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 in Aiken, South Carolina. It is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston. The main church building is located at 138 Fairfield St. SE.
The church campus also has two older, historic buildings. These are 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. This means they are important historical sites.
Contents
The Church's Early History
In 1840, a French army engineer named Count James Achille de Caradeuc bought a large piece of land near Aiken. Priests would sometimes visit his estate to hold Mass, which is a Catholic church service.
As more Catholic people moved to Aiken, the church needed a proper home. So, on June 29, 1853, Bishop Ignatius A. Reynolds bought land to start the parish. The first church building was put up in 1867. Sadly, a tornado destroyed this small church in 1878.
Ste Claire Chapel (1880)
After the tornado, a new chapel was built between 1879 and 1880. It was named Ste Claire Chapel. This chapel is made of brick and 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 that James Renwick Jr. designed it. He was a famous architect who also designed St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City.
The chapel has a steep roof and a beautiful rosewood altar. It also features three special stained glass windows. These windows were made in Chartres, France, by an artist named Nicolas Lorin.
The Historic Church: "Old Saint Mary's" (1905)
As more people joined the church, Ste Claire Chapel became too small. So, a new, larger church was built in 1905. This church, known as "Old Saint Mary's," can seat 280 people.
It was designed by McMurphy & Story, architects from Augusta. The church has a Gothic Revival style with a steep roof. Its front has a pointed section in the middle, with two towers on either side. One tower has a pointed roof, and the other has a tall, white spire that reaches 120 feet high. Inside, the main area has a special timbered ceiling called a hammer beam ceiling. In the 1950s, stained glass windows were added. They show scenes 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 church community kept growing and needed even more space. This church can hold 950 people.
It was designed by McCrery Architects, LLC, and has a Romanesque style. The front of the church is made of Indiana limestone. It has a 94-foot tall bell tower with four bells. Inside, there are sixteen stained glass windows made by Franz Meyer & Co. in Munich, Germany.
The three largest windows show important figures:
- The north window shows the Blessed Virgin Mary, Help of Christians.
- The south window shows St. John the Baptist, who is the patron saint of the Diocese of Charleston.
- The west window shows Jesus Christ in Majesty.
The sixteen smaller windows tell the story of Jesus's life.
The Tower Bells (2017)
The four bells in the church tower were made in Annecy, France. They were installed in 2017. On July 16, 2017, the bells were officially blessed in a special ceremony. Each bell has a unique name and a Bible verse inscribed on it:
- Saint Anthony of Padua: This bell weighs 3,199 pounds. Its inscription is from Psalm 27:6: “I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the Lord with music.”
- Saint Francis of Assisi: This bell weighs 1,543 pounds. Its inscription is from Daniel 3:57: “Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord, praise and exalt Him above all forever.”
- Saint Therese of Lisieux: This bell weighs 970 pounds. Its inscription is from Song of Songs 8:6: “Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death.”
- Saint Joseph: This bell weighs 683 pounds. Its inscription is from Isaiah 6:3: “And one seraphim called to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.’”
Art and Statues in the 2015 Church
The 2015 church has several beautiful pieces of art.
Madonna and Child Statue
On the left side of the church, there is a special area for the Blessed Virgin Mary. It features a large bronze statue of the Madonna and Child. This statue was created by the famous artist Gustave Doré in the 1880s. It was given to St. Mary's parish in 1947 by Beatrice Kinney Lamantagne.
Statue of Saint Joseph
On the right side of the church, there is an area dedicated to St. Joseph. Here, you can see a 5-foot tall bronze statue of Saint Joseph. It was designed by artist Susie Chisholm. The statue shows Saint Joseph holding a staff with lilies in one hand and a small image of St. Peter's Basilica in the other.
Roundel Paintings
Between the arches inside 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. Each roundel painting is an original work of art by Alice Marie Judd, who is a member of the church. Underneath each image, a banner shows the Latin name for the title.
