About St. Mary's

The History

Note: This history was first written several years ago by Sam Chamblain, a long-time parishioner of St Marys, and recently updated by Otis Allen.

In 1852 fearing war and escaping military conscription, many Germans fled their homeland, and as many as 1,400 settled in Memphis. Many spoke little english and they began working to form a German Parish with a German-speaking priest. With the help of Dominican Fathers at St. Peter Church, they achieved their goal in 1860 when Reverend Wenceslaus Repis, a dioscean priest, came to serve in residence. The first mass was said in November 1860, in a little house on the corner of Second Street and Market Avenue, near the present Marriott Hotel driveway.

The present site, purchased in 1864, had a two story frame house that served as church, school and parsonage. In October 1864 the cornerstone for St. Marys German Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception was laid, and the dreams of parish leaders Herman Mette and George Schroeder were realized. It was a great day as well for the Handwerkers, Herbers, Haagas, Crones, Guntix, Brenners, Thoma/Walters, and the Zimmermans, as well as the O'Callaghans, Monteverdes, Walshes and Zanones, for their names were on the parish rolls, although plainly, they were not German.

On October 30, 1870, the church was dedicated by Bishop Feehan of Nashville. The building is Gothic Revival with hand-made brick exterior walls, limestone-capped buttresses, and a steep roof with a tower at the east front. The original steeple, designed by Brother Adrian Wewer, was removed in 1960. The church is 111 feet long, 62 feet wide, and 57 feet high. The vaulted ceiling was completed in 1882.

From the beginning, St. Marys conducted a school, and when the Franciscans took charge in 1870, many parish organizations were formed, of which the soup kitchen continues to exist and flourish. Although St. Marys was the second parish formed in Memphis, it has always been first in the hearts of many throughout the city and ranked first in many achievements through the years. St. Marys opened the first parochial high school in Tennessee in 1887 and in 1889 started a night school providing an opportunity for those who worked to further their education. Students ranged from 14 to 30 and came from all over the city. In 1912, St. Marys was first again with a kindergarten for children four to six years of age. The sisters taught music, piano, violin, and organ. The school produced many winners in Latin, algebra, and music tournaments and in 1937 sent a student to the National Spelling Bee as Mid-South champion.

While St. Marys students excelled in scholastic achievements, they were also athletic winners and displayed many trophies until the school was closed in 1957. Before World War II, St. Marys always participated in the Cotton Carnival parade, its float won first place nine out of ten years. The city's first Catholic Mayor, Frank L. Monteverde, attended St. Marys parish all of his life, as his parents did before him.

The altars are handmade of wood shipped from Germany. The carved pews, the ornate confessional, and the frames of the Stations of the Cross were mostly made by Franciscan brothers who traveled from place to place wherever the Franciscans settled to build church furnishings on site. For instance, Brother Norber Doebbe, who was exiled from Germany by Chancellor Bismark, came to Memphis in 1875 and spent three years working on the original altars. As they did not fit the space in St. Marys, they were eventually given for the chapel at St. Joseph Hospital, which stood at North Parkway and Third Street from 1885 until it closed and was demolished in 2001 for expansion of the St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital campus.

Started in a tragic period of war and dissension, building St. Marys was discouragingly prolonged and has experienced subsequent periods of hardship. During the yellow fever epidemics of 1873, 1878 and 1879, six friars serving St. Marys died, and six sisters working out of the parish also died nursing the sick. Many Catholic lay people were lost then and during the 1918 influenza epidemic. Following World War II, major shifts in Memphis' population caused St. Marys to lose most of her territorial parishioners. Urban renewal completely changed downtown Memphis and made St. Marys future look bleak indeed.

St. Marys has always relied on the strength of the Lord in its mission, and the Blessed Mother has continued to intercede for us. By the turn of the 20th century, the original German population had moved away. Italians and Irish took their place, and when they moved away, descendants of the original parishioners began to return from all over the city to worship.

Major projects seem to be inspired by the turning of a century, and as in the early 1900s, the early 2000s found St. Marys parishioners ready, willing and able with the grace of God to forge ahead. Construction began in August 2002 on major renovations. The old monastery, which is attached to the church was gutted to bare brick walls. Eight massive reinforced concrete footings were installed outside of each of the original brick columns, the brick walls drilled through with steel plates bolted from basement to roof, and the new outer columns were then poured and rebricked to match the original. As Memphis lies in the heart of the New Madrid fault, these modifications were needed for earthquake resistance, as well as protection from wind damage.

Interior renovations included a new section built on the south end for an updated kitchen and rest rooms, an enlarged parish hall, fireproof stairs, an elevator to the second floor, which now has several classrooms and a conference room. On the exterior, the second floor room above the altar was removed to allow natural light to shine through the stained glass windows and replaced with a deck. The roof was replaced and copper gutters and flashing were added. The area between the grotto and parish hall was raised, and a new door was cut through the south church wall under a stained glass window to create access to the parish hall. The stained glass windows throughout the church were carefully cleaned and restored.

