Parish History: An Illustrated Chronology   TIME LINE: 1926-1950

1927 -- Father Leo A. Debes, a newly ordained priest was sent to St. Mary's as the first assistant in the history of St. Mary's.

1928 -- Dr. J. A. Pompeney and Father Debes were transferred to another parish. Father P. J. McCullough, pastor of St. Mary's, Parsons, Kansas, became pastor of St. Mary's, Pittsburg, February 2, 1928. After Father McCullough saw what was staring him in the face, he asked Bishop Schwertner to send him an assistant to help do the work. He bought the Kelly home on 212 East Ninth Street for a rectory.

1928 -- Father Alex G. Stremel arrived on August 1st to serve as assistant in St. Mary's. The census was taken up by Father Stremel and Albert Massman, Jr. In September of this year the pastor and his assistant moved into the O'Connell home. The Sisters lived in a house on Ninth and Pine Streets.

image of rectory used from 1928-1949, from DJB

1929 -- Father Alex G. Stremel was transferred to be assistant at the Cathedral in Wichita. Father George Smith replaced him March 1, 1929, and went to the Reno, Nevada, Diocese on March 18 of the same year.

1930 -- Father McCullough started to enlarge the present church which cost $35,000.

1931 -- On November 22, the enlarged church was dedicated by Bishop Schwertner.

from DJB

1933 -- On October 12, the Golden Jubilee of the parish was celebrated by the dedication of a pipe organ which still renders service today.

1935 -- The church edifice received remodeled interior decoration. On Wednesday, November 6, 1935, Father P. J. McCullough was made a Right Reverend Monsignor with a large gathering of people to witness this first Monsignor ceremony in the history of St. Mary's.

1936 -- Junior high school was inaugurated together with a Kindergarten school. Twenty-six Freshmen enrolled for this initial high school project.

1937 -- The third story on St. Mary's School was added which served as a gym and extra classrooms for the high school.

1938 -- The Sisters' Convent on 812 North Elm was bought where the Sisters resided till the new convent was built.

1940 -- More play ground was needed since the full four year high school was in operation and the houses and lots east of the rectory across Ninth Street were bought for this purpose. The high school was accredited by the state of Kansas.

1942 -- Perpetual care for St. Mary's Cemetery was decided on and a fund of $8,000 of U. S. Bonds were set aside for this purpose.

1944 -- "Modern, New Gym Planned for St. Mary's" was the headline in the Pittsburg Sun dated October 8, 1944. The dinner finance meeting was held that evening in St. Mary's Recreation Center to organize the campaign to pay for the "Dream Gym."

1947 -- On October 29, the Bells of St. Mary's were baptized by Most Reverend Mark K. Carroll, S.T.D., Bishop of Wichita, after a solemn high Mass. 

1947 -- Father Neil Diver

1949 -- Father Alex G. Stremel. A new rectory was built and opened for use.

 left: Fr. Stremel; right: from his letterhead (letter in DJB)