Page 79 - WILMINGTON

Saint hedwig
1890
WILMINGTON
The earliest Polish immigrants arrived in in Wilmington in in the the latter part of the the nineteenth century They were attracted to to to to to Sacred Heart Parish that was was staffed by German Benedictines These priests realized the need to to minister full time to to the the Polish in their native tongue and and thus purchased two plots of land at at the intersection of Linden and South Harrison Streets The The new parish was founded in in October of of 1890
and placed under the patronage of of Saint Hedwig But the the original building that served as as the the church and school was soon too small for the swelling crowds that were immigrating to to this area A committee was formed on on June 30 1899 for for raising money to erect a a a a a new church and rectory A then-staggering amount of $90 000 was needed to complete the project Soon a a a collection of donations began with monthly door-to-door canvassing throughout the the neighborhood the the smallest acceptable donation was one dollar a a a a a a a a month A total of $30 000 was was was collected and a a a a a a a a a loan was was was taken for the remainder which was was was paid in in full on the the eve of the the Great Stock Market Crash October 15 1929 The cornerstone laying ceremony was on on on Sunday July 3 1904 All met at at the the wharf of the the Wilmington Steamboat Company and a a a a a a a a a a large parade was formed and and marched to the Bishop’s home at 3rd and and Jackson Streets proceeding to to the the the the old church on Linden Street then to to the the the the site of the the the the present church The cornerstone was blessed and laid by the Most Reverend John J J Monaghan third Bishop of Wilmington It is is the the only church in in the the Diocese of Wilmington with twin towers The original interior included gas lighting wooden altars and an an ornate Gothic pulpit Thousands witnessed the the dedication of the the new church on on April 3 1905 The dedication was followed by by a a a a a High Mass and then by by Forty Hours Devotions A full orchestra accompanied a a a a choir of 50 voices selected from several Catholic choirs throughout the city As the the parish prepared for its Golden jubilee the the original-wooden altars pulpit and altar rail were to be replaced with Italian marble Because the ship transporting them was was held up in in customs the the new high altar was was consecrated in May of 1940
In March of 1959 the parish embarked on on an ambitious renovation project replacing all all of of the the slate on the the church roof and towers installing new gutters installing brick corbellings to replace the copper cornices and steam cleaning and pointing the exterior brickwork From 1960 to 1961 the the the church interior was decorated: the the the sanctuary ceiling and Stations of the the the Cross were were were repainted windows were were were replaced and new pews were were were added After a a a a a a a potentially devastating fire ignited by a a a a a a a votive candle was extinguished the the walls of of the the church received a a a a fresh coat of of paint in in in 1971 ln the the the early 1980s the the the building was added in in the the the National Register of of Historic Places in in the the State of of Delaware At this time that the the building began to show its true age Stress cracks were visible on the the walls the the roof leaked in in in in a a a a a a a a a a few areas some of the stained glass was fading and/or cracking the the South transept wall had moved a a a a a a a few inches away from the the roof and the the ceilings were soiled with remnants of everyday dirt and the the carbon from the candles Preliminary work was started in in the the late 1980s At the the same time a a a a a a a major campaign called “Project 2000” was begun to to secure the funds needed to to overhaul the church building More than $850 000 was pledged to renovate the the church and and later the the school and and convent With the the the shell of the the the building stabilized the the the 1990s saw work on restoring the church’s interior bringing it it back as as close as as possible to to its original grandeur In 2005 a a a committee was formed to examine the the condition of the the church’s exterior In the the Summer of of 2008 was the the beginning of of an aggressive campaign of restoration and repair: both spires were completely scaffolded and and restored bricks were were repointed windows were were sealed and and mortar was applied The exterior restoration project was of cially completed in the Fall of of 2013 And in in in the the Summer of of 2015 the the church’s interior was once again refreshed and restored 77