The Catholic Diocese of Wilmington will conclude its year-long 150th anniversary celebration with a Mass at St. Elizabeth Church, 809 S. Broom Street in Wilmington, on Sunday, March 3, 2019 beginning at 3 p.m. The Diocese was established on March 3, 1868 by Blessed Pope Pius IX.
Bishop Malooly will be the principal celebrant and homilist of the concelebrated Mass. The Mass, which will fulfill the Sunday obligation, will feature a joint choir from Saint Elizabeth and the Cathedral of Saint Peter, and will be embellished with brass and timpani.
“It has been a 150th anniversary year to remember,” Bishop Malooly said. “We have celebrated our history with pilgrimages to historic holy places in Delaware, Maryland, France and Italy. We gathered to affirm and deepen our commitment to discipleship at Convocation 150. We published books, commissioned a play, and produced a custom rosary and an image of Our Lady of Wilmington, to name a few. It has been a busy year, and I thank everyone who celebrated with us.”
Priests, deacons, religious, the lay faithful, and the general public are invited to attend the Mass that will include the recognition of those who visited all of the nine churches in Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore that were designated as Official Sesquicentennial Pilgrimage Churches. Those churches are Saint Francis Xavier Shrine, “Old Bohemia”, Warwick, Maryland (1704); Saint Joseph Mission, Cordova, Maryland (1765); Saint Peter the Apostle, Queenstown, Maryland (1765); Saint Mary Star of the Sea, Golden Hill, Maryland (1767); Cathedral of Saint Peter, Wilmington, Delaware (1816); Saint Patrick, Pilottown, Maryland (1819); Saint Joseph on the Brandywine, Greenville, Delaware (1841); Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Wilmington, Delaware (1858); and Sacred Heart Oratory, Wilmington, Delaware (1874). These historic churches were open for additional touring and worship on the first Saturdays of the month during the 150th anniversary year.
