In 1865 the village of Bluffton was four years old.

There was no town hall. There were no Main Street retail buildings.

Bluffton University did not exist, nor did Bluffton schools. There were no railroads here.

A small pox epidemic had ravaged the rural Bluffton settlement from 1861 to 1863. The Civil War was ending. The State of Ohio had existed for only 62 years.

MORE PHOTOS AT BOTTOM OF STORY -

An Owens family, living in what is now the Lincoln Highway south of Bluffton, had recently converted to Catholicism.

That conversion 150 years ago launched what is today St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Bluffton. The congregation concludes its yearlong celebration of its sesquicentennial on Sunday, Aug. 16.

St. Mary’s Church is today the largest single congregation in the Village of Bluffton, with 970 members from 310 families. Bob Blake, 102, is the congregation’s oldest member. In addition to Bluffton, members come from Beaverdam, Pandora, Mt. Cory, Rawson, Arlington and Findlay.

Sister Carol Inkrott is in her 14th year as pastoral leader. Father John Stites is the congregation’s chaplain.

Sunday’s celebration includes a visit from Bishop Daniel Thomas of Toledo. He will celebrate a 10 a.m. mass at the church. Following the mass he will bless a memorial and meditation garden, constructed this spring on the Spring Street side of the church. The project is part of the church’s 150th anniversary celebration.

A lunch, catered by Milano’s of Lima will be served at The Centre. At the meal there will be a display of historical items related to the past 150 years of the congregation.

The event will also include viewing of several photos taken during the past 12-month celebration of the 150th anniversary.

Keith Hohenbrink designed and directed the creation of the memorial and meditation garden. Jerry and Jeanne Wehri chaired the garden committee.

St. Mary’s plays an important role in the spiritual life of the Bluffton community.

As a participant in the Bluffton Area Ministerial Association, the church supports the Bluffton Weekday Christian Education Program, Good Friday Procession of the Cross, Community Vacation Bible School, Bluffton Community Assistance Program and its food pantry and monthly community dinners at the Senior Citizens Center.

Members of the congregation also participate in a yearly mission trip to Booneville, Kentucky, which involves a work repair project. It also supports a Christmas giving tree for Heartbeat, participates in the Christmas community “adopt-a-family” and its members are active in several civic organizations.

More church history

The following is from the book “Town and the Fork of the Rileys Revised,” 1986 edition.

The St. Mary’s Catholic Church had its beginnings as far back as 1856 when a French Missionary, Father M. Dechart, by chance visited the James Owens family living on what is now the Lincoln Highway south of Bluffton.

After the conversion of the Owens family, their home served as the gathering place for a small group of Catholics in the area.

The church building in Bluffton grew out of this same incident. Property for Owens purchased the building at the corner of Lawn and Elm and Spring from money sent to him by his son, Paris, while serving in the Civil War. Paris died of “the fever.”

In addition to buying the lot, the Owens family contributed $200 to the building fund. The building was completed at a cost of $1,000, which was subscribed to by citizens of all faiths.

The first members were the Owens family, Frank and Joseph Kenny, Lawrence and Joseph Fisher, the Steinhauers, Hortingers, Wittkofskis, William Gustwiller, Joseph Remon and the Woodbridges.

Fathers Young and Rudolph attended the church in the early times.

In 1906 the church had a membership of 50 and was served by Father H. Doener of Findlay.

Construction of a new building on the corner of Spring and Elm streets started in 1968.

The old building at the corner of Lawn and Elm, after being vacant for a few years, was razed in 1976.