ST. PAUL'S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

151 N. 9th Street
Reading, PA 19601
610.372.1531

History:

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Over the years, the German and Irish people who attended worship at St. Peter’s Church increased not only in numbers, but in misunderstandings as well. Due to ethnic complications and continued disagreements within the congregation, suggestions arose to build a new church for the accommodation of the German people. A lot was offered by a man named Anthony Felix, Sr., located on Ninth and Walnut Streets.

In 1860, the congregation of St. Peter’s was asked to come together to help build St. Paul’s just as they did with St. Peter’s Church. Felix Sr., who offered and gave the lot for free, also collected a fund to help the process of digging the foundation on August 8th, 1860. Later in September of the same year, the cornerstone was placed.

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The erection of a school was  completed in 1870. Around the same time, the church was enlarged by sixty-two feet in width while the steeple was erected at the height of two hundred feet. A convent was later erected for the sisters of the parochial school. In May of 1885, the church building was completely reconstructed. Several properties were purchased across the street from the church along Ninth Street in 1889. and an orphanage for boys was later founded.

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In 1919, remodeling took place in front of St. Paul’s Church, where the old structure was replaced with a brick structure. In the summer of 1977, St. Paul’s School, which was in existence for more than 100 years, closed its doors due to low enrollment. The school was later leased to Prospectus, a rehabilitation and training center for adults with disabilities. A new parish center and chapel replaced the old convent in 1983. The school building was leased to the Berks County Intermediate Unit (B.C.I.U.) in 2007. The church celebrated its 150th anniversary with a mass in 2010.

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Congregation/Space:

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The church had renovations that resulted in a painted interior, a central-axis golden tabernacle, and air-conditioning. The bronze bells have been modified with an electronic mechanism. The church is diverse, having mass services in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. The church has a huge sanctuary filled with stained glass windows and statues of Catholic saints. The brick structure was renovated early in the history of the church. There is Romanesque architecture throughout the design of the church. The church sits a few blocks away from the Penn’s Commons Historic District.