Our Legacy of Faith – Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Parish

A historic moment occurred July 1, 2013, when the newly designated Epiphany of the Lord Parish came into canonical creation embracing the ecclesial parish territories of all the Catholic communities rooted in East Toledo. The legacy of the Catholic faith on the east side has been vibrant for almost 150 years since the rapid growth of the area east of the Maumee River in the 1870s and 1880s. Six parishes formed to anchor the faith of the People of God in East Toledo that would eventually become the unique Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Parish:

in 1871, St. Louis Parish
in 1873, Good Shepherd Parish
in 1883, Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish
in 1898, St. Stephen of Hungary Parish
in 1906, Holy Rosary Parish
in 1915, St. Thomas Aquinas Parish

Hard work and sacrifice, as well as joy, friendship and faith marked those years. Since then parishioners have created lifelong friendships with each other as they celebrated the sacraments, planned and executed festivals, shared dinners, and opened food pantries. They reached out to the community with other events that supported the spiritual and temporal needs of both the individual parishes and the East Toledo community as well.

This legacy of faith has stood the test of time, wars, fires, and the Great Depression. Many have left an imprint on it. Present and future generations of Catholics are blessed through the generations that preceded them. Looking to the future, our parish welcomes all people of good will who seek to understand, know, and deepen their love for God in their lives. With trust in the leadership of holy priests and religious and dedicated and selfless laity, Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Parish is entrusted to future generations.

May our infinite and merciful Lord Jesus continue to shower down blessings upon our unique and diverse Epiphany of the Lord Parish, in our little corner of the Kingdom known as East Toledo. May the legacy of faith that we have inherited continue to grow and flourish as we proclaim “Jesus Christ yesterday, today, and for all ages to come” (Hebrews 13:8). Amen.