St. Paul’s church opens for tours

By Lia Russell The Virginian-Pilot

Craig and Jan Dobson were visiting their son and his family  when they heard that St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Olde Towne  now offers tours of the historic cathedral.

“We saw the announcement in the weekly bulletin at the Church of the Resurrection,” said Jan Dobson, 70. “We enjoy church histories, so we thought we’d come take a look.” 

The Dobsons marveled at the beauty of the 1905 Gothic Revival cathedral, made mostly of North Carolina granite, with its stone bell tower, 200-foot tall copper steeple, arches, buttresses and 28 stunning stained-glass windows.

“We just moved from Denver, and there’s nothing like this there,” said retired federal prisons’ administrator Craig Dobson, 74, who was stationed in Norfolk in 1956 as a young sailor. “Everything in Denver is new. You don’t see any of this older architecture. This is beautiful.”

The sanctuary, designed by architect John K. Peebles, who also assisted with  restoration of the Virginia Capitol in Richmond in 1902, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register.

Knowledgeable members of the church’s  Docents Guild, chaired by Mary Tee Butler, will guide guests and answer questions.

Bill Ficenec, a docent and co-chair of St. Paul’s history committee, said plans for church tours have been in the works for many months. “It’s really unique in this area to have a structure as elaborate as this,” said Ficenec, who also portrays Civil War-era pastor Joseph H. Plunkett during Portsmouth’s annual fall Steeple to Steeple tour of Olde Towne churches. “I think there’s a growing interest toward the traditional. Even young people are drawn to it. I believe that’s why membership in this church has grown so much recently.” Restoration and preservation

The church, which boasts more than 650 families, has experienced a membership boom that Ficenec said offers more support for preservation and restoration work in the century-old sanctuary.

In addition to replacement of the steeple last December,  some recent roof repairs and interior painting, the church is in the  midst of restoring its stained-glass windows – valued at more than $1.6 million.

“I think it says a lot that 90 percent of the window restorations are being sponsored by current parishioners,” said Jim Resolute, chair of St. Paul’s capital campaign committee.

The windows, depicting saints of the Catholic Church and Biblical scenes, were created by Franz Mayer & Co. in Munich, Germany, between 1900 and 1914. In 1892, Pope Leo XIII had declared the company, which was dedicated to revitalizing the medieval building trades, a “pontifical institute of Christian art.”

Refurbishment of the windows started in 2004 and will be completed in October. Until then, visitors to St. Paul’s will find several windows missing at a time as they are alternately removed and transported to Beyer Stained Glass Studio in Philadelphia, Pa.  for restoration.

Built on perseverance

Established in 1804, the parish of St. Paul’s is the fourth oldest in downtown Portsmouth.

“We would have been here longer, but there was a time we were prevented from practicing our faith,” said Mary O’Brien, a Churchland resident who has been a life-long member of St. Paul’s. “We got here as quickly as we could.”

The current sanctuary is the fifth – and largest – to stand on the site. The original was a small, plain, 30-foot by 30-foot building constructed about 1815 and funded by Patrick Robertson, a local bakehouse owner.

The church was replaced in 1831 and again in 1853 to accommodate a growing congregation.

The third structure and the fourth, dedicated in 1868, both were victims of fires.

The fire in the third building – burned in 1859 – is believed to have been set as a distraction by arsonists attempting to break friends out of the city’s jail, which at that time was located across the street from the church.

Fundraising for the current sanctuary began in the early 1900s after the bishop of Richmond considered the cost – $100,000 – excessive for the size of the parish, according to St. Paul’s written history. Members contributed generously to ensure the church’s completion – some even willing to mortgage their homes, although it never came to that,  Ficenec said.

It’s fitting, too,  Ficenec said, that St. Paul’s is offering tours this year, declared the “Year of St. Paul” by Pope Benedict XVI in honor of the beloved saint’s 2,000th birthday.

“We’ve had visitors from places like Chicago and Louisville, Ky. – lots of people from out of town as well as locals,” Ficenec said. “It’s really been gratifying how many people have responded to these new tours.” Lia Russell, 222-5829,         lia.russell@pilotonline.com