Gesu Church (Miami) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Gesu Church
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 Location in Miami
Location in Florida
Location in the United States
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| Location | Miami, Florida |
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| Architectural style | Mediterranean Revival Style |
| NRHP reference No. | 74000617 |
| Added to NRHP | July 18, 1974 |
The Gesu Church is a very old and important Roman Catholic church located in Miami, Florida. You can find it at 118 Northeast 2nd Street. This church was built way back in 1896, making it the oldest Catholic church in Miami! Because of its history, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in the United States on July 18, 1974.
Contents
Discovering Gesu Church's History
Gesu Church is special because it has played a big part in Miami's religious story. It also shows how much the city has grown over time. The church buildings are great examples of religious architecture. They are known for their excellent design and detailed craftsmanship.
Gesu is Miami's oldest Catholic parish. A parish is like a local church community. It has helped meet the religious and community needs of people for over 100 years. The growth of this church community has happened right alongside the growth of Miami itself.
How Miami's First Catholic Church Began
Miami's very first Catholic Mass (a church service) happened in 1872. Father Dufau, a priest, led this service. He also confirmed the pioneer family of William J. Wagner. Wagner built a small wooden church on his land in 1875. This became Miami's first place of worship.
The Holy Name Parish, which is now Gesu Church, was officially started in 1896. Father Ambrose Fontan, S.J., was its first pastor. A new church was built in 1897 on land given by Henry Flagler. As Miami's population grew, so did the Holy Name church community. Soon, they needed a much bigger church.
Building the New Gesu Church
The first stone for the new, larger church was placed on December 10, 1920. This new building was finished and opened in 1925. It was built on the same spot as the earlier church.
Gesu Parish School: Learning and Growing
The Gesu Parish School opened its doors in 1905. It started with six grades and 60 students. The school had a few different names over the years. These included The Academy of the Sisters of St. Joseph St. Catherine's Convent, St. Catherine's Convent School, and St. Catherine's Academy. The first high school class graduated in 1913 with four students. The Sisters of St. Joseph from St. Augustine, Florida, were the teachers at the school.
A new, five-story school building was constructed in 1926. Its name changed to Gesu Parish School. It was located at 130 Northeast 2nd Street. The last high school graduation at Gesu was in 1953, with 40 students. The school closed after the eighth-grade graduation in 1982. The school building was taken down in 1984.
Today, Gesu Church is still one of the three main churches in downtown Miami. It was recently made to look like it did when it was first built. Since 2004, the church has been led by the Jesuits from the Antilles province. Before that, it was led by Jesuits from the New Orleans province. Father Eduardo "Eddy" Alvarez, S.J., is the current pastor. The church can hold 700 people, plus 150 more in the choir balcony.
Leaders of Gesu Church and School
Here are some of the people who have led the church and school since they began.
Church Pastors
- Rev. Ambrose Fontan, S.J. (1896–1898)
- Rev. James Moore, S.J. (1898)
- Rev. Ambrose Fontan, S.J. (1898–1903)
- Rev. Patrick Kennedy, S.J. (1903–1908)
- Rev. Alexander B. Friend (1908–1914)
- Rev. James McLaughlin, S.J. (1914–1929)
- Rev. Edward Cummings, S.J. (1929–1930)
- Rev. Michael McNally, S.J. (1930–1934)
- Rev. Florence D. Sullivan, S.J. (1934–1945)
- Rev. John H. McAtee, S.J. (1945–1949)
- Rev. John Druhan, S.J. (1949–1953)
- Rev. Harold Gaudin, S.J. (1953–1959)
- Rev. John Sweeney, S.J. (1959–1970)
- Rev. Michael English, S.J. (1970–1971)
- Rev. Ignatius Fabacher, S.J. (1971–1975)
- Rev. John Edwards, S.J. (1975–1983)
- Rev. James Donald Pearce, S.J. (1983–1991)
- Rev. George Casey, S.J. (1991–1993)
- Rev. Thomas J. Madden, S.J. (1993–2002)
- Rev. William Mayer, S.J. (2002–2004)
- Rev. Eduardo J. Alvarez, S.J. (2004–Present)
Meet the Current Pastor
Rev. Eduardo J. Alvarez, S.J. was born in 1945 in Cuba. He graduated from Belen Jesuit Preparatory School in 1963. He earned a master's degree in arts from St. Michael's College. He also received a master's degree in education from Barry University. Before becoming the pastor at Gesu Church, he taught at Belen Jesuit Preparatory School. He was also its chaplain from 1975 to 2004.
First Sisters of St. Joseph at the School
These were the first Sisters who taught at the school:
- Sister Euphemia
- Sister Aloysia
- Sister Raymond
School Principals
- Sister M. Euphemia Sullivan (1905–1909)
- Sister Margaret Mary Hanlon (1909–1922)
- Unknown (1922–1934)
- Sister Francis of Assissi Byrne (Sister F. Assissium) (1934–1941)
- Sister Francis of Assissi Byrne (Sister F. Assissium), Mother Theresa Joseph Brown (1941–1942)
- Rev. Godfrey S. Cook, Sister M. Celestine Hehir (1942–1945)
- Sister Mary Herbert Rogero (1945–1952)
- Mother Theresa Joseph Brown (1952–1958)
- Sister St. Anne Stone (1958–1961)
- Sister Teresa Maria O'Donovan (1961–1967)
- Sister Margaret Therese Schaufler (1967–1971)
- Sister M. Trinita McCarthy (1971–1979)
- Sister Mary Ester Flanagan (1979–1981)
- Sister Breedeen Connolly (1981–1985)
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia Gesu (Miami) para niños
