Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

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Coordinates: 33°45′1″N 84°23′22″W / 33.75028°N 84.38944°W / 33.75028; -84.38944
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This article is about the church in Atlanta. For the church in Washington, D.C., see Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Gothic Revival
Years built1869–1873
GroundbreakingJune 1869
Administration
ProvinceEcclesiastical Province of Atlanta
ArchdioceseRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta
Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Arealess than one acre
NRHP reference No.76000630[1]
Added to NRHPDecember 12, 1976

The Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is a

Roman Catholic church located at 48 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The current church building was completed in 1873 and is the oldest church in Atlanta, as well as one of the oldest standing buildings in the city. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1976.

The church traces its history back to the 1840s, when

occupation of Atlanta. However, the church was severely damaged during the war and as the congregation grew during the Reconstruction era
, it became evident that a larger building was needed.

In 1869, work commenced on a new brick structure, designed by Atlanta architect

people with AIDS, working with other nearby churches to provide more services to the area's homeless
population, and opening the church to the public for guided tours to attract contributions from tourists. By the mid-2000s, the church had an estimated 325 families in its congregation, and roughly a third of its congregants were LGBT.

History

Background

The city now known as

railroad junction for the southeastern United States.[4] Many of the people who had worked on the railroad's construction and operation were immigrants,[5] and by 1850, of the roughly 2,500 people who lived in the city, about 10 percent had been born outside of the United States.[4] These immigrants were primarily Irish Catholics who maintained their religion after settling in the area,[5][2] which at the time was under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston.[6] Beginning in 1845,[7][8] priests from other Georgia cities such as Augusta and Macon would travel to the city to preach and perform Mass in the houses of the railroad workers.[4] The oldest records from this mission parish date to 1846, when a baptism was conducted on August 9.[5][9][8] From this time until 1849, John Barry served as the parish priest.[8]

First church building

A copy of The Immaculate Conception of El Escorial hung behind the altar in the parish's first church building.

Through the 1840s, the Irish Catholic population of Atlanta continued to increase, driven primarily by immigration from

church building.[3] On February 23 of that year,[8] a land lot located one block from Atlanta City Hall was purchased by the parish for $300 and construction commenced on a new building.[7] Work on this new church was completed later that year,[8] making it one of the first in the city to be built in the city.[7][note 1] The building was made of wood with a white painted exterior, and its front had a small porch with stairs on either side.[10] Inside, the church's sanctuary consisted of an alcove that had the phrase "Gloria in excelsis Deo" painted around the arch.[10] Hanging behind the altar was a painting,[10] a copy of The Immaculate Conception of El Escorial by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo.[12]

In early 1849, Bishop Ignatius A. Reynolds of Charleston officially dedicated this new church building and also gave it an official name of the Church of the Immaculate Conception.[8] Prior to this, the church had no official name and was typically just referred to as the city's Catholic church.[8][12] In 1850, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah was formed out of the Diocese of Charleston and included all of Georgia.[6] At this time, DeKalb County, (which Atlanta was located in), was home to 34 churches, of which only one was Catholic.[13] On February 13, 1851,[8] after several years of relying on missionary priests, the parish received its first permanent pastor with the installation of Jeremiah F. O'Neill of Savannah,[14] who used the church as a base for further missionary work into north Georgia and East Tennessee.[4] On May 2, 1852, Bishop Francis Xavier Gartland of Savannah made his first visit to the church, where he administered the sacrament of confirmation on several individuals.[14]

American Civil War

In 1861,

Atlanta Historical Society would honor O'Reilly's contributions to the city with a memorial on the grounds of the city hall.[25]

New church building

Despite being spared from complete destruction, the church building had been severely damaged by

altar boy for O'Reilly.[29] In 1868, Redemptorists visited Georgia and, during a week-long stay in Atlanta, heard 5,500 confessions and saw 23 converts join the church.[26] That same year, the capital of Georgia was relocated to Atlanta, and construction on the new capitol building commenced one block away from Immaculate Conception.[26] With the growth of both the city and the church in the postwar era, the wooden building proved insufficient for their needs,[3] and the parishioners decided to move forward with the construction of a new church.[26]

The cornerstone of the church was dedicated on September 1, 1869.

