St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church (Philadelphia)

St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church, founded in 1890, is a Catholic church in University City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Its cornerstone laid in 1907, cite news | first= Frances | last= Curran | url= | title= "The First 100 Years," the Saint Francis de Sales Centennial History | publisher= | date= 1989] the Guastavino tiled dome of the de Sales parish has been an icon in its neighborhood. The de Sales parish is a large church was designed by Philadelphia architect Henry D. Dagitcite news | first= | last= | url= http://www.philadelphiabuildings.org/pab/app/ar_display.cfm/23729 | title= Henry D. Dagit Biography | publisher= | date=] , built in the Byzantine Revival style and modeled after Istanbul's Hagia Sophia, incorporating elements of the Arts and Crafts movement which was at its peak when the church was built.cite news | first= Mark | last= Brakeman | url= http://jbmultimedia.p2ionline.com/UCReview/popup/index.aspx?webstoryid=10860918&area=SS&type=page&AdgroupID=61994&AdID=1521295 | title= St. Francis de Sales looks at roof restoration | publisher= [http://www.philly1.com U.C. Review] | date= June 14 2006]

Congregation

The parish was created to serve the needs of the immigrant Irish community that was then living in the neighborhood. cite news | first= Frances | last= Curran | url= | title= "The First 100 Years," the Saint Francis de Sales Centennial History | publisher= | date= 1989] The parish has seen its congregation change over the years from the working class Irish immigrant families – which eventually left for the suburbs to the Vietnamese refugee families which still meet at the parish, though they too have moved on. The parish currently serves a large African immigrant community, a homegrown African American constituency, and the faculty, staff and students of the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, and the University of the Sciences. The parish is known for its choir, elementary school and the church organ.cite news | first= Martha | last= Woodall| url= http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/living/education/8683579.htm | title= Young immigrants thrive at St. Francis | publisher= The Philadelphia Inquirer | date= May 17 2004] The pastor as of June 2005 was Reverent Zachary Navit.

The parish has been the anchor for the community, and is one reason that the portion of Cedar Park in which it sits did not decay as much as other parts of West Philadelphia.

Architecture

The church is home to one of the largest pipe organs in the Delaware Valley, a four-manual, 6,000-plus pipe organ used by Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra for their 1980 recording of Camille Saint-Saëns' Organ Symphony No. 3. It is one of the best examplesof French organ in the United States.

The tiled dome, and its leaks, has been a problem for the entire life of the church. All of the tiles on the entire dome were replaced in the 1950s by then-pastor Bishop Joseph McShea in an unsuccessful attempt to stop the leaking. It was suggested that the parish go with copper sheathing, but the bishop was reluctant to make such a drastic change.cite news | first= Lou | last= Baldwin| url= http://www.cst-phl.com/060525/fourth.html | title= St. Francis de Sales: Preserving a sacred heritage| publisher= The Catholic Standard & Times | date= May 25 2006] Partners for Sacred Places, a Philadelphia-area interfaith group that works to support the preservation of churches and other houses of worship, is currently working with the parish to restore the dome, the stained-glass windows and the doors, as well as complete exterior cement work and other repairs and preventive maintenance.

"St. Francis de Sales is architecturally and culturally so beloved... the congregation is serving the community in so many wonderful ways, and they have done so much for immigrants."cite news | first= Lou | last= Baldwin| url= http://www.cst-phl.com/060525/fourth.html | title= St. Francis de Sales: Preserving a sacred heritage| publisher= The Catholic Standard & Times | date= May 25 2006]

The tile arch system, designed by the Raphael Guastavino Co. in 1911, is one of the best examples of the company's work in Philadelphia. cite news | first= Mark | last= Brakeman | url= http://jbmultimedia.p2ionline.com/UCReview/popup/index.aspx?webstoryid=10860918&area=SS&type=page&AdgroupID=61994&AdID=1521295 | title= St. Francis de Sales looks at roof restoration | publisher= [http://www.philly1.com U.C. Review] | date= June 14 2006]

Notable parishioners

*Peter Boyle
*Joseph A. Pepe, Bishop of Las Vegas

ee also

*Archdiocese of Philadelphia
*Cedar Park
*Spruce Hill

External links

* [http://www.sacredplaces.org Partners for Sacred Places]
* [http://www.saintfrancisdesales.net/photo.html Parish Website Photos]
* [http://www.saintfrancisdesales.net Parish Website]
* [http://www.desalesschool.org School Website]
* [http://www.phillyblog.com/philly/showthread.php?t=2132 Community Commentary]
* [http://www.archdiocese-phl.org/parishes/7830.htm Archdiocese of Philadelphia]
* [http://www.philadelphiabuildings.org/pab/app/pj_display.cfm/20991 Philadelphia Buildings]
* [http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/hh:@field(DOCID+@lit(PA0799)) Historic American Building Survey, 1973 Photos]

References