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Newark – St. Columba

Founded in 1869, the current church is a melange of architectural styles. St. Columba’s is based on the early 18th-century Chapelle Royale of Versailles. Its facade and semi-circular porch are copied from Pietro da Cortona’s mid-17th-century church of Santa Maria della Pace in Rome, and its bell tower is a smaller version of the Renaissance campanile of St. Mark’s in Venice.

A very similar combination of styles is visible in St. Aloysius Church in Jersey City, also designed by Charles Edwards. The porch and tower of St. Aloysius are almost identical to those of St. Columba, while the body of the church may best be described as Italian Renaissance.

A fire in the sanctuary area in the 1920s destroyed the original main altar and required a complete repainting of the interior. This renovation resulted in the Art Moderne design of the present altar and the Art Moderne of much of the painted decoration and stenciling.

About The Building

Architect(s)

  • Charles Edwards

Architectural Style

  • Renaissance and Baroque

Interior Designer(s)

  • Marble Statues - Joseph Sibbel

Fabricator(s) of Windows

  • Arnold & Locke

Notable Works of Art

  • Baptistery Grill - Bronze
  • Baptismal Font - Art Nouveau - Joseph Sibbel
  • Stations of the Cross by Joseph Sibbel
  • Marble statues - Joseph Sibbel

Renovations

  • 1920s - Sanctuary renovated after fire destroyed the original. 2000s - Renovations by the Neocatechumenal Way to accommodate their liturgical needs did no damage to the fabric of hte church

Current Status: In use

Interior Pictures

Exterior Pictures

Year Opened: 1899

One Comment

  1. Richard Hunter
    Richard Hunter February 14, 2021

    My father was an altar boy at St. Columba’s– probably around 1925 or so. He went to grammar school there. I saw the Church from the outside a few years ago… I hope to see the inside someday….

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