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AAt the the the the the the the the the the time of of of of the the the the the the the the the the diocese’s establishment the the the the the the the the the the city city of of of of Wilmington had three churches: the the the the the the the Cathedral of of of of Saint Saint Peter Saint Saint Joseph on on on on the the the the the the Brandywine and and St Mary of of the the the the the the Immaculate Conception To provide for the the the the city’s growing Catholic population the the the the Most Reverend Thomas A A Becker established a a a a a a a a a a a a a parish parish dedicated to Saint Paul the the the the the the Apostle This was was the the the the the the rst rst parish parish started after the the the the the the diocese was was formed and Father Matthew X Fallon the the the the the the the rst rst rst priest ordained for for the the the the diocese would be its rst rst pastor The parish extended southwest to to to Stanton and and Newport six miles away and and served about 60 families Ground breaking for the the original church took place on on on May 24 1869 1869 and the the the cornerstone was was laid on on on on June 6 6 6 6 1869 1869 1869 Bishop Becker dedicated the the the church on on on on December 20 1869 1869 The The original school school building was was was dedicated on on September 2 2 1887 The The school school was was staffed by the the the the Franciscan Sisters of Philadelphia until 1993 when they left the the the parish The present-day church was was begun in in in 1913 and dedicated on on May 3 3 3 3 1914 A rectory was was built in in in in in 1930 that became became a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a convent in in in in in 1955 It became became a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a Friary for the the Franciscan Friars in in in in in 1983 and remains such today A new school school (the present-day school school building) was constructed in in in in in 1955 Sadly Saint Paul’s School closed after 124 years in in in in in 2011 A new rectory rectory (the current rectory) was built in in in 1957 The The parish parish experienced radical change in the 1960s when Interstate-95 was built and and 500 families families were displaced The The parish parish became divided (by the the the the the highway) and and and many of the the the the the families families left the the the the the city for the the the the the suburbs At this same time other began to move in in in in in bringing both energy and and and hope New African-American families families and and an an an an an an an increasing number of of Puerto Rican families families mostly Catholic became the core groups of of Saint Paul’s neighborhood Initially a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a Spanish mass was added to to the the the the the schedule and celebrated in in in in in in in the the the the the lower church starting in in in in in in in the the the the the 1960s Later in in in in in in the the the the the the 1980s there was a a a a a a a a a a great in in in in in in ux of Mexican families into the the parish Originally formed to to serve Catholics of mainly Irish and Italian descent today St Paul’s is is is is approximately 99% Hispanic Parishioners come from many countries in in Latin America America America and and there are just a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a few Irish American American Italian and and African American American families Current parish membership: 60% Puerto Rican 30% Mexican 6% Dominican 2% Other Latin American American 1% Anglo and African American American Saint Paul 1869 WILMINGTON
One of Bishop Becker’s rst tasks was to provide ample churches for the Catholics in his new diocese 61