While most churches have been founded as a place of worship for the family, St. Mary's began 'because a need was felt for a Sunday school in the growing Northwest section of Reading.'  In November 1903, a group of people concerned about providing a proper 'neighborhood' for their children received permission from the School Board to have a Sunday school at a public school house at West Douglass and Weiser streets.

     The phrase "the children who went nowhere" was adopted for this Sunday school class, since it properly expressed the neighborly concern of these parents in the Northwest area of the city, and it provided a clue to the early success of St. Mary's.  With the genesis of St. Mary's as a Sunday school, it answered a major need in the community.  Word spread rapidly about the newly created Sunday school, and it became apparent that this valuable ministry would soon outgrow its schoolroom birthplace.

     The Rev. Dr. William P. Orrick, rector of Christ Church, was asked to start a Mission of Christ Church in this rapidly expanding part of Reading. Soon thereafter, ground was broken for a building at the southwest corner of Front and Windsor. Built of stone and brick and boasting gothic architectdure, the church was constructed on land donated by William D. Smith.  A service and groundbreaking ceremony was conducted on Sunday, Oct 2, 1904, at 5 PM, by Rev. Orrick.  In his remarks, Rev. Orrick indicated that St. Mary's was the third offspring of Christ Church - with St. Barnabas and St. Lukes being the first two. And then, on Saturday, Nov. 19, 1904, in the presence of several hundred people, the cornerstone for St. Mary's was laid.

     The name for the church, St. Mary's, resulted from a trip to Reading made by Dr. Alexander Murray in the early 1800s, who came to the United States from England.  He started a mission in Reading and called it St. Mary's, in honor of the historic old parish in Reading, England, the home of the Penn Family. The use of the St. Mary's name represents a revival of the name of the aformentioned first mission of which St. Mary's Episcopal Church is its lineal descendant.

      The first service in the newly-created chapel was held on April 30, 1905, the first Sunday after Easter.  Rev. Orrick conducted the service before a large congregation, quite a number of whom were parishioners of Christ Church.  Neither the pews nor the carpet had been installed, so the congregation borrowed chairs for the occasion.  The people seemed to be delighted with the cozy and comfortable chapel.

      Just a couple months later, the first confirmation class was presented to The Right Rev. Ethelbert Talbot, D.D.LL.D., on the evening of Thursday, July 13, 1905.

      On October 1, 1905, The Rev. Charles Kenneth Thompson, a Deacon, was appointed by the Bship as Curate of Christ Church and Missionary to St. Mary's.  Rev Thompson served until April 22, 1908, at which time he resigned and went to the Diocese of Chicago. During his tenure, he baptized 34 and presented another 40 to the Bishop for confirmation.

      After a vacancy of a little over a month, The Rev. Harvey P. Walter came to St. Mary's from Ponce, Puerto Rico. During Rev. Walter's watch, St. Mary's became the first Episcopal Church in the Reading area to provide a rectory at the southeast corner of Windsor and Front streets.  The rectory was purchased for $5,400 and all but $500 was funded by the beginning of January, 1909.

      Because the 'Little Chapel' was presenting a space challenge to the ever-growing Sunday school and congregation, a Building Committee was appointed by the Vestry to study, design, and hire a contractor to build an addition to St. Mary's.  Wayne High was employed as the architect, and Daniel Hunter was awarded the building contract.  Not including furnishings, the cost amounted to $8,500.  Ground was broken for the new addition on May 13, 1913.  Services were held in the new Sunday school room on Oct. 26, 1913.  And then, on Sunday, Nov. 23, 1913, Bishop Talbot commenced a week of celebrations with formal blessings of the renovation of the 'Little Chapel' and the completion of the addition.

      To this day, this addition hosts Sunday school on the second floor; the rector's office, Altar Guild room, church office, a choir room on the first floor; and the Parish Hall, kitchen and general activity room on the lower level.

      The early history of St. Mary's certainly provides insight into the determination of a devoted congregation to succeed, and to make a difference in the community. Throughout its one hunderd + - year history, this church has given people a place to sing, pray, and worship, a place to share their faith with one another, a place to teach its children the values and ethics of a Christian life, a place for numerous organizations to gather to exchange ideas, and a place that generations of families have been able to call their religious and spiritual "home."

     The sanctuary of St. Mary's is a comfortable, reverent place to worship, accented by beautiful stained glass windows.  Perhaps, the most striking stained glass architecture in the sanctuary can be found at the front of the church as part of the altar.  Six depictions highlight this particular, stainjed glass, which is beautfilly backlit with florescent lighting against a mauve background. From left, scenes feature: a cluster of grapes, a chalice of wine, Jesus praying, baby Jesus with Mother Mary, a paten with communion wafers, and a shock of wheat on which appears the words "I Am the Bread of Life."

