This panel featuring the Last Supper is embedded in the main altar at St.Patrick Church, just below the tabernacle.
Hand excavation of Higgins Hill was begun in September, 1915, to make room for the construction of St. Patrick Church. Construction of the church was completed in 1916-1917. The church was consecrated on September 30, 1917.
St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church in Bisbee was entered into the National Register of Historic Places on September 7, 1995.
Thomas Higgins, a Bisbee mine owner, donated the land for St. Patrick Church and St. Patrick School, with the stipulation that the church must face the mountain peaks and the Higgins mine.
Certificate of Apostolic Blessing requested by Fr. Charles Knapp after completion of church renovation.
Occasionally, the Southern Arizona Desert receives a light snow, as shown in this photo from February 2009.
On Holy Thursday, 2008, parishioners joined in prayer for the safety of Old Bisbee residents, as a wild fire raged across Tombstone Canyon from the church.
he office of St. Patrick Parish is located in the rectory building east of the church. Office hours are Tuesday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 4 p.m. Telephone 432-5753 This is also the entrance to the parish Gift Shop.
Just outside the main door of the St. Patrick Church, the exterior tiles make a statement: "the Church of Christ is protected by God through the Faith of Peter." The crossed keys are a common symbol of St. Peter.
he Parish Hall, located in the 'basement' of St. Patrick Church, is an active place, used for many parish and community activities.
Large wooden crucifix and votive candles in the west transept of St. Patrick Church.
French-born priest Fr. Constant Mandin arrived in Bisbee in 1913 and led parishioners in their effort to fund and construct St. Patrick Church.
The East Transept Altar in St. Patrick Church features a statue of St. Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
The statue of St. Therese of Lisieux sits next to the West Transept Altar. Known as the 'Little Flower', St. Therese is one of the most popular Catholic saints since apostolic times. A permanent novice in the Carmelite order, she believed it was not necessary to accomplish heroic acts, or 'great deeds' in order to attain holiness and to express he love of God.
The carved Baptismal font located in the sanctuary of St. Patrick Church is still in use today, holding the water used in the solemn administration of the Sacrament of Baptism.
Next to the East Transept Altar is the statue of St. Anthony of Padua, who is known for his simple and resounding teaching of the Catholic faith.
The signature piece, authenticating the work done by Frei studios, is found in the lower left corner of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary window in the choir loft. A signature piece was not always included with their work. We are delighted that our windows have one.
Then the whole assembly of them arose and brought Jesus before Pilate. They brought charges against him, saying, "We found this man misleading our people; he opposes the payment of taxes to Caesar and maintains that he is the Messiah, a king.""
With loud shouts, however, they persisted in calling for his crucifixion, and their voices prevailed. The verdict of Pilate was that their demand should be granted.
The soldiers of the governor took Jesus inside the praetorium and gathered the whole cohort around him. They stripped off his clothes and threw a scarlet military cloak about him. Weaving a crown out of thorns, they placed it on his head, and a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews." They spat upon him and took the reed and kept striking him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him off to crucify him.
It was our infirmities that he bore,
our sufferings that he endured.
While we thought of him as stricken,
as one smitten by God and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our offenses,
crushed for our sins,
Upon him was the chastisement that
makes us whole,
By his stripes we were healed.
Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad because of her, all you who love her.
As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms, and fondled in her lap;
As a mother comforts her son, so will I comfort you.
As they led Jesus away they took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country; and after laying the cross on him, they made him carry it behind Jesus.
A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter;
he who finds one finds a treasure.
A faithful friend is behond price,
no sum can balance his worth.
The watchmen came upon me
as they made their rounds of the city;
They struck me, and wounded me,
and took my mantle from me,
the guardian of the walls.
I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem,
if you find my lover ---
What shall you tell him?---
that I am faint with love
A large crowd of people followed Jesus, including many women who mourned and lamented him. Jesus turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for your- selves and for your children.
Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.
They brought Jesus to the place of Golgotha (which is translated Place of the Skull). They gave him wine drugged with myrrh, but he did not take it. Then they crucified him and divided his garments by casting lots for them to see what each should take.
When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified Jesus and the criminals there, one on his right, the other on his left. Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do."
At noon darkness came over the whole land until three o"clock in the afternoon. And at three o"clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which is translated, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"....Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.
There was a virtuous and righteous man named Joseph who, though he was a member of the council, had not consented to their plan of action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea and was awaiting the kingdom of God. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. After he had taken the body down, he wrapped it in a linen cloth.
As the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, approached, rolled back the stone and sat upon it. Then the angel said to the women, "...Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said."
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, "Take and eat; this is my body."
Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.
I tell you, from now on I shall not drink this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father."
Matthew 26:26-29
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, "Take and eat; this is my body."
Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.
I tell you, from now on I shall not drink this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father."
Matthew 26:26-29
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, "Take and eat; this is my body."
Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.
I tell you, from now on I shall not drink this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father."
Matthew 26:26-29
When Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all, but that a riot was breaking out instead, he took water and washed his hands in the sight of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood. Look to it yourselves."
Matthew 27:24
Then he released Barabbas unto them: but after he had Jesus scourged, he handed him over to be crucified.
Matthew 27:26
Weaving a crown out of thorns, they placed it on his head, and a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"
Matthew 27:29
So they took Jesus, and carrying the cross himself he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha.
John 19:17
There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle.
John 19:18
And they placed over his head the written charge against him: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.
Matthew 27:37
When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four shares, a share for each soldier. They also took his tunic, but the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top down. So they said to one another, "Let's not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it will be," in order that the passage of scripture might be fulfilled: "They divided my garments among them, and for my vesture they cast lots."
John 19: 23-24
After this, aware that everything was now finished, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I thirst." There was a vessel filled with common wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth. When Jesus had taken the wind, he said, "It is finished." And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.
Now since it was preparation day, in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath, for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken and they be taken down.
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.
But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out.
John 19: 28-34
Our mission church in Naco AZ underwent a major renovation in 2013. The work was accomplished in large part through the fundraising efforts and physical labor of local parishioners and community members. It is now a comfortable place to worship year round.New Paragraph
Rite of Blessing of a Church and Dedication of an Altar February 10, 2014