St. Joseph on the Brandywine Catholic Church
St. Joseph on the Brandywine Catholic Church is located in Greenville, Delaware, just outside of the city of Wilmington. It was built in the mid-19th century by the Irish Powdermen who worked for the du Pont powdermill nearby, where the Hagley Museum now stands. It is a beautiful church, full of spirit and light coming from the stained glass windows.
Many of my Irish ancestors, of the Lynch clan, are buried in the two cemeteries here, so it is a very special place for me. But it was special to me for a long time before I learned about my ancestors. For many years I have gone there, to visit relatives in the cemeteries and to sit in the church when no one is around. The light pours in, and you can hear the birds singing above the hum of traffic. It is the most peaceful and spiritual place I've ever been in.
Nancy Doyle
Fine Art
In 2013 I got my first digital camera, and when I ventured out to take my first pictures, St. Joe's was the first place I thought of. There are many interesting old tombstones, the trees there are very old and the September sun filtered through the leaves. I had a great time getting shot after shot, and the images expressed exactly how I feel about this place.
One day I'll go back and get a better shot of the church, as well as inside the church, if I can.
My great-great grandfather, Cornelius Lynch, came with his family from County Cork, Ireland around 1876, and settled in Mill Creek Hundred (now Hockessin), Delaware. He and his two sons worked in the local clay pits, where clay was obtained to make pottery and bricks. There is a story that he shot his English landlord and had to leave Ireland that night to escape being hanged. He came to America by way of San Diego (and perhaps Australia), and then worked his way across the country as a teamster - a very dangerous job back then.
The lower cemetery is such a tranquil place, and the surrounding trees have so much character.
The sunlight coming through the trees seemed so holy to me; it expressed something profound and still. I pointed my camera up to the sky and captured this.
Everywhere I pointed the camera, there was an amazing image. It is such a magical place, and has always seemed so to me - always will.
