St. Cecilia Roman Catholic Church has a long and rich history dating back to 1880, when the Diocese of Covington, in conjunction with local citizens, purchased a lot, built a frame structure, and named it in honor of St. Cecilia, the patron saint of music. Established as a mission church of St. Paul Catholic Church in Florence, this arrangement continued until 1919. The original church building stood near the present site of Swindler and Currin Funeral Home.
As the Independence area grew, so too did the parish. In 1911, most of the land that now comprises our campus was purchased, originally to serve as a cemetery. After the original church building was destroyed by fire in 1919, Fr. Henry Heringhaus—our first resident pastor—oversaw the construction of a larger, more modern church on the cemetery property. This structure became known as the “1919 Church.” That same year marked the beginning of St. Cecilia School, with the first school building erected in 1919. The school continued to grow, and in 1923 a permanent school building was completed. Sisters of Divine Providence from St. Anne Convent in Melbourne served as some of the first teachers.
The rapid growth of the parish during these early years required significant sacrifice. To help fund needed buildings, the parish established its annual Labor Day festival in 1919. What began primarily as a community chicken dinner—with both the chicken and side dishes donated by parishioners—has grown tremendously over the decades. Even so, the tradition of the Labor Day chicken dinner remains a cherished part of parish life.
Expansion continued throughout the mid-20th century. After many years of the resident pastor living off campus, the current rectory was built in 1950. A new school building followed in 1953 (now the older section of our present school). By 1966, the congregation had grown so substantially that the 1919 church was expanded and doubled in size. Even this proved insufficient, and two new parishes—St. Patrick Church in Taylor Mill and St. Barbara Church in Erlanger—were established to accommodate the overflow.
By the time of St. Cecilia’s centennial in 1980, the need for further expansion had once again become clear. Because of the cost, plans took several years to materialize. Groundbreaking for our current church building took place in 1990, and the new church was completed and dedicated in 1997. Continued growth led to an addition to our school in 2000, further strengthening our commitment to Catholic education. In 2020, a Parish Life Center—constructed as an extension of the school and providing a long-needed gymnasium—was formally dedicated.
Over the years, St. Cecilia has been blessed with devoted leadership and faithful vocations. The parish has had 13 full-time pastors, eight associate pastors, and two deacons. We have also been blessed with two sons of St. Cecilia who entered the priesthood and 13 daughters of St. Cecilia who answered the call to religious life.
From its humble beginnings as a mission church in 1880 to the vibrant parish community it is today, St. Cecilia continues to grow in faith, tradition, and service—carrying a proud legacy forward into the future.
St. Cecilia’s Historical Timeline
1880-Original church building built a half-mile from current church site. The new St. Cecilia Church was a mission parish attended to by St. Paul Catholic Church in Florence.
1911-Land purchased at current church site, to serve as the location of our cemetery.
1919-Original church building is totally destroyed in a fire. Rev. Henry Heringhaus is subsequently appointed St. Cecilia’s first resident pastor, and he oversees the construction of a new church building. It is dedicated in November of 1919.
1919-To help raise funds, the parish holds a chicken dinner on Labor Day, 1919. All food was donated by parishioners. This was the start of our annual Labor Day Festival, which still incorporates a chicken dinner.
1921-The original rectory was built. It was located near where the drive into the parking lot in front of our current church building is.
1923-The original St. Cecilia School is built. It was located at the front of the cemetery, to the right of the entrance.
1930-St. Cecilia celebrates her Golden Jubilee (50 years).
1950-Our present rectory was built. This marked the first time St. Cecilia’s pastor would reside on campus.
1953-A new school building is constructed. That building is the old portion of our current school.
1964-The 1919 church building was expanded, effectively doubling its size.
1966-St. Patrick in Taylor Mill and St. Barbara in Erlanger are branched off of St. Cecilia due to overcrowding.
1980-St. Cecilia celebrates her centennial (100 years).
1990-Ground is broken for the current church building.
1991-The original 1921 school building burns down due to an electrical fire.
1994-The original rectory, which had housed the nuns for many years, was torn down.
1997-Our current church building is dedicated on December 14, with Bishop Robert Muench presiding.
2000-St. Cecilia School is expanded, adding a two-story addition with eight additional classrooms.
2009-The 1919 church building is torn down.
2020-The Parish Life Center and Gymnasium was dedicated on February 23, 2020.
2021-Fr. Harry Settle is installed as St. Cecilia’s 13th pastor on January 27, 2021.
