Saint Lawrence Catholic Church
in Cleveland, Ohio, USA from 1893 to 2010
The parish started in 1901 in Newburgh to serve the growing Slovenian Community. Even though Newburgh was where the initial Slovenes settled when arriving to Cleveland they did not get their own church until 1901 and as a split off of St Vitus. The first pastor, Francis Kerze, was the assistant pastor at
St Vitus Catholic Church. This is all odd since the first, early Slovenes of Cleveland settled in Newburgh and not St Clair. But the St Clair community grew much larger, quicker and established St Vitus and the larger National Home there first.
The community was large and vibrant in the 1920's and 1930's with the large, Slovenian Catholic families in each home there.
The parish was closed on 20 June 2010.
Pastors
Pastors performing ceremonies such as weddings, are:
| 1901- | Rev. Francis Kerze
|
| 1931-1949 | Rev. John. J. "JJ" Oman
|
| | Msgr. Louis Baznik
|
| 1955 | Rev Francis Baraga
|
| | Most Rev. A. Edward Pevec
|
| 1975 | Rev Joseph Varga |
See Also
St Vitus Catholic Church
External Links
Slovenes in Cleveland in Encyclopedia of Cleveland History
Closing of St Lawrence in ClevelandSlovenian
Newburgh in Encyclopedia of Cleveland History
Postcard from Cleveland Memory