St. Mary Catholic Church (Wilmington, North Carolina)
Encyclopedia
Saint Mary Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Wilmington
, North Carolina
, in the Diocese of Raleigh
.
style. It was designed by Spanish architect Rafael Guastavino
, who is known for his work on the Biltmore Estate
, Basilica of St. Lawrence, and Duke Chapel
. The church was constructed without wooden or steal beams and without nails, instead using brick tile.
in South Carolina
under Bishop John England. He visited Wilmington regularly from 1821 to 1843. On January 1, 1845, the Rev. Thomas Murphy (1806–1863) was appointed Pastor of the Congregation of Wilmington, North Carolina. Under his supervision, the Church of St. Thomas the Apostle was built and completed in 1847. The Church was named a pro-cathedral
when Cardinal James Gibbons took up residence as Vicar Apostolic of North Carolina in 1868. St. Thomas Church closed in 1966 and the parish merged with St. Mary Parish. The former church building is now known as Saint Thomas Preservation Hall.
In the 1890s Father Christopher Dennen encouraged the formation of a new church. On May 20, 1908 ground was broken for the Saint Mary Church. The cornerstone of the church was laid on the 21st of October, 1909 by Bishop Leo Haid, who was at the time the Vicar Apostolic of North Carolina. The first Mass held at the church was on December 17, 1911. On April 28, 1912 the parish was dedicated as St. Mary Pro-Cathedral by Cardinal Gibbons, but was returned to being a parish church when the Diocese of Raleigh was formed, and took over the area of Wilmington. The new cathedral of the Diocese of Raleigh, Sacred Heart Cathedral
, is located in Raleigh
, and the cathedral for the Diocese of Charlotte
, Cathedral of St. Patrick
, is in Charlotte
.
On February 25, 2005 a petition was presented to the Diocese of Raleigh to consider naming St. Mary Church a Shrine.
in 1869 under the request of Bishop James Gibbons. The school was named Academy of the Incarnation. Another school, for poor girls, called St. Peter's Parochial School for Girls was also created. These schools were later closed.
In 1876 to provide Catholic education for boys, work began on a separate school building situated on the site now occupied by St. Mary Church at Fifth and Ann Streets. It was formally opened October 1, 1878 with an enrollment of fifty boys. Eventually over the course of time the boys and girls schools were merged into St. Mary School.
As was common in American Southern
schools, the Catholic schools in Wilmington were racially segregated
, with African American
Catholic children served by the St. Thomas School. In the 1960s prior to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
, the Diocese of Raleigh merged the segregated Catholic schools. St. Thomas School was combined with St. Mary School. The Sisters of the Franciscan Handmaids of Mary
joined the faculty at St. Mary School and taught for several years with the Sisters of Mercy.
Joining the St. Mary Parish on September 8, 1982 were the Sisters of the Society of St. Ursula
. This order contributed to the parish and school with work in the areas of education and especially in the development of social ministry.
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, in the Diocese of Raleigh
Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh
The Diocese of Raleigh is a Roman Catholic diocese that covers the eastern half of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The bishop is seated at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Raleigh, North Carolina.- Establishment :...
.
Architecture
Its historic main church is of the Spanish BaroqueSpanish Baroque
Spanish Baroque is a strand of Baroque architecture that evolved in Spain and its provinces and former colonies, notably Spanish America and Belgium....
style. It was designed by Spanish architect Rafael Guastavino
Rafael Guastavino
Rafael Guastavino Moreno was a Valencian architect and builder, creator of the Guastavino tile, a "Tile Arch System" patented in the US in 1885. It is a technique for constructing robust, self-supporting arches and architectural vaults using interlocking terracotta tiles and layers of mortar...
, who is known for his work on the Biltmore Estate
Biltmore Estate
Biltmore House is a Châteauesque-styled mansion near Asheville, North Carolina, built by George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1889 and 1895. It is the largest privately-owned home in the United States, at and featuring 250 rooms...
, Basilica of St. Lawrence, and Duke Chapel
Duke Chapel
Duke University Chapel is a chapel located at the center of the campus of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. It is an ecumenical Christian chapel and the center of religion at Duke, and has connections to the United Methodist Church...
. The church was constructed without wooden or steal beams and without nails, instead using brick tile.
