CLEVELAND—The Catholic community at Cleveland’s St. Paul the Apostle Church will soon celebrate the parish’s golden anniversary.

The celebration is scheduled for July 5, the very day the first Mass was celebrated in this rural town in White County, some 75 miles northeast of Atlanta.

Priests from the Glenmary Home Missioners religious community started the parish during a time when the number of Catholic families in the area could be counted on one hand.

In the early days, Catholics threw open the doors to the church and invited other Christians to receptions so they could learn from each other in an effort to correct misunderstandings. The parish today has more than 250 families.

The celebration will begin with the 10 a.m. Mass. Organizers invited former priests who served here during the past 50 years to return for the event. Following Mass, a reception and open house is scheduled to take place. There will also be a historical slideshow of parish milestones.