Original 1908 Altar Returned to St. E’s on March 13, 2008

During the week before Holy Week 2008, during the Parish Centennial year, the altar from the 1908, St. Elizabeth Church on Broom Street was moved to the sanctuary of the new St. Elizabeth Church (dedicated in 1947) on Clayton Street. Monsignor James Grant, Pastor of St. E’s, donated the altar to Corpus Christi sometime after the new Elsmere parish formed in 1948. For many years, it rested in the old basement church of Corpus Christi.

Workers dismantled the marble altar and returned it in pieces to a rectory garage at St. E’s on February 25, where the parts underwent cleaning and reconditioning for several weeks. On Thursday morning March 13, the sections were moved back into church and re-assembled. The 1908 altar now takes the place of the wooden altar installed by Monsignor John M. Donohoe in 1968 as a response to Vatican II directives calling for altars to face the congregation.

Father Charles Dillingham, Pastor of St. Elizabeth Church, coordinated the return of the altar with Corpus Christi Pastor, Fr. Gregory Corrigan and enlisted Fr. Roberto Balducelli as a technical consultant. Also involved in the project were Aldo Fabris, Christiana Fabris (manager and estimator of CLA Construction), Andres Pezelli (master carpenter), Enrique Pezelli (apprentice carpenter), Frank Stella (marble consultant, Stella Artistic Tile), John Bonk (M. Davis Construction), and Paul Sullivan (Bob’s Affordable Carpets). Additional work will be completed in the sanctuary by Anne Kozicki (faux painter), and Steve McCusker (cabinetmaker) to blend architectural elements.

Attached is a photo of the altar as it appeared in 1908 at the original St. Elizabeth Church on Broom Street in the former Wyckoff Hall, a building that once belonged to the Wilmington Military Academy.