Our Lady of Fatima Church Through the Years
| Date | Event |
| September 14, 1941 | The Stahl Realty Co. had conveyed a tract of land bounded by Dupont Boulevard, Wilmington Manor with the intention of establishing a parish. At that time this area was within the boundaries of St. Peter’s Parish of New Castle. Father McElwaine, an assistant there at the time, initiated a census and found it evident that New Castle County was no exception to the building boom following World War II, and areas once considered rural were fast developing into heavily populated suburban communities. On August 5, 1948, the Most Rev. Bishop Edmond J. Fitzmaurice, Bishop of the Diocese of Wilmington, established Our Lady of Fatima Parish with the appointment of the Rev. Edmund J. McDonough as pastor and founder of the church to be developed. Father McDonough was an assistant at St. Elizabeth’s in Wilmington and principal of its high school. |
| August 19, 1948 | Mass was celebrated for the first time in the Civic Club.. Father McDonough commuted from Wilmington to celebrate Mass every Sunday and Holy Day, using the kitchen of the Civic Club to don his vestments. |
| February 27, 1948 | Mass was offered for the first time in the newly constructed 400 seat chapel on Pennsylvania and Harrison Avenues. There were now 483 homes in Wilmington Manor. |
| March 18, 1949 | Purchase of the present rectory and surrounding grounds took place. doubling the size of the property and extending the boundary to Roosevelt Avenue. Out of the 483 homes in the area, 300 families were registered in the new parish. |
| September 1949 | Our Lady of Fatima School: The first classrooms of our parish school opened, using the basement of the rectory. Two Benedictines, Sister Dolores and Sister Marie Consolata taught 22 children in the first grade and 13 children in the second grade. The Sisters commuted daily from the Sacred Heart Convent in Wilmington with Father McDonough as their chauffeur. |
| May 14, 1950 | The original First Holy Communion class received the Holy Eucharist |
| February 23, 1952 | Father McDonough died suddenly. Until another pastor was assigned, Father Leo Montgomery was appointed Administrator. |
| April 1952 | Bishop Fitzmaurice conferred the Sacrament of Confirmation on members of the parish for the first time. |
| May 14, 1952 | Rev. Roderick B. Dwyer was officially named the pastor. Father Dwyer had been the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Chestertown, Maryland. Under his leadership the parish would continue to develop, and customs and devotions established. |
| October 29, 1952 | A motel on the southwest corner of Dupont Boulevard and Lincoln Avenue was purchased and converted into a home for the nuns. A year later they moved in, eliminating the daily trip from Wilmington. The teaching staff now numbered four – Sisters Elizabeth, Carmelita, Kevin and Margaret Therese. |
| November 23, 1952 | The first devotion of the Forty Hours opened and twenty-nine priests of the diocese were in attendance on closing night. |
| March 5, 1953 | The parish was formally incorporated by Bishop Fitzmaurice, Msgr. Joseph Sweeney, the Vicar General, Father Dwyer and the trustees, Daniel Matassino and William Smith. |
| July, 1953 | Because of the rapid population increase, the new pastor was confronted with the need to replace the temporary school and overcrowded church while finding a home for the nuns. To help with this task the Bishop assigned an assistant, Father Henri I. Foltz |
| September 30, 1954 | A contract for building a church and school, designed by Philadelphia architects Gleason and Mulrooney, was executed between Father Dwyer and C.J. Dougherty & Sons at a price of $242,363. Contractors Greggo and Ferrara broke ground on the following day. A building fund campaign was initiated with Henry G. Hoffman as general Chairman using the theme “At Least a Day’s Pay a Month for Thirty Months.” |
| February 21, 1955 | As our school grew and required more sisters, a larger convent had to be provided. To make land available, the parish was granted ownership on that portion of Grant Avenue which divided the property. Father Dwyer engaged F. Leonard Slagle, a Washington architect, to design the building. |
| September 1955 | When the new school opened, the number of nuns had doubled. Sisters Rosalie, Kevin, Margaret Therese, Marita, Regina Marie, Stephen and Agnes taught grades one through seven with Sister Elizabeth, Superior and Principal. Now the parish consisted of 900 families with an enrollment of 450 children in school. Of these there were 92 pupils in the first grade and 87 in the second grade. |
| December 25, 1955 | Father Dwyer sang the first Mass in the new church at midnight Mass on Christmas. |
| January 1956 | Father Anthony DiMichele succeeded Father Foltz as assistant pastor. |
