St. Paul Church, Cambridge
Encyclopedia
St. Paul Church is a parish
of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
and is located in Harvard Square, Cambridge
, Massachusetts
, USA. In its unique mission, St. Paul's serves as:
St. Paul Parish was one of many parishes in the area founded by Fr. Manasses Dougherty largely in response to the influx of Irish Catholics
to the Boston area in the late 19th century. The original St. Paul Church building, a former meeting house of the Shepherd Congregational Society on the site of what is now Harvard University's Holyoke Center, was purchased by Fr. Dougherty in 1873. The cornerstone for the present church building, an Italian Romanesque
monument located at Quincy Square (corner of Bow and Arrow Streets), was laid in November 1916 under the leadership of then pastor Rev. John J. Ryan.
The architect was Edward T. P. Graham
, a St. Paul parishioner, graduate of Harvard University
, and winner of the first Traveling Fellowship to Rome
and the École des Beaux-Arts
. Graham used Verona
's Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore and Torre del Commune as inspirations. The new church building, which was dedicated in October 1924, was at the same site as the St. Paul School, which had been built some years before. By the mid-1960s, enrollment had declined and the parish school was replaced by the Choir School. In the 1991, under the direction of then-pastor the Reverend John P. Boles (now Auxiliary Bishop of Boston, Emeritus), the original school building was torn down and replaced with a multi-purpose building attached to the church, which houses the rectory, parish offices, the Choir School and the Harvard Catholic Center. The present Pastor of St. Paul's and Senior Catholic Chaplain to Harvard is the Reverend Michael E. Drea, who has served as pastor since 1 June 2009.
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States. It comprises several counties of the state of Massachusetts...
and is located in Harvard Square, Cambridge
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, USA. In its unique mission, St. Paul's serves as:
- The Parish church serving the needs of the local community as well as visitors to Harvard SquareHarvard SquareHarvard Square is a large triangular area in the center of Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue, Brattle Street, and John F. Kennedy Street. It is the historic center of Cambridge...
- The home of the Boston Archdiocesan Choir SchoolBoston Archdiocesan Choir SchoolThe Boston Archdiocesan Choir School is a choir school in Cambridge, Massachusetts. A middle school for boys in grades 5-8, BACS is the only boy-choir school in the United States of America affiliated with the Catholic Church. Its choir of boys and men sings for liturgical services at St...
whose students make up the Boston Boy Choir - The home of the HarvardHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
Catholic Center serving the academic community of Harvard University
St. Paul Parish was one of many parishes in the area founded by Fr. Manasses Dougherty largely in response to the influx of Irish Catholics
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
to the Boston area in the late 19th century. The original St. Paul Church building, a former meeting house of the Shepherd Congregational Society on the site of what is now Harvard University's Holyoke Center, was purchased by Fr. Dougherty in 1873. The cornerstone for the present church building, an Italian Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
monument located at Quincy Square (corner of Bow and Arrow Streets), was laid in November 1916 under the leadership of then pastor Rev. John J. Ryan.
The architect was Edward T. P. Graham
Edward T. P. Graham
Edward T. P. Graham was an American architect best known for his design of Roman Catholic churches in Boston, Massachusetts and throughout the Midwest.- Early life :Described at his death as "the dean of Boston architects", Mr...
, a St. Paul parishioner, graduate of Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, and winner of the first Traveling Fellowship to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and the École des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The most famous is the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, now located on the left bank in Paris, across the Seine from the Louvre, in the 6th arrondissement. The school has a history spanning more than 350 years,...
. Graham used Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
's Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore and Torre del Commune as inspirations. The new church building, which was dedicated in October 1924, was at the same site as the St. Paul School, which had been built some years before. By the mid-1960s, enrollment had declined and the parish school was replaced by the Choir School. In the 1991, under the direction of then-pastor the Reverend John P. Boles (now Auxiliary Bishop of Boston, Emeritus), the original school building was torn down and replaced with a multi-purpose building attached to the church, which houses the rectory, parish offices, the Choir School and the Harvard Catholic Center. The present Pastor of St. Paul's and Senior Catholic Chaplain to Harvard is the Reverend Michael E. Drea, who has served as pastor since 1 June 2009.