Mother of Sorrows Parish at Catawba Avenue, Put-in-Bay, OH 43456 US - EARLY TIMES

During the next 20 years no Mass was normally said during winter months, except for funerals.  A priest would then come to the island usually in an iron clad boat with runners much like a sleigh.  The boat was dragged by hand over the ice, and would float if the ice broke.  It was often a treacherous trip.  In early Spring and late Fall when no ice blocked the boats, Mass was said once a month.  During the summer months, when the island population increased, Mass was said every Sunday at 5:40 a.m.  Since most of the founding families of Mother of Sorrows were from Germany, sermons were given in German until about 1910.  In that year the parish was comfortable enough with their second language and sermons have been in English ever since.  The photo shows the altar of the old church decorated for Christmas sometime in the early 1920's.    

(Back)