St. Colman was designed as a symbol of pride for Cleveland's West Side Irish community. Beyond Father O'Leary's costly decision to use all real materials for the church (no composites or false finishes), he also employed Irish craftsmen to show the quality of work that could come out of Ireland. Having traveled to Rome in order to choose marble for use in the church's interior, materials were then shipped to Ireland. The altars, communion rail, pulpit, and Stations of the Cross were completed in Dublin under his direction. Despite this attention to detail in the craftsmanship and materials used, no debt had been accrued by the church upon the building's completion.
Photograph courtesy of Cleveland State University Special CollectionsDownload Original File
