Saint Mary's Catholic Church (Rome, Georgia)

Saint Mary's Catholic Church is a parish of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta. The church is located at 911 North Broad Street in downtown Rome, Georgia, US.

History

The first church was built in 1874 on East First Street.[1][2] It was a small wood building that served the congregation for 45 years.[2]

The church had no resident pastor and was served by a visiting priest from the Atlanta Archdiocese. By the 1900s the Catholic population outgrew the building and the congregation started seeking a new site. The present church was built in 1930 on North Broad Street at a cost of thirty thousand dollars.[2]

Due to the economic times of the Great Depression, the church was not completed from the original plans until 1998 with the addition of the steeple and large stained glass windows.

Architecture

The present church was designed by a Benedictine monk and architect from Belmont Abbey in North Carolina.[3]

He chose a Gothic style with a plain stucco finish and two large wooden front doors. Over the front doors there is a large crucifix and the coat of arms of the Archbishop of Atlanta inscribed with the words, Venite Adoremus ("O Come Let Us Adore").[3]

The church went through a large expansion in 1998 and the original plans that called for the tall steeple and large stained glass windows were finally completed.[4]

The sanctuary was completed with the addition of the high altar that was purchased from a mid-west church that was closed for worship. It was dismantled and cataloged for shipment to Saint Mary's Church in Rome, Georgia.[2] The high altar, which is made out of blanco chiaro marble with venetian mosaic and onyx accents, was then reassembled by artisans from Italy. The Last Supper is intricately carved in the lower half of the high altar.[2] The transepts were also added to the nave of the church to double the seating capacity.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Keiser, Gretchen (4 June 1998). "Saint Mary's Receives Steeple". The Georgia Bulletin. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Parish History". St. Mary's Catholic Church, Rome, Georgia. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
  3. 1 2 "Saint Mary, Rome". Parishes. Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
  4. ↑ Deese, Mary (21 February 1999). "Saint Mary's dedication and open house". Rome News-Tribune. p. 3.
  • Knowles, Amy (3 August 1997). Rome News-Tribune. p. c. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  • Day, Paula (28 February 1991). The Georgia Bulletin. p. 6. Missing or empty |title= (help)

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