St. Mary's Church (Newport, Rhode Island)

Three buildings comprise the complex: the brownstone Gothic Revival parish church; the parish house, formerly a school; and a convent. The church was built in 1848–52 to the design of renowned Brooklyn architect Patrick C. Keely. The engineer for its construction was US Army Lieutenant William S. Rosecrans, who would rise to the rank of Major General in the American Civil War. "On June 14, 1849, Bishop Bernard O'Reilly consecrated the building, committing it to the patronage of the Holy Name of Mary, Our Lady of the Isle." In 1865 the school was built directly east of the church, and also was designed by Keely. In 1886 Dudley also designed the rectory that burned in 1921. A new rectory, designed by Ambrose J. Murphy, was erected on the same site in 1924–5. In 1937 architect John F. Hogan altered both the church and school. In 1967, after the Second Vatican Council, East Providence architect Milton R. Kenyon further altered the church. ==History==

The Catholic parish congregation was founded in 1828, and was the first established in the state. The two married at St. Mary's on September 12, 1953, presided by Archbishop Richard Cushing and attended by more than 800 invited guests. A massive crowd of well-wishers filled the streets surrounding the church. The ceremony incorporated elements honoring both the bride's Irish heritage and the groom's Chinese heritage. Fenton was a parishioner of the church, and Fung converted to Catholicism before their wedding. ==See also==