Father Otto Hafen, a native of Germany, became the fifth pastor of Saint Thomas in January 1920. He found it a trying assignment, for despite its Teutonic heritage this community exhibited strong anti-German sentiments after the Great War, no doubt influenced by the Military Post. Nonetheless, Father Hafen proved himself a loyal citizen of his adopted country and showed real patriotism in ministering to soldiers.
The parish population was growing fast as Fort Thomas continued to develop. Having acquired enough property on the north side of East Villa Place, Father Hafen and his church and his church committee thought it an opportune time to build another combined church and school building. Plans were drawn for a two-story yellow brick edifice over a large casement usable for gatherings. Unlike Grand Avenue, here the schoolchildren would do most of the climbing, for the three classrooms were situated above the church. Expecting a cost of $70,000, the parish was relieved when bids came in lower, at $55,000.
Excavation began in May 1920, and the cornerstone was laid on June 27, following a triumphant parade through the streets of the city by some 25 members of the clergy and several thousand of the laity. The Very Reverend Dean Mathias Leick, the first pastor of Saint Thomas, was delegated by Bishop Ferdinand Brossart to conduct the ceremonies. The post-war steel shortage delayed progress, but o February 20, 1921, Bishop Brossart dedicated the building to divine service and to Catholic education. Father Otto Hafen celebrated a High Mass, with Father Leick as the preacher. On February 23, some 90 children excitedly carried the last of their belongings uphill from the two Grand Avenue classrooms and took their places in the new building. The original parish home was quickly sold in 1912 to be converted into apartments.
With the increasing congregation, Father Hafen petitioned the Most Reverend Bishop for a third Mass. This was taken care of by several neighboring priests and eventually by the first assistant pastor, Father Francis DeJaco, who came in the fall of 1922. Four CDP Sisters were now teaching, and a fourth classroom had to be set up in the basement when 175 students enrolled for September 1924. To relieve the Sisters of the commute to and from Mount Saint Martin’s in Newport, the parish bought a house opposite the school for $16,000, to serve as a convent for the expanding faculty.
When the East Villa building had been initially proposed, a number to older and childless families made a counter-proposal: Why not build a church on the Fort Thomas Avenue property and continue to hold classes in the 1902 Grand Avenue building? A separate structure for the school was clearly desirable, but the old building would need extensive and costly renovations, and being so far from the church would be inconvenient for liturgies. In 1924 Father Hafen had an architect draw up some sketches for a 300-seat church at the corner of Fort Thomas Avenue, where he had added another 100 feet of frontage. This idea went no further, for two reasons. The first, an exceedingly sad one, was the death of this cultured, esteemed, and zealous pastor, who after a brief illness was called home by the Good Shepherd on February 9, 1925. The second reason was the incredible influx of dozens of Children and many new families, which made building a small church ill advised.
When Father Herbert F. Hillenmeyer succeeded the lamented Father Hafen on March 1, 1925, he saw that a second basement classroom would be needed, as more than 200 students were expected in September. The alternative was to build rapidly, extending the original edifice and adding six classrooms. The church could remain in its three rooms on the first floor, with a fifth Mass added to relieve the congestion on Sundays.
On the advice of the church committee and with the approval of His Excellency, Bishop Francis W. Howard, the construction of the eastern half of the school got under way in late April, within two months of Father Hillenmeuer’s arrival. Amazingly, the new wing was ready for students by Thanksgiving, at a cost of approximately $40,000. The debt when this addition was completed was about $33,000, which was liquidated in less than three years by – in their pastor’s words – “one of the most energetic bodies of parishioners in the diocese.”
Not satisfied with paying off the debt, they pressed forward in accumulating money for a separate church building, slackened only by the financial crisis of 1929-1930, which tied up the investments of the parish for several years. Impatient parishioners constantly prodded the pastor, asking, “Why all the delay in beginning our church?” Two answers were given: “Tell us how you can liquidate our frozen assets.” And: “Why start a building in these unstable times and be compelled to assume a crushing debt that might take years to cancel?”
God was surely good to us, for while shrewd investors and institutions lost thousands in the stock market crash, Saint Thomas parish’s loss on investments of $140,000 was less than $1,000.