| November 25, 1956 | The church was dedicated by Bishop Hubert James Cartwright, the Coadjutor to the Bishop of Wilmington; this was the first parish event at which Bishop Cartwright presided after his arrival in the diocese. The cornerstone of white marble bears only the date “A.D.1955” and a cross. In it were placed religious medals, a booklet containing the history of the parish, and pictures of Bishop Fitzmaurice, Coadjutor Bishop Cartwright, Father Dwyer, Father McDonough and Father DiMichele. Other pictures included those of the original first communion class and views of the exterior and interior of the new church, the school and school buses. A copy of the morning news with a story and picture of the building was also placed in the cornerstone. At the time of the dedication the parish numbered 900 families. |
| 1957 | The first class, consisting of 26 pupils, graduated from Our Lady of Fatima School. Most of these graduates were then enrolled in our High School using newly renovated classrooms in the old hall. After two years, the High School was discontinued and the children transferred to established schools. The hall was subsequently utilized completely by the elementary school. |
| March 30, 1958 | A diocesan census, entitled the “Survey of Souls,” planned by Bishop Cartwright, was taken on . It was a memorable event in the life of the parish and an authentic piece of Catholic action. Hundreds of our men worked hard and produced exceptional results; one of its immediate effects was the accurate establishment of our parish boundaries. |
| June 12, 1958 | Father DiMichele was transferred to become the pastor of St. John’s in Hockessin and was replaced by Father Bruce Byrolly. |
| July 3, 1958 | The contract, signed by diocesan authorities, the pastor, lay trustees – Daniel Matassino and Howard Weston was awarded to Facciolo Construction Company of Wilmington at $116,000. |
| July 10,1958 | Father Dwyer blessed the ground and construction began. |
| September 1958 | Another assistant was added with the arrival of Father Bernard Pagano. One of the last great acts of the reign of Pope Pius XII was his instruction on September 4, 1958 relative to the active participation of the people in Holy Mass. Within two months our school children had put the Dialog Mass into full effect at their weekly Masses. |
| February 1, 1959 | The Dialog Mass was introduced to the parishioners for the first time and was received with great enthusiasm, thanks to the untiring efforts of Father Byrolly. The adult choir with the assistance of Mrs. Louise Gam, parish organist, sang all the sacred texts required by the Holy Week liturgy for the first time. |
| August 1959 | The convent was completed at a total cost of $154,000 and ten sisters, including Sister Dolores, the Superior, occupied their new quarters. The parish membership increased every year and reached a point where more than 100 students were enrolled in the first grade. |
| February 4, 1961 | Msgr. Francis J. Desmond was assigned as pastor and Msgr. Dwyer was transferred to Christ Our King Parish. The renewal of the Catholic Church inaugurated by Pope John XXIII and the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) had its impact on the worship and life of Our Lady of Fatima Parish. Under the leadership of Bishop Hyle, the parishes of the dioceses introduced the liturgical reforms approved by the Church; the Mass celebrated facing the congregation and laymen serving as lectors and commentators. Father Bruce Byrolly, assistant pastor, was instrumental in accomplishing many of these changes. |
| September 1961 | Having facilities to house these children, it was an easy decision to establish two first grades. However, Msgr. Desmond found it impossible to staff the school with nuns and Miss Gwen Page (ne: Hession) joined the faculty. |
| November 1961 | The transportation problem for the nuns was satisfied by an extraordinary project. Under the leadership of the Blessed Virgin Mary Sodality and Mrs. Mary O’Neill, 1125 S&H Green Stamp Books were collected. These books were redeemed and an eight-passenger station wagon was purchased and donated to the good sisters. During the next several years fewer nuns were assigned to our school and the number of lay teachers increased. This was not the most pressing problem, however. |
| 1964 | The parish had grown from the original 300 families to nearly 1300 families. Overcrowding of the church and school continued as the man problem facing the pastor. Plans were made to build a new church, and Fletcher & Buck of Greenville were selected as architects, with Tim O’Connell & Sons as the general contractor. On May 24, 1964, ground was broken for the new church. The church is circular in design with nine aisles leading to the altar which is in the center. It was designed to accommodate 800 parishioners with no member of the congregation more than 40 feet from the altar. This was the first church in the Diocese built “In the Round” with a freestanding altar. Double grades necessitated expanding our school facilities quickly. This was accomplished by renting “Little Red Schoolhouses.” These prefabricated classrooms were assembled in the parish area and relieved the crowded conditions until the second floor was added to the school. |
