St. Charles Borromeo Parish at 1818 Coal Pl SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106 US - History of Saint Charles Borromeo Roman Catholic Community

Prepared by John Thomas J. Lane, SSS, 18th Pastor Saint Charles Borromeo Roman Catholic Church was established by Archbishop Rudolph A. Gerken on June 13, 1934. It was the first parish on the southeast side of Albuquerque and the “mother parish” to the entire east side of town (Deanery B). The first cornerstone was laid on Columbus Day, October 12, 1934 and the first Mass celebrated in the Church on Christmas Midnight Mass of that same year. At this time, the building was a shell. On Thursday, March 21, 1935, the church was dedicated as the fifth Catholic church built in Albuquerque. A native New Mexican, Father Philip Cassidy, not yet thirty years of age, was named the first pastor. Solid oak and wrought iron were used in the construction of the church, designed by Boehning and Sprirgman, architects, and constructed by O.J. Newlander. Walter B. Gilvert executed the wrought iron appurtenances of the sanctuary in the church. The bell tower stands at 65 feet. The windows on the east have the four main prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures, and the west windows, the fulfillment of these prophecies in the New Testament. (Two of the windows were removed in 1968 to put in the Reconciliation chapels.) The rose window in the sanctuary, designed by Father Cassidy, is symbolic of the creation of the world by God, and the redemption of the human race by the Son of God. One can see the Trinity and the cross. The windows were produced and fired by Baker & Baker of El Paso. In the early days of Saint Charles, the parish boundaries were from High Street to the eastern edge of the city, and from the northern edge of the city to the southern edge. Today, while our parishioners come from as far north as Placitas and as far south as Los Lunas, our official boundaries are the Pan American Freeway (I-25) to the west, Carlisle to the east, Indian School to the north and Gibson to the south. At the beginning, parishioners, 250 families in all, rented a vacant store at 104 South Cornell Avenue, and the first Mass was celebrated on July 1, 1934. Father Cassidy organized a group of men, called the Saint Charles Guild, that met every first and third Thursday of the month to organize fundraising activities. The first Mass held in the church, without pews that had not yet arrived, was Midnight Mass on Christmas. Several months later, the archbishop would celebrate the dedication on March 21, 1935. In Saint Charles’ early days, there were several active women’s groups. (It is important to note that it was typical to have men and women meet separately for church groups.) The women founded the Altar Society, Tabernacle Society and then the Women’s Auxiliary. There were many fundraisers to provide for vestments, altar cloths and many other articles for the church. After World War II, Albuquerque and the east side grew at a tremendous rate. In 1946, eight new rooms were added to the rectory, dedicated on December 17, 1946. In 1947, five acre tract of land south of the church was acquired. At Lomas and Morningside, a mission church was established in 1948. The plan was to build a school at the mission and a recreation center on the land behind Saint Charles Church. On March 19, 1949, Archbishop Byrne established the mission church as Our Lady of Fatima. Saint Charles continued to participate in the building project for the school and convent at our Lady of Fatima, and that school was dedicated in January 1950. It was named Heights Catholic School. Less than a year afterward, Saint Charles parishioners met and decided that they needed a school of their own. Also, the needs of the college students of the University of New Mexico (UNM) were a concern for the parishioners. In 1950, the Newman Club that had been meeting at Saint Charles, eventually became its own non-territorial parish, in the middle of the campus of UNM. Originally, Archbishop Byrne encouraged a junior high school, a two level building with ten classrooms on the upper level and a lower level used as a recreation hall. (This is why, up until this summer, 2005, there were shuffle board lines on the cafeteria floor!) Provisions were made so that this hall could be converted to eight classrooms at some point, especially a kindergarten classroom. On June 10, 1951, two Sisters of the Presentation came to administer the new school. The school was dedicated on February 24, 1952. By 1954, there were all eight grades and a kindergarten. As Albuquerque continued to grow, a gymnasium and convent were both built and dedicated at the same time, with Archbishop Byrne dedicating all on January 15, 1956. Saint Pius X High School students first assembled in the lower level of Saint Charles school at this same time, until a new high school building was built near the present day WinRock Mall. The parishioners were very proud to burn the mortgage of the school in March 1960, 7 ½ years before it was due. The Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament (SSS) had been invited to start a shrine and chapel of perpetual exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in 1950. The shrine was on the present day Presybterian Hospital property, on Gold Avenue. The hospital sought to expand in the 1960s and asked for the shrine property. Archbishop James P. Davis took the opportunity to invite the Blessed Sacrament Order to move up the street a bit to administer Saint Charles parish and move the Blessed Sacrament Shrine on August 1, 1966, to make Saint Charles a center of Eucharistic devotion. Father Joseph Mangan, SSS became the new pastor, and Fr. Thomas McKeon, SSS was the first assistant (parochial vicar). The Blessed Sacrament Community built a new rectory to house the religious priests and brothers. The church also needed to have its heating system replaced, and air conditioning was installed. The sanctuary of the church was redesigned for Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and for larger celebrations in the new spirit of the Second Vatican Council. Fr. Henry Dery, SSS became pastor on June 9, 1968 and was involved with the church renovation. Fr. Julian Rousseau, SSS, designed the new rectory on the site of the former rectory. Max Chavez designed the new altar and sanctuary at this time, with a new entrance and sidewalk added to the west side of the church, during this second phase of the church’s sanctuary. In 1968, the Sisters of the Presentation determined that they would not have enough personnel to administer the school. The Ursuline Sisters of Maple Mount, Kentucky, agreed to come to Saint Charles in September 1969. In 1977, Fr. Dery announced another major remodeling of the church with the addition of transepts, a new church office and lobby, rest rooms and a meeting room (now called the Committee Room). In 2002, Fr. Robert Chabot, SSS expressed a desire to expand the youth ministry program and build a Youth Center. A capital campaign allowed for improvements to the campus, and the Youth Center was dedicated in the Fall 2003. In the Spring of 2003, Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan asked the archdiocese to begin implementation of the 3rd edition of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) by the First Sunday of Advent, November 2003. Fr. Robert Chabot began the catechesis for the implementation in June 2003. Fr. John Thomas J. Lane, SSS began the renovation of the sanctuary, to be in compliance with the 3rd edition of the GIRM in October 2003. Chris Sandoval, the nephew of Max Chavez, who directed the renovation in 1968, and Artistans of the Desert, coordinated the renovation. This third and current style of the church’s sanctuary was completed and blessed during Midnight Mass, Christmas 2003. On the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, May 29, 2005, another phase of the parish’s life began: a collaboration with the Aquinas Newman Center for the Catechumenate (RCIA), Religious Education and Youth Ministry. During a special procession of the Blessed Sacrament from the Newman Center to Saint Charles, parishioners from both parishes gathered to pray and begin a joint effort at sharing resources, facilities and personnel. Thus this history of the mother parish, Saint Charles Borromeo, reveals our growth since 1934. Saint Charles gave birth to the many parishes on the east side of Albuquerque, and is once again sharing in the life of the east side and the many members who choose Saint Charles as their home parish. We are blessed to be a multicultural community, a beacon of worship, prayer, spirituality and social justice/service to the greater church and world from the heart of Albuquerque! ------- Sources for the information: Fr. Robert Lussier, SSS from the 50 Years of Saint Charles history booklet and the Health City Sun, March 15, 1935 edition. Milestones of Saint Charles Borromeo Roman Catholic Community June 13, 1934 Parish established by Archbishop Gerken and Father Cassidy pastor October 12, 1934 Cornerstone laid March 21, 1935 Church dedicated December 17, 1946 First rectory dedicated August 1951 Sisters of the Presentation administer Saint Charles Borromeo School February 25, 1952 Saint Charles Borromeo School dedicated June 15, 1956 Convent and gymnasium dedicated September 1956 Saint Pius X High School started in the lower level of school March 20, 1960 School mortgage burned (7 ½ years early) August 1, 1966 Archdiocese of Santa Fe gives administration of the parish to the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament (SSS) October 27, 1968 Renovated church dedicated, second and enlarged rectory blessed September 1969 Ursuline Sisters administer the school September/October 1968 Expansion of transepts and lobby of church completed Fall 1986 Servants of the Blessed Sacrament (SSS) administer Book Nook until 1996 October 2003 Youth Center built October- December 2003 Third renovation of the church sanctuary April 2004 Eymard Peace Garden and Baptismal Pool completed Summer 2005 Parish Center & Saint Vincent de Paul Center renovated August 23, 2005 Blessed Sacrament Shrine Chapel blessing & dedication of the Stations of Eymard in memory of Rev. Normand Falardeau, SSS Our Patron: Saint Charles Borromeo Saint Charles Borromeo was a celebrated Italian Cardinal and Archbishop of Milan. His father was Count Giberto Borromeo and his mother a member of the Medici family. Charles was born on October 2, 1538. At the age of twelve he received the tonsure and later he became titular Abbot of Sts. Gratinian and Felinus at Arona. In 1560 he was appointed by Pius IV the apostolical prothonotary refendary, and Archbishop of Milan. He was chiefly responsible for the reopening and the results of the Council of Trent. His counsel was held in high esteem. He is rumored to have turned down becoming pope, instead wanting to stay in Milan and continue to serve the poor and the suffering, especially during the plagues of the time. He improved the education structure for the training of new priests, and became the patron saint of seminaries. He founded schools, libraries and hospitals, and his other good works were many. He died in 1584 and immediately after his death miracles were wrought at his tomb. His canonization took place in 1610. His feast day is November 2. Pastors of Saint Charles Borromeo Roman Catholic Community 1934-1935 Rev. Philip J. Cassidy 1935-1936 Very Rev. Msgr. S. J. Peoples 1936 Rev. Edward F. Sweeney 1937 Rev. J. Kremer 1937-1942 Rev. Julius Hartman 1942-1948 Rev. Daniel Krahe 1948-1949 Rt. Rev. Msgr. Joseph L. Charewicz 1949-1952 Rev. John P. Hogan 1952-1964 Very Rev. Daniel Rice, KHS 1964-1966 Rt. Rev. Msgr. Bernard Burns 1966 Rt. Rev. Msgr. Francis Reinberg 1966-1968 Rev. Joseph Mangan, SSS 1968-1980 Rev. Henry R. Dery, SSS 1980-1985 Rev. Robert Lussier, SSS 1985 Rev. Gerard Livesque, SSS 1985-1992 Rev. Thomas Fitzgerald, SSS 1992-2003 Rev. Robert Chabot, SSS 2003-2009 Rev. John Thomas J. Lane, SSS, Rev. Jerome Mueller 2009 - to present.