St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore: The Story of a People and Their Home by Thomas W. Spalding (review)

BOOK REVIEWS137 vides an enUghtening kaleidoscopic perspective, but also causes the introduction to be a bit fragmented. But these are smaU items. OveraU, the carefully researched work chronicles the dynamic nature of CathoUc health care from a ministry which provided a place for CathoUc immigrants to receive sacramental as weU as physical care to the mission today of providing quaUty health care, remaining a beacon for the poor, and offering a forum where issues of the "seamless garment" can be fully researched and proclaimed. Sister Mary Denis Mäher, C.S.A. Ursuline College Pepper Pike, Ohio St. Vincent de Paul ofBaltimore: The Story of a People and Their Home. By Thomas W Spalding and Kathryn M. Kuranda. (Baltimore: Maryland Historical Society. 1995. Pp. x, 299. $24.95.) Founded Ui 1840, the parish of St. Vincent de Paul has continually served the people of Baltimore for more than 150 years. In a remarkable manner its history ,especiaUy its architectural history, mirrors the larger history ofCathoUcism in the United States. In the early nineteenth century CathoUcism in Baltimore StUl evidenced a very patrician quaUty reminiscent of the era of Archbishop John CarroU. St. Vincent parish was a good example of this. Some of the city's more prominent citizens were members of the board of trustees. At the first auction of pews the mayor of Baltimore purchased the most expensive pew Ui the church for $610; numerous others of the mercantile eUte class also paid similar sizable sums for choice seats in the church. The music of Mozart and Haydn enhanced the celebration of Sunday Mass, and parishioners came to church on Sunday afternoons to Usten to oratorios performed by the church choU. The architectural design of the church was very much in tune with contemporary American taste. Neoclassical, it was a combination of Georgian and Greek Revival styles. This same architectural style was found in many of the city's churches, most notably the CathoUc cathedral. The next key period in the parish's history was the 1870's and '80's. This was the age of devotional CathoUcism, and numerous parish societies were estabUshed in these years. Major renovations altered the neoclassical design of the church interior. "Robust ornamentation," as the authors put it, replaced the restrained Federal-period style. Such ornamentation mirrored the Baroque, European style of architecture that was becoming more common as CathoUcism took on a more European,immigrant quaUty.The contrast between the Baroque interior and the restrained classical exterior was dramatic. As the city expanded in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the central business district expanded into the parish neighborhood; the number 138book reviews ofparishioners declined, and the very future ofthe parish was in doubt. Ui 1914 the parish inaugurated a 2:30 a.m. Mass for printers who worked the night shift at Baltimore's two major newspapers. The printers' Mass soon became a Baltimore institution and enabled the parish to survive. Ui 1940 the church underwent a major renovation. The pastor, John Martin, was the force behind this renovation that sought to restore some simpUcity to the church interior. He also used the occasion to revitaUze the spirit of the parish by integrating architecture , art, and Uturgy. The focus on devotionaUsm stiU manifested itself,but it was carried out Ui a more modern, simple style. The UveUest section of the book examines the history of the parish since the 1960's. WhUe other urban parishes were closing their doors, St. Vincent's gained new life. It became a showcase for the new liturgy and attracted people from the larger metropoUtan area. St. Vincent's was also the spiritual home for many Black CathoUcs who Uved in the pubUc housing projects that were buUt in the neighborhood Ui the 1950's. In anticipation of its 150th anniversary the parish once again underwent an architectural overhaul. This time the people of the parish were involved in estabUshing the goals of the renovation. Meetings were held over the course of five years to define these goals. Completed in 1990, this latest renovation reflected the theology ofchurch and parish that emanated from the Second Vatican CouncU. Divided into two parts, this study, richly documented...