Today, the parish is made up of people from all areas of Greater Memphis, including Mississippi and Arkansas. As a result of the emphasis in the last 20 years of rebuilding downtown Memphis into a vibrant place to work and live, and an increased number of tourists to the area, the future of St. Marys is very bright. New programs of continuing education, outreach and evangelization are coming to life.

Although St. Marys parish is more than 150 years old, it feels a sense of becoming ever new.

The Sanctuary

Beyond the triumphal arch, the sanctuary in in the polygonal apse, with steep radiating vaulting with three stained glass windows showing various symbols. The original main altarr was erected about 1898; the side altars were installed along with a beautiful hand-carved matching altar rail in 1907. These were built by Brother Roch Kordeck, who also made the vestment case in the sacristy as well as acolyte benches, a credence table, carvings for the side altars, and a pedestal for the Pieta. The present sections of the wrought iron altar rail in front of the side altars were installed in 1935. The present main altar was installed in the 1960s during Vatican II. The center section of the rail and gates were removed around 1991.

The tile floor in the sanctuary was installed in 1918 by Father Basil Vogt, OFM, who installed new hardwood flooring in the nave of the church. He also purchased a new organ, gold vestments, and an enameled monstrance, as well as had the church and grotto redecorated. The ornate baptismal font was originally located in the alcove near the stairway to the choir loft. The inside of the church was last decorated in 1995.

The Stained Glass Windows

The original windows in the church were all-over geometric patterns as in the two side windows nearest the main entrance. These original windows were made in Munich, Germany, and the picture portions were designed and installed in 1904 by Emil Frei of St. Louis, Missouri. They are stained glass with painted encaustic glass. Some pieces of the original glass were saved and used in the metal outer doors of the main entrance in 1964. These were designed by Sam Chamblain and made mby Mickie Laukhuff of Memphis.

The pictures in the window illustrate events in the life of Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the parishs patron saint. Beginning on the south side next to the left altar they depict:

The presentation of Mary in the temple

The marriage of Mary and Joseph

The Annunciation

The Visitation

The Nativity

Jesus preaching in the temple

Jesus changing water into wine at Cana

Mary meeting Jesus carrying the cross

Mary at the Resurrection

The Assumption of Mary into Heaven

The stained glass transom over the interior of the main entrance depicts "Moses and the Burning Bush". Under the choir loft on the north side is "The Prodigal Son", St Pius X is pictured in the transom of the north side entrance. Pictured in the grotto are St Margaret Mary Alacoque, Joan of Arc, St Theresa the Little Flower, and St Rita.

Our Pastors

Our first priest, Reverend John Bokel, OSD, of St. Peter, was assigned to start a German parish. He served as secretary of the St. Boniface Building Association, formed October 1, 1852.

The first resident priest, Reverend Wenceslaus Repis, arrived in 1860, followed by Reverend Cornelius Thomas in 1864, and then Reverend Lawrence Schnyder in 1867. At the urging of Herman Mette, the Franciscans sent Reverend Gerald Becher, OSF, to conduct services in 1869 and assigned Reverend Eugene Puers, OSF, as pastor in 1870. He was replaced later in the year by Reverend Killian Schloesser, OSF, and Reverend Ambrose Janssen, OSF, took over the leadership in 1871. The list of subsequent priests is as follows:

1873 Rev. Lucius Buchholz, OSF

1880 Rev. Aloysius Wiewer, OSF

1882 Rev. Eustachius Niemoller, OSF

1884 Rev. Aloysius Wiewer, OSF

1886 Rev. Nemisius Rohde, OSF>/p>

1887 Rev. Francis Moenning, OSF

1895 Rev. Hugo Fessler, OSF

1898 Rev. Pacificus Kohnen, OFM

1900 Rev. Henry Japes

1901 Rev. Hugo Fessler, OFM

1903 Rev. Odo Richardt, OFM

1908 Rev. Isadore Fosselman, OFM

1910 Rev. Hugo Fessler, OFM

1912 Rev. Leo Kalmer, OFM

1917 Rev. Ewald Soland, OFM

1918 Rev. Basil Vogt, OFM

1925 Rev. Rupert Hauser, OFM

1933 Rev. Peter Volz, OFM

1942 Rev. Natalis Wellner, OFM

1945 Rev. Wolfred Cook, OFM

1951 Rev. Benno Tushaus, OFM

1957 Rev. Aidian, Potter, OFM

1960 Rev. Elstan Coghill, OFM

1961 Rev. Joseph Eckelkamp, OFM

1975 Rev. Brian Szorady, OFM

1981 Rev. Elstan Coghill, OFM,/p>

1983 Rev. Luis Runde, OFM

1984 Rev. Kurt Hartich, OFM

1988 Rev. Paul Roberts, OFM

1990 Rev. Elric Sampson, OFM

1991 Rev. Maury Smith, OFM

1998 Rev. Bill Rooney, OFM

2002 Rev. Eric Peterson

The Statues

The statues throughout the sanctuary date from 1908. Originally, St. Elizabeth of Hungary and St. Louis of France flanked Our Blessed Mother on the main altar. Today, The Sacred Heart of Jesus is flanked by Our Blessed Mother and St. Joseph with the infant Jesus.

