By Lois Rogers | Correspondent
For 38 years, residents, innkeepers and curators have been opening the doors of stately homes and historic sites to visitors on Spring Lake’s annual House Tour.
Among those portals are three historic Spring Lake churches, which open on a rotating basis for the tour: Holy Trinity Episcopal; St. Andrews United Methodist and St. Catharine Church, which, along with St. Margaret Church, are the Catholic worship sites in what is widely known as the Irish Riviera.
This year is St. Catharine’s turn to shine on the tour. As it’s also the 125th anniversary of the borough’s incorporation, organizers say they have been preparing enthusiastically to show off the landmark house of worship to the crowds expected June 1 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Dorothy Lau and Mary Lou Oliva, historians and longtime members of St. Catharine-St. Margaret Parish and the Spring Lake Historical Society which is sponsoring the event, are delighted that St. Catharine is considered a religious and architectural treasure and is on the tour this year.
The church, which sits on a promontory overlooking the lake for which the town is named, is one of the most photographed structures along the coastline, they said. Considered the finest example of Classical Revival architecture on the northern Jersey Shore, when first observed by newcomers and tourists, its limestone and buff Pompeian brick exterior sets the stage for what Oliva refers to as the “wow moment” of entering the church.
“It’s a church people walk into and it takes their breath away,” she said. “They tell us it’s like the historic churches in Europe and not something you would expect to find at the Jersey Shore.”
Martin Maloney, a refugee of the Irish famine who prospered in America built St. Catharine Church as a memorial to his beloved daughter, Catharine (Kitty), who died after a long illness at 17. Their family crypt is in a vault below the church.
The interior of the church offers a wealth of art rich in religious symbolism created in Catharine’s memory by Gonippo Raggi, the Vatican artist Moloney brought from Rome in 1904 to execute the paintings that adorn the interior walls, said Oliva.
The breathtaking frescoes and canvasses – which, after a badly needed restoration was completed in 2007, seem literally to pop from the walls – depict Bible stories, the seven Sacraments, Pentecost and copies drawn from the old masters including Raphael, added Lau.
A stunning cycle of murals with Irish themes, which was a collaborative effort by Raggi and Chicago-based artist Thomas A. O’Shaughnessy, is sure to capture the attention of visitors on tour day, as will the highly decorated barrel-vaulted ceilings and recessed panels.
Lau called the church a highlight of this year’s tour.
“It’s a very special tour this year because of the municipal anniversary,” she said, noting that the Historical Society has designated this year’s event as a “Historic Showcase Tour” featuring unique, historic structures instead of a blend of old houses and “beautiful new houses” usually on the tour.
Lau said the tour will, as always, feature seven homes, an inn and a church. “The town is historic and unique. People can come here for the tour and enjoy a whole day walking on the boardwalk, going for breakfast and lunch. Folks come to the tour year after year” because of the overall ambiance, she said.
The Historical Society’s Museum will be open for viewing with its permanent collections on display in the Main Gallery. The Changing Gallery showcases a Hidden Treasures Display, which features artifacts of the borough’s police, firefighters and first aid squads. There is also an exhibit saluting the mayors of Spring Lake and this year’s new exhibit on the 125th anniversary of the borough’s incorporation.
Tickets are $35 for this major fundraising event for the Historical Society.
For reservations, contact Lau at 732-974-1476 or email her at djlau34@aol.com.