About Old St. Mary · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Old St. Mary's Church (commonly called Old St. Mary) is a historic Roman Catholic parish in the Society Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia, founded in 1763 as the second Catholic church in the city. It became the first Cathedral of the Diocese of Philadelphia in 1810 and served in that role until 1838, and it was the site of the first public religious commemoration of the Declaration of Independence. Members of the Continental Congress, George Washington, and John Adams worshipped here during the Revolutionary era. Today it is an active parish of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, twinned with Holy Trinity Church, pastored by Rev. Msgr. Paul A. DiGirolamo, J.C.D., and the parent parish of St. Mary Interparochial School — the 'Mother School of Catholic parochial education,' founded in 1782.
- Established
- 1763
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (the parish is named for Mary; the ceiling features a fresco of Mary's Assumption, and a statue of Mary stands in an alcove above the main door)
- Rector
- Rev. Msgr. Paul A. DiGirolamo, J.C.D.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Philadelphia (Deanery: Philadelphia South and East)
Why belong here
Old St. Mary's offers a rare opportunity to worship in a living piece of American Catholic history — the second-oldest Catholic church in Philadelphia and the first Cathedral of the diocese — while belonging to a small, accessible parish in Society Hill. The parish is twinned with Holy Trinity Church, maintains the historic churchyard cemetery at 244 S. 4th Street, and remains the parent parish of St. Mary Interparochial School, the 'Mother School of Catholic parochial education' founded in 1782. With a daily Mass, Saturday Vigil, Sunday Mass, Saturday confessions, and weekday adoration opportunities, the parish combines an intimate, walkable Center City location with a deep liturgical and devotional life.
Mass times at Old St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM
History of Old St. Mary's
Old St. Mary's was erected in 1763 on a tract that included a Catholic cemetery (the churchyard itself dates from 1759), built as a more spacious Sunday church for the parishioners of Old St. Joseph's a block away on Willings Alley. Because public Catholic worship was technically illegal in the British Empire, the building was deliberately designed to look like an ordinary Philadelphia house from the outside — although it was much larger than St. Joseph's and quickly became the city's principal Catholic worship site. The early congregation of roughly 222 families was largely Irish, with smaller German and French contingents, and included such figures as Revolutionary War naval hero Commodore John Barry, Constitution signer Thomas Fitzsimmons, Federalist-era publisher Matthew Carey, and George Meade, great-grandfather of the Civil War general.
Revolutionary-Era Worship and the Founding Fathers
During the Revolutionary and early federal periods, Old St. Mary's was the most prominent Catholic church in Philadelphia. Members of the Continental Congress attended services on four occasions between 1777 and 1781. George Washington worshipped here on at least two occasions, including a visit in October 1787, and John Adams attended in 1774 while the First Continental Congress was in session. In a letter to his wife Abigail, Adams described the music as 'an organ and a choir of singers' and the liturgy as 'everything that can lay hold of eye, ear, and imagination, everywhere which can charm and bewitch the simple and ignorant,' adding the famous line, 'I wonder how Luther ever broke the spell.' The church was also the site of the first public religious commemoration of the Declaration of Independence.
First Cathedral of Philadelphia (1810–1838)
In 1810 the church was substantially enlarged, and that same year Philadelphia was made a Catholic diocese. St. Mary's was named the first Cathedral, a role it kept until 1838, when St. John the Evangelist Church superseded it. Under the first three bishops of the diocese, the trustees of St. Mary's were frequently at odds with the bishops; the conflict culminated in 1831 when Bishop Francis Patrick Kenrick placed the church under interdict, closing it for roughly a month until the trustees capitulated. In 1832 the church hosted Philadelphia's first diocesan synod.
Architecture and Interior
The brick façade is in the Gothic style, and the original architect was Charles Johnson. Inside, a balcony and choir loft extends around three sides of the building to either side of the altar; the ceiling features a fresco of the Assumption of Mary, and stained glass windows — some reaching two stories in height — fill the walls. A statue of Mary stands in an alcove above the main door on the exterior wall. The church was substantially enlarged in 1810 and renovated in 1963, but earlier features were retained, including an 18th-century baptismal font and the 1820 cathedra of Bishop Henry Conwell, a reminder of the cathedral years.
Sacraments
Information about celebrating the sacraments at Old St. Mary's is available through the Rectory.
- Baptism — Call the Rectory at 215-923-7930 for information.
- Reconciliation / Confession — Saturdays at 4:00 PM.
- Matrimony / Weddings — Celebrated on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. One party must be Roman Catholic and both parties must be free to marry in the Catholic Church. Call the Rectory for requirements, information, and questions.
St. Mary Interparochial School
In 1782, the Jesuits of Old St. Joseph's opened the first parish school connected to a Catholic church in America at St. Mary's. That school, today known as St. Mary Interparochial School, is still connected with the parish and is known as 'The Mother School of Catholic parochial education,' credited with influencing Catholic educational patterns in the United States. Located within Independence National Historical Park, the school serves children in grades K through 8 from parishes across the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and surrounding suburbs. After more than a century of operation, the school closed in 1902 following a devastating fire; it was re-opened in 1968 (or 1969) by the Sisters of Notre Dame.
Cemetery and Churchyard
The parish maintains a cemetery and churchyard at 244 S. 4th Street, next to the church. The churchyard dates from 1759, and the cemetery was enlarged by adding an extra layer of soil to ground level following the devastating Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793. Among those buried here are Commodore John Barry and other prominent figures of colonial and Revolutionary Philadelphia.
Parish Community and Life
Old St. Mary's is a small, walkable Society Hill parish with an active parish social group that meets weekly. The parish shares worship with Holy Trinity Church, providing a broader range of Mass times — especially on holy days — and the parish remains closely tied to St. Mary Interparochial School and the historic churchyard cemetery next door.
- Parish Social Group (meets weekly, per Archdiocesan Annual Pastoral Report)
- Twinned parish: Holy Trinity Church (6th & Spruce Streets) — worship site for holy day Masses
- Parish school: St. Mary Interparochial School (K–8, founded 1782)
- Parish cemetery / churchyard: 244 S. 4th Street
Visit and Contact
Old St. Mary's is located in the Society Hill neighborhood of Center City Philadelphia, between Spruce and Walnut Streets on S. 4th Street, within walking distance of Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and other sites of Independence National Historical Park.
- Church: 248 S. 4th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
- Rectory: 252 S. 4th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
- Phone: 215-923-7930
- Website: http://www.oldstmary.com/
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Philadelphia (Deanery: Philadelphia South and East)