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With roots in the missionary work of the Roman Catholic society of St. Joseph, this parish first gathered for worship in 1924. In that year, Father Alexis la Plante, Josephite pastor of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Beaumont, said mass for three African-American families in Orange and reported it as a promising place for the formal establishment of a black Catholic mission. For the next 12 years, priests from Blessed Sacrament and from Our Mother of Mercy in Beaumont held worship services for the growing congregation in private homes and other rented or borrowed spaces. In 1936, a Boston, Massachusetts, priest donated funds for the construction of a church building in Orange, and it was dedicated in honor of St. Therese, the patron saint of Catholic mission work. Father Michael McCormack served as first resident pastor when a rectory was acquired in 1941. As a result of Orange's booming economy as a center for shipbuilding during World War II, the town's population increased as did the membership at St. Therese. A national street preaching institute was begun in 1943, and in 1945 a school and parish hall were constructed to serve the congregation. Throughout their history, the members of St. Therese church, the second oldest Catholic congregation in the city, have gathered as a community to worship together and to provide assistance to those in need. The parish stands as a significant part of Orange's heritage. (2001) |
