St. Cyril of Alexandria, Brighton Heights
St. Cyril of Alexandria was established on June 4, 1924. The origin of the parish can be traced to the growth of population in Brighton Heights following World War I. Before the parish was founded, local Catholics traveled to either St. Leo or St. Francis Xavier to attend Mass. As the population grew, the desire for an independent parish also grew. In 1924, 131 Catholics signed a petition to the bishop requesting their own parish.
For the first twenty weeks of the parish's existence, Sunday Mass was celebrated in different private homes. Ground for a new church was broken on October 12, 1924. The first Mass in the church was celebrated on Christmas Day of 1924 and the building was dedicated on January 18, 1925.
On August 3, 1952, fire struck the church. Before the building could be completely repaired, another fire struck, on September 15, 1953, causing extensive damage. After the last fire, a decision was made to build a new church. Ground for the new church was broken in the spring of 1954. The cornerstone was laid on June 13, 1954, and the completed building was dedicated on December 12, 1954. The old church was converted to a hall and classrooms and used by the school. That building was eventually torn down in 1966.
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| First St. Cyril Church, 1933 | Interior of first church, 1933 | Current St. Cyril Church, 2002 | Altar of current church, 2002 |
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