| April 9, 1965 | The church was dedicated by Bishop Hyle. In his letter to the parishioners he commented about the structure: “Facing a busy highway, it serves as a reminder to all who pass by of the presence of God among His people…” A sophisticated public address system was built into the new church. The celebrant wore a wireless transmitter under his vestments and his voice amplified throw speakers mounted in the lighting fixtures. Unfortunately, this system was abandoned because of interruption of church services by radio messages from the fire board and air base tower. Call for greater involvement of the laity in the Church’s life extended beyond the liturgy to include all phases of parish activities. |
| November 22, 1965 | Along with other parishes in the Diocese, Our Lady of Fatima established its Parish Council. After a period of preparation, the first meeting was held and John J. Traynor was elected the first president. |
| October 14, 1966 | The students and faculty of our school were thrilled when the President of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson stopped to chat and shake hands. They had lined the highways to observe the President’s motorcade heading to the airport from Wilmington. Cindy Skibicki was elated when the President shook her hand three times. |
| December 1966 | After Christmas vacation, all children were housed in one school building which included a larger library, spacious office for the principal and secretary and two unoccupied classrooms. |
| June 9, 1967 | Msgr. Desmond was transferred to St. Helena’s. Rev. Leo Montgomery, formerly an associate at Our Lady of Fatima, returned as pastor. |
| September 1971 | Paying the salaries of the constantly increasing lay faculty became one of the greatest problems encountered by the people of the parish. Our financial status was at its lowest point and closing the school was seriously considered. After a thorough evaluation of a carefully prepared budget and favorable response from the parishioners it was decided to continue the school. The 1972-1973 faculty was made up of five nuns and thirteen lay teachers. |
| May 31, 1972 | Father Montgomery was reassigned and was succeeded by Rev. John F. O’Brien. |
| February 1973 | Joseph DiMauro of our parish, an Oblate Seminarian, was raised to the office of Diaconate. Rev. Mr. DiMauro was ordained to the priesthood in June and offered his first Mass in our Church. |
| February, 1973 | A special observance in honor of Our Lady of Fatima was held to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of its founding. Two neighboring parishes, St. Peters, New Castle and Holy Spirit, Garfield Park, joined in our celebration. The focal point of the three days (25, 26 & 27) was the hand carved, wooden statue from the Fatima Shrine in Portugal. |
| April 1973 | The appointment of extraordinary ministers of Communion brought about another great change in the parish. Under Vatican regulations on the distribution of Communion, Bishops were empowered to grant pastors the authority to make such assignments, and Father O’Brien selected Robert Bupp, James A. LeNoir, Hugh Ryan, Edward J. Summerton and James Stott as lay ministers. Assisting with the distribution of Communion at certain Masses began. Coincidently, the practice of receiving the Holy Eucharist in the standing position started at the same time. |
| 1974 | Sister Marcella Marie was appointed as the first Director of Religious Education and music coordinator. The original folk group was organized now. Due to the closing of St. Peter’s Cathedral for repairs, Our Lady of Fatima hosted a diocesan ordination ceremony. The Reverend Paul F. Jennings, Jr. and the Reverend Clemens D. Manista, Jr. were ordinated in the special rite officiated by Bishop Thomas J. Mardaga. |
| 1976 | After 25 years of teaching at Our Lady of Fatima, the remaining five Benedictine Sisters were withdrawn from the school by their order in. With the departure of the nuns, the school opened in September with a staff composed entirely of lay teachers, the first school in the diocese to do so. The convent has been used since that time as a semi-retirement home for the Sisters of St. Francis at Glen-Riddle, PA. Mike McMahon was hired as the first salaried Director of Liturgy and Music in the parish. The first musical reviews were organized and presented in the parish under the Direction of Father Paul Mast, whose successful presentation of “Fiddler on the Roof” was the group’s first offering. |
| February 1977 | The new Rite of Reconciliation became effective. The former baptistery in the church vestibule was converted for this purpose and finished to express an atmosphere of comfort, quiet and joy. |
| September 1977 | Two half-day sessions of kindergarten were opened with a total of 50 children and helped maintain the student enrollment of some 617 children. |