      Many of the other stained glass windows are dedicated to the memories of parishioners of St. Mary's past.  There is a plaque remembering those from St. Mary's who gve their lives to the service of the country, and there are various other plaques that recognize those who were vital members within the history of the church.

      Installed on Oct. 27, 1955, the organ is an Allan Organ, manufactured and serviced by the Allen Music Company, Macungie, PA.

      Parishioners come to worship from streets away, through nearby boroughs, including Wernersville, Douglassville, Bernville, New Holland, and Phoenixville, to as far away as Baltimore, MD.

      St. Mary's Episcopal Church is one of 67 congregations of the Diocese of Bethlehem, and its services are Sundays at 8 AM and 10 AM, and on Wednesdays, Noon-Day Prayer (lead by lay ministers) and the Holy Eucharist.

      St. Mary's has been fortunate ot have a history of outstanding men and women who have served as rectors and interim rectors. They include:

•  Charles P. Thompson (1905-1908)
•  Harry Walter (1908--1916)
•  Brayton Byron (1916-1918)
•  William Wood (1918-1921)
•  Harold Fair (1921-1925)
•  Eugene Heim (1925-1932)
•  Thomas Smythe (1933-1943)
•  John Lehn (1943-1948)
•  August Kuehl (1949-1951)
•  Lyle Scott (1951-1959)
•  David Sweet (1960-1973)
•  John Croneberger (1974-1980)
•  Roger Alling, Jr. (1981-1987)
•  John Bancroft (1988-2000)
•  Jeffrey Funk (2001-2002)
•  Nancy M. Packard (2004- ) 

       Interim rectors in the past 25 years have included: Charles Beem, Kenneth Cosbey, Eleonor Hart, Elizabeth Diely, and Sue Doohan.

       Deacons and other ministers who have served St. Mary's over the past 30 years have included: Donald Howells, Jim Robinson, Dennis Berks, and Ingrid Ann Davies.

 

 (Note: This is a re-printing of an article prepared as part of St. Mary's 100th anniversary celebration.)

 

  

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     While most churches have been founded as a place of worship for the family, St. Mary's began 'because a need was felt for a Sunday school in the growing Northwest section of Reading.'  In November 1903, a group of people concerned about providing a proper 'neighborhood' for their children received permission from the School Board to have a Sunday school at a public school house at West Douglass and Weiser streets.

     The phrase "the children who went nowhere" was adopted for this Sunday school class, since it properly expressed the neighborly concern of these parents in the Northwest area of the city, and it provided a clue to the early success of St. Mary's.  With the genesis of St. Mary's as a Sunday school, it answered a major need in the community.  Word spread rapidly about the newly created Sunday school, and it became apparent that this valuable ministry would soon outgrow its schoolroom birthplace.

     The Rev. Dr. William P. Orrick, rector of Christ Church, was asked to start a Mission of Christ Church in this rapidly expanding part of Reading. Soon thereafter, ground was broken for a building at the southwest corner of Front and Windsor. Built of stone and brick and boasting gothic architectdure, the church was constructed on land donated by William D. Smith.  A service and groundbreaking ceremony was conducted on Sunday, Oct 2, 1904, at 5 PM, by Rev. Orrick.  In his remarks, Rev. Orrick indicated that St. Mary's was the third offspring of Christ Church - with St. Barnabas and St. Lukes being the first two. And then, on Saturday, Nov. 19, 1904, in the presence of several hundred people, the cornerstone for St. Mary's was laid.

     The name for the church, St. Mary's, resulted from a trip to Reading made by Dr. Alexander Murray in the early 1800s, who came to the United States from England.  He started a mission in Reading and called it St. Mary's, in honor of the historic old parish in Reading, England, the home of the Penn Family. The use of the St. Mary's name represents a revival of the name of the aformentioned first mission of which St. Mary's Episcopal Church is its lineal descendant.

      The first service in the newly-created chapel was held on April 30, 1905, the first Sunday after Easter.  Rev. Orrick conducted the service before a large congregation, quite a number of whom were parishioners of Christ Church.  Neither the pews nor the carpet had been installed, so the congregation borrowed chairs for the occasion.  The people seemed to be delighted with the cozy and comfortable chapel.

      Just a couple months later, the first confirmation class was presented to The Right Rev. Ethelbert Talbot, D.D.LL.D., on the evening of Thursday, July 13, 1905.

