160 Years of Tradition

Submitted from www.stmartinfl.org

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Submitted from www.stmartinfl.org

Buy this photo

Submitted from www.stmartinfl.org

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By BECCA OWSLEY bowsley@thenewsenterprise.com FLAHERTY — St. Martin of Tours at 440 St. Martins Road in Flaherty will celebrate its 160 year anniversary Sunday with a Mass at the site of the original church building. St. Martian’s began in 1848 in a location now marked by an alter in the church cemetery. The present church was dedicated on Nov. 14, 1894. A new high school was built in 1935 by the parishioners. A large building in Fort Knox was torn down to get lumber for the building. The gymnasium of the school had a movie screen where many parishioners saw family movies on Sunday afternoons. A complete renovation of the church was done in 1946 including painting the church in an ornate fashion. A new gym was constructed in 1949 and was considered the largest gym in the area at that time and hosted district tournament games. There have been many changes and additions through time including a new alter dedicated in 2007. At least 30 stain glass windows shine light into the church as worshipers gathered throughout the years. St. Martin’s became a Kentucky historical landmark in 1983. Mass will be celebrated 11 a.m. Sunday in the cemetery. If it rains the Mass will be celebrated in the current church building. There will be a $5 chicken dinner, music and games on the parish grounds from 2 to 7 p.m. Parish archives also will be open to anyone interested in the church and community history. Anyone is invited to submit family charts for the archive records. For more information about the festivities. call (270) 828-2552 or e-mail martinfl@bbtel.com. Becca Owsley can be reached at (270) 505-1741.