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St. Martin de Porres, Partner Parish -
History
While St. Martin de Porres parish was created in 1993, its history dates back to three parishes that were established
85-100 years earlier:
† St. Elizabeth (1890)
† St. Columba (1895)
† The Most Precious Blood (1907)
These three parishes were consolidated with the closing of St. Elizabeth and The Most Precious Blood, and St. Columba's facilities becoming:
† St. Martin de Porres (1993)
Following pictures courtesy of the Pennsylvania Archdiocesan Historical Center (PAHRC).
St. Elizabeth's - In 1872 St. Elizabeth was then just an open waste filled with numerous ponds and abandoned clay pits. A man by the name of Joseph Singerly, who owned most of the land in that vicinity, offered as a gift to any denomination that would erect a church. Nearly every denomination was asked and once interviewed they were all refused.
After Mr. Singerly spoke with Bishop Wood, with his proverbial far-sightedness, which characterized his life work, Singerly offered the lot. Bishop Wood accepted the generous offer and appointed Rev. Bernard Dornhege to proceed with organizing of the new parish.
At that time Rev. Dornhege was the present rector at St. Clair’s, Schuylkill County. This task at first seemed to be a fruitless mission, but before the end of that year he had gathered together a faithful little band of followers ofthe Cross, and on December 22, 1872, a neat and modest chapel was
dedicated on the spot which but a few months before had been a frog pond.
“I have sent out Father Dornhege into this section of the city as a fisherman.”
-Bishop Wood
In the following year, with help of two lay teachers, a school was organized in the second story room of the chapel building. In 1874, the Sisters of St. Francis succeeded the two lay teachers.
In 1877 a mansard roof was placed on the chapel building, and in 1878 the parochial residence was built.
On May 27, 1883 the corner stone was laid. In 1886 Father Dornhege secured a large lot at the northeast corner of 23rd and Montgomery Avenue for the purpose of erecting a parish hall for the accommodation of the church societies.
On February 16, 1890, St. Elizabeth’s church structure was completed. The first Catholic Parish in the area. St. Elizabeth’s Parish was born!
St. Elizabeth’s the patroness of the church, is commemorated in the sanctuary by two magnificent masterpieces in glass.
October 1894 - Archbishop Ryan purchased the plot from William F. Albrecht for $40,000. The Church length was 400 feet and a depth of 170 feet from Lehigh Avenue to Oakdale Street.
January 1895 - Archbishop Ryan selected Father Walter P. Gough to take lead of St. Columba. Father Gough purchased 2401 and 2403 Oakdale Street to use as the Rectory.
April 14, 1895 - Easter Sunday-The first Mass held at St. Columba’s chapel. The collection amounted to $269.00. There were also three baptisms in the afternoon.
June 12, 1898 - The cornerstone for the Parish School was laid.
Sept. 4, 1901 - The Sisters of St. Joseph open the completed school. Mother Arsenia was named the first principle; 435 pupils were registered. The Parish School ground floor was comprised of an assembly hall, library, a manual training department and two classrooms. The first and second floors each had nine classrooms. The auditorium was 63X90 feet. The third floor at that time was a gymnasium but later was converted into classrooms as the Parish grew.
1905 - The three-story stone rectory at the southeast corner of twenty-fourth and Lehigh Avenue was built. The residence at 2401 and 2403 Oakdale then became the Convent along with 2405 Oakdale.
Jan. 27, 1907 - The basement of the church was blessed and was used for divine service until the dedication of the upper church on October 31, 1915.
October 14, 1908 - Father Gough’s Silver Jubilee.
Dec 1909 - An essay contest and prizes was offered for the best on “The Influence of Religion on the Life and Discoveries of Christopher Columbus”.
1905 - The Ladies’ Choral was founded and in 1912 it was reorganized with 60 members.
May 29, 1920 - The 25th anniversary of the Parish and Father Gough’s 25th year of pastorate.
Sep. 4, 1920 - Father Gough died from pneumonia at 10:45 pm.
Sept. 20, 1920- Father Thomas F. Ryan of St. Rose of Lima became the new pastor. During his 12 years, a new Convent was built. He was also responsible for new fire towers and other need improvements in the school.
Nov. 18, 1932 - Father George T. Montague of St. Philip Neri Parish switched places with Father Ryan.
1945 - A Red-letter year: 5 girls of the Parish entered the Sisters of Saint Joseph, one girl went to Maryknoll, and one boy entered the Jesuits.
Nov. 18, 1946 - Saint Columba’s kindergarten was opened and located at 24th and Oakdale.
