The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-06-06
Mother Catholic Parish of Waterbury Prep0res for Centennial Celebration
l947 To Witness Celebration of Tooth Birthday
BH RAYMOND ,. FGTZPATRlCK

BY RAYMOND ,. FITZPATRICK
 From the Age of the Atom Wa terbury sill turn it's eyes back a century next year aSstfe Church of the Immaculate Conception. mother church of local Catholicism. cele- brates its tooth anniversary.
 Those who live in the era oi the iet-propelled plane. televisiOn. radar and the other modern achievements Of science will turn thoughts back to a period when Waterbury was a quiet New England village and one Of the principal needs Of a parish priest was Q strong horse to carry him on visits to his flock
 It was on Christmas Day. ls47, that the city's small but growing body of Catholics assembled for the first Mass to be celebrated in St. Peters Church. on East Main Street. There had been Masses for some years and there had been regular visits by priests from Hartford and New Haven. but never before had Catholics been able to worship in a church of their own.
 FirAa Catholic Church
 The frame building that vas the citys first Catholic church started the development Of a parish whose activities now center on the impos- ing Church of the Immaculate Con- ception. on West Main Street at the Green, which is acclaimed as one of the most beautiful parish edific- es in the nation.
 The Rev. Francis NJ. OShea. per- manent rector and latest in a long line Of distinguished pastors who have directed the parish. is nov en- gagged in drafting preliminary plans for the church's centennial. He and his assistants will spend much of their time during the next l8 months arranging for the tooth an- niversary program.
 Fittingly. the centennial Observ- ance next year will come in the month of December. On the 8th day Of that month. Catholics cele- brate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Local legend has it that the church was the first in the country to be placed under the patronage Of the Immaculate Con ception. this name having been adopted three years after the dog ma of the Immaculate Conception was promulgated in 1884.
 Originally Sc. Peters
 Parish records. yellow gith age. discount the often-heard story that the church was first known as St. Patrick's Ledger entries made pain stakinely since the earliest days are all under the heading. St. Peter's Church
 Historical records list Cornelius D0nnelly. whose home was on West Main Street near Crane Street. as Waterburyis first Catholic. He is known tO have lived here as early as 1882.
 Waterbury was part Of the Dio- cese Of Boston in those days. and the first priest to visit here was probably the Rev. James Fitton, Of Boston. Later came the Rev. James McDermOtt. who g0urneyed from New Haven on horseback to minis ter to the faithful here. Father Mc- DerBott offered Mas at the D0n- nelly home. Later, there was a Father O'Relliy. otherwise uniden- tjfied. and the Rev. James Snyth. who came tO Waterbury as part of his pastoral duties at st. MaTy's Church. Neg Haven. Father Smyih remained from 1887 10 1895. offering Mass at the home of Michael Me- vile, ip the eastern section
 Sought Old CbHTeh
 In Is16. the ciiys Catholics se- cured the rental Of Washington Hall. iD Exchange Place. where they worshiDped under difficulties for twAO years. 4 piece Of land at East Main and Dublin Streets was pnr- chased and the Episcopal Church. which gaS on tine market. was bought for removal lO that site. The movers were unable 10 haul tbe church up the grade near where Crosby High School nov stands, and the cOInfnuDjiy's Catholics then puT- chased a site on East Main Street nearer the Center, This site, ghere the Matiatlick Recreation building nos stands. was the location Of the first Catholic church here.
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