St. Sebastian Church (Middletown, Connecticut)

	St. Sebastian Roman Catholic Church
	U.S. Historic district ; Contributing property
Location	155 Washington Street; Middletown, Connecticut
Built	1921
Architect	Raymond C. Gorrani
Architectural style	Renaissance Gothic
Part of	Main Street Historic District (Middletown, CT) (ID83001275)
Designated CP	June 3, 1983

Saint Sebastian Church^[1]
Saint Sebastian Church
Saint Sebastian's Roman Catholic Church
	St. Sebastian Church, January 2011
Location	155 Washington Street; Middletown, Connecticut
Country	United States
Denomination	Roman Catholic
History
Founder(s)	Middletown Italian Immigrants
Dedication	Saint Sebastian
Dedicated	December 06, 1931
Architecture
Architect(s)	Raymond C. Gorrani
Administration
Province	Hartford
Diocese	Norwich
Deanery	Middletown
Parish	Saint Sebastian
Clergy
Bishop(s)	Most Rev. Michael Richard Cote
Pastor(s)	Rev. James Thaikoottathil, J.C.D.
Laity
Organist(s)	Mr. Mark Corbett
OCIA coordinator	Mr. Ralph Coligan, Mrs. Joanne Coligan

Last updated June 05, 2024

Saint Sebastian is a Roman Catholic church in Middletown, Connecticut, part of the Diocese of Norwich.

History

In the early 20th Century, immigrants from the Sicilian town of Melilli moved in large numbers to Middletown. By 1920 there were enough families there to form a vibrant and close-knit Italian community that desired its own place of worship. Through a massive fundraising effort, the donation of materials, and the labor of masons, plasterers and stone carvers, the Italian community realized the dream of its own church, a significant local cultural symbol and the only Italian national parish in the Diocese of Norwich.^[1]

Building

The imposing 1931 Italian influenced Renaissance Revival church building was designed by architect Raymond C. Gorrani of Worcester, Massachusetts. Gorrani had designed the very similar Church of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Worcester a few years earlier and, according to a recent history of St. Sebastian, members of the parish actually traveled to Worcester to inspect Mt. Carmel Church before employing Gorrani. In keeping with the desire of his clients, Gorrani's finished design is heavily influenced by the design of the Basilica of St. Sebastian in Melilli.

In December 1931, shortly after construction on the church had begun, Fr. Rocco Guerriero was appointed the first resident pastor of St. Sebastian Church. Very shortly thereafter Fr. Guerriero appointed his brother, Daniel A. Guerriero as the supervising architect to oversee the completion of Gorrani's design. Little is known about Raymond Gorrani but it is known that after St. Sebastian, which was built while the architect was also designing a church for St. Ann Parish in Marlboro, Massachusetts, he had no additional commissions.

The building is listed as a significant contributing property of the City of Middletown Historic District.^[2]

Music

The Church's Organ is an Austin Organs, Inc. Opus 1828 that has 2 manuals and 15 ranks. The Church also has an Adult Choir and Children's Choir.

St. Sebastian Feast

The beloved Feast of St. Sebastian was first celebrated in Middletown in the early 20th century. Proceeds from the feast's early years helped finance the building of the church. Held annually, the three-day festival features a parade through Middletown's streets, carrying the statue of the patron saint.

Yoked Parish

The Parishes of St. Sebastian and St. John share a Priest since 2017, so Daily Mass and Sunday Masses are held at both Parishes. The Parishes are still their own entities and are not merged as a combined parish.^[3]

Priests that served St. Sebastian Parish

Rev. Rocco Joseph Guerriero (1931-1936)
Rev. John James Keane (1936-1952)
Rev. Richard David Curtin (1952- 1962)
Rev. Paul J. Rivard (1962-1965)
Rev. Maurice F. Sullivan (1965-1969)
Rev. Zenon Algrid Smilga (1969-1980)
Rev. Salvatore Bentivegna, O.S.J. (1980-1990)
Rev. Joseph Sibliano, O.S.J. (1990-1998)
Rev. Daniel Schwebs, O.S.J. (1998-2001)
Rev. Thomas J. Smith (2001-2004)
Rev. Augustine Naduvilekoot (2004-2007)
Rev. James Thaikoottathil, J.C.D. (2007–Present)

Related Research Articles

The Diocese of Norwich is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in the states of Connecticut and New York in the United States. It was erected on August 6, 1953, by Pope Pius XII.

