| St. John the Baptist Church | |
|---|---|
 St. John the Baptist Church Mathew Sullivan, architect | |
|
| |
| Location |
344 County Street New Bedford, Massachusetts |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Founded | 1871 |
| Dedicated | 1875 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Matthew Sullivan |
| Architectural type | Romanesque Revival |
| Closed | 2012 |
| Administration | |
| Province | Boston |
| Diocese | Fall River |
| Clergy | |
| Bishop(s) | Most Rev. George W. Coleman |
St. John the Baptist is a historic church in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and a former parish of the Roman Catholic Church in the Diocese of Fall River. At its closure, it had been the oldest Portuguese-American parish in the United States.
History
St. John the Baptist parish was founded in 1871 to serve the Portuguese community in the area, becoming the second parish in New Bedford.
Portuguese immigration declined in the early 21st century, and later generations moved beyond New Bedford and Fall River, even as the cost of maintaining the historic church continued to rise. In 2009, the parish and finance councils asked the Diocese to evaluate its viability. [1] The diocese set goals for membership and activity, but the parish failed to meet them, and in March 2012, its closure was announced. The parish was merged with that of nearby Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and the church shuttered in November.
Building
The first church, dedicated in 1875, was destroyed by fire in 1908. The present Romanesque style church with Byzantine elements was built in 1913 to the designs of Boston architect Matthew Sullivan. [2]
References
- ^ Welker, Grant (March 14, 2012), New Bedford's Saint John the Baptist Church to close after 141 years, The Herald News, retrieved June 15, 2019
- ^ New Bedford Tourism, article on St. John the Baptist Church
External links
41°37′37.02″N 70°55′38.38″W / 41.6269500°N 70.9273278°W
 | This article about a Catholic Church in the United States church building is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This article about a church or other Christian place of worship in Massachusetts is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- Roman Catholic churches in Massachusetts
- Romanesque Revival church buildings in Massachusetts
- Roman Catholic churches completed in 1913
- Portuguese-American culture in Massachusetts
- Religious organizations established in 1871
- 1871 establishments in Massachusetts
- Christian organizations disestablished in 2012
- 20th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States
- United States Roman Catholic church stubs
- Massachusetts church stubs