Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church
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Cassella Catholic Church and Rectory
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Front of the church
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| Location | State Route 119 in Cassella, Ohio |
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| Coordinates | 40°24′24″N 84°33′3″W / 40.40667°N 84.55083°WCoordinates: 40°24′24″N 84°33′3″W / 40.40667°N 84.55083°W |
| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1858 |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| MPS | Cross-Tipped Churches of Ohio TR |
| NRHP Reference # | 79002822 |
| Added to NRHP | July 26, 1979 |
The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church is a historic Catholic church in Cassella, an unincorporated community in Mercer County, Ohio, United States. One of several Catholic churches in Marion Township, it has been designated a historic site because of its well-preserved nineteenth-century architecture.
Founded in 1847, Nativity parish was served from its earliest years by itinerant priests of the Society of the Precious Blood. Soon after the parish's formation, a small frame church building was erected on the northeastern corner of the intersection of what is now Cassella-Montezuma Road and State Route 119. The parish was reduced by the formation of St. Francis parish in Cranberry Prairie: due to the difficulty of travelling to Cassella, the Catholics in the western part of the parish requested a separate church, and St. Francis parish was founded in 1858.
Despite the creation of St. Francis' Church, the original frame church had become too small by the late 1850s. Starting in 1858, the parishioners spent $6,000 to construct a replacement brick structure on the southeastern corner of the intersection. Other buildings were constructed around the church, including a large house for the pastor.
Today, Nativity remains an active parish of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. It is part of the Marion Catholic Community cluster, along with Precious Blood parish in Chickasaw, St. Sebastian parish in Sebastian, St. Rose parish in St. Rose, and St. John the Baptist parish in Maria Stein. The entire cluster is a part of the St. Marys Deanery.
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