The Parish of Mt. Morris St. Mary's: An Examination of an Irish-Catholic Community, 1860-1900

Abstract

Only subtle hints exist to show that the past holds a degree of significance for some local residents. A few years ago, an outer wall on a local business was decorated with a collage of characters and events from America’s past. About half a mile to the south is an other wall painting, located on the auditorium wall at St. Mary’s Catholic School, and it hints at some local history. There in striking green letters, standing several feet high, is the message that St. Mary’s is the home of the "Shamrocks.” The inscription and the green shamrock painted near it serve as a reminder of a day when this Mt. Morris Catholic parish had the Irish as its dominant group. This paper is a study of these Irish - Catholics and their role in the development of this 19th century Michigan parish and community. The paper will consider the economic, social, and political variances between this group and other ethnic and religious factions which comprised the Mt. Morris and Genesee area. It will also focus on the establishment of the settlement patterns exhibited by the Irish - Catholics in the two township area.