St. Peter's Church and Mount St. Joseph Convent Complex is a Roman Catholic religious and educational complex on Convent and Meadow Streets in Rutland, Vermont. The complex includes a church, rectory, two schools, a convent, and an elderly housing building. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The church is an architecturally significant work of architect Patrick C. Keely.

St. Michael's Cathedral is the mother church of the Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts, United States, established in 1847. In 1974 the church and rectory were included as contributing properties in the Quadrangle–Mattoon Street Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melilli</span> Comune in Sicily, Italy

Melilli is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Syracuse, Sicily, located about 190 kilometres (120 mi) southeast of Palermo and about 20 kilometres (12 mi) northwestern of Syracuse.

The Cathedral Basilica of Christ the King is a Roman Catholic church in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The cathedral was consecrated on December 19, 1933. It is the seat of the bishop of the Diocese of Hamilton, and the cathedral of the Diocese of Hamilton. The cathedral contains the cathedra of the bishop, the Most Rev. Douglas Crosby. The cathedral was raised to the status of a minor basilica in February 2013 by Pope Benedict XVI.

Santuario de San José is a parish church found inside the Green Hills East Village in Mandaluyong, Philippines. It is designated as the Shrine of Saint Joseph the Patriarch. It is run by the Oblates of St. Joseph (OSJ). It is the home parish of different chapels: the Holy Family Chapel and the two chapels of Crame, Immaculate Conception and Sacred Heart.

Our Lady of Graces or Saint Mary of Graces is a devotion to the Virgin Mary in the Roman Catholic Church. Several churches with this dedication often owe their foundation to thankfulness for graces received from the Virgin Mary, and are particularly numerous in Italy, India, Australia, United States, Portugal, France and the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland. Also it is related to the Marian apparitions in which was revealed the Miraculous Medal, also known as the Medal of Our Lady of Graces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Sebastian's Church, Neyyassery</span> Church in Kerala, India

St Sebastian's Church is the centre of worship of Christianity in Neyyassery. Neyyassery is a village in Kerala. The church is located in a beautiful location at the heart of this village. The church is located at 11 km away from Thodupuzha which is in Idukki district. It was established in 1852 AD and was rebuilt in 1987. First stone laid for new church on the feast day of Angel Michael (archangel). The parish celebrates Michael angel's feast and Saint Sebastian's feasts every year with lot of enthusiasm. This church is part of the Syro Malabar Church, India. The patron of the church is St.Sebastian.

St. Mark's Episcopal Church is an historic Episcopal church building at Zero Freeland Street in Worcester, Massachusetts. The Romanesque Revival stone building was designed by local architect Stephen C. Earle, and built in 1888 for a congregation established the preceding year. On March 5, 1980, the church building was added to the National Register of Historic Places as St. Marks. The current priest is the Rev. Robert Carroll Walters.

The St. Xavier's Church is a Roman Catholic Church run by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Neyyattinkara. Diocese of Neyyattinkara was formed on 5 November 1996 and prior to the formation of Diocese of Neyyattinkara, St.Xavier's Church Peyad was under the control of Metropolitan Arch Diocese of Thiruvananthapuram. The church follows Latin Rite.

The Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a historic Roman Catholic parish church building located in Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, New York.

The Church of St. Joachim was a Catholic parish church under the authority of the Archdiocese of New York, located at 26 Roosevelt Street, in Manhattan, New York City.

St. Mary Church is one of two constituent Roman Catholic parish churches in Norwich, CT, USA. Along with Saints Peter and Paul Church, the two parishes represent the Joint Norwich Catholic Cluster. Fr. Robert Washabaugh administer each parish, along with associate deacons and staff.

