Immaculate Conception School, Rear View, The Burg.
This picture was taken from the church parking lot:)
6 years ago
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4 comments:
A familiar view. The three story brick building with the steps and small porch is the rectory. The newer one story red brick attached on the right side was the connecting walkway to the church next door. On the left side of the refectory perpendicularly attached was the kitchen for the refectory. This is where the German nuns from down Chestnut near Roebling would come every morning. I see that the incinerator is still standing. I recall taking trash from the school to the incinerator on numerous ocassions. In the rear of the school building is a one story building where the vehicles for parish use were stored. You can see three of the bays in this picture and there were at least three more. The school windows just above the roofline of the refectory kitchen were those for the third grade classroom of Mrs. DiLeo. The room above third grade was the school lunchroom (just tables, you brought your lunch from home). The windows facing in the rear on the top floor of the school was the fourth grade classroom, if I'm not mistaken. Not seen in this photo but located across from the garages was the nun's convent for the Franciscan nuns who taught at Immaculate. On the far right would have been a flight of steps that led to the sacristy of the church. In the 40s, 50s and early 60s this place was abuzz with activity. When Trenton Catholic closed down in 1962 the population of this complex began to decline.
Historical tidbits about this parish campus...
I believe the rectory is the oldest extant building on the site. At first, it was a seminary. It was common back in the day for new congregations to build a parish school before a church.
The current large stone church is actually the second one. Cornerstone 1888, but dedicated a little later. The cost was immense: $75,000.
The first church was a small wooden building put up around 1875and located on what is now the front lawn of the rectory. It was called Our Lady of Lourdes. The associated cemetery of that name and the window in the new church showing St Bernadette and Our Lady of Lourdes -- who, remember, called herself the Immaculate Conception -- indicate this relationship and the church's new name.
Until very recently, the parish was in the care of the Order of Friars Minor, Conventual, Immaculate Conception Province (Mother house Rensellear NY.) The parish has merged with St Joachim's and the friars have withdrawn.
The Sisters of St Francis of Phila/Glen Riddle staffed the ICS for decades. Btw -- They also founded St Francis Hospital (1875) and staffed St Michael's Orphanage in Hopewell (1898).
The parish was founded by an Italian Franciscan, Fr. Jachetti, sent from Rome. His congregation in the 1880's was ethnically diverse, with many German and Irish members. By 1900 there was a need to create a new parish to respond to the large influx of Italian immigrants in the neighborhood. St Joachim's parish was soon erected. Several of the churches/parishes nearby were originally mission churches from Immaculate.
The "new" church has truly superb windows which are probably original (100 + years old) and probably imported from Germany or Austria. Four of the windows honor famous Franciscan friars: St Bernadine, St Bonaventure, St Anthony of Padua, and St Francis of Assisi(in the great window honoring Mary as the Immaculate Conception, added around 1962). Other windows honor St Michael, patron of Germany; St Boniface, bishop of the Germans; and St Patrick, bishop of Irish.
The orignal altarpiece, an elaborately carved wooden affair, painted white, had a painted plaster statue of St Patrick. This which was moved to an alcove in the rear when the building was renovated extensively around 1961.
The oversized Stations of the Cross, probably imported from an Italian supplier, made it through the renovation. I suppose there were many who liked them.
An impressive bronze/brass baldiccino, a bright, shiny golden color when new in 1961, is now a tarnished dark brown, but it is still beautiful.
immaculate had the BEST carnival of all the parishes (sorry about that st joachim's and all others)...and it ran for TWO WEEKS in the summer. it was boss! i would always make a groovy spin art painting at the art booth. i would always get a pizzelle with sauce and grated cheese, or sometimes with just a lot of sugar.
This looks different than I remember it, but I went to school there from 1962-1967. It's where we had recess - and it seemed bigger then; maybe the building was added onto since my day. I remember they sold pretzels during recess! And we were called to pray the Angelus at noon by church bells, after having our lunch.
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