June 12, 1949 - Saint Columba’s boys choir under the direction of Father Joseph Mc Peak were heard on Station WFIL at 12:30.
During the 1800’s, the area that now comprises North Philadelphia started to take shape. The section that is now comprised by Most Precious Blood was named the District of Penn, but was popularly known as Penn Village.
The Penn Village area was comprised of, at that time, the unpaved Diamond Street, Ridge Avenue, Sedgely Avenue, Cumberland Street and 33rd Street, which was mostly farmland. At the corner of 28th and Diamond Streets stood one home, which belonged to the Kahlback family.
In 1882, electric lights were first introduced into the city. In 1883, the first asphalt street pavement was laid on Broad Street between Diamond and Columbia Ave., and in 1885, when the population of Philadelphia numbered 922,000, the old horse cars on Market Street was substituted by the first underground cable system.
In the 1880’s, as Philadelphia advanced, the population increased, and so did the number of Catholics, especially in the Fairmount Park area.
The result was that large numbers of Catholics found themselves located at inconvenient distances from both St. Columba and St. Elizabeth’s Churches, and therefore, in the summer of 1907 Archbishop Patrick Ryan appointed the Reverend Joseph Louis J. Kirlin to organize the Most Precious Blood Parish at 28th and Diamond Streets.
Since the Archbishop’s appointment was made on the Feast of the Precious Blood of Our Lord, that name was selected as the name of the Parish.
September 1, 1907 - Father Kirlin moved in at 2813 Diamond Street and began the work of organizing the Parish. At that time it was impossible to secure a building that might be used temporarily for worship, therefore, a room on the second floor of the Titman building, 31st and Ridge Avenue, was rented for Sunday Mass.
Sunday, Sept. 8 - The first Mass of the Parish, at the Titman building, was held on, on the Feast of the Blessed Mother’s Birthday, 6:30 a.m.
September 15, 1907- The first baptism: Thomas Robert Clifford,
Anna Maria Keefe, and Cecilia McMenamin.
September 18, 1907 - The first marriage - Wiliam Sallery and Laura Sweeny.
October 7, 1907 - The Chapel was opened-28th and Susquehanna Ave.
December 4, 1907 - Deeds of the property at 28th and Diamond was
transferred to Archbishop Ryan for $45,000.00 - $10,000.00 was paid in cash and remainder was mortgaged.
July 5, 1908 - The feast of the Most Precious Blood.
August 1912 - The Reverend F.P. Fitzmaurice, of St. Joachim’s Parish, in Frankford, presented to Most Precious Blood a church bell.
August 29, 1912 - The bell was raised to its place.
August 1, 1913 - The Parish Convent opened at 2721 Diamond Street-Sisters of Saint Joseph.
September 1, 1913 - The Parish School opened with 457 children in attendance.
November 9, 1913 - Archbishop
Prendergast blessed the School.
November 9, 1913 - Archbishop Prendergast blessed the School.
May 20, 1916 - The Rectory groundbreaking.
August 1916 - Two ten-room houses at 2826 and 2828 Diamond Street was purchased for $13,000. This became the new convent.
March 7, 1917 - The Rectory was completed.
February 1927 - The building of the church began.
Spring 1928- The church was complete; 800 chairs were rented because the pews had been delayed in Iowa.
Late 1920’s - After the depression, more African-Americans moved into North Philadelphia and the White Americans moved out. There were only a few African-American Catholics, therefore the parish census started to decline.
1930’s and 40’s - African-American began to convert to Catholicism and the Parish congregation became mostly African-American.
1955 - Father Finley came to Most Precious Blood.
June 1969 - The school was renovated, the first floor became a cafeteria and a library. A Montessori School at 2813 Diamond Street was instituted.
December 1970 - Father Finley named Pastor by Cardinal Krol.
Created in 1993 by consolidating the parishes of St. Columba, St. Elizabeth and Most Precious Blood of Our Lord, St. Martin de Porres Parish is a church with a mission. Of the nearly 26,000 households in the parish, 40% of all the residents live below the poverty level with 45% earning less than $15,000 annually. Because of the recent history of parishes leaving the region, many felt consolidation was diminishing its presence among the poor. In fact, the opposite was true.
At the time of consolidation, the Archdiocese made a strong commitment to the parish. There was a major investment of capital and renovation, so that a strong and safe church, for Catholics and non-Catholics of the neighborhood alike, might represent the Church's commitment to the people of North Central Philadelphia.
This is the flagship Catholic parish in the area, a sign that the Church was indeed not going away, and would not let its commitment to dwindle and erode.
St. Katharine of Siena Parish Wayne, PA USA |
