| St. Patrick Church | |
St. Patrick Church in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania
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| Location | Kennett Square, Pennsylvania |
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| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | http://www.rc.net/philadelphia/st_patrick |
| History | |
| Founded | December 25, 1869 |
| Founder(s) | Father John Wall |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia |
| Clergy | |
| Pastor(s) | Reverend Victor F. Sharrett |
St. Patrick Church is a Roman Catholic church in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. The church is located at 212 Meredith Street. Named in honor of Saint Patrick, it is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. It was founded December, 1869.[1]
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Kennett Square area Catholics attended Mass at St. Joseph's on the Brandywine in Delaware up until the mid-1800s. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington was formed in the late 1860s, leaving Kennett Square area Catholics without a church within their own diocese.
Father John Wall, a missionary from Saint Thomas the Apostle Church in Delaware County collected funding and erected the original St. Patrick Church on South State Street. It was the first Catholic parish in southern Chester County.
On Christmas Day of 1869, the first Mass was held. On September 1, 1872, Archbishop Wood dedicated the church. The building was in use for over 35 years, eventually replaced by the present building on Meredith Street which was consecrated in 1907.[2]
The stained glass windows of St. Patrick were imported from Munich, Germany. They number five on either side of the building with a triple-window facing Meredith Street. The subjects of the windows were chosen by Father John H. O'Donel and are as follows[3]:
The pews of St. Patrick are constructed of solid red oak. It is estimated that to duplicate a single pew today would cost thousands of dollars.
St. Patrick School is the school of the St. Patrick parish. Formed in 1922, the school teaches grades 1 through 8 and offers kindergarten and preschool programs as well.[4]