St. Mary – St. Catherine of Siena Parish facts for kids
St. Mary – St. Catherine of Siena is an old and important Catholic church in Charlestown, Massachusetts. This church came to be in 2006 when two older churches, St. Catherine of Siena and St. Mary's, joined together. The church building used today is the former St. Mary's. It was designed by a famous architect named Patrick Keely.
The St. Mary's building was built between 1887 and 1893. Its inside is very fancy. It has amazing stained glass windows made by Franz Mayer & Co. and a special oak ceiling. This ceiling is called a hammer-beam ceiling and has carved angels. Patrick Keely himself carved these angels.
The St. Catherine's church building was finished in 1895. It was built in a style called Romanesque. This building closed in 2008. It is a well-known landmark because you can see its brick structure clearly from the Tobin Bridge. Four of the stained glass windows from the closed St. Catherine's church were moved and placed in another church called the Seaport Shrine.
Contents
A Look Back: Church History
The first St. Mary's church was started in 1828 by Bishop Benedict Joseph Fenwick. It was located on Old Rutherford Avenue.
Challenges for Immigrants
In 1847, there was a time when many people were against immigrants and Catholics. This was part of a movement called the Know Nothing movement. During this time, a group of people gathered and threw stones at St. Mary's church. As more immigrants arrived, these unfriendly feelings grew stronger.
New Leaders and Buildings
Reverend William Byrne became the pastor of St. Mary's in 1874. He also took on a bigger role in the church as a vicar general in 1878. He served in both jobs until 1881. After that, he became the president of Mount St. Mary College in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
On October 29, 1887, the pastor John McMahon laid the first stone for the new St. Mary's church on Warren Street. Pastor McMahon's older brother was Bishop Lawrence Stephen McMahon of the Diocese of Hartford. At that time, Bishop McMahon was overseeing the completion of St. Joseph's Cathedral, which was also designed by Patrick Keely. Because of this connection, Father McMahon chose Patrick Keely to design the new St. Mary's church.
The outside of the new St. Mary's church is built in a Gothic style. It uses strong Rockport granite and brick for decoration. The main altar inside the church was probably designed by Thomas F. Houghton. He was Keely's son-in-law and a main helper in his designs. The Stations of the Cross, which are pictures showing parts of Jesus's journey, were made by Joseph Sibbel. These are exact copies of the ones he made for St. Joseph's Cathedral in Hartford.
First Services and Events
The very first church service in the new St. Mary's building was held in the basement on May 26, 1889. Bishop McMahon of Hartford gave the sermon. Later, on August 13, 1890, the funeral for the famous poet John Boyle O'Reilly was held in the church. Thousands of people came to attend.
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