Solid Rock

Among the rolling hills of eastern Missouri, on the outskirts of a place called Catawissa, near the junction of two rural highways, and very little else, a less than solemn pilgrimage is made each year to a church whose doors closed nearly a century ago—St. Patrick's of Armagh the Old Rock Church.

The people come from near and far. They come in vans and cars. Their purpose is clear. They want chicken and beer. And they want something more, something more than the here and now, something like the heretofore and hereafter, a connection. For many who come to the Rock Church Picnic have a couple things in common-- once a great, great grandparent set sail from Ireland for America, and now that person's grave is in the Rock Church
cemetery.

This map of the cemetery helps those on a pilgramage to find their ancestors find them.

St. Patrick’s of Armagh was organized by Rev. Father Peter Donnelly, who came here about 1840. The first members were Owen Casey, James S. McBrierty, Patrick Mc-Brierty, a Mr. Lynch, Valentine Summers, Daniel McAuley, Michael Galvin, a Mr. Sheerin, Thomas Brannan, Patrick Ryan among others.

  

Bill Murphy knows. President of the St. Patrick's of Armagh Board of Trustees, his ties to the church stretch way back. 

"My great grandfather laid one of the first cornerstones of that church in 1856," Murphy said. "My mother was married there, said her catechism there, had her wedding breakfast there. My brother was the last one
baptized there before it closed."

In fact his great grandfather, an immigrant from Ireland was a stone mason and took the train to Catawissa from Tower Grove, then walked to the church from station, staying with family at night and working on
the church during the day. His son, Murphy's grandfather, helped to rebuild the church when it burned in 1885. Now, at 80, Murphy can be counted among those who have helped saved the church.

The first church was built of logs in 1843. Construction on the present church began in 1853 but was interrupted by the Civil War and not completed until 1866.

There are still no electric lights in the church.

Well, they showed him, and now forty years later,
organizers are not sure what they are going to do about the popular party. 

"We can't handle all these people," Murphy said.

The front of the dinner line.

They estimate about 4,500 people came to grounds of the Old Rock Church this year, (about twice the population of the town of Catawissa) They know they sold 2,300 fried chicken dinners. Broken down, that is 3,200 pounds of chicken, 150 gallons of green beans, 150 pounds of dry noodles, 600 pounds of potato salad, 450 pounds of coleslaw, 75 loaves of homemade bread and about 400 cakes.

"My wife baked 40 cakes," Murphy said. 

Fortunately, she had help, and one of the greatest
rewards of the now nearly 90 year old struggle is how the community has come
together.

"Thirty percent of our help isn't even Catholic,"
Murphy said.

Babies, babies and more babies--the Rock Church Picnic is all about family.  Here is the next generation to call St. Patrick's home.

For despite the devotion of the founders, time and circumstances caught up with the parish. You see, in addition to the church, there was to be a town,
a town that never came.The railroad went
through Catawissa; the church at that time was on the outskirts of that community. Many had to travel miles with a horse and buggy on a muddy, rutty road to attend St. Patrick's. Finally, as the 20th century rolled around, people wanted a parish closer to home. A church was built inside the town of Catawissa and services were conducted by the same priest at both churches. But with the town church growing and the rural church not, the priest closed St. Patrick's in 1924.

From then to now, the saving of St. Patrick's has
been a consistent theme and something of a roller coaster ride. When the building began to fall into disrepair in the 1930s, a picnic was planned to
raise funds to preserve the building and keep up the cemetery, and from 1939 to 1952 the picnic was a big deal.

"It was booming," said Murphy.

As time went on though, the picnics stopped. The
church slowly slid downhill, and sometime in the 1970s, it looked like the end. Then, the founding fathers kicked in. The families of all those buried in the cemetery were told the situation and came through for the Old Rock Church. A standing room only crowd stood their ground, and the priest relented, but Murphy says, "He wanted us to show him that we would work." A donation was made; the
picnics reinstated and they've been growing ever since.

Bingo

The rest of the dinner line.

There may even be some Germans in the group… And those who have ancestors in the churchyard and even some that don't, come from all over
the country, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Indiana, New York, Illinois etc. 

"One family, the McKeevers belonged to this
church five generations back and all the kids were out here working," Murphy says.

Continuity -- family, the breath of life in a church almost abandoned. And lives are still touched by the church. Now and through all the years, although St. Patrick's has been closed, the doors open
for Mass three times a year. And, because of the churches unique circumstances, marriages are allowed there. About 15 couples begin their life together at St. Patrick's each year. And of course
wherever life takes them, many still join their ancestors in the graveyard on the hill in the end.
As for  the picnics, they will go on, says Murphy.

"Because, whether you come from St. Louis, New
York or California, you know we're going to be at the
picnic."

This story is a reprint of "Solid Rock" first published in August 23, 2011 by Tracey Bruce, All rights reserved.