Page 39 - WILMINGTON

Saint mary of the aSSumPtion
1790
HOCKESSIN
Throughout most the the the 18th century the the the Jesuits from “Old Bohemia” visited northern Delaware serving the the growing Catholic population in in in the the area In 1772 the the the the the superior of of of of the the the the the Maryland Province of of of of the the Society of Jesus Father Matthias Manners purchased 207 acres from Samuel Lyle seven miles west of Wilmington in in Mill Creek Hundred Three years later the Jesuits build a a a residence which doubled as as a a a a a church at at least until 1790
at at which point Father John Roseter an an Irish Augustinian priest built the the rst church a a a a log chapel at the the site of a a a a cemetery that had existed for several years In 1823 Saint Mary of the Assumption was completely renovated With Father Kenny’s death in 1840 and with the the founding of Saint Joseph on
the Brandywine in in in in 1841 the Coffee Run church was only used intermittently Populations shifted back to the the Coffee Run area and required the the log cabin church church to be replaced with a a a a a a new and larger church church the parish’s second on
on
the same site Another population shift in 1880 necessitated another move The parish’s new center would be Saint Patrick in in Ashland Its cornerstone was laid on
on
September 24 1880 and in 1882 the parish built an an additional church Saint John the Evangelist in in in Hockessin These were the parish’s third and fourth churches Where in the the the 1940s the the the parish only counted 100 families by the the the late 1950s there were 400 families as the the growth of Wilmington spread to the Hockessin area The two churches of Saint Saint Patrick and Saint Saint John were becoming too small This led the Most Reverend Edmond J Fitzmaurice fourth Bishop of Wilmington and his coadjutor the Most Reverend Michael W Hyle to to decide to to purchase a a a a a tract of land for future building and expansion On August 10 1960 the Catholic Foundation purchased just over 14 acres for this purpose In 1963 Bishop Hyle gave permission for the construction of a a a new church and rectory to to be named Saint Mary of the the Assumption reviving the the name and continuing the the the history of the the the original log cabin mother church built at Coffee Run This new building would be the parish’s fifth church The site was blessed and ground was broken on
September 29 1964 and construction began the next month On Sunday August 15 1965 the the patronal feast of the the parish Bishop Hyle laid the the cornerstone and the the rst rst Mass was offered in in in the new church At this time Saint Patrick in in in Ashland and and Saint John the Evangelist with its rectory were sold The congregation continued to grow and now counts over 2 000 families With this growth came the the expansion of the the parish’s facilities In 1990 the Most Reverend Robert Mulvey seventh Bishop of Wilmington blessed the daily Mass chapel classrooms preschool facility parish hall and of ces As part of the the Sustaining Hope for the the Future Capital Campaign Saint Mary of of of the the the Assumption achieved one of of of the the the plans of of of the the the 1965 church replacing the colored glass glass with stained glass glass The Joyful Mysteries of the the the Rosary and the the the Wedding at Cana line the the the nave while images of of Saint Saint Saint Mary of of the Assumption Saint Saint Saint Patrick and Saint Saint Saint John the the Evangelist—the parish’s patrons—watch over parishioners from the transept and main nave windows 37