ABOUT FR. ALEXANDER: Father Maurice Alexander was born in Washington DC on February 13, 1872 the only child of Henry and Elizabeth Anne Neale Alexander. He attended St. John’s College High School, Mt. St. Mary’s College, St. Charles Borromeo Seminary and St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore. Fr. Alexander was ordained to the Priesthood on September 9, 1912 by Cardinal Gibbons.
During his priesthood, he was assigned to St. Martin’s in Washington, DC, St John the Evangelist in Baltimore and in 1920 was named the first resident Pastor of Our Lady Star of the Sea in Solomons, Maryland, where he remained until is death in 1946.
In his first year here he noted that the weekly collection normally ran between $6 and $9 and that pew fees brought in an additional $60- $80 a year. This was enough to run his car but provided no money for his salary and obviously nothing for maintaining or improving the Parish.
With the diligence of a man driven by profound mission, he began a letter writing appeal program all over the country that brought both ridicule and reaction from others but resulted in the 1927 erection of today’s Historic Church. Next he set about to build a Parish School, then a Convent, to house sisters which he did not yet have, and a Rectory.
He was also committed to the idea that the County Seat should have a Catholic Church and by 1938 he had accomplished this goal also. At the time of death, the parish was debt free and had a beautiful Church and Parish Hall, a free School, with bus transportation, a Convent for the Nuns and a Rectory as well as St. John Vianney Church, a mission of OLSS, built in Prince Frederick.
During his time here he faced strong anti Catholic sentiment even to the hit and run incident that led to the death of his mother who was living here in Solomon’s at the time. He had a tireless spirit, a zeal for the faith, a commitment to his parish and a love for children and their education. He never backed down if it meant that his parish would be blessed by his efforts and at the time of his death he left a community of faith that was vibrant, committed to Christ, and a force for good in Calvert County. It is this spirit that we seek to acknowledge today.
During his priesthood, he was assigned to St. Martin’s in Washington, DC, St John the Evangelist in Baltimore and in 1920 was named the first resident Pastor of Our Lady Star of the Sea in Solomons, Maryland, where he remained until is death in 1946.
In his first year here he noted that the weekly collection normally ran between $6 and $9 and that pew fees brought in an additional $60- $80 a year. This was enough to run his car but provided no money for his salary and obviously nothing for maintaining or improving the Parish.
With the diligence of a man driven by profound mission, he began a letter writing appeal program all over the country that brought both ridicule and reaction from others but resulted in the 1927 erection of today’s Historic Church. Next he set about to build a Parish School, then a Convent, to house sisters which he did not yet have, and a Rectory.
He was also committed to the idea that the County Seat should have a Catholic Church and by 1938 he had accomplished this goal also. At the time of death, the parish was debt free and had a beautiful Church and Parish Hall, a free School, with bus transportation, a Convent for the Nuns and a Rectory as well as St. John Vianney Church, a mission of OLSS, built in Prince Frederick.
During his time here he faced strong anti Catholic sentiment even to the hit and run incident that led to the death of his mother who was living here in Solomon’s at the time. He had a tireless spirit, a zeal for the faith, a commitment to his parish and a love for children and their education. He never backed down if it meant that his parish would be blessed by his efforts and at the time of his death he left a community of faith that was vibrant, committed to Christ, and a force for good in Calvert County. It is this spirit that we seek to acknowledge today.
FR. ALEXANDER GALA AWARD RECIPIENTS is to honor the man who was our first resident Pastor and who did so much to build up our community in Solomons during his assignment here. The goal of the Gala is three fold: To honor Fr. Alexander, to raise funds for our School and its service to the larger community, and to honor people or organizations in the area who have reflected the spirit of Father Alexander by helping to make the Solomon’s area a better place through their efforts.
2016 FR. ALEXANDER GALA AWARD NOMINEE'S
TRUDY AND BOB PRIDDY
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REVEREND MEREDITH WILKINS-ARNOLD
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