St. Mary is a Roman Catholic church in Greenwich, Connecticut, United States, part of the Diocese of Bridgeport.
History
Around 1854, Greenwich became a mission station of St. John's in Stamford. Visiting priests offered Mass in private homes or at the Town Hall. In 1860 a small church was erected on William Street. The parish was founded in 1874.[1] In 1875 Rev. M.A. Tierney added a choir gallery to the church. He later purchased land for a new church from James Elphich. During the tenure of Rev. Denis J. Cremin, the cornerstone of St. Mary's Church was laid by Bishop Thomas Galberry of Hartford.[2] The new white frame colonial church was dedicated on May 18, 1879.[1]
Rev. Thomas Smith became pastor in September 1879. He converted the old church on William St. into a school, which was staffed by the Sisters of Mercy from Middletown. The church was decorated in 1884 and enlarged in 1888.[2] on May 16, 1900, a disastrous fire destroyed the early church along with a number of other buildings in the area.[1]
The funeral of Adolphus W. Green, the founder of Nabisco (including Oreo biscuits), was held in this church on March 10, 1917.[3]
Msgr. Frank Wissel was appointed pastor of St. Mary's in 1997. On the occasion of his retirement in 2014, a marble statue of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, donated anonymously, was erected outside the churchmin honor of Wissel. He died a week later on June 19 at the age of seventy-six.[4]
Architecture
The current stone church was designed in 1900 by Henry C. Pelton. The parish complex also contains a school and convent. St. Mary Church and Rectory are included as significant contributing properties in the Greenwich Avenue Historical District, Greenwich, Connecticut.[5][6]
References
- ^ a b c "About Our Parish", St. Mary Church, Greenwich
- ^ a b O'Donnell, James H., History of the Diocese of Hartford, D. H. Hurd Company, 1900, p. 272
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "Adolphus Williamson Green". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. March 9, 1917. p. 3. Retrieved August 26, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Heins, Barbara. "Monsignor Frank Wissel, 76; Pastor of St. Mary Parish", Patch -Greenwich CT, June 21, 2014
- ^ https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/89001215_text Greenwich Avenue Historical District, Greenwich Connecticut
- ^ https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/89001215_photos Greenwich Avenue Historical District, Greenwich Connecticut (Photos, #14)
