A BRIEF HISTORY OF SAINT BENEDICT PARISH
Saint Benedict Parish was established in 1893 and staffed by Benedictine monks from Saint Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.
photo of St Vincent's Archabbey:
Saint Benedict is located in the southwestern section of Baltimore City, specifically in the neighborhood community known as Mill Hill.
Saint Benedict's beginnings were, at best, meager. The area served by the present Parish in 1893 was a sparsely settled but growing section of Baltimore. Catholics living in this area and beyond had to travel long distances to attend Mass at Fourteen Holy Martyrs, Saint Joseph Monastery, or other churches closer to the center of town.
Therefore, James Cardinal Gibbons, then Archbishop of Baltimore and Washington, asked the Benedictine Monks, who at that time had charge of Fourteen Holy Martyrs Church, to undertake the establishment of a new congregation at Wilkens Avenue and Millington Lane. The first church was a frame structure built in 1893.
Over the years a strong congregation formed around St. Benedict Church--picnics, light operas, minstrel shows. and dinners became annual events. Eventually, a school and convent were added to the parish plant.
photo of St Benedict's (rectory, church, school) in 1920s:
In
1930, because of the large increase of parishioners, the pastor, Fr. Aloysius,
realized the need for a new and larger church. On November 10, 1931, Fr.
Aloysius announced that he had received permission to start work on the new
structure.
Fr. Michael McInerney, the noted Benedictine architect from Belmont Abbey in North Carolina. was selected to draw up the plans for the new house of worship. Fr. Michael not only donated his professional services as a member of the Benedictine order, but also devoted an entire year to this project, daily overseeing the construction on the church. The church was built on the site of the original frame church.
The blessing and laying of the corner stone took place on Sunday, July 10, 1932. Saint Benedict Church stands as a masterpiece of architectural design, and above all, a beautiful House of God.
photo of new church:
Years have passed since the dedication of the new church. Time has made its steady change. Many of the people who lived and worked in the community are gone. Saint Benedict Church remains; its structure is strong, its walls are solid. it is a symbol of the past, and more importantly, of the future. The parish represents strength and hope, and above all, a strong undying faith.
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