Saint Paul Catholic Church (Ellicott City, Maryland)
| Saint Paul Catholic Church, Ellicott City | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location | 3755 St. Paul Street Ellicott City, Maryland, 21043 |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| Website | www |
| History | |
| Dedicated | December 13, 1838 |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Functional status | Active |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Archdiocese of Baltimore |
| Clergy | |
| Archbishop | William E. Lori |
| Pastor(s) | Rev. Warren V. Tanghe |
| Deacon(s) | Rev. Mr. George Krause, Rev. Mr. Joe Knepper |
Saint Paul Catholic Church is a Catholic parish located in Ellicott City, Maryland. It was founded in 1838 and is part of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
It is a two-story ashlar granite church which faces north. It is three bays wide and four bays deep. Its front facade includes two twin Roman arch windows each topped by a rose window, enclosed within a roman arch lintel with keystone.
Saint Paul Catholic Church was constructed on land in Ellicott City acquired from George Ellicott, an early settler of the region. The first pastor of the church was the Rev. Henry Coskery, who prior to the establishment of the parish celebrated Mass at the nearby Castle Angelo. The church was dedicated on December 13, 1838 as the only Catholic parish between Baltimore and Frederick, Maryland. It is now the oldest active Catholic parish between Baltimore and Pittsburgh.
Coskery also founded the Christian Brothers' Rock Hill College in 1857.
The Rev. Augustin Verot served as pastor of the church from 1853 to 1858, and was succeeded immediately by the Rev. John Samuel Foley, who served until 1863. Both later became bishops. During the American Civil War, the basement of the church served as a hospital for both Union and Confederate soldiers.
During the pastorate of the Rev. Peter Tarro (1883-1907), several structural improvements were made to the church building. Three marble altars were added, as were new pews, a confessional, Statues and Stations of the Cross, stained-glass windows, a baptistry, and a church spire.
In the early 1900s, many couples who eloped came to St. Paul's to get married. On October 14, 1914, Babe Ruth and his bride Margaret Helen Woodford were married in St. Paul's by the church's pastor, the Rev. Thomas Dolan. He was 19 at the time and she was 17. Ruth, who was known to fabricate certain elements of his personal history, later claimed that he "married [his] first wife in Elkton." However, the marriage certificate lists Ellicott City as the place of his marriage. A copy of the marriage certificate is exhibited by St. Paul's in the church narthex.
...
Wikipedia