Norwich, Connecticut. St. Patrick's Cathedral.

We stopped by Norwich, Connecticut on our way back to the hotel from New London.  Norwich is home to the large, historic and recently restored Cathedral of St. Patrick.  The Cathedral was built in the 1870s after a large contingent of Irish immigrants settled in the area after fleeing the Irish potato famine.


The most interesting story surrounding St. Patrick's concerns the digging of the foundation:

"Father Daniel Mullen, Pastor of St. Mary’s, purchased this site, and on Good Friday, April 7, 1871, the work on St. Patrick’s Church began. The Irish from Greeneville marched 1,700 strong, led by Dr. Patrick Cassidy, to the present site. Horses and carts, filled with picks and shovels, arrived with the workers, and form Good Friday morning to Easter Sunday the volunteer army dug the complete foundation by hand."

 Both a pick and a shovel from the original groundbreaking ceremony are preserved near the entrance.


The nearby St. Patrick's church cross captured the setting sun nicely.