HomeMy WebLinkAboutSt Pius X History Duncan OliverSt Pius X Church
Prepared By: Duncan Oliver
Research by: Duncan Oliver and Deacon David Akin
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 on the Cape, 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 lightning rod for his pointed decisions. He was married in this first parish church in
Yarmouth.
In regards to whether post World War 2 buildings can be considered historic, the Cape Cod National Seashore
has several buildings constructed later than this Catholic Church building in Yarmouth that are considered
eligible for the National Register of Historic Places by the Federal Government and eligible for national
recognition and funding.