their request rather quickly. Just over a week later, on November 25, 1923, two Masses began to be said at a private residence at the corner of Naomi and Miami Avenues. The little group adopted the name “St. Gertrude’s Mission” due to the date of their first meeting with the archbishop—which providentially fell on the feast day of St. Gertrude.
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This small group of people worked hard to raise the funds needed to purchase land and build a church. In 1924, they purchased land on Miami Ave., south of where the first Masses had been said, and began construction immediately. The first Church building was completed in 1925, and the first Mass was held in the new Church on February 8, 1925. Later that year, property further south on Miami Ave. was purchased for the future site of a rectory and the newly consecrated archbishop of Cincinnati, a man by the name of John McNicholas, a Dominican priest, requested that the Dominican order take charge of St. Gertrude Parish. So, almost from its beginnings as a humble “mission church” to the present, St. Gertrude has been pastored by Dominicans.
St. Gertrude launched what is arguably its biggest apostolate when we opened St. Gertrude School in 1934. Our school has been led by the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia (colloquially the “Nashville Dominicans”) since the day it opened. What started out as a school of 40 students in 1st-8th grade has evolved into one of the most premier Catholic schools in the Archdiocese. In 1944, St. Gertrude "outgrew" the mission church status in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, and became a full-fledged parish. By 1950, there were 395 member families in our parish. The number grew to over 800 families by 1956. The school was also bursting at the seams, with an enrollment of 505 students in 1955. As St. Gertrude continued to grow, so did the need for additional space for the families and children of our parish. In 1958, we launched a building campaign to provide the funds necessary for a new Church and the third addition to the school. The expansion was again an illustration of the unwavering support and strength of St. Gertrude Parish. With great foresight, additional land was purchased which is the present property that houses the church, priory and the new school. On Palm Sunday, April 10, 1960 we laid the cornerstone of our current church building at the corner of Miami and Shawnee Run—the border of Madeira and Indian Hill. The new St. Gertrude Church was dedicated on Sunday, April 16, 1961. The brick and stone structure envisioned by architect Edward J. Schulte was crowned with a belfry atop a soaring tower. A fourteen-foot-tall bronze figure of Our Lord, hand-forged by German metal craftsman Carl Wyland, welcomes parishioners and guests today above the main entrance canopy. Even a touch of history was forged with the future, our future . . . three bells, cast in 1868 were hung in the belfry and dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary, St. Joseph and St. Gertrude. |
The Dominican Order has shaped and continues to shape the vision of our ever-growing parish.
When plans were being drawn up for the Church, the Order was so impressed with the location and vibrancy of St. Gertrude Parish, that they requested and obtained permission from Archbishop Alter to build a Priory on the Shawnee Run Road side of the Church grounds. The entire cost of the building was financed by the Dominican Order. The Priory houses the Dominican Friars along with the novitiate for the Eastern Province.
As our parish continued to grow, parishioners rallied to add a Parish Center to our campus. This building was dedicated in 1985, expanding parish facilities for ministry and athletics.
As time passed, another opportunity presented itself to a new generation of parishioners who stepped up to the plate and “Opened Wide the Doors to Christ.” It was a brand new time . . . a brand new opportunity to give back in the spirit of our founders and continue the tradition of this Dominican parish. Beginning in 1998, a plan was developed again to expand, develop, and refurbish much of what is now the St. Gertrude Parish Campus. Then in 2002, a large scale campaign was launched to raise the funds needed to restore the church to its original 1961 beauty, purchase a new convent for our Dominican Sisters, expand a much needed parking lot, and build a brand new school. A second campaign was established, “A Time to Build” which would see these visions to fruition and further the vision that started over 80 years ago. With the generosity, leadership and faith amongst the St. Gertrude Parish community, the construction of the school building began on October 5, 2004 with completion and dedication in August of 2006.
Today, St. Gertrude Parish is the home of over 1,700 families. We are a parish given to the care of the Dominicans, a parish experiencing the blessing of Dominicans giving themselves for us through their faithful preaching and teaching.
When plans were being drawn up for the Church, the Order was so impressed with the location and vibrancy of St. Gertrude Parish, that they requested and obtained permission from Archbishop Alter to build a Priory on the Shawnee Run Road side of the Church grounds. The entire cost of the building was financed by the Dominican Order. The Priory houses the Dominican Friars along with the novitiate for the Eastern Province.
As our parish continued to grow, parishioners rallied to add a Parish Center to our campus. This building was dedicated in 1985, expanding parish facilities for ministry and athletics.
As time passed, another opportunity presented itself to a new generation of parishioners who stepped up to the plate and “Opened Wide the Doors to Christ.” It was a brand new time . . . a brand new opportunity to give back in the spirit of our founders and continue the tradition of this Dominican parish. Beginning in 1998, a plan was developed again to expand, develop, and refurbish much of what is now the St. Gertrude Parish Campus. Then in 2002, a large scale campaign was launched to raise the funds needed to restore the church to its original 1961 beauty, purchase a new convent for our Dominican Sisters, expand a much needed parking lot, and build a brand new school. A second campaign was established, “A Time to Build” which would see these visions to fruition and further the vision that started over 80 years ago. With the generosity, leadership and faith amongst the St. Gertrude Parish community, the construction of the school building began on October 5, 2004 with completion and dedication in August of 2006.
Today, St. Gertrude Parish is the home of over 1,700 families. We are a parish given to the care of the Dominicans, a parish experiencing the blessing of Dominicans giving themselves for us through their faithful preaching and teaching.