| January 22, 1978 | A covenant was ratified by Our Lady of Fatima and Asbury Methodist Church, the first such covenant in the United States between Catholic and Methodist Churches. The covenant is based upon the belief that Catholic and non-Catholic religious groups should seek to promote harmony and goodwill as they embark upon programs of mutual interest. The covenant includes the announced offering of prayer for one another at various services, ecumenical worship and sermonizing, cooperative youth programs and the sharing of church facilities. The covenant was signed by our Pastor, Father John O’Brien and attended to by Henry Metz of Our Lady of Fatima, while the Revered Thomas Short and Delvin Burns did likewise for Asbury Methodist Church. The June Fair, an outgrowth of the original “Strawberry Festival,” became a regularly scheduled June event and soon became the top fund raiser for the parish. Bingo likewise experienced a resurgence among the church members and has become a popular Tuesday night outing for many dedicated players. |
| June 7, 1978 | Having experienced tremendous growth, it was determined by the diocese that a new parish was needed to serve the needs of the growing catholic population. The southern section of Our Lady of Fatima parish was reapportioned and the new parish of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton established on Route 7, in Bear. |
| May 10, 1980 | John W. Freebery became the first permanent Deacon at Our Lady of Fatima, a member of the first class of permanent Deacons ordained in the Diocese at St. Peter’s Cathedral by Bishop Thomas J. Mardaga. Below the minimum age requirement at the time, Deacon Freebery was granted a special dispensation for ordination. |
| 1981 | The Parish Outreach office, organized to give physical and spiritual assistance to the less fortunate in our parish, was established. Pat Wham gave impetus to the program as its first director and it expanded rapidly under her direction. Food, clothing and other necessities were made available to those in need. The Angel Tree at Christmas, through which hundreds of presents are made available to the needy, is an extension of this very worthy endeavor as well as Meals-On-Wheels, a hot meal home delivery service and the Emmanuel Dining Room project, wherein parishioners unselfishly volunteered their time and efforts to prepare meals for hundreds of needy at Emmanuel Dining Room. |
| 1982 | Father John F. O’Brien, Pastor of Our Lady of Fatima for the past ten years, was reassigned as Pastor of St. Elizabeth’s Parish in Wilmington. Replacing Father O’Brien was Father Stanley J. Russell, Pastor at Holy Rosary Parish in Claymont. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults was officially organized within the parish by Father Russell. The program includes a process of faith development designed to welcome adults into full communion of the Catholic Church through the reception of the Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. Also welcomed are baptized Catholics and Christians from other denominations who need to complete their Sacraments of Initiation. |
| 1982 | The first Parish Life Committee was organized. The primary goal of this group was to organize the parish family by coordinating all parish activities, including fundraising efforts, and oversee the parish calendar. In a special ceremony, Father Russell had the honor of burning the mortgage on the church property. |
| September 1984 | A full day session of kindergarten was added to the school for twenty-five new students. |
| November 1984 | The Kitty Wilson Award was established in her memory, recognizing the many years she unselfishly donated her time and efforts to a host of projects within the parish. The award was presented annually at Thanksgiving Day Mass to a parishioner who has made outstanding contributions to the parish ministries. |
| June 7, 1984 | The first Pat Wham Humanitarian Award was presented. Following Pat’s untimely death, the award was established by Outreach volunteers. It was presented to an eighth-grade student who most displayed Pat’s Christian qualities of serve to church and school. |
| September 1985 | The initial “Latch Key” program was instituted at the school. Children, who would perhaps have to go home to an empty house, were now able to remain after school in a safe, supervised environment. The parish school also received complete accreditation by the Middle States Accreditation Bureau. A Memorial Award in remembrance of Richard Frechette, a devoted sports enthusiast and coach within the parish was established this same year. The award was presented annually to an eighth-grade boy and girl in recognition of their outstanding athletic ability. |
| March 1984 | Joseph Romans was welcomed as the second permanent Deacon in the parish, replacing John Freebery who moved to St. Mary of the Assumption in Hockessin. Deacon Romans was ordained by Bishops Mulvee and James C. Burke at St. John the Beloved Church. |
