St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church (Philadelphia) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church |
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St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Philadelphia
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| Location | 252 S. 4th Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church, former cathedral |
| Founded | 1763 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia |
St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, often called Old St. Mary's, is a very old and important church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. You can find it in the Society Hill area, on South Fourth Street. It's between Spruce and Walnut Streets.
This church first opened its doors in 1763. It was the second Catholic church ever built in Philadelphia, after Old Saint Joseph's. Today, Old St. Mary's is still an active church in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Services are held every Saturday and Sunday. The current pastor is Paul A. DiGirolamo, J.C.D. The church also works closely with Holy Trinity Church nearby.
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History of Old St. Mary's Church
Old Saint Mary's was built because Old Saint Joseph's, which was just a block away, needed more space for its growing community. At first, Catholic Mass had to be held secretly in homes because it was against the law. By 1757, a larger church was built for Old St. Joseph's.
Six years later, in 1763, Old St. Mary's was built. It had plenty of room, including space for a Catholic cemetery. St. Mary's and Old St. Joseph's were part of the same church community until 1830. A very important event happened at St. Mary's in 1782: the first school connected to a Catholic church in America was opened here. Today, a school is still part of the parish.
Famous Visitors to St. Mary's
Many important people from early American history visited St. Mary's. This was because it was the most well-known Catholic church in the city at the time. Even George Washington and John Adams attended services here. John Adams wrote about how beautiful the church was, with its music and decorations.
In 1810, Philadelphia became a diocese, which is a church district led by a bishop. St. Mary's was chosen to be the main church, or cathedral, for the diocese. It served as the cathedral until 1838. After that, St. John the Evangelist Church became the new cathedral.
For a while, there were some disagreements between the church leaders and the people who managed the church's money. These issues were finally resolved after the church was temporarily closed in 1831 by Bishop Francis Patrick Kenrick.
Inside and Outside the Church
The church was updated in 1963, but many of its original features were kept. You can still see an old baptismal font from the 1700s. There's also the special chair, called a cathedra, used by Bishop Henry Conwell in 1820 when St. Mary's was the cathedral. Even some chandeliers that were first in Independence Hall are now in the church.
The outside of the church is made of brick and has a Gothic style. Inside, there's a balcony and a choir area that goes around three sides of the building. Above the main entrance, on the outside wall, there's a statue of Mary. The church is named after her. The ceiling has a beautiful painting of Mary's Assumption. There are also tall stained glass windows, some as high as two stories. The first architect of the church was Charles Johnson.
Education at St. Mary's
The main school for children connected to St. Mary's Church is the St. Mary Interparochial Grade School.
Church Cemetery
The churchyard cemetery at St. Mary's has been there since 1759. It was made larger by adding more soil after the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793. This was a time when many people in Philadelphia became very sick.
Notable People Buried Here
Many important people from American history are buried in the cemetery at Old St. Mary's. Here are a few:
- Commodore John Barry (1745–1803), known as the father of the US Navy.
- Michael Bouvier (1792–1874), a cabinetmaker and a great-great-grandfather of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
- James Campbell (1812–1893), who served as the Postmaster General of the United States.
- Jean Joseph de Barth (1726–1793), a counselor to King Louis XVI of France who helped people escape the French Revolution and come to the United States.
- Mathew Carey (1760–1839), a well-known publisher and writer.
- Thomas Fitzsimons (1741–1811), who was a delegate to the Continental Congress.
- George Meade (1741–1808), a merchant and the grandfather of General George Gordon Meade.
- Richard Worsam Meade I (1778–1828), a merchant and the father of General Meade.
- Richard Worsam Meade II (1807–1870), a captain in the US Navy.
- Stephen Moylan (1737–1811), a military leader during the American Revolutionary War.
- Manuel Torres (1762–1822), the first ambassador from Colombia to the United States.
- Philippe Charles Tronson du Coudray (1738–1777), a French army officer who helped the American army during the Revolution.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de Santa María (Filadelfia) para niños
