Could anyone tell me what Catholic churches and/or cemeteries existed in Rowan in the early & mid 1800's? I don't know that the HARBINS were Catholic but it is a possibility. Are there records available for them? Thank you. Joan Marie

Here is some information that I found under the Sacred Heart Church History of Rowan County, NC: "Almost a century before a Catholic diocese was established in North Carolina, a small group of Rowan County Catholics gathered in Salisbury to celebrate their faith. That early presence led to the foundation of Sacred Heart Church, a parish rich in history and spirit. The Roueche family, immigrants from Alsace, France, settled in Salisbury in the late 1830s. With the handful of Catholics living in the area attending, the Roueches hosted what was perhaps the first Mass celebrated in Salisbury. Father Timothy Cronin of the Diocese of Charleston, SC, celebrated, and periodically returned to the town until his death in 1842. Missionary priests visited Salisbury from time to time to celebrate liturgies in private homes during the next few decades. The local congregation grew, thanks in part to a number of converts to the faith. Cardinal James Gibbons, archbishop of Baltimore, MD, and vicar apostolic of North Carolina, occasionally celebrated Mass during visits to Salisbury. In 1881, Salisbury Catholics welcomed their first resident pastor, Father Patrick Moore, whose task it was to build a church in town. After a year of securing a site, fundraising and building, the completed church was dedicated by Bishop Henry Northrup of Charleston and in honor of the Sacred Heart in 1882." The following link:? http://www.shrcnc.org/html/our_parish.html Linda Monticelli -----Original Message----- From: Joan Marie <nidotoni@ipns.com> To: rowanroots@rootsweb.com Sent: Wed, 16 Jan 2008 10:12 am Subject: [ROWANROOTS] CATHOLIC CHURCHES AND CEMETERIES IN ROWAN COUNTY Could anyone tell me what Catholic churches and/or cemeteries existed in Rowan in the early & mid 1800's? I don't know that the HARBINS were Catholic but it is a possibility. Are there records available for them? Thank you. Joan Marie ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ROWANROOTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ________________________________________________________________________ More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail ! - http://webmail.aol.com