Saint Patrick's Church
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founded 1880
15th and King Streets Mass Schedule
Sundays: —8 am & 11 am (Latin) —9:30 am & 5 pm (English) Mondays & Wednesdays: 5:30 pm (Latin) Tuesdays & Thursdays: 5:30 pm (English) First Fridays: 5 pm Adoration, 6 pm (Latin) First Saturdays: 9 am (Latin) Confession Mondays-Thursdays: 4:30–5:15 pm |
Saint Patrick's Church was completed in 1882, and stands to this day much as it looked then. The school was founded in 1888 and continued through 1974. It was staffed by the Sisters of Saint Francis of Philadelphia through its entire history.
Like many urban parishes, it began to lose members as ethnic Catholics moved out of the city after World War II. By the time of the riots of 1968 the parish was much depleted membership, and in 1975 the parish was slated to begin the process of closure.
With the school closed, the building was used to house the Saint Patrick Center. Originally oriented to the service of senior citizens, the Saint Patrick Center has expanded to provide food and clothing to the poor of the East Side, respite for the homeless and a variety of social services.
Meanwhile the life of the Parish continued and stabilized. The addition of a 5:00 pm Mass and the move of the Latin Mass community to Saint Patrick expanded the reach of the parish and contributed to stabilizing it institutionally and financially. It remains a strong presence in the inner-city of Wilmington with a deep commitment to the liturgy and to assistance to the poor, carried out through an active Saint Vincent de Paul Society in addition to the Saint Patrick Center, which is independently operated.
Through the years some unfortunate repairs and renovations had diminished the integrity and beauty of the church. In 2013, aided in part by the Sustaining Hope for the Future Capital Campaign, an extensive restoration of the interior of the church was undertaken, restoring it its original beauty.
Like many urban parishes, it began to lose members as ethnic Catholics moved out of the city after World War II. By the time of the riots of 1968 the parish was much depleted membership, and in 1975 the parish was slated to begin the process of closure.
With the school closed, the building was used to house the Saint Patrick Center. Originally oriented to the service of senior citizens, the Saint Patrick Center has expanded to provide food and clothing to the poor of the East Side, respite for the homeless and a variety of social services.
Meanwhile the life of the Parish continued and stabilized. The addition of a 5:00 pm Mass and the move of the Latin Mass community to Saint Patrick expanded the reach of the parish and contributed to stabilizing it institutionally and financially. It remains a strong presence in the inner-city of Wilmington with a deep commitment to the liturgy and to assistance to the poor, carried out through an active Saint Vincent de Paul Society in addition to the Saint Patrick Center, which is independently operated.
Through the years some unfortunate repairs and renovations had diminished the integrity and beauty of the church. In 2013, aided in part by the Sustaining Hope for the Future Capital Campaign, an extensive restoration of the interior of the church was undertaken, restoring it its original beauty.
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Downtown Catholic Offices
1414 N. King Street Wilmington, DE 19801 Phone: 302-652–0743 Fax: 302-652–7678 office@downtowncatholic.com open Mondays–Thursdays 9:30am to 3:30pm |