St. Mary is a Roman Catholic church in Greenwich, Connecticut, United States, part of the Diocese of Bridgeport.

St. Anthony of Padua is a Roman Catholic church in New Bedford, Massachusetts, part of the Diocese of Fall River.

Saints Peter and Paul Italian Catholic Church and Rectory is a historic church building on Columbus Avenue at East Jefferson Street in Sandusky, Ohio. It is home to a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo. The current Pastor of Sts. Peter & Paul is Fr. Monte Hoyles. The Associate Pastors are Fr. Zach Brown and Fr. Prashanth Kumar. Sts. Peter & Paul has three Deacons; Deacon Phil Dinovo, Deacon Jeff Claar, and Deacon Bill Burch.

St. Jude Church Karanakodam is a Syro-Malabar Catholic parish in Ernakulam, Kerala, India. It is a part of Archeparchy of Ernakulam–Angamaly. The parish church is situated Midway between Kathrikkadavu Junction and Thammanam Junction along the Thammanam Pullepady Road. The road opposite to the Church leads to the rear entry of the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium, Kaloor.

Saint John Church is a Roman Catholic church and parish in Middletown, Connecticut, part of the Diocese of Norwich.

Mount Carmel Shrine, also known as Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, , is a Roman Catholic minor basilica and national shrine located in Barangay Mariana, Quezon City in the Philippines. Dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the church opened in 1964 after a decade of construction. It was declared a parish church in 1975 and a national shrine in 2015. In 2019, it was declared a minor basilica, making it the fifteenth minor basilica in the country.

References

1 2 Fluet, PH.D, Fr. Gregoire J. (2003). Responding to His Call A Celebration of the Diocese of Norwich. p. 87.
↑ https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/83001275_text Main Street Historical District Middletown
↑ "Saint Sebastian Church/Home". www.stsebastianmiddletown.org. Retrieved December 4, 2019.

External links

Media related to Saint Sebastian Church (Middletown, Connecticut) at Wikimedia Commons

41°33′41.12″N72°39′12.52″W / 41.5614222°N 72.6534778°W / 41.5614222; -72.6534778

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[Fluet-1] 1 2 Fluet, PH.D, Fr. Gregoire J. (2003). Responding to His Call A Celebration of the Diocese of Norwich. p. 87.

[2] ttps://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/83001275_text Main Street Historical District Middletown

[3] "Saint Sebastian Church/Home". www.stsebastianmiddletown.org. Retrieved December 4, 2019.

[1]

[2]

[3]

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich
Ordinaries	Bishops Bernard Joseph Flanagan Vincent Joseph Hines Daniel Patrick Reilly Daniel Anthony Hart Michael Richard Cote
Churches	Cathedral Cathedral of Saint Patrick Parishes Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Quaker Hill St. Joseph Parish, Rockville St. Mary of Czestochowa Parish, Middletown St. John Parish, Middletown St. Sebastian Parish, Middletown
Education	College and seminary Holy Apostles College and Seminary Elementary schools Sacred Heart School, Groton Sacred Heart School, Taftville Saint James School, Danielson Saint John School, Old Saybrook Saint John Paul II School, Middletown Saint Joseph School, Baltic Saint Joseph School, New London Saint Joseph School, North Grosvernordale Saint Mary-Saint Joseph School, Willimantic Saint Michael School, Pawtucket Saint Patrick Cathedral School, Norwich High schools Academy of the Holy Family, Baltic Marianapolis Preparatory School, Thompson Mercy High School, Middletown Saint Bernard High School, Uncasville Xavier High School, Middletown
Catholicismportal


St. Sebastian Roman Catholic Church
U.S. Historic district Contributing property


Location	155 Washington Street Middletown, Connecticut
Built	1921 (1921)
Architect	Raymond C. Gorrani
Architectural style	Renaissance Gothic
Part of	Main Street Historic District (Middletown, CT) (ID83001275)
Designated CP	June 3, 1983