      On October 1, 1905, The Rev. Charles Kenneth Thompson, a Deacon, was appointed by the Bship as Curate of Christ Church and Missionary to St. Mary's.  Rev Thompson served until April 22, 1908, at which time he resigned and went to the Diocese of Chicago. During his tenure, he baptized 34 and presented another 40 to the Bishop for confirmation.

      After a vacancy of a little over a month, The Rev. Harvey P. Walter came to St. Mary's from Ponce, Puerto Rico. During Rev. Walter's watch, St. Mary's became the first Episcopal Church in the Reading area to provide a rectory at the southeast corner of Windsor and Front streets.  The rectory was purchased for $5,400 and all but $500 was funded by the beginning of January, 1909.

      Because the 'Little Chapel' was presenting a space challenge to the ever-growing Sunday school and congregation, a Building Committee was appointed by the Vestry to study, design, and hire a contractor to build an addition to St. Mary's.  Wayne High was employed as the architect, and Daniel Hunter was awarded the building contract.  Not including furnishings, the cost amounted to $8,500.  Ground was broken for the new addition on May 13, 1913.  Services were held in the new Sunday school room on Oct. 26, 1913.  And then, on Sunday, Nov. 23, 1913, Bishop Talbot commenced a week of celebrations with formal blessings of the renovation of the 'Little Chapel' and the completion of the addition.

      To this day, this addition hosts Sunday school on the second floor; the rector's office, Altar Guild room, church office, a choir room on the first floor; and the Parish Hall, kitchen and general activity room on the lower level.

      The early history of St. Mary's certainly provides insight into the determination of a devoted congregation to succeed, and to make a difference in the community. Throughout its one hunderd + - year history, this church has given people a place to sing, pray, and worship, a place to share their faith with one another, a place to teach its children the values and ethics of a Christian life, a place for numerous organizations to gather to exchange ideas, and a place that generations of families have been able to call their religious and spiritual "home."

     The sanctuary of St. Mary's is a comfortable, reverent place to worship, accented by beautiful stained glass windows.  Perhaps, the most striking stained glass architecture in the sanctuary can be found at the front of the church as part of the altar.  Six depictions highlight this particular, stainjed glass, which is beautfilly backlit with florescent lighting against a mauve background. From left, scenes feature: a cluster of grapes, a chalice of wine, Jesus praying, baby Jesus with Mother Mary, a paten with communion wafers, and a shock of wheat on which appears the words "I Am the Bread of Life."

      Many of the other stained glass windows are dedicated to the memories of parishioners of St. Mary's past.  There is a plaque remembering those from St. Mary's who gve their lives to the service of the country, and there are various other plaques that recognize those who were vital members within the history of the church.

      Installed on Oct. 27, 1955, the organ is an Allan Organ, manufactured and serviced by the Allen Music Company, Macungie, PA.

      Parishioners come to worship from streets away, through nearby boroughs, including Wernersville, Douglassville, Bernville, New Holland, and Phoenixville, to as far away as Baltimore, MD.

      St. Mary's Episcopal Church is one of 67 congregations of the Diocese of Bethlehem, and its services are Sundays at 8 AM and 10 AM, and on Wednesdays, Noon-Day Prayer (lead by lay ministers) and the Holy Eucharist.

      St. Mary's has been fortunate ot have a history of outstanding men and women who have served as rectors and interim rectors. They include:

•  Charles P. Thompson (1905-1908)
•  Harry Walter (1908--1916)
•  Brayton Byron (1916-1918)
•  William Wood (1918-1921)
•  Harold Fair (1921-1925)
•  Eugene Heim (1925-1932)
•  Thomas Smythe (1933-1943)
•  John Lehn (1943-1948)
•  August Kuehl (1949-1951)
•  Lyle Scott (1951-1959)
•  David Sweet (1960-1973)
•  John Croneberger (1974-1980)
•  Roger Alling, Jr. (1981-1987)
•  John Bancroft (1988-2000)
•  Jeffrey Funk (2001-2002)
•  Nancy M. Packard (2004- ) 

       Interim rectors in the past 25 years have included: Charles Beem, Kenneth Cosbey, Eleonor Hart, Elizabeth Diely, and Sue Doohan.

       Deacons and other ministers who have served St. Mary's over the past 30 years have included: Donald Howells, Jim Robinson, Dennis Berks, and Ingrid Ann Davies.

 

 (Note: This is a re-printing of an article prepared as part of St. Mary's 100th anniversary celebration.)