The last 50 years of Hubbard history, from the end of World War II to present day, have seen many changes and special events. Some have been good, some have been devastating. After the war, Hubbard, like most of the nation, enjoyed growth and prosperity. Population was increasing, housing was needed, and new developments like Hubbard Estates seemed to emerge practically overnight. Many women who worked while the men were overseas or in the service were staying home and raising children. Servicemen came back, some to go to college on the G.I. Bill, some to go back to their jobs or professions before the war. Some servicemen never came back, however, and Hubbard mourned the loss of 25 young men who didn’t return from the war. Their names are inscribed on the Hubbard War Memorial, which was dedicated on Decoration Day, 1949. Four more names were added to the Memorial in the 50’s and 60’s, for one man who was killed in Korea and three killed in Vietnam.

      In the late 40’s and 50’s, St. Patrick’s church and school, along with the community, were experiencing wrenching events; an expanding population, a need for special services to fit the needs of the parish and community, more emphasis on social problems like civil rights and the rights of the unborn, changes in the church with Vatican II, and the economic and psychological effects of the closing of the valley’s steel mills. The priests and nuns who served the parish had to answer those needs and reflect the changes in their philosophies and needs. The story of their individual efforts during those years is a remarkable one.

      One of the first things needed was additional room at the school. The old five-room school was simply not adequate for the "baby boom era" and its burgeoning population. School population had increased two-and-a-half times between 1952 and 1962. Father Degan saw the need and began the drive for school improvement, but it was during the pastorate of Father John Toole, who came to the church in 1952, that the eight-room addition on Water Street was opened in 1953. That building has served through the present time, although auxiliary classrooms were used in the basement of the convent for many years. Seven years after the church was dedicated, the brick convent across the street from the church was built on the northeast corner of Water Street and Main Street.

      Growth has been constant at St. Patrick’s. In 1960, with over 1,600 families registered here, the church was simply too small. Msgr. Toole, who was named Domestic Prelate by Pope John XXIII in 1961, led a vigorous building drive that resulted in the building of the third St. Patrick’s Church, our present church, at the corner of Park Avenue and Main Street. Bishop James Malone laid the cornerstone on December 12, 1966, and on January 30 of the following year, Msgr. J. Paul O’Connor consecrated the altars. The first Mass was celebrated on February 25, 1967, in the beautiful and imposing structure. When Msgr. Toole retired in 1970, Father Francis Hughes came to St. Patrick’s as its 16^th pastor. The dream of this energetic man was to provide a facility where parish activities and needs could be centered. He embarked on a building drive that culminated in the opening of the St. Patrick Parish Center in 1987. There are very few times when the center is not a hub of activity -in organized sports, in celebrations and parties, in meetings, and in all-parish activities. When that facility was built, the complex that is St. Patrick’s (church, convent, rectory, school and new center) was complete.

      The Catholic church in Hubbard, like all parishes everywhere, is both tradition and innovation. Since Vatican II, obvious changes have been seen. There is greater lay participation, for example, as lectors and lay ministers have been commissioned. Women are serving in new and different ways in the church; from being servers at Mass to being lay ministers and evangelizers. We have permanent deacons serving important ways in our parish, and the parishioners are proud of the two men who have completed the rigorous training and have been ordained to the permanent deaconate; Edward Ted Heutsche and Robert Friedman. St. Patrick’s Parish Council, created to bring lay people into close contact with the organizations and functions, is a vital part of the church today.

      Father Thomas Murphy, who served St. Patrick’s from 1988-1992, and Father Timothy O’Neill, the current pastor, have continued to make the parish receptive to the needs of the parish community. They have vigorously continued the activities begun some years ago, and have initiated new ones when needed. For example, there are the justly famous St. Patrick’s Parish Festivals, which have been going strong for 34 years. Parishioners work together for months toward this gala celebration. There are also many parish organizations as well as opportunities for social and religious renewals, a thriving CCD program and Youth Ministry, and a summer Vacation Bible School that enrolls hundreds of children. The church has responded to the needs of society: joining the ecumenical movement in the community; supporting the efforts of St. Vincent DePaul to help the needy; and instituting discussion groups for divorced and separated Catholics or those whose families are threatened with AIDS. We celebrate marriages and baptisms; we mourn the loss of family members of our community each year. St. Patrick’s has a strong evangelization program, many outreach services provided by the Legion of Mary, and even social occasions for the Parish with weekly bingo games.

      This history began with the observation that the history of any community is a record of the deeds and actions of people across time. It would be interesting to know what Father O’Callaghan would say if he were given an opportunity to visit Father O’Neill, or what Sister Clarice and Sister Clothilda would do were they to watch St. Patrick’s school children in action working on computers. If laymen like Leopold Lumpp or Nicholas Dronie could see the church in Hubbard today, one would wonder what their reactions would be. Certainly, if it were not for the men and women over the last 125 years who dedicated themselves to the work of St. Patrick’s, we would not have what we have today. It is certainly time to Cherish the Past, Celebrate the Present, and to go on and Create a Future even brighter than what we have now.