| July – October 1988 | The church was closed for renovations with approximately $200,000 being invested in the project. The entire cost of the renovation was raised through donations, with those contributors being acknowledged by a Scroll of Recognition in the main vestibule and the Remembrance Tree in the side vestibule. The undertaking included the replacement of all carpeting and kneelers and the construction of chapels for the Blessed Sacrament and Our Lady of Fatima. Replaced by two chapels, the cry rooms were relocated to the two side vestibules. The audio system was completely refurbished and the organ and choir space relocated to the opposite side of the altar. Sufficient qualities of original iron and oak were salvaged during restoration to take care of all the needs of renovation. Sunday Masses and all other religious services were moved to Msgr. Dwyer Hall during this period, sparking memories of days long passed. The newly renovated church, in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the parish, was rededicated at a special Mass by Bishop Robert Mulvee. |
| May 12, 1989 | A special ceremony following Confirmation in which Bishop Robert Mulvee blessed our new shrine that honors Our Lady of Fatima. The beautiful hand-crafted statue of Mary with three children and their sheep were carved by artists from the Alpine area of northern Italy. |
| July 5, 1989 | The first general meeting of the Our Lady of Fatima Leisure Club was held. With more than 40 parishioners attending, bylaws were adopted and Jim Corcoran elected the club’s first president. Planned primarily as a social club for parishioners 55 and over, it fulfilled this objective admirably and expanded to become an enthusiastic, readily available service resource group. |
| 1990 | Mary Lou May joined Our Lady of Fatima as the Choir Director and Coordinator of Cantor Ministry. Her duties were later expanded to include coordination of music ministry and liturgy. Since her association with the parish, the cantor program has been initiated and a youth choir was organized. Music within our liturgies has been greatly expanded and enhanced using ensemble instrumentalists and increased participation by the entire assembly. The adult choirs have grown not only in size but in the quality of their musical presentations. We also welcomed Ms. Sheryl Cook as the Executive Secretary. Her duties comprised of administration to the pastor, bulletin coordination, maintaining sacramental books, collection of tuition, etc. and then expanded to fundraising with golf Tournaments, Wine Events and Silent Auction fundraisers. |
| 1991 | The diocesan wide “renew” program was instituted in all parishes. It was designed to afford parishioners the opportunity to strengthen their faith and understanding through prayer, scripture readings and discussion within small groups. Some 224 parishioners within 22 groups took advantage of this opportunity, meeting weekly for six week periods. The individual small groups all endeavored to take on worthy projects, one of which resulted in the collection of more than 80 blankets, later distributed to the homeless. |
| 1992 | The annual Our Lady of Fatima May procession took on special meaning as it also marked the 75th anniversary of Mary’s appearance to the children of Fatima, Portugal in 1917. |
| April 11, 1994 | A group of dedicated volunteers who had been active in the renew program, and intent on providing the opportunity for parishioners to increase their faith and knowledge of the church, assembled for the first time. Thus, the adult education committee was founded and immediately embarked on a program to accomplish their mission. By August, they had scheduled their first education session and by September had established a lending library of video tapes and printed material for individuals and groups within the parish. Father Russell was reassigned as Pastor to St. Helena’s in Bellefonte. He was replaced as Pastor by a former Our Lady of Fatima associate, Father Michael J. McDermott. |
| December 15, 1994 | The Knights of Columbus became a reality in the parish when Our Lady of Fatima Council #1469 was issued a charter. Dave Cloughley was elected the first Grand Knight by the 52 men who comprised the new council. Primarily dedicated to service within the community, the Fatima Council is placing special emphasis on the youth of the parish. The Knights’ motto: “Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism” best sums up their lofty mission. |
| 1995 | The Diocese officially notified the parish that the position of altar server would be open to all in the parish, regardless of gender. The parish quickly adopted this policy and now had a large contingent of young men and women contributing to the parish ministry. The parish registry has grown from 1500 families in 1973 to a current count of some 2700 families. |
