St. Joachim Church, Philadelphia 2.89

St. Joachim Roman Catholic Church was the first Roman Catholic church founded in Northeast Philadelphia. Established in 1845 in the Frankford neighborhood of Philadelphia, the parish was closed on July 1, 2013, part of a wide-ranging re-organization of Catholic parishes in the Philadelphia Archdiocese; it became part of Holy Innocents Parish along with two other, nearby closed parishes, Mater Dolorosa and St. Joan of Arc.HistoryFounding through construction of second churchThe history of St. Joachim’s Roman Catholic Church in Frankford began in the year 1843. About twenty men met in a small house in the area of the northern portion of the Frankford borough of Philadelphia. This meeting was held to discuss the purchase of a tract of land in which to construct a Catholic Chapel for the area of Frankford. Up until and during that period many Catholics in the area would worship at either St. Michael’s on Second Street or St. Stephen’s, both in Philadelphia. Those present at that meeting included William Keenan (the homeowner), John McCafferty, John Haney, Timothy Britt, Patrick Farren.The result of the meeting was the purchase of a tract of land around the area of Harrison Street and Frankford Avenue for $600 from the Thompson estate. Shortly after this the acquired land was exchanged for the present site of St. Joachim’s church on June 18, 1844. The reason given was that many residents felt that this location on Harrison Street was “out in the fields”. The present site, which a Dr. Lamb donated, stands at what is now Griscom, Church, and Penn Streets. The property at Harrison Street was sold for $650 to a Mr. Charles Ball. The cornerstone would not be laid until September 28, 1845. So until that time Sunday school was held in a house on Paul Street.