In 1869, the wooden church building

Augustin Verot of Savannah presided,[35] while noted Catholic pastor and poet Abram Joseph Ryan delivered a sermon.[37][16] Construction on the new building continued for several years, at a cost of between $75,000 and $80,000.[note 3] In 1872, during the building's construction, O'Reilly died,[5][2] with his funeral held in the old wooden church.[26] His body would later be interred in a crypt underneath the main altar in the new church.[26][2] Primary construction on the building lasted until 1873,[5][30][38][16] and on December 10 of that year,[35] the building was dedicated in a ceremony presided over by Bishop William Hickley Gross of Savannah.[39] The wooden building was demolished the same year,[22] and in fact, all of the buildings that had been spared destruction during the occupation of Atlanta would be demolished within the next 20 years.[40] Despite the dedication, additional minor construction work continued until 1880,[26][41] and the church's high altar would not be dedicated until January 10 of that year.[41] Also in 1880, Immaculate Conception's pastor James O'Brien donated land for St. Joseph's Infirmary.[3] This institution, operated by the Sisters of Mercy,[42] was the first permanent hospital in the city.[3]

In 1880, a

rectory was constructed adjacent to the church.[30] That same year, with the growth of the Catholic population in Atlanta, a second parish for the city was established out of territory spun off from Immaculate Conception.[43][44] This new parish was originally known as Saints Peter and Paul, but after the construction of a new church building along Peachtree Street in 1898, it became known as the Sacred Heart parish.[44] In 1903, another parish was established from former Immaculate Conception territory,[45] and by 1908 there were four Catholic churches in the city.[26] The late 1800s and early 1900s also saw several notable pastors serving at Immaculate Conception, including Benjamin Joseph Keiley and Emmet M. Walsh, who would both later become bishops.[46][43] Also during this time, many Irish Travellers in the region would meet at Immaculate Conception once a year on April 28 to hold a mass funeral for their dead,[47][48] with many Travellers buried in the city's Oakland and Westview cemeteries.[25] By 1914, Immaculate Conception had a membership of between 1,300 and 1,500 and supported sixteen missions.[49]

Decline and restorations

Through the first half of the 20th century, changes in Atlanta's demographics and church organization hurt Immaculate Conception.

Roman Catholic Diocese of Atlanta.[51]

Georgia historical marker
erected near the church in 1981

In 1958, the Bishop of Atlanta appointed the

night shelter for homeless in the area) to begin a weekly meal program.[55]

On August 6, 1982,[53] the church experienced a massive fire caused by faulty wiring that resulted in almost the entire structure being destroyed.[3][2] Only the exterior brick structure of the church was left standing.[53] The main altar had been destroyed, though the two side altars remained intact.[56] Following this, the church underwent a massive restoration project that took roughly two years to complete,[53] during which time services were held at the nearby Central Presbyterian Church.[57] The project, which cost about $4 million,[57] was overseen by architect Henry Howard Smith, the son of noted Atlanta architect Francis Palmer Smith.[58] On May 25, 1984,[41] the church was rededicated.[3] Following the fire, the church continued to experience financial difficulties, and in 1987, due in part to this,[57] the Franciscans left the church and control was transferred back to the Archdiocese of Atlanta.[53][note 5]

Recent history

Following the return of the church to archdiocese control, the

people with AIDS, and at Immaculate Conception he began a weekly dinner for people with AIDS as a form of evangelism to them.[60] By the early 1990s, these dinners attracted about 100 to 120 people,[53] and by 1992, the church had started a ministry for LGBT people,[61] with a full-time priest to minister to people with AIDS.[53] While Adamski's decision to minister to LGBT people divided the opinion of the church,[61] it did lead to an increase in LGBT congregants.[60] In 1992, the church counted about 275 households among its membership and was feeding about 500 people per week at its soup kitchen.[53] Adamski also worked more closely with Central Presbyterian and opened a nightly emergency homeless shelter,[60] and in 1992 they had 35 people living there.[53] Given its central location in the city near several prominent government buildings, the church also began to be used during this time as a coordinating location for protests, such as anti-abortion protests at the capitol building.[53] In 1998, the church celebrated its 150th anniversary with a theme of "People Living Church".[60] Adamski departed from Immaculate Conception the following year.[60]

In 2000, the church began a $1.4 million restoration project that was completed the following year.[62] By the mid-2000s, the church counted about 325 families in its membership,[62] and while it had historically catered to an Irish Catholic congregation, its congregation was split roughly evenly between white and black people, with the latter mostly made up of African Americans and Haitian Americans.[63] Additionally, due in large part to Adamski's ministry, about a third of the congregation was LGBT.[63] The structure itself stands as one of the oldest buildings in downtown and one of only two buildings that began construction in 1869, alongside the Georgia Railroad Freight Depot.[33]

Architecture and design

The side of the church along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW

The church is located at 48 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive (formerly Hunter Street SW),

jerkinhead roof.[30] The overall design of the church is in the Gothic Revival style,[30] while Parkins incorporated some elements from French Gothic architecture (such as the three-part front portal and a rose window) and High Victorian Gothic architecture.[67]

