Archbishop Henry J. Mansell distributes Communion to Will Buckholtz (Photo by Lenora Sumsky)
ENFIELD – Hundreds of people gathered on April 25 to rejoice, appreciate, and reflect upon the continuing rich heritage of St. Patrick’s Parish, established 150 years ago.
"St. Patrick’s Church has withstood the test of time; through the Civil War, World War I and World War II, through recessions and the Depression," said Archbishop Henry J. Mansell, who celebrated a Mass there, in his homily. "It has transcended the years and transcended the generations."
St. Patrick’s Church, one of the oldest in the Archdiocese, officially became a parish in 1860. Decades earlier, when all of New England was one diocese, Catholics in the Thompsonville section of Enfield would gather along the Enfield Canal, where a visiting priest from Rhode Island celebrated Mass for laborers.
In the early 1830s, a time marked by anti-Catholic animus, Mass was held in the home of Thompsonville resident Richard Murphy.
"The first Mass was held in the middle of the night," said Father John Weaver, the current pastor. "[The] seven Catholics who attended feared that they would lose their jobs if it were known they were Catholic."
A few years later, in 1837, Thompsonville was part of a huge parish assigned to Father John Brady. His assistant, Father James Smith, purchased land on which a wooden church was built in 1860.
Father Bernard Tully was the first resident pastor. His approximately 500 parishioners were primarily Irish, although some were German and a few were French-Canadian, said Sister Dolores Liptak, historian for the Sisters of Mercy in Connecticut.
Throughout the nearly four decades that followed, succeeding pastors each played a role in building the Catholic community in Enfield.
Father John A. Mulcahy purchased the property for a new church building, construction began under the leadership of Father Patrick Donohue, and the cornerstone was laid under the pastorate of Father Joseph Gleason. Construction was completed under the guidance of Father Thomas Preston, who was pastor when the church was dedicated in 1904.
The church, which was said to be one of the finest buildings devoted to divine worship in this part of the country, served approximately 5,000 parishioners.
The Sisters of Mercy were an integral part of the flourishing parish. The order’s history is entwined with St. Patrick’s.
In 1872, a reorganization of the Diocese split Hartford from Rhode Island, enabling the Sisters of Mercy to establish a motherhouse in Connecticut. It was located in Hartford next to what is now St. Joseph Cathedral, said Sister Dolores.
"The very same year that the Sisters of Mercy established the motherhouse, they opened a house in Thompsonville," she said. "It was one of the first two convents sent out."
The Sisters of Mercy served St. Patrick’s parish school, named St. Joseph, which had opened the preceding year.
"Thompsonville was a thriving manufacturing town where they taught about 500 children," said Sister Dolores.
The sisters served St. Joseph School for more than 120 years. They were no longer teaching at the school when it closed in 1996.
"The Sisters of Mercy always saw St. Patrick’s as a very special place," said Sister Dolores. "The people they served were good people ,devoted to the Church and the sisters," said Sister Dolores, who taught eighth grade there for two years in the 1960s.
Another religious order, the Redemptorists, also played a significant role in the history of St. Patrick Church. Father Weaver said they served there from 1985 to 2005.
A traumatic event in the history of St. Patrick Church was a devastating fire that took place in 1949, 45 years after the stunning structure was dedicated.
Newspaper accounts said that thousands of spectators watched flames that shot 75 to 100 feet above the roof. The fire was believed to have been started by an altar candle.
Parishioner Vincie Basile, who was a junior in high school at the time of the fire, recalled running up the street and seeing the church in flames. "It was a horrific day for everyone," she said.
In his homily, Archbishop Mansell described heroic efforts of firemen who fought the fire and of priests who rescued the sacraments from the fire that left only the outer brownstone walls.
Afterward, parishioners found that a statue of St. Anthony of Padua stood miraculously unharmed. That statue still stands in the back of the church as a symbol of steadfast determination and resiliency to persist in overcoming obstacles.
Rebuilding the magnificent Romanesque-style church began immediately under the leadership of Father William Kilcoyne. According to an article published in 1950 in The Catholic Transcript, more than $100,000 was raised within three weeks of Father Kilcoyne’s appeal for funds.
"The sacrifices made deepens our gratitude and appreciation," said Archbishop Mansell.
The faith, commitment, energy and determination that marked prior generations are apparent in parishioners of St. Patrick’s today.
"It is a lively parish with more than 1,200 families," said Father Weaver. Active volunteers support the parish, minister to each other, and invigorate countless groups that serve the needy in and beyond the Enfield community.
The St. Patrick’s HomeFront team has been revitalizing homes for 10 years. Over the decade, more than 40 homes have been repaired, painted or improved. This year, approximately 200 parish volunteers plan to join others in the community to work on eight homes in Enfield
"It is a remarkable ministry, directed by God," said Bob Boozang, who is part of the core committee that plans and organizes the HomeFront team.
St. Patrick’s also has a dynamic Spanish ministry. Throughout the year, weekly Masses and sacramental preparation are offered in Spanish. The parish welcomes and assists migrant workers who come each summer to work in nearby tobacco fields.
"St. Patrick Church is an important member of the Enfield community," said Mayor Scott Kaupin, who, with town council members Cynthia Mangini and David Kiner, attended the anniversary Mass and issued a proclamation expressing appreciation for the contributions made by parishioners to the Enfield community.
Fourteen archdiocesan and Redemptorist priests, seven Sisters of Mercy, along with many parishioners and members of neighboring churches joined in celebrating the thriving Catholic community.
"It is because of those who have gone before us, and those who make up our parish today, that we can be full of hope for the future. Just as we have learned from the past, so too will future generations learn from and be inspired by us to continue this great work of faith known as St. Patrick Parish," said Father Weaver.