History
Wilmington’s Roman Catholic origins are with the 1820 organization of the Charleston DioceseRoman Catholic Diocese of Charleston
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southern United States and comprises the entire state of South Carolina, with Charleston as its see city. Currently, the diocese consists of 92 parishes and 24 missions...
in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
under Bishop John England. He visited Wilmington regularly from 1821 to 1843. On January 1, 1845, the Rev. Thomas Murphy (1806–1863) was appointed Pastor of the Congregation of Wilmington, North Carolina. Under his supervision, the Church of St. Thomas the Apostle was built and completed in 1847. The Church was named a pro-cathedral
Pro-cathedral
A pro-cathedral is a parish church that is temporarily serving as the cathedral or co-cathedral of a diocese.-Usage:In Ireland, the term is used to specifically refer to St Mary's Pro-Cathedral in Dublin, the seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin since the Reformation, when Christ Church...
when Cardinal James Gibbons took up residence as Vicar Apostolic of North Carolina in 1868. St. Thomas Church closed in 1966 and the parish merged with St. Mary Parish. The former church building is now known as Saint Thomas Preservation Hall.
In the 1890s Father Christopher Dennen encouraged the formation of a new church. On May 20, 1908 ground was broken for the Saint Mary Church. The cornerstone of the church was laid on the 21st of October, 1909 by Bishop Leo Haid, who was at the time the Vicar Apostolic of North Carolina. The first Mass held at the church was on December 17, 1911. On April 28, 1912 the parish was dedicated as St. Mary Pro-Cathedral by Cardinal Gibbons, but was returned to being a parish church when the Diocese of Raleigh was formed, and took over the area of Wilmington. The new cathedral of the Diocese of Raleigh, Sacred Heart Cathedral
Sacred Heart Cathedral (Raleigh, North Carolina)
Sacred Heart Cathedral, sometimes referred to as Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh. The current bishop seated at the cathedral is the Most Reverend Michael Francis Burbidge. North Carolina, until 1924, was the only state in the United States of...
, is located in Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, and the cathedral for the Diocese of Charlotte
Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, formally in Latin Dioecesis Carolinana, is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southern United States comprising the counties of western North Carolina divided into ten vicariates named for and administered from Albemarle, Asheville, Boone,...
, Cathedral of St. Patrick
Cathedral of Saint Patrick in Charlotte
The Cathedral of Saint Patrick is the seat of the Roman Catholic Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States of America. It is the mother church of the Diocese of Charlotte and is the seat of its prelate bishop.-History:...
, is in Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
.
On February 25, 2005 a petition was presented to the Diocese of Raleigh to consider naming St. Mary Church a Shrine.
School
The St. Mary Catholic Church also hosts the St. Mary Catholic School. The school hosts children from grades kindergarten to eighth grade. The school was founded by the Sisters of Our Lady of MercySisters of Charity of Our Lady of Mercy
Bishop John England founded the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in 1829. As the congregation grew and moved into the states of Georgia and North Carolina, shortly after doing so changing its name in 1949 to the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Mercy. The congregation lives by the rule of St. Vincent...
in 1869 under the request of Bishop James Gibbons. The school was named Academy of the Incarnation. Another school, for poor girls, called St. Peter's Parochial School for Girls was also created. These schools were later closed.
In 1876 to provide Catholic education for boys, work began on a separate school building situated on the site now occupied by St. Mary Church at Fifth and Ann Streets. It was formally opened October 1, 1878 with an enrollment of fifty boys. Eventually over the course of time the boys and girls schools were merged into St. Mary School.
As was common in American Southern
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
schools, the Catholic schools in Wilmington were racially segregated
Racial segregation in the United States
Racial segregation in the United States, as a general term, included the racial segregation or hypersegregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines...
, with African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
Catholic children served by the St. Thomas School. In the 1960s prior to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark piece of legislation in the United States that outlawed major forms of discrimination against African Americans and women, including racial segregation...
, the Diocese of Raleigh merged the segregated Catholic schools. St. Thomas School was combined with St. Mary School. The Sisters of the Franciscan Handmaids of Mary
Franciscan Handmaids of Mary
The Franciscan Handmaids of the Most Pure Heart of Mary are a predominantly African-American religious congregation of Roman Catholic women who follow the Rule of the Third Order of St. Francis of Assisi. Their primary mission has always been education, primarily of the children of the...
joined the faculty at St. Mary School and taught for several years with the Sisters of Mercy.
Joining the St. Mary Parish on September 8, 1982 were the Sisters of the Society of St. Ursula
Ursulines
The Ursulines are a Roman Catholic religious order for women founded at Brescia, Italy, by Saint Angela de Merici in November 1535, primarily for the education of girls and the care of the sick and needy. Their patron saint is Saint Ursula.-History:St Angela de Merici spent 17 years leading a...
. This order contributed to the parish and school with work in the areas of education and especially in the development of social ministry.