St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church (Baltimore) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Wenceslaus Church |
|
|---|---|
St. Wenceslaus Church, 2014.
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Location | 2111 Ashland Ave., Baltimore |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church |
| History | |
| Founded | November 1872 |
| Founder(s) | Bohemian immigrants |
| Dedication | St. Wenceslaus |
| Dedicated | |
| Consecrated | |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | For Bohemian immigrants |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Italianate |
| Groundbreaking | 1914 |
| Completed | 1914 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Granite |
St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church (Czech: Kostel sv. Václava) is a historic Catholic parish church. It is located in the Middle East neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. This church is part of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. A group called the Josephites manages the church. Today, it mostly serves an African-American community.
Contents
History of St. Wenceslaus Church
Founding the Church for Immigrants
St. Wenceslaus Church started in 1872. It was in a part of East Baltimore once known as Little Bohemia. The church was built mainly for the Bohemian (or Czech) community in Baltimore.
Many early church members came from areas now in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Church services were held in both English and the Czech language. This helped new immigrants feel at home.
Growth and Change Over Time
The current church building was finished in 1914. At that time, about 7,000 Bohemian Catholic people belonged to the church. By 1920, St. Wenceslaus was the fourth largest church in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. This shows how important it was to the community.
Over the years, the neighborhood changed. Many Poles and Lithuanians moved into the area first. Later, the neighborhood became mostly African-American. Because of this, St. Wenceslaus Church became a multicultural and multiracial parish. It welcomed people from many different backgrounds.
Church Leadership Through the Years
The Redemptorists, a group of priests and brothers, founded and led St. Wenceslaus until 1999. After them, friars from the Franciscan Third Order Regular took over. Since 2022, the Josephites have been leading the church.
Architecture of the Church Building
The church building has a special design style. It is built in the Italianate style. This style often includes features like wide overhanging eaves and tall, narrow windows.
Notable People from St. Wenceslaus
Some well-known people have attended St. Wenceslaus Church. They include:
- John Fick, a baseball player.
- August Klecka, a politician.
See also
- Black Catholicism
- History of the Czechs in Baltimore
- Catholicism in the Czech Republic
