St. Peter Catholic Church – Pulaski County Historical Museum

If you or your family attended St. Peter Catholoc Church in Winamac in the 1970s (specifically 1976 – 1979), you may be represented by a square in your name.

Fr. Paul Wohlwend to Mark 65^th Anniversary

1979

Congratulations to Fr. Paul Wohlwend, C.P.P.S., who this year is celebrating the 65th anniversary of his ordination.

Fr. Wohlwend was born in Akron and raised in Suffield, Ohio, and in his home parish of St. Joseph in Randolph, Ohio. He entered Brunnerdale, the Congregation’s minor seminary in Canton, Ohio, in 1942, and was ordained in 1954. After his ordination, he served at St. Charles Seminary in Carthagena, Ohio. He then served at the following parishes: St. Gabriel, Detroit; Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, Cleveland; Precious Blood, Dayton; and St. John the Baptist in Whiting, Indiana.

In 1972, he became administrator of St. Peter Church in Winamac, Indiana. He passed the 25th anniversary of his ordination while serving in Winamac. In 1979, Fr. Wohlwend became pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Otttawa, Ohio. During that time, he also served two terms on the Congregation’s senate. In 1989, he because pastor at Mary Help of Christians Parish in Fort Recovery, Ohio. He retired to St. Charles Center in 2004.

The Missionaries of Precious Blood will celebrate Fr. Wohlwend’s anniversary in addition to the milestone anniversaries of eight other priests and brothers during a Mass on the Feast of the Precious Blood, July 1, at the St. Charles Center.

“We’re inspired by the lives of service of these men. They said yes to God through their vocation to religious life many years ago, and continue to say yes to this day,” said Fr. Jeffrey Kirch, C.P.P.S., provincial director of the Cincinnati Province of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. “May God bless them with many more years in which to live out that call.”

The Missionaries of the Precious Blood is a religious society of priests, religious brothers, and lay associates founded in 1815 by St. Gaspar del Bufalo. Society members work as missionaries in parishes in the U.S. and abroad, in education, and in a wide range of apostolates promoting the cause of God’s reconciliation worldwide by proclaiming the Word.

A Prized Gift

2023-2024

Front panel of the quilt, spread over four tables in the Historical Society Museum.

Early in 2023, Father Paul Wohlwend made a phone call to his former parish of St. Peter Catholic Church in Winamac. He wanted to share something with the people he once served, a gift that had been given on the event of the 25th anniversary of his ordination. He thought the gift would be better served in the hands of the parishioners who lovingly made it.

The gift was a large quilt, together with two lap quilts and two pillow shams. In the two years leading up to the anniversary, each family was given a square patch upon which to draw, paint, or sew something that identified them. From 1977 to 1979, whenever Father Wohlwend would be absent for vacation, parishoners stitched and quilted until the gift was complete.

After hearing his request, Lisa planned a weekend trip to Ohio to visit him. She carefully brought back this prized gift. The quilt and furnishings were displayed in the Social Hall at St. Peter for several months, but it could not stay there forever. Knowing the historic significance of the quilt, Lisa contacted the Pulaski County Historical Society. PCHS agreed to take the quilt to preserve it for posterity.

Large square from the front side of the quilt; a dedication to Fr. Wohlwend.

Father Wohlwend sent this written note with the quilt. “Among the surprising gifts I received from my parish, St. Peter’s at Winamac, Indiana, for my 25^th anniversary of my ordination, was a quilt with additional furnishings. This quilt was planned and promoted over two years, during my vacation times. Each family was given a square patch to draw or paint something that identified them. There are about 500 patches on this quilt. Someone recently suggested that sharing a prized gift would be a great idea. This is my prized gift, and it is from the parish I served. I wanted you to be able to see it before it goes unwanted.”

Lisa Brady stated, “I believe everyone who sees this display and reads Fr. Paul’s description will certainly appreciate its tremendous significance and beauty. Thank you for sharing, Fr. Paul.”

As of October, 2023, Father Wohlwend was living in St. Charles Center in Ohio. At that time, he had been a priest for 69 years.

Note: St. Peter is now part of the Fulton/Pulaski Pastorate, comprised of six churches located within the two counties.

The Quilt and Accessories

The quilt and accessories contain a total of 440 squares.

The quilt itself contains 311 squares on the front and back.
The two lap blankets contain 58 squares. Squares are only on one side of each lap blanket.
Two pillow shams, both double-sided, contain a total of 32 squares.
To appropriately size the quilt, lap blankets, and shams, 38 floral decorative squares are included.
The front side of the quilt contains one oversized square with a dedication statement.