| In 1832 and 1833 a number of German Catholics
settled in Sherman Township. At first it was called St. Germain and shortly
after Sherman Settlement. It was closely associated with the Catholic Settlement
at Thompson. The faithful settlers from Sherman went to Thompson
to worship, which was a distance of four miles.
As the Thompson parish grew, it became necessary to establish a Mission
at Sherman. This was done in 1846.
The first church was constructed of rough hewn logs. It was opened for
worship on July 2, 1846. Services in the beginning were held monthly and
eventually, every Sunday.
The Sanguinist Fathers from the Thompson Mission Center looked after
the spiritual welfare of the Mission.
A pastoral residence was built in 1867. The mission had grown considerably
and needed a priest to reside in the parish grounds. The first resident
pastor was Father John Thoma, C.P.P.S. He came in July 1868.
The original log chapel was replaced in 1857 by the present brick church.
A frame school was built in 1862 about two miles from the church. The
second school was built on parish grounds west of the church in 1868. This
building was of brick construction.
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In December 1869 we came under
care of secular priests.
In 1894 the church was renovated on the interior and exterior. In 1897
a new pipe organ was installed.
The original school was closed around 1900, and a new three classroom
school was built. The old school on the parish property continued to be
used until it was damaged by fire in 1967 and was then razed. The Sisters
of Divine Providence from Covington, Kentucky taught until 1946. At this
time the Sisters of St. Francis from Tiffin took over teaching the children.
In 1922 the sanctuary and sacristies were enlarged. The old Gothic steeple
was removed and replaced with the Romanesque style steeple. The vestibule
was also enlarged.
In December 1940, fire did damage in excess of $13,000. The church was
renovated and restored following the fire.
The school ceased to be parochial in 1948 when it became a part of Seneca-Huron
School District. The public school district used the school buildings at
St. Sebastian until 1967. The Sisters of St. Francis continued to teach
at Bismark until students were transferred to a new school.
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