THE 150th ANNIVERSARY OF ST. MARY OF THE SEVEN SORROWS

On October 31, 1997, St. Mary of the Seven Sorrows celebrated its 150th anniversary. It is the oldest standing church, of any denomination, in Nashville.

The Grecian architecture church was designed by renowned Boston architect William Strickland. Mr. Strickland also designed the State Capitol Building, where his body lies in repose. From an architectural standpoint, what distinguished St. Mary of the seven Sorrows at the time of its construction was the absence of any support columns in the interior of the church. The stress beam that spans the width of the church remains as strong today as it was in 1847.

During the Civil War, St. Mary of the Seven sorrows was closed as a church, dedicated as a neutral zone and used as a military hospital for Confederate and Union troops, over 300 men died on her floor. Following the end of the war, the church was reopened and served as Nashville's Cathedral until 1914, at which time a new cathedral was built on West End Avenue named the Cathedral of the Incarnation.

The first Bishop of Nashville, Bishop Richard Pius Miles, was buried beneath the church after his death in 1860. In 1969, the bishop's body was exhumed and found to be perfectly preserved after over 109 years of burial. Today, the bishop's body lies at rest in an African teakwood box in the rear corner of St. Mary of the Seven Sorrows Church. Visitors from all parts of the world continue to pray at the tomb of Bishop Miles.

The Bottocino marble on the back altar at St. Mary of the Seven Sorrows comes from the same quarry as the Bottocino marble on the altar at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The Wood used to make our crucifix comes from the Argonne Forest in Germany. The ceiling murals and paintings of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were created in Italy, on canvas, and affixed to the ceiling in 1847. In 1998 a tornado lifted the roof of the church allowing dirt and grass to enter. In September 2000 cleaning and restoration of the paintings was completed. Likewise, the Stations of the Cross, painted on tin in 1845 in Czechoslovakia, were also cleaned restoring their original beauty. The seven small stations between the Stations of the Cross represent the seven sorrows of Mary, the seven times her heart was broken due to the passion of her son.

As St. Mary of the Seven Sorrows passes its sesquicentennial, Bishop Edward Kmiec, Diocese of Nashville, has selected it as a Pilgrimage Church for this jubilee Year 2000 for Catholics. The small, but loyal, group of parishioners extend heartfelt thanks to all who, through their kindness and generosity, enable St. Mary of the Seven Sorrows Church to emanate many blessings each day from this very holy and historic shrine to Mary.