From the Archives – Young Catholic Friends Society

The Basilica School of Saint Mary owes a great debt to the Young Catholic Friends Society. The men’s organization, founded in 1842 in the Baltimore Archdiocese under the auspices of Arch- bishop Samuel Eccleston, was established in Alexandria in 1853. The group was dedicated to helping the poor, especially poor children, providing them with food and clothing. In February 1854, the Alexandria Gazette reported: “…the Association has been the doing much good within the sphere of its operations.” Its newly elected officers were leading Saint Mary parishioners: Richard L. Carne, president; John Roach, vice-president; William Carne, recording secretary; James Nevitts, corresponding secretary; and John Laphan, treasurer.

By 1859, the Young Friends had built a large brick building, Saint Mary’s Hall, at the corner of South Royal and Wolfe Streets. After the Civil War ended, the pastor, Father Peter Kroes, S.J., hoped to open a school. The group allowed him to turn their hall into Saint Mary’s Parochial School, a most generous gift to the parish. The building served the children of Saint Mary Parish until 1950, when the present school on Green Street was opened.

In addition to its benevolent efforts, the Young Friends also sponsored intellectual, cultural, and social events, such as musical concerts and oratorios, lectures on art and history, and fairs and outings designed to involve parishioners, many of them recent immigrants, in the parish community.

— Kitty Guy, Parish Historian

In 2020, to commemorate the 225th anniversary of our parish, we started “From the Archives” as a weekly feature online and in our bulletin to spotlight the history of Saint Mary’s. Due to its popularity, we are continuing the series. An archive of the features is located here.