Pforten der Barmherzigkeit

St. Elizabeth, Wilmington, Delaware USA
Our church, and thus our parish, began in 1908. The origin of its patronal dedication has a few layers. On one hand, an initial donation of $5,000 was given to Bishop Monaghan by Elizabeth Andrews who he hand a conversation with on a transatlantic voyage. Elizabeth was expressing that there was not a Catholic Church in the United States that born the name of her christened namesake. When the first pastor, Fr. Temple, was asked to begin a new parish on Broom Street, Bishop dedicated it to St. Elizabeth, the first church in the United States dedicated to the first century saint and cousin to our Blessed Mother.
Thirty- nine years after its humble beginning in Wyckoff Hall on South Broom Street, St. Elizabeth dedicated its resplendent new church on November 9, 1947 filled with images which tell of the devotion to St. Elizabeth as well as the origin and prayers of its founding community. The church is surrounded with images of saints from Germany, Italy, Poland and Ireland in marble and images from saints from every corner of the world in stained glass. St. Elizabeth was founded as the first parish in the City of Wilmington, Delaware to welcome people from every ethnic group.
There have been numerous renovations, the addition of new buildings, comings and goings of priests, and the departure of our dear Benedictine Sisters. Yet the core of St. Elizabeth Parish – its people- remains devoted and strong.