Church of the Gesú (Philadelphia)
Church of the Gesú | ||
---|---|---|
Style Baroque revival | | |
Years built | 1879–1888 | |
Closed | 1993 | |
Administration | ||
Archdiocese | Archdiocese of Philadelphia | |
Church of the Gesú | ||
Part of | Girard Avenue Historic District (ID85003427) | |
Designated CP | October 31, 1985 |
The Church of the Gesú is a Roman Catholic chapel and former parish church located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1868 by Burchard Villiger, the church was the center of several Jesuit educational institutions, including St. Joseph's Preparatory School, St. Joseph's University, and the Gesú School. The Baroque revival church was named after and loosely modeled after the Church of the Gesú in Rome. The parish closed in 1993, and the building became the chapel of St. Joseph's Prep. The church is part of the Girard Avenue Historic District.
History
On December 6, 1868, the
The Church of the Holy Family was renamed the Church of the Gesú in 1878,[2] after the Church of the Gesù in Rome, which is the universal mother church of the Society of Jesus.[3] The cornerstone of a new, grander church was laid on March 10, 1879,[4] and the cruciform edifice was completed in 1888.[2] A dedication ceremony was held on December 12, 1888.[4] The Baroque revival church was designed by local architect Edwin F. Durang, and was modeled on its Roman counterpart.[2] The interior, including the murals, was decorated by the Italian artist Nicola D'Ascenzo.[5] The dimensions of the new church were: 100 feet (30 m) high, a central nave 252 feet (77 m) long and 75 feet (23 m) wide, and a main altar that is 72 feet (22 m) high.[4] The two towers of the facade, on either side of the Doric, Ionic, and Tuscan columns are each 216 feet (66 m) tall.[6]
The church was also outfitted by Villiger with a number of paintings, which included eighteen portraits by the Mexican painter
In 1985, the building was named as a contributing property of the Girard Avenue Historic District.[10]
References
Citations
- ^ Vaccaro 2012, p. 16
- ^ a b c d e f Leu & Matijkiw 2016, p. 4
- ^ a b c "Church of the Gesú". Philadelphia Church Project. Archived from the original on August 31, 2019. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
- ^ a b c Vaccaro 2012, p. 34
- ^ "Church of the Gesu, St. Joseph's Chapel". Philadelphia Architects and Buildings. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
- ^ Vaccaro 2012, p. 35
- ^ Vaccaro 2012, pp. 9–10
- ^ Leu & Matijkiw 2016, p. 5
- ^ Vaccaro 2012, pp. 8–9
- ^ "National Register of Historic Places Inventory–Nomination Form" (PDF). National Park Service. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 20, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
Sources
- Leu, Sarah; Matijkiw, Anastasia (September 22, 2016). Saint Joseph's Preparatory School records: Finding Aid (PDF). Historical Society of Pennsylvania's Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 14, 2019 – via University of Pennsylvania Library.
- Vaccaro, Leo J. (2012). Guide to the Church of the Gesú (PDF) (1st ed.). Philadelphia: The Villiger Society of St. Joseph's Preparatory School. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 22, 2019. Retrieved September 22, 2019.