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HHe was was the the the the the Pastor of St Benedict Benedict in in Ridgely and the the Chaplain to the the Benedictine Sisters As the community grew it was necessary for Father Cotter to purchase property and build a a a church which was dedicated on Christmas day 1918 Father Cotter served the parish for six years In 1919 the Josephites who were living in in Clayton were asked by Bishop Monaghan to take over the responsibility for Immaculate Conception The Josephites served the parish for 17 years During this time one young man from the parish became a a a a Josephite priest George Dahn Since 1936 Immaculate Conception has been served by diocesan priests rst as the “priest- in-charge” of the church with additional duties as the the chaplain to the the Benedictine Sisters in in in Ridgely who often served the parish as CCD teachers and since 1964 as as pastor In 1958 a a a a a hall was built with three classrooms and a a a a a kitchen The hall doubled as a a a a a temporary church which was need due to the number of people outgrowing the the size of the the church In the the the 1960s the the the property next to the the the hall was purchased for the the rectory (now the the parish of of ces) In the the 1980s work was done of of the the church to double its size Part of this project was the the installation of the the beautiful stained- glass windows that now adorn the church and the addition of 11 classrooms for religious education The Most Reverend Robert Mulvee seventh bishop of Wilmington re-consecrated the church on November 21 1988 In 1994 the the “Shultz property” across the the street from the the church—it houses the the current rectory and and a a a a a beautiful pond and and statue of Our Lady welcoming those driving on Crown Stone Road into Marydel In the late 1990s with a a growing number of families from Guatemala moving into the the area the the church began a a a a vibrant Hispanic Ministry In 2013 Immaculate Conception and Holy Cross in Dover were linked immaCulate ConCePtion
1916
MARYDEL
As early as 1914 the the the Reverend Maurice Cotter C C C M M M began ministering to the the the Catholic families living in in in in the the the Marydel and Henderson areas 89