St. Wenceslaus in Baltimore
Encyclopedia
St. Wenceslaus is a church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore
located in Baltimore
, Maryland
.
that was then known as Little Bohemia. The parish was created primarily to serve the Bohemian
(Czech
) community in Baltimore
. Church services were originally held in both the English
and Czech
languages. The present church was built in 1914, and at that time the church had 7,000 Bohemian Catholic members. By 1920 the church was the fourth largest in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore
.
In recent years, the ethnic character of St. Wenceslaus parish has undergone a gradual change from a majority Czech
parish to one that is multicultural and multiracial, first as many Poles
and Lithuanians moved into the neighborhood, and then as the neighborhood shifted to having an African American
majority.
St. Wenceslaus has been administered by the Third Order of Saint Francis since 1999. Prior to 1999 the church had been administered by the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer
.
style.
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore
The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Baltimore is a particular church of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. The archdiocese comprises the City of Baltimore as well as Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard, and Washington Counties in Maryland...
located in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
.
History
St. Wenceslaus was founded in 1872 in a neighborhood of East BaltimoreBaltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
that was then known as Little Bohemia. The parish was created primarily to serve the Bohemian
Czech American
Czech Americans are citizens of the United States who were born in, or who descended from, the territory of the historic Czech lands, , or succession states, now known as the Czech Republic...
(Czech
Czech American
Czech Americans are citizens of the United States who were born in, or who descended from, the territory of the historic Czech lands, , or succession states, now known as the Czech Republic...
) community in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
. Church services were originally held in both the English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Czech
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
languages. The present church was built in 1914, and at that time the church had 7,000 Bohemian Catholic members. By 1920 the church was the fourth largest in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore
The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Baltimore is a particular church of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. The archdiocese comprises the City of Baltimore as well as Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard, and Washington Counties in Maryland...
.
In recent years, the ethnic character of St. Wenceslaus parish has undergone a gradual change from a majority Czech
Czech American
Czech Americans are citizens of the United States who were born in, or who descended from, the territory of the historic Czech lands, , or succession states, now known as the Czech Republic...
parish to one that is multicultural and multiracial, first as many Poles
Polish American
A Polish American , is a citizen of the United States of Polish descent. There are an estimated 10 million Polish Americans, representing about 3.2% of the population of the United States...
and Lithuanians moved into the neighborhood, and then as the neighborhood shifted to having an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
majority.
St. Wenceslaus has been administered by the Third Order of Saint Francis since 1999. Prior to 1999 the church had been administered by the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer
Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer
The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer is a Roman Catholic missionary Congregation founded by Saint Alphonsus Liguori at Scala, near Amalfi, Italy for the purpose of labouring among the neglected country people in the neighbourhood of Naples.Members of the Congregation, priests and brothers,...
.
Architecture
The building's overall design is in the ItalianateItalianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
style.
External links
- Archdiocese of Baltimore website
- St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church - History
- Image of the church
- St. Wenceslaus evangelization still knocking
- Faith keeps broken neighborhood together
See also
- Czech AmericanCzech AmericanCzech Americans are citizens of the United States who were born in, or who descended from, the territory of the historic Czech lands, , or succession states, now known as the Czech Republic...
s - Roman Catholicism in the Czech RepublicRoman Catholicism in the Czech RepublicThe Roman Catholic Church in the Czech Republic is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope, curia in Rome, and the Conference of Czech of Bishops....