WESTERLY — The Feast of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8 had an extra significance for the parishioners of the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Westerly. It was also the 50th anniversary of their “new” church at 111 High Street.
Father Giacomo Capoverdi, the parish’s pastor, welcomed everyone saying: “Fifty years ago, Bishop McVinney consecrated this building and we’re now excited to have our current Bishop of Providence here to celebrate our anniversary with us.”
Bishop Thomas J. Tobin welcomed the capacity crowd as he joined the pastor and several other priests who had previously served at the parish for the anniversary Mass of Thanksgiving on the feast day.
“We pray we will all benefit from the example of Mary’s trust,” Bishop Tobin said.
Father Capoverdi mentioned that while Father Francis Giudice, now a senior priest and Westerly native, delivered the homily at the 1968 dedication, for this 50th anniversary, another Westerly and Immaculate native who is now a priest, Father Michael Sisco, would give the homily.
During his homily, Father Sisco spoke of the need for Mary within our Church family today, stating that “our family isn’t complete without her.”
He said that one problem today is that “we’ve lost our sense of family.” He offered three ways to counteract this problem: “to practice charity whenever possible,” to praise God because “praising God lifts our spirits and reminds us of who we are,” and that “everybody needs to ask God, ‘How am I called to help the Family and how can I live my vocation better?’” He ended his homily with a joyful “Happy Birthday Immaculate Conception!”
Among the many people in attendance at the Mass were former choir members Frank Pendola and Grace Surdyka, who joined in with the Mass’ choir under the direction of George Mancini.
After Communion, Bishop Tobin blessed a plaque that Father Capoverdi had put into the sanctuary wall which is an exact replica of a plaque in the Vatican that was commissioned by Pope Pius IX regarding the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of 1854. Also special to this anniversary were two large paintings by local artist John Tedeschi. The subject of both paintings is the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. The bishop blessed the plaque and paintings by saying, in part, “May all who look on them grow in holiness.”
Their original church, built in the 19th century, was the first Catholic church in Westerly. Its cornerstone was placed in March 1886 and the first Mass was celebrated in its basement on Christmas 1886. The building was completed and dedicated in 1890. Having its origins within the parish of St. Michael the Archangel in Pawcatuck, Connecticut, just across the Pawcatuck River, Immaculate Conception became the next Catholic parish to minister to the increasing number of Catholic immigrants from Ireland, Quebec and Italy.
The old church still stands today, just a few hundred yards down the road at 119 High Street from their newer round brick Church of the Immaculate Conception, which was dedicated on December 8, 1968, by Bishop Russell J. McVinney. The old church, long since sold, now houses the George Kent Performance Hall.
As local history records, in the 1960s Immaculate’s pastor, Father Sylva Lecours, realized that the church needed updating and was outgrowing its seating capacity. It was time to build a new church.
Although a necessity, the new church, especially one that looked so modern, was welcomed by some, but it was also an adjustment for others. Maureen Harrington-Fortier, having grown up in the parish, was only 15 years old in 1968 and recalls, “I didn’t think I was going to like the new church because I was so used to the old one, and the new church meant we lost the playground we used to play on. But once it was built, and I got used to the round church, I came to love it.”
Charleen Bonelli, a lifelong parishioner and a young mother back in 1968, is “very proud of the parish” for all it has accomplished in the last 50 years.
Helen and Art Macauley, parishioners of 41 years, worked with former pastor Father Wilfrid Gregoire to build an Adoration chapel in the church’s lower level which has blessed the parish for the last 19 years.
Claudia Chiaradio, Immaculate’s past parish secretary for 26 years, sees this anniversary as another positive milestone in the parish’s history and has many fond and funny memories to share.
A reception was held afterwards in the hall and, as is common knowledge at Immaculate, a reception isn’t a reception without lots of delicious food.
During the reception a young married couple, Ben and Jessica Servideo, who both grew up in the parish, reflected on the Mass.
“The fact that they brought back the old altar servers who served at the original Mass 50 years ago was a great touch!” Ben Servideo said, noting that his father, Paul Servideo Sr., was one of those servers.
Jessica Servideo found Father Sisco’s homily to be very inspiring.
“He touched on so many important messages related to our church family and encouraged us to look to the future,” she said.
