February 9, 2018

From the Archives

St. Mary Magdalene Church

This photo shows the original church and rectory of the former St. Mary Magdalene Parish in Ripley County. The original grounds of the parish were located within what later became the Jefferson Proving Ground, a munitions testing facility operated by the U.S. Army. The land for the proving ground was selected in December 1940. St. Mary Magdalene and several other churches that were located within the proving ground were forced to close or move. The final Mass in the original church was celebrated on Feb. 16, 1941, by then-Bishop Joseph E. Ritter. The parish was closed for six years before being re-opened in 1947 in New Marion. St. Mary Magdalene Parish was merged in December 2013 with Prince of Peace Parish in Madison as part of the “Connected in the Spirit” planning process.

This photo shows the original church and rectory of the former St. Mary Magdalene Parish in Ripley County. The original grounds of the parish were located within what later became the Jefferson Proving Ground, a munitions testing facility operated by the U.S. Army. The land for the proving ground was selected in December 1940. St. Mary Magdalene and several other churches that were located within the proving ground were forced to close or move. The final Mass in the original church was celebrated on Feb. 16, 1941, by then-Bishop Joseph E. Ritter. The parish was closed for six years before being re-opened in 1947 in New Marion. St. Mary Magdalene Parish was merged in December 2013 with Prince of Peace Parish in Madison as part of the “Connected in the Spirit” planning process.
 

(Would you like to comment on or share information about this photo? Contact archdiocesan archivist Julie Motyka at 800-382-9836, ext. 1538; 317-236-1538; or by e-mail at jmotyka@archindy.org.)

 

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