Since the early 1900’s Annunciation Church was a foster parent to small, struggling parishes, helping in various ways according to the need. Holy Rosary Church in Seelyville was the first mission to be thus served. Prior to 1908, residents of Seelyville had to attend churches in neighboring towns, but in July of 1908, Rev. John A. Walsh (assistant to Rev. Joseph Bauer of Brazil), was appointed the First Curate of the Seelyville Mission.
Other parishes have received the benefit of assistance by priests and sisters assigned to Annunciation. The Sisters of Annunciation School furnished religious instruction to children of Diamond and Carbon.
Annunciation Priests have administered to other area churches, including St. Augustine Church, Fontanet, Indiana from 1932-1941; St. Mary’s Church in Diamond, and St. Joseph’s Church in Carbon. It is sad to note that all of these churches are now closed.
In 1981, the school had 165 kids in eight grades, and 4/5 of them were Catholic, tuition was $60 a year, and Sister David Allen Van Dyke, Sister Kathryn Koressel, and Patricia Strange were the teachers in the three room school with two grades to a room. Also in 1981, Father Spicuzza had been at Annunciation for twenty years. The Church had no parish council, but according to a life-time parishioner, Tom Fisher, “the whole parish was the council.” The men kept Father Spicuzza well-informed about parish doings after daily Mass over coffee in the rectory.
Father Spicuzza said that faith, not organization, was the strength of the parish. Annunciation has given the archdiocese seven priests, 13 sisters and one brother.