Saint Barbara’s Church
Saint Barbara’s Church is a historic church located at 63 Church Street in Madbury, New Hampshire. As the only Roman Catholic church in Madbury, it serves not only the Parish of Saint Barbara, but the entire Madbury community as well. Saint Barbara Parish was founded in 1885 with a generous building endowment from Charles Coffin, Jr., in memory of his late mother, Ruth Hellesby Coffin, a devout Catholic who was killed the previous year while crossing Central Avenue in Dover, accidentally crushed beneath the wheels of an errant draught wagon.
The east façade is dominated by a spectacular round-arch window of stained-glass depicting events from the life of Saint Barbara in four panels: her life of isolation in the tower, her miraculous escape from the tower, her capture, torture and beheading by her father, and his subsequent death by immolation. The richly adorned interior, with a seating capacity for 600, includes many examples of intricately carved wood and marble decoration. Of particular interest is the splendid marble bas-relief depicting da Vinci's Last Supper that adorns the front of the main altar.
With the arrival of eight Sisters of Mercy from Manchester in 1911, Saint Barbara’s opened the doors to a new parochial school built just north of the church. From its inception, the school has enrolled students in grades 1 through 8, graduating its first complete class in 1919. Whereas in the past, the nearest Catholic High Schools were in Manchester or Nashua, many Saint Barbara graduates now continue their Catholic education at the new Saint Thomas Aquinas High School in Dover.
Father Polidori became pastor at Saint Barbara’s on September 5, 1951. He was born in Cranston, Rhode Island on August 21, 1914, and attended local schools there. He later attended Saint Anselm's College and then Saint Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland. He was ordained on May 26, 1940, in Manchester’s Saint Joseph Cathedral, which would also be his first assignment. After enlisting in the U.S. Army as a chaplain in March of 1943, he went overseas in February 1944 and saw combat in New Guinea, the Philippines and Japan. Among his many honors were a Purple Heart, Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster and a Silver Star for heroism in action. After the war, he served as curate at Saint Anne’s Parish in Manchester before moving to Saint Barbara’s as the new pastor after the abrupt departure of Rev. Eduard Poisson.
Father Stoker came to Saint Barbara's immediately after his ordination in Manchester on August 3, 1958. He was born on May 7, 1933, in Caratunk, Maine, attending the local elementary school and Upper Kennebec High School. He later attended Bowdoin College and Christ the King Seminary in Olean, New York. Since coming to Saint Barbara's, he has become very active with the youth of the parish, bringing new life to the CYO programs at the school. He even coached the baseball team that won the Parochial League championship in 1959. Father Bill also serves as chaplain to the Madbury Volunteer Fire Company.
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Description
The red brick structure has a long, gabled roof that runs roughly east-west. Its two towers, identical in their lower parts with mirrored round-arch windows, flank the west façade, which also features tall, round-arch windows and logia portals, and a gilt globus cruciger at the peak of the gable. The left tower carries the open round-arched belfry, and a fine steeple topped by another gilt globus cruciger. The right tower supports a truncated steeple and a third orb-and-cross.The east façade is dominated by a spectacular round-arch window of stained-glass depicting events from the life of Saint Barbara in four panels: her life of isolation in the tower, her miraculous escape from the tower, her capture, torture and beheading by her father, and his subsequent death by immolation. The richly adorned interior, with a seating capacity for 600, includes many examples of intricately carved wood and marble decoration. Of particular interest is the splendid marble bas-relief depicting da Vinci's Last Supper that adorns the front of the main altar.
History
The Neo-Romanesque building stands less than a half mile east of the Town Common at the corner of Church and Pleasant Streets. It was designed by the Dover architectural firm of Hartwell & Richardson, and built by Fraser & Greene of Portsmouth. The church’s cornerstone was set with much ceremony, including a blessing by the newly appointed first Bishop of Manchester, Denis M. Bradley, on August 23, 1885. The church was consecrated and the first Mass celebrated on Sunday, June 20, 1886, by Rev. Alaister Duff, the parish's first pastor.With the arrival of eight Sisters of Mercy from Manchester in 1911, Saint Barbara’s opened the doors to a new parochial school built just north of the church. From its inception, the school has enrolled students in grades 1 through 8, graduating its first complete class in 1919. Whereas in the past, the nearest Catholic High Schools were in Manchester or Nashua, many Saint Barbara graduates now continue their Catholic education at the new Saint Thomas Aquinas High School in Dover.
Resident Clergy
The parish community of nearly 500 families is currently served by two diocesan priests, who reside in the rectory on Pleasant Street. The Pastor is Reverend Anthony Polidori, ordained in 1940 and assigned to the parish in 1954. He is assisted by Reverend William Stoker, ordained and assigned to the parish in 1958. Known as "Father Tony" and "Father Bill," they have taken very active roles in the local community, working with Catholics and non-Catholics alike to address community issues, and are both highly respected and extremely well liked.Father Polidori became pastor at Saint Barbara’s on September 5, 1951. He was born in Cranston, Rhode Island on August 21, 1914, and attended local schools there. He later attended Saint Anselm's College and then Saint Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland. He was ordained on May 26, 1940, in Manchester’s Saint Joseph Cathedral, which would also be his first assignment. After enlisting in the U.S. Army as a chaplain in March of 1943, he went overseas in February 1944 and saw combat in New Guinea, the Philippines and Japan. Among his many honors were a Purple Heart, Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster and a Silver Star for heroism in action. After the war, he served as curate at Saint Anne’s Parish in Manchester before moving to Saint Barbara’s as the new pastor after the abrupt departure of Rev. Eduard Poisson.
Father Stoker came to Saint Barbara's immediately after his ordination in Manchester on August 3, 1958. He was born on May 7, 1933, in Caratunk, Maine, attending the local elementary school and Upper Kennebec High School. He later attended Bowdoin College and Christ the King Seminary in Olean, New York. Since coming to Saint Barbara's, he has become very active with the youth of the parish, bringing new life to the CYO programs at the school. He even coached the baseball team that won the Parochial League championship in 1959. Father Bill also serves as chaplain to the Madbury Volunteer Fire Company.
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Parish of Saint Barbara
ROMAN CATHOLIC PARISH
Saint Barbara's Church
Location
63 Church Street
Madbury, N.H.
Erected
1885-86
Builder
Fraser & Greene
Architect
Hartwell &
Richardson
Saint Barbara Parish (Rectory)
574 Pleasant Street
Madbury, N.H. 03823
(603) 742-2722
574 Pleasant Street
Madbury, N.H. 03823
(603) 742-2722
Saint Barbara Church
63 Church Street
Madbury, N.H. 03823
sacristy phone:
(603) 742-2723
Saint Barbara School (Office)
71 Church Street
Madbury, N.H. 03823
(603) 742-2724
Diocese of Manchester
Coat of Arms
Coat of Arms
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