| June 27, 1996 | Rev. John J. Mink was assigned to the parish as associate pastor. In 1996, our staff added Mrs. Kathleen Cullen as our Accountant to maintain the many aspects of the accounting books of the parish. Both Mrs. Cullen and Ms. Cook are both alumni of Our Lady of Fatima School. In anticipation of the parish’s 50th anniversary in 1998, Father McDermott called for the organization of committees to formulate plans for the upcoming celebration. Newly formed liturgy, history and social committees, with the help of many established parish groups, worked hard for several months planning meaningful religious and social events to celebrate the Jubilee. The inaugural event featured “Return Day” Masses with informal receptions and a parish picnic, to which special invitations were extended to all former clergy, religious and parishioners. Liturgical events held through the Jubilee Year featured special emphasis on the anniversary as well as expanded devotions to Our lady of Fatima. |
| September 1997 | Sister Theresa Ulshafer, OSF joined the parish as the coordinator of Pastoral Care. Sister Theresa is responsible for outreaching those in the parish who find it difficult to participate actively without assistance, primarily shut ins the sick and the hospitalized. Along with Sister Theresa, Sr. Joan Ference, OSF helps in the Parish Office with secretarial duties. OLF was the first parish to extend the ministry of EMHC to properly trained and commissioned high school and college age students 18 and older (16 with parent’s permission) with Bishop Saltarelli’s approval, opening all liturgical ministries to our young people. |
| October, 1997 | World Youth Day – our parish youth group traveled to Paris, France. The Fatima pilgrims presented His Holiness Pope John Paul II with the first of our pewter medallions designed for the Golden Jubilee celebration. |
| May 24, 1998 | Father John J. Mink was appointed Pastor by Bishop Michael Saltarelli and officially installed at a special ceremony. |
| September 27, 1998 | Our Lady of Fatima officially closed its yearlong Golden Jubilee celebration at a special mass celebrated by Bishop Michael Saltarelli. |
| 1999 | Plans were made for our Millennium Celebration with a New Year’s Eve Party in the Msgr. Dwyer Hall. The event was well attended with over 300 celebrants in attendance to bring in the 2000 year of our Lord. With the onset of new developments in the southern part of the county, we saw a surge of families heading south toward the Middletown, St. Georges and Townsend area. With this, a new school and church were built to accommodate those living in that area. |
| *****Our own area of Wilmington Manor saw a surge of newly active parishioners in our Hispanic community. With this onset, we have since developed a Hispanic Community Center along with a Spanish Mass on Saturday evenings. With our Hispanic Community, we developed a Spanish Choir, Our Lady of Guadalupe celebrations happen each year on her feast day of December 12th and we continue to implement a Spanish baptism program along with a Spanish Committee. Our Spanish Center is operational three nights a week for those that need assistance within the parish community. | |
| 2008 | We were happy to celebrate our 60th Diamond Anniversary as a parish and our theme being “The many facets of Fatima – Faith, Family, Future.” One of our past students, Amanda M. Cook McLain developed our parish Symbol of a Diamond with Our Lady of Fatima as its center point. |
| October 24th, 2010 | We were happy to have a 25th Anniversary Celebration of our Pastor, Rev. John J. Mink, ordained October 26, 1985. Over 30 priests from the diocese were in attendance with over 400 past and present parishioners. The Mass was followed by a sit-down dinner in our parish hall. |
| 2012 | Father John Mink (our longest serving pastor) was transferred to St. Ann’s Parish, Wilmington and Our Lady of Fatima welcomed Rev. Msgr. George Brubaker, who currently served as pastor at St. John, Milford and was the Judicial Vicar for the Diocese of Wilmington. |
| 2014 | Catholic Education and our school began to see a decline in attendance and was closed in the year. |
| The school is now rented out by a charter school for the state of Delaware. We are now in the planning stages of developing the 100th Anniversary Year Celebration of the Apparition of Our Lady of Fatima to the three children in Portugal. Many events are beginning to take place with speakers, a statue of Our Lady of Fatima from Portugal being displayed and monthly talks. Our current census is 2900 families and our parish is still thriving. |
Historical Significance:
- First Church in the Round with our Stained-Glass Windows (Stations of the Cross) created by Gabriel Loire, Chartres, France.
- Our Statuary was created by Charles C. Parks, Hockessin, DE.
- Our original church doors each have eight small etched glass windows, depicting typical symbols used in Christian Art. These etched art pieces are now located in the church where our Holy Oils are kept in a display made by our parishioner, Mr. James LeNoir.
Our Pastors
| Pastor | Years |
| Rev. Edmund McDonough | 1948 – 1952 |
| Msgr. Roderick B. Dwyer | 1952 – 1961 |
| Msgr. Francis J. Desmond | 1961 – 1967 |
| Rev. Leo F. Montgomery | 1967 – 1972 |
| Vy. Rev. John F. O’Brien | 1972 – 1982 |
| Vy. Rev. Stanley J. Russell | 1982 – 1994 |
| Rev. Michael J. McDermott | 1994 – 1997 |
| Rev. John J. Mink | 1998 – 2012 |
| Msgr. George Brubaker | 2012 – |
| Rev. David F. Murphy | Present |