1877 August. Father Kreckel persuades the Sisters of the Humility of Mary, then located at Liberty, Missouri, to move to Ottumwa. The order’s object is to establish orphan asylums, schools, and hospitals, and to minister to the sick. The sisters establish St. Joseph Academy, a parochial school for boys, with attendance of about 100.

1877 Mrs. Mary Tally purchases several acres on North Court hill and makes it available to the Sisters of Humility of Mary for use as a hospital.

1878 The Academy of Visitation has grown into a boarding school accommodating 100 female students from ages of 6 to 24. There are 26 Sisters of the Visitation including 12 teachers who operate both the Academy and the parochial school, which serves about 30 females students.

1878 The first St. Mary of the Visitation is razed to make room for a new parish house, serving as both an accommodation school and rectory.

1879 Father Francis J. Ward is named the first priest of St. Patrick’s Church; he forms a committee to establish a parish building fund. In the meantime, he celebrates Mass in parishioners’ homes and in local schools.

1880 Talley Hospital is completed by the Sisters of the Humility of Mary at a cost of about $4,000, and the patients who have been housed in the convent are moved into the new building, located on North Court.

1882 The Sacred Heart School is built on the corner of Fifth and Court Streets to house the parochial school for boys.

1882 A lot is donated to the Davenport diocese by South Ottumwa developer Dr. W.B. Smith for the purpose of building St. Patrick’s Church. The adjoining lot is purchased for $200.

1882-83 As the brick Gothic St. Patrick’s building rises, fund-raising continues with fairs, socials and festivals.

1883 April 15^th. St. Patrick’s Church is dedicated by the Rev. John O’Farrell, acting because of the illness of the bishop.

1883 St. Patrick’s Rectory is built at a cost of $3,000.

1886 More than 100 boys are enrolled in the Sacred Heart School, located at Fifth and Court and operated by the Sisters of the Humility of Mary.

1887 Fees for the Academy of the Visitation per five-month term are $100 for "board and tuition in the English branches, washing, bed, bedding, fuel, and lights." Additional fees are charged for lessons in shorthand, bookkeeping, Latin, French, German, piano, harp, guitar, voice, drawing, painting, embroidery, tapestry, lace-making, wax work, and making hair flowers and hair jewelry.

1889 A question arises about the efficiency of two groups of sisters running separate schools, one to teach boys, the other to teach girls.

1890 The Sisters of the Humility of Mary buy the academy and convent building on Fourth Street which was erected by the Sisters of the Visitation, and rename it St. Joseph Convent and Academy. Part of the Sisters of the Visitation move to Hastings, Nebraska, and part to Evanston, Illinois.

1890 While St. Patrick’s Father Ward visits his native Ireland, a fund-raising committee organizes to pay for the erection of a bell tower and bells for St. Patrick’s Church.

1890 Talley Hospital on North Court closes.

1897 As the Catholic population of Ottumwa increases, Bishop Cosgrove directs that St. Mary’s Parish be divided and that a new parish named Sacred Heart be formed. Fr. Flood, the assistant pastor of St. Mary’s becomes the first pastor of Sacred Heart.

1897 T.D. Foster, president of John Morrell and Company, donates lots at the corner of Second and Ash streets for the construction of Sacred Heart church and rectory. While the church is being built, Mass is celebrated in the old Hibernian Hall, at the corner of College and Main streets.

1898 October. Sacred Heart Church is dedicated.

1899 Sacred Heart Rectory is built.

1899 June 18^th Fr. John Kreckel dies. He has served St. Mary’s and the area for nearly 50 years.

1899 Sacred Heart School (for boys) and St. Joseph Academy (for girls) are reorganized so that boys and girls are taught together, the first seven grades in Sacred Heart School at the corner of Fifth and Court, and the older students in the Academy building on Fourth Street.