Values for a Lifetime

The roots of the current St. Boniface Parish church and school began with the building of a modest church on Delaney Street, in 1853, named St. Aloysius. Within the next few years, due mainly to the steady influx of immigrants, the parish had grown so large that the little church could no longer accommodate its parishioners. Rather than build a larger church, then Archbishop Purcell, favored the formation of second parish. On April 6, 1861, the congregation unanimously resolved that a division be effected along ethnic lines: German and Irish. It was decided by the drawing of lots that the Irish would retain the original church property, renaming the parish St. Patrick. The German community received the sum of $1500.00 to build a new church, St. Boniface.

In 1862, land was purchased at the corner of Blue Rock and Lakeman Streets and in November, 1863, the new church was blessed. Students attended school in the parsonage and by 1867 it was decided that there was no longer adequate space at the parsonage to accommodate the steady increase in pupils. The parish purchased additional property adjacent to the church. By 1870, an ornate, solidly constructed, two-story brick building consisting of four school rooms was erected on Blue Rock Street at a cost of $7,800.00.

By 1885, however, it was necessary to build an addition consisting of two rooms on the second floor as well as a chapel and meeting room on the ground floor. In the early 1900’s, another large addition was made to the school and a residence was built on Lakeman Street for the Sisters of Charity who taught at the school. The parishes of St. Clare (College Hill) and St. Pius (South Cumminsville) branched off, and still the parish and school grew. By 1913, St. Boniface School had 600 pupils and in 1921, the property at Chase and Pitts was purchased with plans for a new and much larger church.

The present magnificent church and rectory were completed in 1927 and the existing school building opened in 1933. In 1979, the parish school became a combined school with St. Boniface and St. Leo participating. At this time, the governance of the school shifted from the parish to the newly formed St. Boniface School Board.

The Sisters of Charity continued to serve the school until 1999.

Sister Ann Gorman, a Sister of Mercy, is our current principal.