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THE HISTORY OF FAITH & TRADITION
The Basilica of St. Paul .... 125 Years of Catholic Faith
The beginning of the story of the Basilica of St. Paul may be dated from
the arrival on June 1, 1881, of the first Catholic family to live in
Daytona Beach -- immigrants from Germany. The first Mass was a nuptial
for the Achstetter family, taking place in a log cabin home located in
what is now the 600 block of South Ridgewood Avenue. Father (later
Bishop) William J. Kenny was celebrant. The date was March 16, 1862.
Until 1886, Mass was offered twice a year by Father Bernard O’Reilly and
Father Maurice F. Foley from DeLand. The congregation gathered in
private homes, at the old Palmetto House, at the William Jackson Hall,
at the depot on the corner of Beach Street and Orange Avenue, and at the
City Opera House. In 1886, Daytona Beach became a mission of St. Teresa
Church in Titusville where Father John F. O’Boyle was administrator. He
celebrated Mass every Sunday in the opera house or in the armory. Father
O’Boyle was transferred to Daytona Beach and took up permanent residence
in 1895. Three years later he purchased property on South Palmetto and
Myrtle Avenues and built there a wood-frame church seating approximately
400 people.
In April of 1923, the Reverend William J. Mullally, the new pastor of
St. Paul Church, arrived in Daytona. He had been given instructions from
the Bishop to purchase additional property, to build a Catholic school
and build a new church. Much to the credit and ingenuity of Fr. Mullally,
St. Paul Catholic School, the only Catholic school at the time between
St. Augustine and West Palm Beach on Florida’s East Coast, was opened in
1925. Fr. Mullally, who was later appointed Right Reverend Monsignor by
Pope Pius XI, led the effort to acquire and construct the Basilica of
St. Paul at its present location, 360 North Ridgewood Avenue, Daytona
Beach. The first Mass in what was St. Paul Church was celebrated in
1927. Monsignor Mullally later celebrated his Golden Jubilee as a
priest, and he remained pastor at St. Paul Church until retirement.
SAINT PAUL CHURCH
Two gifts of $25,000 each started construction of the nearly $250,000
edifice. The floor plan drawn by the architect, Gerald A. Barry, of
Chicago and Jacksonville.
Architectural Significance
Built in Spanish mission-style, the Basilica of St. Paul is 181 feet
long, 80 feet wide and 123 feet in height from the street level to the
top of the cross surmounting it. The walls measure 3 feet thick. The
church was the highest building on the mainland when it was built and
seated 1,150 people. It was one of the first buildings in the area to be
built with a central heat and air-conditioning system.
More than a million bricks used beneath the three-coat tan stucco
coating were reinforced with steel girders. The built-up roof of bright
tile rests on a flat surface of stone slabs. The dome is topped by a
globe and a cross. The curved pillars that flank the main entrance are
designed after the Bernini columns at the High Altar in the Basilica of
St. Peter, Vatican City.
The massive doors at the front entrance of the building are made of
pecky cypress wood. This worm-eaten wood was secured from cypress trees
over a hundred years old and was selected in order to give the doors an
appearance of antiquity. They are exact replicas of the Basilica doors
in Valencia, Spain. The curved or rounded scheme is carried out in the
designs both in the interior decorations and outer art stone trimmings.
Outside, in a niche above these doors, there is a statue of St. Paul
holding a sword and script. The script is the symbol of his life after
conversion, when Paul expounded the sacred teachings of Christ with as
much zeal as that with which he once persecuted His followers. The sword
symbolizes that persecution. Above this statue a solid block of stone
has been inserted which forms the keystone of the building. It weighs
more than five tons, and has a monstrance carved into the front of it
for decoration.
Inside, as you walk past the Baptismal Font and down the center aisle
toward the main Altar, you pass between graceful pre-16th century
Renaissance style arches. The arches are bordered by simplistic columns
covered with leaves and shells. The ceiling, partly vaulted and partly
flat, is ornamented with artistic designs. The vaulted ceiling of the
dome above the sanctuary is seventy-three feet high. Four medallions
with engraved figures serve as traditional symbols for the four
evangelists and decorate the space in the arches forming a great canopy:
Matthew (human), Mark (lion) Luke (ox) and John (eagle).
Directly above the Tabernacle and the large crucifix is a painting
depicting the conversion of St. Paul while on his way to Damascus to
persecute the Christians. In addition to the 22 transcept and 12 rose
windows, which depict the lives of Jesus, Mary and other saints, there
are 16 smaller stained glass windows along the outer walls in the upper
part of the church. These contain symbolic figures, including a chalice,
a cross, a monstrance, a crown of thorns, a bird feeding its young, and
a ship.
More detailed information about the church windows can be found in our
publication – Pictures of Our Faith. On the north side of the main Altar
is a shrine dedicated to St. Joseph. This mosaic depicts scripture from
Matthew 2:13, 15.
