(Plain Press, July 2018)      On June 9^th, St. Colman Parish celebrated the 100^th Anniversary of the opening of its church building with a Day of Music.

The event began with Irish Dancing in the Church Hall featuring two dancers from Murphy’s Irish Arts Center in Beachwood. The dancers, Don Jacobsen and Ellen Conkey entertained the crowd performing dances such as the jig, reel and two-handed slip jig.

Immediately following the Irish Dancers, the Day of Music moved outside to the church courtyard where the Cleveland Drum Circle invited members of the crowd to join in playing various instruments to accompany the drums. St. Colman Pastor Father Caroli Shao joined in the festivities shaking a tambourine to the drum beats.

Jack Hale, who does custodial work for St. Colman Parish, says the Cleveland Drum Circle practices in St. Colman Church on Sunday nights and he buffs the floors to the beat of the drums.

The Day of Music started and noon and went until seven in the evening with a wide variety of musical acts performing throughout the day. Pastor Father Caroli Shao said the normal Saturday evening mass was cancelled due to the celebration.

St. Colman Parish Historian Linda Burger coordinated the efforts of the Day of Music Committee and its honorary Chairperson Pat Conway to organize the event. Burger says she often gives tours of St. Colman Church and explains its history to visitors. Burger says St. Colman Parish was founded in 1880, but the current church building was built much later and didn’t open its doors until 1918.