History of Mary, Help of Christians Parish

Our parish has a long tradition as a Christian community, dating back to 1862 when a missionary priest from the Society of Mary organized the Catholic population into a parish congregation in Fairfield, Ohio. Parishioners met in an old schoolhouse until 1868 when Father Charles Hahne helped the congregation build a permanent church about a mile away in the larger town of Osborn. It was officially dedicated to Mary, Help of Christians on August 22, 1869. That "country" church served the parish of 20 families well and in 1918 they celebrated their golden jubilee, but with mixed feelings as the Miami Conservancy, formed after the 1913 flood, had designated the area as a retarding basin to check against future devastating floods. Several years later, in 1923, a new 150 seat church was erected on Pleasant Street as part of the relocated town of Osborn. The church struggled through the depression years, but by 1950, in what was now Fairborn (the merger of Fairfield and Osborn), MHC had bloomed into a parish of 500 families. In 1956 ground was broken on what is now our school. The school initially served as the new church back in those days. In the 1960's, the convent (now St. Francis Hall) and the rectory were completed. In 1970, our present church, the fifth in MHC's history was dedicated. As a physical link to the past, the bell in our steeple today is the same one which called parishioners to services at the old Osborn church in 1868.

Today, our congregation numbers approximately 950 families, and the school enrollment stands at approximately 180 students. We have about 50 parish organizations which help guide and educate the youngest to the oldest of our parishioners. We invite you to become involved in one of the ministries that are available in our parish.