The Legacy of Ed and Mary Bower

Ed and Mary Bower, with their three children, were one of the founding families of St. Philip Catholic Church. There were many evenings after work, along with full weekends, of strenuous labor that helped make St. Philip the welcoming place it is today.



One such project found Ed measuring and marking the parking lot so that other families could paint the white lines. After tackling the work in the Convent to make ready to receive the Sisters of St. Joseph, Ed was part of the Church’s Fundraising Committee, knocking on doors to solicit the annual pledges to help St. Philip grow.

Ed was a regular participant in the Parish Festival constructing game booths that were set up in the parking lot, helping to acquire a car for the famous Smash the Car booth, and manning the Circle Toss booth. (right)



Then came the biggest project of all – stained glass windows for the church! When Ed and Mary met with Fr. Kevin Walsh, and committed to purchasing the first window, they called their daughter to let her know what they had planned: at their passing, they were leaving a bequest to pay for the window in memory of their oldest son. Their daughter asked, “Don’t you want to see Ed’s window? Why are you waiting?” That started the ball rolling! They not only purchased the first window, they purchased the second one as well….the Bower Family window.