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St. Martin de Porres
 

Status: Active, Catholic

Formerly Known As: St. Columba

Founded: 1993
(Columba: 1895)
Construction: 1904

24th Street & Lehigh Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19132

http://www.archdiocese-phl.org/parishes/8194.htm

http://smdpchurch.org/
 
Where Is It?


Oh, you’ll love this one. Strawberry Mansion—specifically, 24th & Lehigh
The Skinny


Holy Family Sunday finds the Project venturing into what some would call the Heart of Darkness—Lehigh Avenue in the Strawberry Mansion section of North Philadelphia. It’s there that we find this week’s target, St. Martin de Porres.

St. Martin is noteworthy because it is still a viable North Philadelphia Catholic parish. Like St. Veronica it survived the North Philadelphia Swath of Destruction, but unlike Veronica, it didn’t do it completely intact. This church used to be St. Columba, but the Year of Hell finished it off, as well as neighbors St. Elizabeth and Most Precious Blood of Our Lord. All three were then consolidated into Columba’s building as St. Martin de Porres. This parish also holds the spiritual records of neighboring Corpus Christi, which didn’t even make it to the Year of Hell. It closed in 1987 and is currently undergoing its own awful version of The Long Goodbye, now 20 years and counting.

(You know, one of these days I should try to write a recap by simply stringing Church Project Theorems together. It would either be unimaginably brilliant, or it would be the worst review ever.)

Anyhow, the Project is overjoyed that the Archdiocese saw fit to keep this building operational, because it’s one of the coolest churches we’ve seen. The whole place was seemingly constructed as an ode to Irishness. Columba was an Irish saint, so not only does his statue grace the front (along with two other Irish saints, Brigid and Patrick), but Celtic crosses adorn both the center steeple and the rectory courtyard. Inside, the Irish fest continues with a brick and tile interior that’s outlined in gold and—wait for it—green, with green ornamental trim thrown in from time to time. We’ve seen a lot of churches, but few that use a predominantly green scheme. It’s a stunning design choice, and one that works really well, especially in contrast to the darker brick surrounding it.

Throw in some large and ornate windows, and a cool-looking (if sadly unheard organ), and you have yourself a fantastic church structure. The Project is also very pleased with the exterior, which goes out of its way to be ornate. It has the three saint statues carved into the top of the face, a gothic tower and even gargoyles! Some of those design elements mirror the iconic Our Lady of Hope, albeit on a much smaller scale, which earns St. Martin a lot of brownie points.

Not that St. Martin really needs it. This is a great space, inside and out, and ranks high on our tallies.

Size Rating: 9 out of 10

Ornamentation Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Overall Design Rating: 9 out of 10 crosses
How's It Doing?


Strawberry Mansion has long had a negative reputation for crime and urban blight. Its southern borders have reportedly shown some signs of gentrification, fed by Brewerytown and hot properties beyond, but most of the area is still off most people’s radars. Just walk up to someone and say “Lehigh Avenue.” That reaction won’t go away anytime soon.

Any parish, even post-consolidation, is going to have its work cut out for it in this area. That said, Martin de Porres seems to be doing as well as could be expected. The parish has a strong and committed following, their school is still working urban miracles, and the structures themselves are in relatively good shape. Their numbers are pretty low, but there is a vibrant core here, and mass seems more like a family reunion than a simple service. We saw the two-handed handshake back in Immaculate Conception, but here it’s supplemented with hugs and kisses as everybody—and I do mean everybody—greets each during the lengthy sign of peace. Immaculate tried something similar, but since only 14 people showed up to that mass, it wasn’t nearly as effective.

The downside is that the school needs constant fundraising to stay afloat and the parish is offering only one Sunday mass.

Pastor Ed Hallinan rules over the proceedings with a lively mixture of passion and humor. Those expecting a staid experience need not apply, as Father Hallinan employs an abundance of self-deprecating humor, and is not afraid to have some fun with his parishioners, such as calling various members “thorns in his side.” It’s the best example of audience interaction we’ve seen since the Father Groake and Deacon Boyle show over at Holy Name.

We also spent a bit of time talking to Father Hallinan after mass, where he discussed the great role his fundraising plays in keeping everything running smoothly, especially where the school is concerned.

The Fat Girl Principle: It’s baaaack! What, did you think I would venture to 24th & Lehigh without attracting any attention? We got the usual “visitors please stand and introduce yourselves," which never, ever gets any easier. Beyond that, we were greeted warmly by all parishioners, and several exhorted us to come back.

Sorry, the Project is by definition a nomad, although this is one church I would definitely like to see again.

It’s not the most prosperous parish, but their energy and determination would put most to shame.

Emergency Rating: This horse can still kick

Travel Tidbits


Sure, Strawberry Mansion isn’t high on anyone’s list these days. But in all honesty, our visit here was much easier than our trip to Hunting Park’s St. Veronica. Not that the areas are that disparate, mind you. But Martin de Porres has the good fortune to sit right smack on Lehigh Avenue, a pretty major artery. (Veronica, by contrast, was situated on a shady corner behind Temple Hospital, which is a much more uncomfortable atmosphere.)

Martin’s more prominent location helps alleviate a lot of the worry, and Sunday mornings generally aren’t high crime times. That said, it’s still traditionally one of the Philly’s worst areas, and it still has a multitude of problems; Father Hallinan mentioned that a resident was murdered on Christmas Eve on one of the streets behind the church. Be sure to park in sight of the building and don’t wander too far. Oh, and like St. Veronica, don’t even dream of trying to come here after the sun goes down.

Safety Rating: 5 out of 10 tire irons
Interesting Note


St. Martin features some great worship music, thanks to a dedicated gospel choir. We’ve heard good music in other, places too—St. John the Evangelist comes to mind—but what sets St. Martin apart is that their musical instrumentation includes a drum kit. Yeah. A drummer and a drum kit. In church.

The Project has only ever seen a drum kit used during the student masses out at St. Thomas of Villanova . But never, ever in an “adult” church. It’s a pity, too. There’s really nothing that can’t be improved with a funky drum beat.
The Final Word


I must admit I didn’t expect a lot of out this church, but I was completely blown away. St. Martin de Porres is a great experience on all fronts. Highly recommended.

 

© 2008 Philadelphia Church Project