History
Holy Family Catholic Church in Hannibal, Missouri
Holy Family Catholic Church celebrated 175 years of Catholic
Faith in 2020. Our parish developed from a small group of Catholics
in Hannibal who were visited by the pioneer missionary Father Cusack
in 1845, the same year that Hannibal was incorporated. Though the
first cross of Schist was planted in 1680 by Father Louis Hennepin, a
French monk of the order of St. Francis, while exploring the Bay de Charles.
The first Catholic priest to reside in Hannibal, Father John O’Hanlon, came
in 1848. Father John O’Hanlon, in his book, Life and Scenery in Missouri
spoke of his appointment: “I took leave of St. Louis on the 8th of May, 1848,
and I went aboard a steamer, bound for the upper Mississippi, towards evening.
It was the St. Louis and Keokuk packet. The morning after leaving St. Louis
and as the steamer neared the landing at Hannibal, I was greeted by
Mr. Harrison and Mr. Dowling, then strangers to me – while both took care
to have my luggage effects and my horse conveyed to their respective
destinations. The vast extent of missionary district then assigned to my
care was almost limitless, although exactly defined, so far as I had charge
of Catholic Centres and the Catholics immediately surrounding them.”1
Catholics in Hannibal celebrated Mass only once a week and shared a
priest with Catholic congregations in Ralls County (St. Paul’s) and in
Marion County (Palmyra). Outside of St. Paul’s masses, these masses
were celebrated in homes and log cabins. The priest would travel by
horseback to reach each assignment in his care. Our first actual brick
church was built in 1854 at Church and Sixth Streets and dedicated on
April 24, 1855.2 This church still stands, though no longer belongs to Holy Family.
In 1880 we purchased the large church at Sixth and Lyon Streets from the
Congregationalists. This church was called Immaculate Conception. The
smaller brick church was then call Immaculate Conception Chapel.
In 1919, Fr. TC Fox had the vision and foresight to see the need for
a second Catholic church for the growing Catholic population. A new
Catholic church was built at 2100 Broadway, called Incarnate Word and
later renamed, Blessed Sacrament. This parish would service the needs
of 125 Catholic families that lived on the west end of town. The cornerstone
on Blessed Sacrament church was printed with the dedication words “in service of
God and country.”
In 1954, a new Catholic church was built at 1111 Broadway and was
named St. Mary’s. St. Mary’s Church was dedicated to the service of the
“everlasting glory of God.” Eventually the parishes of Blessed Sacrament and
St. Mary’s were merged into one church called Catholic Church of Hannibal
and then, Hannibal Catholic Church. Our name was later changed to
Holy Family Catholic Church to more accurately reflect the joining
together of the parishes of Immaculate Conception, Blessed Sacrament
and St. Mary’s Catholic Churches. Parishioners at Holy Family also
include those who previously attended the closed parishes of St. Joseph
in New London, Missouri, south of Hannibal on highway 61 and Holy
Cross Catholic Church in Ilasco, Missouri, on highway 79. Holy Cross
maintains a chapel and a historical preservation society and was founded in 1915.
Descendants of the families who were members of St. Joseph, Immaculate
Conception, Blessed Sacrament, St. Mary’s and Holy Cross are all represented
within Holy Family today. Though many of the buildings of our parishes are gone,
the memories we have are of the times and people who shared our vision for
celebrating our Catholic faith. Our faith continues to sustain us!
1 O’Hanlin, Very Rev. John Canon, Life and Scenery in Missouri, Dublin, 1890
pp.164-65, reprinted from History of St. Mary’s Parish by Rev. Louis McCorkle
2 McCorkle, Rev Louis, History of St. Mary’s Parish fromthe book of Dedication
Bishop W. Shawn McKnight was born on June 26, 1968 and grew up in a large Catholic family and attended Catholic schools.