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History
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One of fifty-eight churches founded by Saint John Neumann, then
Bishop of Philadelphia, St. Mary traces its existence back to June 19,
1853, when Rev. Peter Carbon joined Bishop Neumann in the laying of the
cornerstone for the 75 x 40 foot red brick and stone church. Prior to
that, Catholics in Northern Berks county were served by "circuit
rider" priests who traversed the area on horseback, usually coming
from Bally or Reading
At the time, the parish was officially known as Rosary B. V. M. No
priest was assigned to the new church and, for the first several years,
priests from St. Peter in Reading served St. Mary as a mission church.
In 1886, records indicate that "difficulties" (of an unknown
nature) forced the closing of the church until it was rededicated on August
29, 1915 with the Right Reverend Monsignor Scott A. Fasig as Pastor.
The Right Reverend Monsignor George Bornemann, Pastor of St. Paul in
Reading, engaged the services of the architect Fred Muhlenberg to place the
original structure in "proper good condition." According to
published reports at the time, Monsignor Bornemann paid for all expenses of
the restoration, utilizing personal funds to do so.
In 1928, property was purchased at 508 Island Street in Hamburg to serve as
the rectory for priests assigned to the parish. Prior to having a
rectory, priests roomed in local hotels or later resided in a tenant house
on State Street.
The 1940 edition of the Catholic Directory of the Archdiocese of
Philadelphia described the boundaries of the parish which today make it one
of the largest territorial parishes in the Allentown Diocese.
In the early fifties, Reverend Aloysius Schmid was named Administrator of
St. Mary and during his tenure, the parish embarked on a series of projects
that would literally transform its identity in the community. In 1955
land was purchased at the corner of State and North Fifth Street and plans
were formulated to erect a parish hall. A sacristy and new exit were
added on the east side of the church the same year. Bishop Joseph McShea,
D. D., first Bishop of Allentown, officiated at the dedication of the hall
on August 4, 1963.
In 1969 the parish consolidated its holdings by selling the present rectory
and land and purchased a 5.1 acre property on East State Street. It
was hoped the property could serve as a site for a new church. A
stone house existed on the site and was used as rectory for priests
assigned to the parish.
With continued growth of the parish and the emphasis on programs to meet
the changing needs of the parishioners, it became clear this land was not
sufficient to support the parish. On November 27, 1999, ground was broken
for a new church on a 10 acre site on Walnut Rd. in Tilden Township.
Edward P. Cullen, 3rd Bishop of Allentown, presided at the dedication of
the new St. Mary Church on December 8, 2000, the Feast of the Immaculate
Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
A new rectory was constructed in the Fall of 2003 on the current Church
grounds and blessed by Thomas Welsh, retired bishop or Allentown, on
December 8, 2003. On that same day Bishop Welsh also officially
opened the 150th jubilee year of the parish.
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