1854 The Brick Church
By 1850 Father Francis Stephen Uhrich had become the resident pastor in Pendleton. For a brief period the congregations of Pendleton and Swormville were merged with Fr. Uhrich traveling between the two communities. In 1853 the congregation of Pendleton made an appeal to be separated from Swormville. Sixty Catholic families in residence along the canal wished to receive the title of an independent parish with a permanent pastor. The separation was granted that same year.

For five years the log cabin building had served as both school and church until 1854. It was then that work began on a new brick church in September 1854. The motivation and decision of the parishioners to build it began with a mission conducted by Father Werninger who visited the parish at the request of Fr. Uhrich. It began on 28 July 1854 with a cross being placed and blessed on the grounds outside the log-church. Present for the mission were eighty men, ninety-two women, thirty-six young ladies, twenty-two young boys, and twenty-five children. At the end of the mission, the parishioners received the sacraments of Penance and Holy Eucharist. On the last day, Werninger donated $100 toward the construction of the new church. On September 25, 1854, the foundation was laid and on October 3, the corner stone was put in place and blessed by Fr. Lucas Caveng.

On December 2, 1855 the congregation came to church and sat in the new pews. It was announced at Mass that Sunday that a pew rent of $2 per year would be charged. Those parishioners who did not pay lost title to their seats!