Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutSt Pius X Memo to D Akin re historic write up for church 05.17.2016Vozelia, Beth From: Duncan Oliver <oliver02675@comcast.net> Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2016 7:00 PM To: Dave Akin Cc: Janice Racine Norris@comcast.net; vanguard3l@verizon.net; Vozella, Beth Subject: Re: Possible write up about the historic building Dave, I'm still working on your write up. Jan !Norris and I will finish it up and present it to the Historic Commission at the June meeting. if our commission votes that the building is historically significant, our role ends at that point. It would then be up to you to go to the town's Community Preservation Committee to request funds. If that committee votes to recommend money for your building, it still must be voted at the annual town meeting in May. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me or Beth Vozella at the Town Office. Jan and I have been working on this as interested historians, not as official Historic Commission members. Good luck; I'll send you our finished write up ----- Original Message ----- From: Dave Akin To: Duncan Oliver Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2016 4:38 PM Subject: Re: Possible write up about the historic building Duncan, Great job, thanks for your support. Deacon Dave Akin David Akin 508-367-1099 FATHER MYCHAL'S PRAYER Lord take me where you want me to go; Let me meet who you want me to meet; Tell me what you want me to say And keep me out of your way. From: "Duncan Oliver" <oliver02675Ccr�comcast.net> To: "David Akin" < retjake@com cast. net> Sent: Sunday, May 15, 2016 5:00:23 PM Subject: Possible write up about the historic building David, I wrote this for your perusal. Feel free to add, remove, or change. This is only a draft and it must be presented to the whole Historic Commission for their decision as to whether the first building is an historic structure. If the Historic Commission approves it, you then go to the Community Preservation Committee and they are the ones who make the determination whether to recommend to town meeting or not. I personally believe that your building qualifies as an historic structure. I'll keep tuning what I've written and will send it, wth your corrections and/or changes, to the other committee members before our next meeting in June so they can mull it over. I'll return the materials you loaned me to the church office for you. Duncan Oliver ----------------- First Draft The Catholic church followed the workers on early Cape Cod, having churches where fishermen, glassblowers, and railroad car workers lived and worked. Occasionally, a small chapel might be built, such as the one in Yarmouth Port, built at the request of a domestic worker to her employer, who footed a large portion of the costs. After World War 2, with rapid growth in population, many faiths started organizing true church buildings of their own, including the Jewish faith, Greek Orthodox, minority and evangelical. During this time, Catholics in Yarmouth had to travel to Harwich or Hyannis or the mission chapel in Yarmouth Port during the off season months when the part-time mission church, Our Lady of the Highway was closed. It served Catholic tourists and locals only during the busy summer season. Thanks in part to the G.I. Bill and low housing rates, Yarmouth's population had exploded from pre- war levels and Yarmouth had become a bedroom community for people working both on Cape and off. Catholic believers felt that they needed a parish and church of their own. Bishop James Connolly of the Fall River Diocese listened to their requests and granted a new parish in Yarmouth. Because it was approved on the same day that Pope Pius X was canonized, May 29, 1954, the parish was named in his honor. Reverend Christopher Broderick was appointed first pastor. While the first church for this parish was being built, Catholics continued worshiping during the first summer at the mission church, Our Lady of the Highway. On August 18, 1954, the new church for the parish was dedicated, although not completed. Services were held in the basement, which turned into a parish hall when the upstairs structure was completed. A ground swell of local support made this possible, doing as much of the work as possible and providing fund-raising, upkeep, and grounds keeping. To deal with the extra large summer crowds, priests from Boston College, as well as priests vacationing on the Cape, helped with the services. In ten years, the mortgage for this building was paid off. It wasn't long before Yarmouth Catholics realized that their church building wouldn't be able to provide for the parish's needs, and fifteen years after the first church was opened, a new much larger church, seating 1200, was built and dedicated. This first church building still stands and is still used for parish and town activities. It is a symbol of post-war desire of Yarmouth residents to be a separate parish, rather than a mission, and have a church of their own. The first building for any faith shows the desire to worship together; that a second much larger building was needed, only confirms what Yarmouth Catholics knew was needed for their town. This first building is a monument to their vision. Probably the most famous person to be married in a Yarmouth church was Antonin Scalia, future US Supreme Court justice and a lighting rod for his pointed decisions. He was married in this first parish church in Yarmouth.