= Saint Raymond of Penafort =

History of Saint Raymond of Penafort Parish
(Taken and paraphrased from the parish Jubilee Book published in 1992)

PART I: 1941-1991
THE BEGINNING

On Friday, November 21, 1941 Father Richard Kearney sat in the rectory at Our Mother of Sorrows parish in West Philadelphia when the phone rang. It was a message from Dennis Cardinal Dougherty who wished to meet with him on Monday, the 24^th.

On that day at 10:00 a.m., the Cardinal invited Father Kearney to assemble a flock from the existing parishes of St. Athanasius, St. Therese, Seven Dolors, Immaculate Conception and Holy Cross to form a new parish in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The newly designated pastor was also asked to choose the patron saint of the parish he was to found.

Father Kearney chose a little-known Dominican saint of the 12^th and 13^th centuries, Saint Raymond of Penafort. Saint Raymond was known for having revised the manner and form of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and for his deep devotion to the poor of the Spanish countryside in the village of Penafort.

Father Kearney began his new mission with his arrival at his new parish on November 25, 1941. It is interesting to note that no other new parish was formed in the Archdiocese until December 1945, months after the war ended.

DECEMBER 7, 1941

On that fateful day a small group met and prayed in the dining room of Nolan's farmhouse within the boundaries of the new St. Raymond's parish. They discussed the difficulty of finding a suitable place of worship. None of the existing halls in the area were available. In an act of great kindness and generosity, the Nolan family, non-Catholics, offered the use of their home for meetings. They suggested their large stone barn as a place of worship. Mass was offered in thanksgiving at the farmhouse and the members were asked to spread the word that on Sunday, December 14^th, the formal opening Mass of the parish would be held at the barn on the Nolan property. A barn to welcome Jesus. The small statue that sat on the makeshift altar on December 7 was placed on the altar on December 15, 1991 marking the 50^th jubilee celebration of the parish.

Plans for the first Mass remained intact. There was no heat in the barn. There were no pews or seats of any kind, but the 300 dedicated worshippers didn't seem to consider this a hardship as they gathered in the cold barn, with animals nearby, to celebrate Mass at 9:30 and again at 11:00. They prayed for world peace and the safety of our servicemen and women. Saint Raymond's had begun. The family was together.

THE BARN

The "Barn" now become a church soon became a "bragging right" for members of the new congregation and drew much attention from neighbors as well as publicity from local newspapers.

The farm on which the barn sat was bought by the Nolan family around 1901. "Nolan's Barn, " as parishioners so lovingly called it, sat 372 feet above sea level, one of the highest points in Philadelphia. It was built in 1839 by Isaac Williams with stone gathered from the field, constructed without nails, held together instead by wooden pegs.

The Barn was a vivid expression of a community's determination to possess a place of worship, however humble. The barnyard in the rear was filled with farm animals, and hearing roosters crow and cows moo during Mass was an ordinary thing. Today, still, the Barn is remembered with great affection.

THE BARN BECOMES A CHURCH

The spirit if unity at Saint Raymond's began, as it continues to this day, inspired by its many organizations and ministries.

The "Hatchet and Saw Club" was formed almost immediately under the direction of Father Kearney. The club included all men in the parish not in the armed forces, as well as several Protestant neighbors who volunteered their services. The membership was a diverse mix of blue and white-collar workers comparable with the make-up of our parish today. Through the efforts of one of the club's members who was a contractor, lumber and other supplies discarded by various Army projects in Philadelphia were salvaged and brought to the Barn at his expense. One bit of salvage was a heavy piece of mahogany, which became the altar rail.

Thanks to the Hatchet and Saw Club, by the winter of '42-'43 the old stone barn was better equipped to protect parishioners form the rigors of cold weather and a great pride was evidenced in their accomplishments. The transformation was a magnificent one to behold. Though still a barn, the stone building gradually came to house a fully- equipped chapel, one where the parishioners could worship in comfort. The Barn had become a church, a House of the Lord.

Strong and hearty people had a common purpose in 1943. Throughout the country, and specifically in Mount Airy, the gift of Hope reigned. This hope was a prelude to many years of an on-going building process. The type of work begun by the Hatchet and Saw Club was to be seen again and again through the efforts of the men and women of St. Raymond's. Is it any wonder that in 1990 the men would formally declare themselves the "Men of St. Raymond" committed to a future of on-going maintenance and improvement.

The Hatchet and Saw Club was paralleled by the "Needle and Thread Club," a group of women who prepared the vestments and linens for the altar. Today our women continue this fine tradition.

On January 11,1942, a most important organizational meeting was held in the Nolan home. The purpose of this meeting was to form the "Church Debt Society" to provide funds for new grounds and buildings for the parish. Many generously volunteered their services.

Spiritually, the most important groups founded in the early '40's were the Sodality and the Holy Name Society. They were the rock upon which many other organizations were formed and most social gatherings were rooted in the Holy Name and Sodality.

These first organizations accurately depict the spirit, the unselfishness, and the dedication that emerged in those early years. Today, sixty years later, the men and women of St. Raymond's continue to donate their skill, time and energy in all aspects of parish maintenance and ministry. They are worthy successors of the early pioneers of the parish.

