Saint Alphonsus Liguori Catholic Church (Peru, Ohio) records

The Catholic Church in Peru began as a Station of Canton in 1830. The parish's first church was built in 1830, it was originally dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel. It was rededicated in 1834 to St. Alphonsus Liguori.

In 1833, the first Catholic school in the Diocese was opened with ten students enrolled. One year later the parish received their first resident priest, Father F.X. Tschenhenss. Between the years 1836 and 1837, the church was enlarged to almost double its original size. In 1851, the current church was built. It was built to accommodate the growing population.

Beginning in 1834, Peru became a major mission center for northwest Ohio. It served many Missions and Stations, such as, Portland, Beechland, Liverpool, Valley City, Huron, Milan, Norwalk, Thompson, Bucyrus, Lower Sandusky, Attica, Mansfield and Washington.

In 1969, the parish school was closed permanently because there was insufficient teacher nuns available to run the school. One year later the resident priest left Peru and the parish became a Mission, or Sister, parish of St. Mary Catholic Church in Norwalk. Peru did not received another resident pastor because there was a shortage of priests in the Diocese.

In 1977, a rare event occurred at St. Alphonsus Liguori Catholic Church. A priest that had served the parish in 1841 was canonized and the event was commemorated in Peru. His name was St. John Neumann.

Mossing, Lawrence A. S.T.D. History of the Diocese of Toledo. Northern Ohio - West Central and Central Sections. Diocese of Toledo. Toledo, Ohio. 1985. Pages 270 - 275.