On the south (left) side altar of the church stand St. Rose of Lima; St. Clare, and St. Theresa. St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Francis of Assisi, and St. Louis of France are on the north (right) altar. St. Patrick stands on a bracket beside the north side door, and on the other side door is the Pieta. In the rear north isde is St. Frances Xavier (Mother Cabrini). The Infant of Prague is in the cry room. On the south side, in an old confessional, is St. Anthony de Padua holding the child Jesus.

In the grotto, St. Bernadette kneels before the Blessed Mother, and on brackets on either side of the doorway stand St. Anne with child Mary and St. Jude. On the floor is another statue of St. Anthony de Padua.

In the vestibule is a statue of Mary, and another statue of the Infant of Prague is under the stair case to the choir loft.

Outside over the main entrance is a statue of Mary holding the infant Jesus, and on the side walls of the tower are figures of St. Peter and St. Paul. Above the entrance to the church office stands St. Francis of Assisi. In the garden south of the church is a composition statue of St. Francis which originally adorned the front of the chapel at St. Joseph Hospital. Also in the garden are statues of Christ the King and the Blessed Virgin, which is a memorial to a young woman who died in 1990.

Most of the indoor statues are cast plaster, painted and gold leafed. The outdoor statues are metal as is the large figure of Mary in the grotto.

Our Secret Jewel: The Grotto of Lourdes

By Parishioner Rose Phillips

One of the greatest blessings in St Mary Catholic Church is hidden in an alcove beneath the crucifix of Jesus of Nazareth hanging on the south side of the churchs interior.

Within that secret space is a tribute to the miracle that occurred at the Grotto of Massabielle in Lourdes, France, in 1858 when the Blessed Mother appeared to Bernadette Soubirous, a fourteen year old peasant girl, and announced, "I am the Immaculate Conception." For generations people throughout the world have received documented miracles while visiting that sacred site.

During the building of St Marys sanctuary, Mrs. Kate Hamilton, a devoted parishioner, donated funds to attach a Lourdes memorial chapel, which was dedicated on December 8, 1875. Its centerpiece is an enduring scene of the reverent Bernadette kneeling in a simulated stone grotto beffore Our Lady of Lourdes. On the plaster walls of the dome shaped room, painted scenes depict the story of Bernadettes life and her rise to sainthood. Mass was celebrated in the grotto each Saturday for fifty five years.

Mrs. Hamilton personally met with Pope Leo XIII and requested a plenary indulgence, which he granted in 1895. A personal indulgence or indulgence for the Souls in Purgatory is granted to the faithful who after receiving the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion, visit the grotto to pray for the propagation of the faith according to the intentions of the Pope on specified days, including Marian feast days.

The Grotto of Lourdes in St Marys is the only privileged shrine in Tennessee.

Note:

St Marys Grotto of Lourdes was dedicated by Bishop Feehan of Nashville on December 8, 1875. The Grotto of Lourdes was a gift from Mrs. Kate Hamilton, who also helped the Franciscans at St. Marys to establish St. Joseph Hospital. Mrs. Hamilton was the daughter of Eugene Magnevney, one of Memphis' earliest school teachers and a wealthy Catholic layman. (Magevneys home, one of the oldest in Memphis, has been preserved and is located next to St. Peter Church at 198 Adams Avenue, a few blocks from St. Marys.

Mass was offered on the altar in the grotto every Sunday from the day of its dedication until the death of Mrs. Hamilton in 1930.

The Stations of the Cross

The present Stations of the Cross were canonically erected in 1905. Brother Leonard Darcheid made the frames, which match the design of the altars. The bas-relief figures are polychrome cast metal and tremendously heavy. Fourteen in number, they show various events connected with our Lords suffering on Good Friday.

1. Jesus is condemned to death

2. Jesus bears His cross

3. Jesus falls for the first time

4. Jesus meets his afflicted mother

5. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the cross

6. Veronica wipes Jesus face

7. Jesus falls a second time

8. Jesus speaks to the daughters of Jerusalem

9. Jesus falls a third time

10. Jesus is stripped of his garments

11. Jesus is nailed to the cross

12. Jesus dies on the cross

13. Jesus is taken down from the cross

14. Jesus is placed in the tomb

THE END