Parish History

Shortly after the City of Hartford was incorporated, St. George's Church parish was founded. The parish was established in 1882. In those years of the parish Masses and other church services were held in the home of the faithful. the first church, a frame building, was erected in 1885 for $1,800.00. It was the first house of worship built in Hartford Township. The parish boasted 40 families and also had a Sunday School Program. A parsonage was built soon afterwards with both being located on the northwest area of the present Catholic Cemetery which is located on the southeast edge of Hartford. the frame church was later torn down and the present brick church was erected in 1920 with the parsonage built shortly after. In 1965, St. George's purchased the building at the south end of Main Street and with parish labor may Catholic men spent late hours each evening as well as weekends remodeling what came to be known as the Catholic Youth Center. In 1996, a new Parish Center was built and opened in the southwest part of Hartford across from Tammen Oil Co. The Parish of St. George has grown to 280 families and is continuing to grow with the guidance of Father Mike Kelly as our Pastor and Sister Muriel Spartz as our Pastoral Associate.

St. George is the Patron Saint of our parish. Through little is known about St. George, there is every reason to believe that he was a martyr who suffered in Palestine. The story of George's slaying the dragon and rescuing the king's daughter is a legend surrounding his life. That he is willing to pay the supreme price to follow Christ is what the Church believed and promulgates.

St. George, pray for us.