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Saint Bernadette
1952
HARRINGTON
Before Saint Bernadette
Church was built Catholics in in the rural areas of Felton Greenwood and Harrington found it it dif cult to to practice their faith Transportation was was was was not not as as as as as as as as as as as as widespread as as as as as as as as as as as as it it is is today and offering Mass for this community in in a a a a a regular continuous manner was not easy Mass was sometimes offered in in Harrington at the Newman Hotel as early at at 1900 or in private homes by priests from Holy Cross in in Dover When the the rst resident pastor was assigned to to Saint John the the Apostle in in 1912 Mass was said monthly in in various locations for the residents of of Harrington For a a a time instead of of bringing the priest to to the the Harrington a a a bus was supplied for for the the people to to to come to to to Milford This arrangement did not last long as as the bus fell into disrepair and the the number of of privately owned cars increased Still the the faithful of of Harrington and its surrounding environs yearned for a a a a a spiritual home of their own At that time Catholics were not widely accepted in in Harrington and found it dif cult to to obtain land on which to to build a a a church of their own They were approached by a a a a a a local merchant Mr Harry Greenberg who graciously offered to to purchase the the land on their behalf True to to his word he he secured the twenty-acre property at auction for $4 950 on September 6 1952
He resold the the property to the the budding Catholic community for the the the same price Saint John the the the Apostle supplied the the the funds for the purchase The Most Reverend Edmond J FitzMaurize fourth Bishop of Wilmington gave permission for a a cinder-block building to to be erected after the the families had promised to erect erect and pay for the the building themselves Ground was broken on November 23 1952
and parishioners formed a a a a a crew and started digging the foundation By Easter of of of 1953 the structure was ready for its roof roof and roofers were contracted Until this point there had been no hired workmen but parishioners worked together As most of them were farmers work work slowed during the the the spring to to to allow them to to to tend to to to their farms The church was ready for its dedication on on on September 6 1953 one year after the land was purchased By April of 1954 Saint John’s church was repaid the the the $4 950 for the the the cost of the the the land In subsequent years parishioners erected a a a a a a hall for social occasions which included classrooms for Religious Education In 2008 funds were raised for a a a a grotto depicting Saint Bernadette’s encounter with Our Lady at Lourdes Most recently as part of the Sustaining Hope for the Future Capital Campaign air conditioning will be installed in in in the hall At this time Saint Saint Bernadette
together with Saint Saint John the the Apostle supports close to 1 400 families in lower Kent County and upper Sussex County and and is served by two priests and and three deacons 109