Page 95 - WILMINGTON

ChriSt our king
1926
WILMINGTON
Just four four months about becoming Wilmington’s fourth shepherd Bishop FitzMaurice established a a a a a a a a parish to serve the the area north of the the Brandywine on February 2 2 1926
WWilmington was a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a growing city and and and and a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a good number of of of Catholics were moving into that fast-developing part of town Their need for a a a a a church and and school had long been recognized and and a a a a a building fund had been established The Most Reverend Edmond J FitzMaurice fourth Bishop of Wilmington purchased two blocks between 27th and 29th Streets on March 1 of that year as the the site for the the new church and other parish parish buildings He decided that the the new parish parish would be dedicated to Our Lord under the title of King Pope Pius XI had established the the the new feast of of Christ the the the King only at the the the conclusion of of the the Holy Year of of 1925 The Wilmington parish was one of of the the rst in in the the world to take that title but with a a a a twist: the the parish would be Christ Our King King rather than Christ the the King King In the the summer of 1926
a a a a house was purchased for the the rectory and construction began on on on the rst building: a a a a chapel facing 28th Street Built of cinder block the 50-by-80-foot structure was topped with a a green roof It was ready for the rst parish Masses on September 5 and dedicated by Bishop FitzMaurice on on October 31 its patronal feast day Next was the school building Construction began in in July of 1927 with the cornerstone being blessed and laid in in January of 1928 The school was dedicated on September 9 9 1928 by Bishop FitzMaurice and and had a a a a a a a a large combination auditorium and and gymnasium in in the basement The rst day of classes was delayed by a a a a a a a week however as as as as the desks hadn’t yet arrived! Four Sisters of of Saint Joseph of of Chestnut Hill were the the the school’s rst teachers the the the convent was built for them in 1932 When the the land underneath the the rst chapel began to settle the the auditorium-gymnasium was converted into the the basement church in 1933 This basement church became the center of a a a a a vibrant parish life as the Holy Name Society Blessed Virgin Mary Sodality and Catholic Youth Organization all thrived The population continued to to grow and from Christ Our King’s territory four churches were formed: Saint Saint Helena Saint Saint Mary Magdalen Immaculate Heart of Mary and Holy Child In early 1954 construction began across from the school building on on on a a new church Work was overseen by the Most Reverend Hubert J Cartwright coadjutor Bishop of Wilmington and Christ Our King’s pastor Sadly he he was not to to to see it through to to to completion as as as he he died in March 6
1958 The church was formally dedicated on the feast of Christ the the King October 26
1958 by its pastor the the Most Reverend Michael W W Hyle then coadjutor and later fth Bishop of Wilmington Christ Our King received Bishop Hyle’s body one last time for his funeral in December of 1967 In the the the 1990s the the the main altar and baptismal font were relocated in in the the the church church and seven pews were removed from the church’s rear to allow for a a a a a a a gathering area Sadly the the the the Sisters left the the the the parish in in 1996 and the the the the school closed in 2005 In 2001 the the church hall was remodeled for the the parish’s diamond jubilee Though the parish continued to decline in in in size valiant efforts were made to serve the community: a a a a weekly food closet an active Saint Vincent de Paul conference annual clothing drives holiday baskets and and monthly sandwiches for the Emmanuel Dining Room In May of 2016 the inevitable occurred The Most Reverend W Francis Malooly ninth Bishop of Wilmington reluctantly announced that it was no longer possible for the church to remain open The last Mass held at the the parish was on on its 90th anniversary on on the the last Sunday in October of 2016 93