St. Mary's Church (Newport, Rhode Island)

(Redirected from Our Lady of the Isle (Newport, Rhode Island)) Historic church in Rhode Island, United States

United States historic place

Significant dates

St. Mary's Church Complex
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district Contributing property


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Location	14 William Street, Newport, Rhode Island
Coordinates	41°29′2″N 71°18′45″W / 41.48389°N 71.31250°W / 41.48389; -71.31250
Area	0.8 acres (0.32 ha)
Built	1848
Architect	Patrick C. Keely; Dudley Newton; Ambrose J. Murphy; John F. Hogan; Milton R. Kenyon
Architectural style	Gothic Revival
Part of	Southern Thames Historic District (ID08000314)
NRHP reference No.	08000153
Added to NRHP	March 06, 2008
Designated CP	June 26, 2008

St. Mary's Church, officially the Church of the Holy Name of Mary, Our Lady of the Isle, is a historic Catholic parish church complex at 14 William Street, the corner of Spring Street and Memorial Boulevard, in Newport, Rhode Island within the Diocese of Providence. It is the church of the oldest Catholic parish in the state. The church is also notable for hosting the wedding of Jacqueline Bouvier and Senator, later President, John F. Kennedy in 1953.

Buildings

Three buildings comprise the complex: the brownstone Gothic Revival parish church; the parish house, formerly a school; and a convent. The church was built in 1848–52 to the design of renowned Brooklyn architect Patrick C. Keely. The engineer for its construction was US Army Lieutenant William S. Rosecrans, who would rise to the rank of Major General in the American Civil War. "On June 14, 1849, Bishop Bernard O'Reilly consecrated the building, committing it to the patronage of the Holy Name of Mary, Our Lady of the Isle."

In 1865 the school was built directly east of the church, and also was designed by Keely. During the 1880s, the church erected two more buildings, neither of which were included in the nomination for the National Register of Historic Places. A convent was built in 1880–81, designed by local architect Dudley Newton. In 1991 that building was moved from its site at Spring and Gidley Streets to its current location at 398 Thames Street, where it serves as the Admiral Fitzroy Inn. In 1886 Dudley also designed the rectory that burned in 1921. A new rectory, designed by Ambrose J. Murphy, was erected on the same site in 1924–5. In 1937 architect John F. Hogan altered both the church and school. In 1967, after the Second Vatican Council, East Providence architect Milton R. Kenyon further altered the church.

History

The Catholic parish congregation was founded in 1828, and was the first established in the state.

Jacqueline Bouvier and Senator John F. Kennedy worshiped at pew number ten of the present church during their visits in Newport. The two married at St. Mary's on September 12, 1953, presided by Archbishop Richard Cushing and attended by more than 800 invited guests. A massive crowd of well-wishers filled the streets surrounding the church. In 2017 the church held a special series of tours and programs to commemorate the wedding and to raise funds to restore the choir gallery and its historic organ.

The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.

Cranston Mayor Allan Fung married Barbara Ann Fenton, a native of Newport, on June 18, 2016, with about 200 guests in attendance, in the church. The ceremony incorporated elements honoring both the bride's Irish heritage and the groom's Chinese heritage. Fenton was a parishioner of the church, and Fung converted to Catholicism before their wedding.

References

^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
Meenan, William B. Golden Jubilee Publication of the Church of the Holy Name of Mary, Our Lady of the Isle. 1902. One Hundred Years. The Church of the Holy Name of Mary, Our Lady of the Isle: 1852-2002. Unknown author. (Commemorative centenary pamphlet.) Archives of St. Mary's Parish, Newport, Rhode Island, US.
^ "NRHP nomination for St. Mary's Church Complex" (PDF). Rhode Island Preservation. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
"History". www.stmarynewport.org. St. Mary's Church. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
Statewide Historic Preservation Report N-N-3: The Southern Thames Street Neighborhood in Newport. 1980.
^ Halleman, Caroline (July 10, 2017). "The Church where Jackie Married JFK Opens to Tourists". Town & Country magazine. Town & Country magazine. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021. St Mary's Church in Newport, Rhode Island is inviting visitors to "relive that special day."
"Wedding of Jacqueline Bouvier and John F. Kennedy, Newport, Rhode Island, September 12, 1953". John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Archived from the original on March 27, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021. Jacqueline Lee Bouvier and John F. Kennedy were married on the morning of September 12, 1953, in St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Newport ... more than eight hundred guests (attended)
^ Kennedy, Meri R. (June 8, 2016). "Wedding day nears for Fenton, Fung". Warwick, Rhode Island: The Warwick Beacon. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2021.

External links

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence
Bishops	Ordinaries Thomas Francis Hendricken Matthew Harkins William A. Hickey Francis Patrick Keough Russell McVinney Louis Edward Gelineau Robert Edward Mulvee Thomas Joseph Tobin Richard Henning Auxiliaries Thomas Francis Doran Denis Matthew Lowney Thomas Francis Maloney Bernard Matthew Kelly Kenneth Anthony Angell Robert Joseph McManus Robert C. Evans
Churches	List List of churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence Cathedral Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul Parish churches St. Joseph Church, Central Falls St. Matthew's Church, Central Falls Our Lady of Czestochowa Church, Coventry St. Paul Church, Cranston St. Mary's Church, Crompton St. Joseph's Church, Cumberland St. Mary's Church, Newport St. John the Baptist Church, Pawtucket St. Mary's Church of the Immaculate Conception, Pawtucket Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Providence St. Adalbert's Church, Providence St. Joseph's Church, Providence St. Michael's Church, Providence St. Casimir Church, Warren Church of the Precious Blood, Woonsocket St. Ann's Church, Woonsocket St. Charles Borromeo Church, Woonsocket St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, Woonsocket Former parish churches Holy Trinity Church, Central Falls Trinity Church, Pawtucket Immaculate Conception Church, Westerly
Education	Higher education Providence College Salve Regina University High schools Bishop Hendricken High School, Warwick Bishop Keough Regional High School, Pawtucket La Salle Academy, Providence Mount Saint Charles Academy, Woonsocket Portsmouth Abbey School, Portsmouth Prout School, Wakefield St. Mary Academy – Bay View, East Providence St. Raphael Academy, Pawtucket Former high school Our Lady of Fatima High School, Warren
Hospitals	Our Lady of Fatima Hospital, Providence St. Joseph's Hospital, Providence
Priests	Ernest Bertrand Boland Austin Dowling Salvatore Ronald Matano Daniel Patrick Reilly Francis Xavier Roque William Stang
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