The sanctuary is illuminated by 12 chandeliers.[56] Lining the aisles are roughly 50 stained glass windows that have religious symbolism.[53][56] The ceiling contains a cloverleaf-design painting that depicts the 12 apostles and was designed by Georgian artist Henry Barnes during the building's 1980s restoration.[56][53] Concerning further artwork in the building, there is a statue of the Pietà that was carved in Italy and survived the 1982 fire.[56] The interior columns and the capitals are slender and made of iron.[68] The main altar is made of marble,[3] and it incorporates pieces of marble from the original altar that was destroyed in the 1982 fire.[53] Immediately beneath this main altar, located in the church's basement, is the grave of O'Reilly and Thomas Cleary, a successor of O'Reilly's who was buried next to him in 1884.[26][2]

See also

Notes

  1. Georgia historical marker located outside of the church, which was placed there in 1981.[11]
  2. ^ While Sherman's religious views have been a source of debate amongst historians, he was largely perceived as a Catholic during the American Civil War.[18] See William Tecumseh Sherman#Religious views for more information.
  3. ^ Sources vary on the exact cost of the construction.[26][31]
  4. ^ The Diocese of Savannah had become the Diocese of Savannah-Atlanta in 1937 to reflect the growth in the Catholic population of Atlanta.[51]
  5. archdiocese in 1962.[59]

References

  1. ^ a b c National Park Service 1994, p. 152.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Czarnopys & Santa 1998, p. 84.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Sampson 1987, p. 46.
  4. ^ a b c d Maloney 1992, p. 379.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Barnes 1995, p. 223.
  6. ^ a b Maloney 1992, pp. 368–369.
  7. ^ a b c d Scharen 2004, p. 79.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i Hanley 2006, p. 17.
  9. ^ Mitchell 1927, p. 28.
  10. ^ a b c d Garrett 1969a, p. 333.
  11. ^ a b Georgia Historical Society 2014.
  12. ^ a b c Broderick 1958, p. 112.
  13. ^ Hart 1970, p. 23.
  14. ^ a b Mitchell 1927, p. 29.
  15. ^ a b Maloney 1992, p. 380.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j King 1969, p. 25.
  17. ^ Brinsfield 2005, p. 225.
  18. ^ a b c Maloney 1992, pp. 380–381.
  19. ^ a b c d e f Maloney 1992, p. 381.
  20. ^ Burch 2014, p. 168.
  21. ^ Broderick 1958, pp. 112–113.
  22. ^ a b c Broderick 1958, p. 113.
  23. ^ Gibbons 1979, p. 55.
  24. ^ Morrison 2019, p. 120.
  25. ^ a b c Barnes 1995, p. 224.
  26. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Maloney 1992, p. 382.
  27. ^ Newman 1983, p. 49.
  28. ^ Wilson 1871, p. 36.
  29. ^ Smith 2006, p. xv.
  30. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Greenberg & Marusin 1976, p. 116.
  31. ^ a b c Reed 1889, p. 454.
  32. ^ Morgan 1937, p. 6.
  33. ^ a b Gournay 1993, p. xxvi.
  34. ^ King 1969, p. 27.
  35. ^ a b c d Hanley 2006, p. 20.
  36. ^ Harrison 1944, p. 198.
  37. ^ a b Harrison 1944, p. 210.
  38. ^ King 1969, p. 12.
  39. ^ Martin 1902, p. 571.
  40. ^ Morrison 2019, p. 122.
  41. ^ a b c d Hanley 2006, p. 21.
  42. ^ Hanley 2006, p. 23.
  43. ^ a b Mitchell 1927, p. 33.
  44. ^ a b Hanley 2006, p. 27.
  45. ^ Hanley 2006, p. 36.
  46. ^ O'Hara 1914, p. 201.
  47. ^ Barnes 1995, pp. 223–224.
  48. ^ Ferris 2013, pp. 31–32.
  49. ^ O'Hara 1914, p. 209.
  50. ^ Scharen 2004, pp. 81–82.
  51. ^ a b Maloney 1992, p. 376.
  52. ^ a b c d e Scharen 2004, p. 82.
  53. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Maloney 1992, p. 383.
  54. ^ Scharen 2004, pp. 82–83.
  55. ^ a b c d Scharen 2004, p. 83.
  56. ^ a b c d e Czarnopys & Santa 1998, p. 85.
  57. ^ a b c d Scharen 2004, p. 84.
  58. ^ Craig 2012, p. 241.
  59. ^ Moore 2007, p. 168.
  60. ^ a b c d e f g Scharen 2004, p. 85.
  61. ^ a b Williams 2008, p. 127.
  62. ^ a b Hanley 2006, p. 158.
  63. ^ a b Scharen 2004, pp. 52–53.
  64. ^ Czarnopys & Santa 1998, p. 86.
  65. ^ a b c Wilson 1871, p. 76.
  66. ^ Gournay 1993, p. 7.
  67. ^ Gournay 1993, pp. 7–8.
  68. ^ Gournay 1993, p. 8.

Sources

Further reading

External links

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