St. Mary Help of Christians Church (Aiken, South Carolina) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Mary Help of Christians Church |
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The facade of St. Mary Help of Christians in Aiken, 2020.
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| District | Diocese of Charleston |
| Location | |
| Location | 138 Fairfield St. SE, Aiken, South Carolina |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | McMurphy & Story (1905 church) McCrery Architects (2015 church) |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival (1905) Romanesque (2015) |
| Groundbreaking | June 16, 2013 |
| Completed | 1880 - Ste. Claire 1905 - Old St. Mary's 2015 - St. Mary's |
| Construction cost | $17,000 - Old. St. Mary's $10.2 million - St. Mary's |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 40 - Ste Claire Chapel 280 - Old St. Mary's 950 St. Mary's |
| Spire(s) | 1 - Old St. Mary's 1 bell tower - St. Mary's |
| Spire height | 120' - Old St. Mary's 94' - St. Mary's |
| Materials | brick - Old St. Mary's Indiana limestone / stucco - St. Mary's |
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| Added to NRHP | March 25, 1982 |
| NRHP Reference no. | 82003827 (Ste Claire Chapel & Old St. Mary's) |
| Website | |
| http://www.stmarys-aiken.org | |
St. Mary Help of Christians Church is a Catholic church located in Aiken, South Carolina. It is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston. The main church building is at 138 Fairfield Street SE. The church campus also includes two older, historic buildings: the 1905 church, often called "Old Saint Mary's," and Ste. Claire Chapel, built in 1880. Both of these older buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means they are important historical sites.
Contents
How the Church Began
In February 1840, a French army engineer named Count James Achille de Caradeuc bought a large piece of land near Aiken. Priests visiting the area would sometimes stay at his home and hold church services there. As more Catholic families moved to Aiken, Bishop Ignatius A. Reynolds bought land for a church on June 29, 1853. This officially started the parish. The first church building was finished in 1867, but a tornado destroyed it in 1878.
Ste Claire Chapel (1880)
After the first church was destroyed, Ste Claire Chapel was built between 1879 and 1880. It is a brick chapel designed in the Gothic Revival style. A woman named Celestine E. Eustis, who spent winters in Aiken, helped pay for the new church. People believe it might have been designed by James Renwick Jr., a famous architect who also designed St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City.
The chapel has a steep roof made of slate. Inside, it features a beautiful rosewood altar. It also has three special stained glass windows. These windows were made by Nicolas Lorin in Chartres, France, who was known for his amazing work.
The Historic Church - "Old Saint Mary's" (1905)
The 1905 church, known as "Old Saint Mary's," was built because Ste Claire Chapel had become too small for the growing number of Catholic families. This church can seat 280 people. It was designed by McMurphy & Story from Augusta, Georgia. Its style is also Gothic Revival, with parts that look like the Decorated Gothic style.
The church has a very steep roof and a long, rectangular main area called a nave. The front of the church has a central section with a pointed roof, and two towers on each side. One tower has a pitched roof, and the other has a tall, 120-foot white or silver spire with a gold cross on top. Inside the nave, the ceiling is made of timber beams. In the 1950s, beautiful stained glass windows were added. These windows show different moments from the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
St. Mary Help of Christians Church (2015)
The newest church building on the campus was finished in 2015. It was built because the parish needed an even larger church for its many members. This church was designed by McCrery Architects, LLC, and can seat 950 people. Its style is Romanesque.
The front of the church is made of Indiana limestone. It has a 94-foot bell tower with four bells inside. Sixteen stained glass windows were added, made by Franz Meyer & Co. in Munich, Germany. The three largest windows show important figures: the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. John the Baptist (the patron saint of the Diocese of Charleston), and Jesus Christ. The sixteen smaller windows show scenes from the life of Jesus.
The Tower Bells (2017)
The four bells in the tower were made in Annecy, France, by the Christoph-Paccard Bell Foundry. On July 16, 2017, the bells were officially blessed by Rev. Msgr. Richard D. Harris. Each bell has a special name and an inscription:
- Saint Anthony of Padua – This bell weighs 3,199 pounds and plays the note D-3. Its inscription says: “I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the Lord with music.” Psalm 27:6.
- Saint Francis of Assisi – This bell weighs 1,543 pounds and plays the note F#-3. Its inscription says: “Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord, praise and exalt Him above all forever.” Daniel 3:57.
- Saint Therese of Lisieux – This bell weighs 970 pounds and plays the note A-3. Its inscription says: “Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death.” Song of Songs 8:6.
- Saint Joseph – This bell weighs 683 pounds and plays the note B-3. Its inscription says: “And one seraphim called to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.’” Isaiah 6:3.
Art and Statues
The 2015 church has several beautiful works of art.
Madonna and Child Statue
On the left side of the church, there is a special area dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It features a bronze statue of the Madonna and Child (Mary and baby Jesus) by the artist Gustave Doré. This statue is almost life-size and was made in the 1880s. It was given to St. Mary's parish in 1947 by Beatrice Kinney Lamantagne, another winter resident of Aiken.
Saint Joseph Statue
On the right side of the church, there is an area dedicated to St. Joseph. This 5-foot bronze statue was created by artist Susie Chisholm from Savannah, Georgia. Saint Joseph is shown holding a staff with lilies in his left hand. In his right hand, he holds a small image of the front of St. Peter's Basilica, a very famous church in Rome.
Roundel Paintings
Between the arches in the main part of the church, there are circular paintings called roundels. These paintings show different titles of the Virgin Mary, many of them from the Litany of Loreto. The roundel paintings are original artworks created by Alice Marie Judd, who is a member of the church. Each painting has the Latin name for the title written on a banner below the image.
