From St. Barnabas to St. Pius – A Journey of a Parish

(This is the first article in a two-part series.)

There is a banner at St. Pius dated July 12, 1931. The date represents the 78th anniversary when the congregation of St. Barnabas located at West Biddle Street and Argyle Avenue relocated and became the congregation of St. Pius V located four blocks away.

St. Pius V originally was a parish populated by European-Americans. When the lot on Argyle and West Biddle was purchased to build the church, there was difficulty in clearing the title. The property was sold to the Episcopal Diocese. The Episcopalians moved in and named the church St. Barnabas. The Episcopal congregation remained at St. Barnabas until 1904 when the church became vacant. The archdiocese bought the property, and on July 11, 1907, Cardinal James Gibbons solemnly changed its faith and St Barnabas was dedicated as a black Catholic Church.

The first pastor of the new church was Father Joseph Anciaux; the second pastor was Father Joseph Butsh. However, it was the third pastor, Father Charles Evers who began the first St. Barnabas School.

Father Evers utilized two lay teachers until he secured the services of the Oblate Sisters of Providence in 1908. The school started out with 110 students and grew to 340 children.

St. Barnabas’ fourth pastor, Father Conrad Rebesher, was one of the original founders of the Knights of St. Peter Claver founded in Mobile, Ala. in 1909. Under his administration, the new St. Barnabas School and convent was purchased in 1909. The Oblate Sisters in addition to conducting the school taught Sunday school, took care of the altar and sacristy and did a host of other projects for the parish.

In 1925, Father Edward Blasius joined Father Rebesher as an assistant. In1927, Father Joseph Waring became pastor of St. Barnabas

As populations changed, St. Barnabas, one of the four black parishes conducted by the Josephite fathers, was growing and in need of a larger facility. By 1931, the white parish of St. Pius V was decreasing, while its neighboring parish of St. Barnabas was increasing. At this point, Archbishop Michael Curley contacted the Josephite fathers, the Oblate Sisters and the parishioners of St. Barnabas and asked if they would be willing to move to the larger St. Pius V Church. On July 12, 1931, the parishioners of St. Barnabas took possession of and became the congregation of St. Pius V with 3,000-plus parishioners.

An article appearing in the daily newspaper a day before the dedication stated, “A new chapter will be written at St. Pius V. The church will be turned over to St. Barnabas tomorrow. When Rev. Edward Blasius, S.S.J., hears his first penitent in the confessional, a new era will be born in St. Pius’s long and eventual career. The church will become the parish of a congregation of black Catholics ministered by the priests of the Society of St. Joseph.”

A landmark occurred in 1932 when St. Barnabas School, still a product of St. Pius V Parish, moved to a new location at 954 Harlem Ave. The school’s name was changed to St. Catherine Academy. In 1956, the school changed names again. This time it was called St. Pius V School. The school remained at this location until 1972 when the building was condemned. The school moved to 901 Poplar Grove St. and remained St. Pius School until 1973. 1972 was a year to remember because the parish sponsored the Broadway play, “Purlie” at the Morris Mechanic to raise funds to help with building renovations related to the move. The class of 1972 was the last class to graduate from the Harlem Avenue address, and the class of 1973 was the last graduating of St. Pius School. With the formation of cluster schools in the archdiocese, St. Pius became the middle school of the Father Charles Hall cluster.

Lillian Wainwright is a parishioner of St. Pius V, Baltimore, and an active volunteer with the Oblate Sisters of Providence.

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