When they had departed, behold the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph
in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to
Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the
child to destroy him.”
On the south side of the main Altar is a shrine dedicated to Mary under
the title of “Our Lady of Fatima.” The mosaic commemorates the
appearances of Mary to three children at Fatima in 1917. These two side
altars are constructed with Georgian marble in varying color, quarried
in Italy. The mosaics themselves are brilliant flecks of gold glass and
cream-colored stone.
Along the side aisles are shrines in honor of various saints. In front
of each side shrine is a portion of the original church communion rail.
Each area features statues of Saints (more detailed information which
can be found in our publication -- Saints of the Church.) Also, along
the side aisles and back of the church are sculptured Stations of the
Cross. At the rear of the church on either side, is located an area
reserved for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Since the conversion of Paul is a primary focus for this church, its
related themes also speak to all who enter here: the suffering of Jesus
and his persecuted followers, the transforming love of Christ, the power
flowing from the resurrection, and the healing power of Christ, mission
and service. These themes are served and strengthened throughout this
church by our heritage and tradition found in part in our windows and
shrines. They offer all a place in the journey of faith.
The Basilica of St. Paul has been blessed with several distinguished
pastors since Monsignor Mullally retired, including the Reverend Sean
Heslin, who served as pastor for 10 years, and the Reverend Fred R.
Ruse, who with his family were lifelong parishioners of the Basilica of
St. Paul. Our first Rector The Very Reverend Robert E.
Webster who currently serves as Director of Liturgy for the Diocese of
Orlando. Fr. Webster served as a parochial vicar during the pastorate of
Fr. Ruse. Our current Pastor is Rev. Timothy P. Daly.
Casa San Pablo
During Fr. Sean Heslin’s tenure as pastor of St. Paul Church, he
spearheaded planning for the establishment of a low-income senior
citizen home, to be located diagonally across the street from St. Paul
Church, on property that was formerly the site of St. Paul Convent.
Under the stewardship of Father Ruse, Casa San Pablo was completed and
dedicated during the weekend of March 14, 1987. Casa San Pablo, although
sponsored by the Basilica of St. Paul, is a non-denominational senior
citizen home whose doors are open to all eligible persons regardless of
race, color, or creed. The Federal Government subsidizes the rent
payments of the low-income residents of the facility.
More Recent Renovations
In recent years, the Basilica of St. Paul has continued with
renovations. In 1995, under Fr. Webster, the church interior was
renovated in an attempt to restore it to some of the splendor of the
original 1927 structure and update the area to be in accord with current
church documents on liturgical spaces. The hard work and effort
culminated in a rededication of the church building and a dedication of
its new altar on January 25, 1996, the feast day of the Conversion of
St. Paul. The altar, the first one to be permanently dedicated and
anointed with oil, is made of rosewood and cherry. Five crosses are
inlaid in the table, symbolizing the marks of dedication. Among the
changes made were returning to the 1927 church’s color scheme,
refurbishing the existing church pews, and building the sanctuary
forward into the congregation and under the church dome. The previous
sanctuary area was refurbished to create a Eucharistic Chapel, bordered
by a colonnade and arches. The chapel houses the tabernacle, surrounded
in a golden Eucharistic tower. At the entrance to the church, near the
Narthex, a large baptismal font was created from the marble used in the
original altar.
1997 – Church Convent
The building was renovated and now serves as living quarters for the
parish clergy.
1998 – Parish Center
As the former rectory, this building housed both the church offices and
the clergy living facilities. After the renovation pastoral offices were
moved to the second floor with administration offices occupying the
first floor. The garages became the gift shop and lower meeting room.
The living and dining room were renovated to be one larger meeting room
(Fireplace Room.)
1999 – Parish School
The entire school plant was gutted and completely renovated.
2000 – Monsignor Mullally Hall
In this renovation of the school cafeteria/assembly hall, the exposed
arched ceiling and windows in the south end of the hall were restored to
the room's original plan as the first, temporary church building.
2002 – Church Illumination
During the Christmas season, the church was illuminated on the outside
so that the Basilica of St. Paul would once again become a “beacon of
light” to the area Catholic faithful and as a witness to that faith for
the entire Daytona Beach community.
2003 – Stations of the Cross/Statues
The Stations of the Cross and the statues in the side aisles were fully
restored by the end of 2003.
Now, as we stand on the threshold of our 125th Anniversary, we are once
again undertaking a parish-wide capital campaign entitled: Project
H.O.P.E. - 125 years of Catholic Faith in Daytona Beach. We look toward
the future with hope, confident that our parish community – which is
made up of more than 1,200 families -- will provide for the vital
restoration projects necessary to ensure that our beloved church will
continue to serve the Lord and His Holy Church and remain the
cornerstone of our community for many generations to come. |
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Our History
