Catholic Diocese of Wilmington history

Besides Jesuits, other religious communities, both male and female, also labored within what became the Diocese of Wilmington — Capuchin Franciscans, Augustinians, Sulpicians, Redemptorists, and from 1830 to the present, the Daughters of Charity, founded by St Elizabeth Seton at Emmitsburg, Md.

A new diocese Concerned over how to provide for ever-increasing numbers of newly arriving Catholic immigrants, the bishops of the United States gathered in Baltimore in October 1866 for the Second

The Beginning of the St Ann's Parish: The story of St Ann's Parish began in 1868.

In 1869, the year following the foundation of the Diocese, permission came to build the church from the first diocesan bishop, The Most Reverend Thomas R. Becker.

In 1874, when the new Diocese of Wilmington was just five years old, Bishop Thomas Becker arranged for the Dominican sisters to staff the St Paul’s Male Orphanage at 320 Jackson Street in Wilmington, where the nuns also operated the diocese’s first parochial school.

1879: Glen Riddle Franciscan Sisters establish St James Male Protectory in Wilmington.

In March of 1886, Bishop Becker was transferred to the Diocese of Savannah, Georgia.

Church leaders quickly settled on property located at the intersection of Gilpin Avenue and Union Street and in December of 1887, a new one-story church was built at this site.

When Bishop Curtis resigned due to health reasons in 1896, he left the diocese well established with 30 priests, 22 churches and 18 missions, 12 seminarians, 8 religious communities, three academies, nine parochial schools, three orphanages and a cloistered convent.

In 1897, John J. Monaghan of Charleston, South Carolina was named the third Bishop of Wilmington.

In 1903 the Little Sisters of the Poor opened a home for the aged and the Oblates of St Frances de Sales opened the Salesianum School, a secondary school for boys, in Wilmington.

In 1924 Bishop Monaghan asked the Oblates to establish a parish and build St Anthony Church for the growing Italian population of Wilmington.

Poor health caused Bishop Monaghan to resign in 1925 and Edmond John FitzMaurice of Philadelphia was chosen to succeed him.

1931: Bishop Edmond J. FitzMaurice creates the diocese’s first Charities Department (which evolved into the Catholic Welfare Guild, Catholic Social Services and Catholic Charities).

1937: First Catholic Welfare Guild Thrift Store opens in Wilmington.

1939: Diocese and Daughters of Charity acquire Coxe Estate on Bellevue Road and open orphanage for girls that becomes known as Seton Villa.

Within a few years, the orphanage would move to a 95-acre farm, called Reybold, near Delaware City, and would remain there until 1941.

1943: Diocese acquires the Bancroft Estate on Kentmere Parkway and opens a residence for boys known as Siena Hall.

A Maryland native, he served as Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore, Moderator of the Curia, Vicar General and Western Vicar (for Garrett, Allegany, Washington, Frederick, Carroll and Howard counties) He was born on January 18, 1944 in Baltimore, Maryland.

On October 24, 1956, Hubert J. Cartwright of Philadelphia was consecrated Coadjutor Bishop of Wilmington, with right of succession to Bishop FitzMaurice, and quickly endeared himself to the people of the diocese, visiting each parish.

Michael William Hyle of Baltimore replaced him, and was consecrated Coadjutor Bishop of Wilmington with right of succession on March 6, 1958.

At the same time, a lay Board of Directors began an increased prominence in Church leadership with the founding of the agency’s Advisory Board in 1959.

In the 1960’s, Catholic Social Services began providing family, individual, marital and pregnancy counseling, large-scale emergency financial assistance, aid to refugees, group home care and adoption services.

Bishop Hyle died on December 26, 1967.

In March of 1968, Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore, Thomas Joseph Mardaga was named the sixth Bishop of the Diocese of Wilmington.

1970-71: Diocesan staff replaces religious orders as operators of Seton Villa and Siena Hall.

1972: Family Life Bureau created.

The latter two counties were returned to the Diocese of Richmond on June 17, 1974, after construction of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel provided for the first time a connection to mainland Virginia.

In 1978 Bishop Mardaga invited into the diocese Bishop James C. Burke, O.P., retired missionary bishop of Chimbote, Peru.

The transitional home for unwed mothers and their babies, formerly known as the Home of Divine Providence, was created in 1979 by community groups and individuals, with a common concern for the pregnancy problems of adolescent women.

1981: Casa San Francisco opens in Milton, Del., as a ministry to migrant workers.

1983: Daughters of Charity open Seton Center in Princess Anne, Md., as a ministry for rural and migrant workers.

Robert E. Mulvee, Auxiliary Bishop of Manchester, New Hampshire, was appointed seventh Bishop of Wilmington to succeed Bishop Mardaga on February 19, 1985.

1992: Parish Social Ministry Division created.

The organization’s drug and alcohol treatment program, the Center for Pastoral Care, moved to the headquarters building from St Joseph’s on the Brandywine Church in November of 1993.

Burke served as vicar for urban affairs and diocesan director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, and assisted his host bishops in their pastoral responsibilities through parish visitations and administering confirmation until shortly before his death on May 24, 1994.

1995: Domestic Violence Program for perpetrators is introduced.

In 1999, St Ann School celebrated its centennial, marked by a year-long celebration.

In 2001, Bishop Saltarelli launched a five-year, $50-million campaign “Bringing the Vision to Life,” for capital funds to enable parishes and the diocese to meet other challenges of the 21st century.

Among its early projects was the diocese’s first new elementary school in 40 years, Christ the Teacher, which opened at Glasgow in 2002, serving the children of four parishes in that area.

A second interparochial elementary school, Most Blessed Sacrament, followed in 2003 in Ocean Pines, Maryland, serving children from seven parishes in that area.

Bayard House joined Catholic Charities on October 1, 2004.

Bishop Malooly was installed as ninth Bishop of Wilmington, spiritual leader of 58 parishes and 233,000 people, on September 8, 2008.

Bishop Malooly, along with Bishop Saltarelli and Philadelphia Archbishop Justin Cardinal Rigali, served as ordaining bishops for Bishop John O. Barres’ ordination and installation as the fourth Bishop of Allentown on July 30, 2009.

2010: Seton Villa closes.

The Parish Social Ministry program became a diocesan function in 2011.

Catholic Charities became the statewide administrator of the Delaware Weatherization Assistance Service in July 2014.

Christ Our King parish closed its doors in 2016.