In west central Ohio, not far from the Indiana border,
are many people who can trace their ancestors to German Catholic immigrants whose lives centered around their families, farms and the culture and faith they had brought with them from Germany. Many of
the churches were established in Mercer, Auglaize
and Shelby counties by the people themselves, not
the hierarchy of the church. This allegiance and identification with the home parish exists today.
German Catholic Country: West Central Ohio is
the story of these communities forged by German Catholic immigrants in the early to mid 1800s...
communities that continue to thrive today.

Most of these parishes were started 100 to 150 years ago when the immigrants
first arrived. In this west central Ohio region that stretches about 22 miles on
either side of route I-19 from just west of I-75 to the Ohio/ Indiana border, more
than 30 structures including churches, convent buildings and others have been placed on the National Register of Historical Places.

German Catholic Country: West Central Ohio
looks at the immaculate farms and the
multigenerational families who live and work on this
land of cross-tipped churches two of which are only
one mile apart because the swamp land on which
they are built was difficult for people to traverse.
The program celebrates the religious heritage and
pride that these people carry in their hearts and
shows the church structures as monuments that give solid witness to the strength of faith of those who attend.

WBGU-PBS ties this story of the German Catholic Country with the growing threat mega-farms have on these small family farms. It also shows how today's farming relies on high-tech, high-speed equipment that means fewer families farming as
they once did.

Watch the Video