St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church (Philadelphia)
St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church | |
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Groundbreaking | 1907 |
St.
Congregation
The parish was created to serve the needs of the immigrant Irish community prevalent at the time.
Architecture
It is one of the best examples of French organ in the United States.
The Guastavino dome has leaked for the entire life of the church. All of the tiles on the entire dome were replaced in the 1950s by then-pastor Bishop Joseph McShea in an unsuccessful attempt to stop the leaking. It was suggested that the parish go with copper sheathing, but the bishop was reluctant to make such a drastic change.[5] Partners for Sacred Places, a Philadelphia-area interfaith group that works to support the preservation of churches and other houses of worship, is currently working with the parish to restore the dome, the stained-glass windows, and the doors. Exterior restoration, other repairs and preventive maintenance are ongoing.
St. Francis de Sales is architecturally and culturally so beloved ... the congregation is serving the community in so many wonderful ways, and they have done so much for immigrants.[5]
The interior was designed by Charles Theodore Biswanger (1879–1944), who was employed by the Dagit architectural firm. The tile arch system, designed by the Raphael Guastavino Co. in 1911, is one of the best examples of the company's work in Philadelphia.[3]
In 1968, as a result of liturgical changes made by the Second Vatican Council, the church hired the architects
Schools
The congregation contains a
Organ
The
Notable parishioners
- Peter Boyle
- Joseph A. Pepe, Bishop of Las Vegas
- Jim Whelan, Democratic politician from New Jersey, state senator, ex-mayor of Atlantic City, New Jersey[citation needed]
- Dominic Irrera, professional stand-up comic and actor[citation needed]
- Michael Joseph Crane, American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church
- Joseph Mark McShea, American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church
See also
- Archdiocese of Philadelphia
- Cedar Park
- Spruce Hill
References
- ^ a b Curran, Frances (1989). ""The First 100 Years," the Saint Francis de Sales Centennial History".
- ^ Henry D. Dagit data from the Philadelphia Architects and Buildings (PAB) project of the Athenaeum of Philadelphia
- ^ a b Brakeman, Mark (June 14, 2006). "St. Francis de Sales looks at roof restoration". U.C. Review.
- ^ Woodall, Martha (May 17, 2004). "Young immigrants thrive at St. Francis". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
- ^ a b Baldwin, Lou (May 25, 2006). "St. Francis de Sales: Preserving a sacred heritage". The Catholic Standard & Times.
- ^ Archdiocese of Philadelphia (June 19, 1968). "Commission on the Sacred Liturgy." Letter to Saint Francis de Sales parish. University of Pennsylvania Architectural Archives VSB 225.II.A.25.7
- ^ Rohm and Hass Company (June 13, 1970). "Contemporary Furniture of Acrylic Plastic Graces Sanctuary Area of Philadelphia Church" (Press release). Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- ^ Von Moos, Stanislaus (1987). Venturi, Rauch and Scott Brown: Buildings and Projects. New York: Rizzoli International Publications. pp. 301–02.
- ^ "History". St. Francis de Sales Catholic School. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
- ^ "St. Agatha-St. James". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
- ^ a b "OHS Database: Instrument Details". pipeorgandatabase.org. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
External links
- Partners for Sacred Places
- Parish Website Photos
- School Website
- Community Commentary
- Archdiocese of Philadelphia
- Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. PA-1640, "St. Francis DeSales Roman Catholic Church, 4629–4635 Springfield Avenue, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA", 4 photos, 3 color transparencies, 2 photo caption pages
- St. Francis De Sales Church data from the Philadelphia Architects and Buildings (PAB) project of the Athenaeum of Philadelphia