ESTABLISHING ROOTS

The Feast of St. Raymond of Penafort, which then was celebrated January23rd, now January 7^th, was an exciting day in 1943. It was the first time the feast was celebrated. In a manner befitting the patron of Canon Lawyers, the feast was celebrated with a "Red Mass", as was the annual custom of the Thomas Moore Society and the Catholic Lawyers Association of Philadelphia. The Mass, a special liturgy for judges and lawyers was celebrated at the new parish. This was a great honor, and in just 6 weeks St. Raymond's was known to all in the city and the Archdiocese.

On April 12, 1942, the first rectory was established some blocks away from the Barn at 8018 and 8020 Michener Street. These two houses were directly across from Temple Stadium. The house at 8018 served as the actual rectory and the one at 8020 was the chapel for weekday Masses.

It was also on this date that the first census and visitation of the parish began. Based on the spiritual records of the parish, there were 242 families. Twenty years later this number had grown to 1,800 families and in 2002 we total 561 families.

Less than one year after the parish was established, a large plot of land adjoining the hill where the Barn stood was acquired by the Archdiocese. This one day would be the site of a new church, school, convent and rectory.

THE NEW CHURCH

After a six and one-half year wait, the parish of Saint Raymond was ready to move from the Barn and construct a new house of worship. Permission was granted to Fr. Kearney by Cardinal Dougherty on April 8, 1947 to start work on the new church. The building was to be designed with an eye toward future expansion. Plans called for the site to contain a basement large enough to house a temporary school, which was by then sorely needed.

On Sunday, July 11, 1948 at 4:30 p.m., the grounds for the new church were blessed by Fr. Kearney. Following a procession from Nolan's Barn to the new site, 1,000 parishioners, friends and well-wishers from other parishes marched and offered prayers of thanksgiving, followed by a sermon and Solemn Benediction. Forty-five priests took part in the ceremony, the theme of which was "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad."

It was an exciting period from July of '48 to February of '49 as the progress of construction was scrutinized by the now 700 families who had outgrown the Barn.

In February of 1949 the church was dedicated. Great joy was experienced by all as they entered the new "Home of the Lord."

The new church was beautiful, and basically remains intact, but over the years small modifications have been made as a result of Vatican II guidelines for worship and the wishes of the people.

GROWTH AND EXPANSION

Much occurred in 1949. The new church/school had been constructed with four classrooms directly beneath the body of the church, now called "The Academy." The Sisters of Mercy, of Merion, Pa. accepted the invitation to staff the new school and the long, deep and rewarding relationship with the "Mercies" began. The first sisters guided by the first Principal/Superior, Sister Mary Redempta moved into the Michener Street house, formerly occupied by the priests. The priests had earlier in the summer moved to Williams Avenue. Two homes and part of a duplex apartment were purchased to serve as the new rectory, directly across from the church. They were 7971, 73 and 75 Williams Avenue. This new location served as the rectory until 1965.

By now the Barn was history, a most happy memory for all.

ST. RAYMOND'S CATHOLIC SCHOOL

The early fifties were days of steady growth. The school located in the basement of the church was bursting at the seams. By April of '52, it was evident that a new school must be built. With the approval of the Archdiocese, construction began on March 9, 1953.

At the same time, it became clear that a new convent was needed to accommodate the now twelve sisters who would be called upon to staff the new school. The site chosen was at the extreme right of the land at Forrest Avenue and PhilEllena Street.

The new school opened officially on September 9, 1953 with an enrollment of 708 students and was blessed on September 27^th by Archbishop John O'Hara. Fireproof and modern in every way it incorporated the latest in school construction and equipment. The building remains to this day impressive in design and is the pride of the community.

THE "'60'S"

By 1963 the Church had been in use for fourteen years. The school building was celebrating its tenth birthday. The convent was filled with Sisters of Mercy. The priests, now three, continued to live in row homes on Williams Avenue.

Late in 1963 construction began on a new rectory. At its completion, the parish structures formed a total unit, an accomplishment that took only 22 years to achieve. The new rectory was scheduled for occupancy in April of 1965. Father Kearney, in failing health, predicted he would never live to see its completion, and his premonition proved correct.

On December 20, 1964, at the age of 68, Father Kearney died suddenly in the rectory. Two days later, with the 7^th and 8^th grade students forming an honor guard along the driveway, his body was transported to the Church. Mass was celebrated by Archbishop John Krol on December 23, 1964 with over 75 priests present and the church filled with caring and grateful worshipers. Fr. Kearney's body was interred on the parish grounds in a tomb where it remains today as a monument to his 23 years of forming and leading his flock. It is upon his commitment and example that future pastors have continued to build the faith of their people and the success of the parish.

The sixties brought change to the Church, the world, our country, the city, and St. Raymond's.

Throughout the city and surrounding counties, families began to seek new roots.

In a relatively short period of time, over 50% of the neighborhood was populated by Black families desiring to stay within the city limits and at the same time benefit from the suburban atmosphere of the neighborhood.

The area was not completely prepared for such a sudden influx of changing neighborhood culture, and a period of unrest occurred. Some local news accounts painted a dreary picture of the area at that time, but the one rock of stability was Saint Raymond's. While all around her was changing, the Church with its many services reached out to all. Not every venture was a success, but there was and is pride in how St. Raymond's stood tall in the midst of these changes.

There was now a great diversity of culture in the neighborhood and St. Raymond's was the stabilizing influence in maintaining continuity, the one haven in the neighborhood nestled on the corners of Vernon, Williams and Forrest. It was the busiest block in the Northwest, and many called it home.