ATLANTIC CITY — Behind the doors of St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church at Tennessee and Pacific avenues lies an elaborate structure that’s been a staple at that corner for 113 years.
Stained glass windows line the Catholic church, sunlight beams through the windows at the top of the tall, dome-like ceiling and wide marble columns surround a lighted altar at the front of the church. Mass has been celebrated there thousands of times — children have been baptized there, and many of the city’s famous have been married or laid to rest there.
John P. O’Neill, an American counterterrorism expert working for the FBI and killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks in New York City, was buried out of St. Nicholas. Built in 1905 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001, it is one of four churches of the Parish of St. Monica.
Last month, a group of city residents, parishioners and stakeholders teamed up to form a committee called the Friends of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine, which wants to raise about $1 million to restore the church and preserve the historic structure.
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The reason for the effort is to reach the larger community for help in fundraising to eventually paint the church and restore its plaster, said the Rev. Jon Thomas, of the Parish of St. Monica in Atlantic City. The parish raises money to keep up the operating expenses of the church, but it needs more help to fund a full restoration, he said.
“When people visit St. Nicholas for the first time, they look and say, ‘Oh my goodness, wow,’” said Cathy Burke, a lifelong parishioner who owns the Irish Pub a block away. “Who ever expected this magnificent, cathedral-like church in the middle of Atlantic City?”
That “magnificent” landmark needs some help, though, said Burke, who is serving as president of the restoration committee. A closer look inside the building reveals peeling plaster and paint, visible water damage to the ceiling and walls, chipped architectural detailing and paintings that need to be conserved.
The church isn’t in danger of closing, but the group of community members wants to raise enough money to bring the church back to its “original light.”
“We’re determined to preserve it,” Burke said.
Committee members feel it is their responsibility to preserve and restore the church to make it an attraction in the city, including for tourists, Burke said.
Thomas said the church draws about 550 people each weekend, a majority of whom are visitors to the city.
For Hank Tatum, St. Nicholas is a regular stop when he visits the city from Clearfield County, Pennsylvania.
“This is one of the most beautiful Catholic churches I’ve ever been to,” Tatum said following one of the daily 8 a.m. Masses this past week.
The fundraising effort began last month when the committee held an initial fundraiser reception. Additional benefits and events are planned.
Burke gets emotional when she talks about the church. She has personal and family ties to the parish, adding it’s her “other home.” She goes to church weekly there, and it’s also where she received all her sacraments, got married and attended funerals.
“I want to see it preserved. There are beautiful paintings, that, whenever there’s rain, there’s some damage,” Burke said, her voice breaking. “I was raised there.”
