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Noteworthy features
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Caratteristiche degne di nota
MURALS & PAINTINGS
- The impressive painting above our altar was commissioned in 1954, begun by one artist and finished by another.
- Paintings of the Nativity and Resurrection appear on the lower curved walls.
- The south rear wall of the church displays the Annunciation.
- The inset mosaic on the right altar railing reads, Carita Christi Urget Nos
(The love of Christ urges us on), motto of the Pallottines. The left mosaic
is the coat of arms of Cardinal Lawrence Shehan and reads, Maria Spes
Nostra (Mary is our hope). - Two mosaics on the exterior walls of the church depict Saint Anthony and Saint Gabriele.
CALVARY SCENE SCULPTURES
In 1883, Fr. Andreis brought back several works of art from Europe to display in the church, including the Mother Mary and Saint John the Evangelist sculptures on the Calvary scene under the crucifix.RELIGIOUS STATUES- Saint Vincent Pallotti to left of the altar is over 110 years old.
- Padre Pio on the same side was a gift from the people of Benevento, Italy.
- The Saint Leo’s statue was a gift from the artist.
- The statues of Saint Anthony (holding Jesus) and Saint Gabriele along the
right wall go back to the turn of the century.
CHURCH BELL
Weighing 2,000 pounds and situated inside the bell tower, the original bell was hoisted into place with a pulley and ropes tied to a team of horses. The bell served as an important means of communication around the neighborhood, tolling solemnly during funerals and ringing joyfully during celebrations, such as when the war was over, and for weddings and festivals. Since the rope sometimes would break after repeated pulls, a rope fixer would have to climb to the belfry to repair it. Today, the Angelus bell chimes and plays music automatically.
CHURCH ORGAN
Still in operation and restored in 1993 and 2016 is the original and durable 148-year-old French-style church organ crafted by an immigrant German. Originally a pump model, altar boys had to pump its huge bellows to assist the organist. The pipes vary enormously in size and are accessible through a hidden panel.
OTHER ORIGINAL FEATURES include paintings of angels in the vaulted ceiling, the woodwork, and the stained glass windows crafted in Germany. The round windows (four on north side; three on south) feature Biblical designs. The wooden pews are original; their narrow seat widths are an indication of the smaller physical makeup of people in the 1800s.
BUILDING ALTERATIONS
Naturally, over the decades, the church building has encountered cosmetic alterations. Yet what has never changed is the rock-solid community of organizations, activities, parishioners, staff, and volunteers bonded in faith that generously donate money, talent, and time to keep Saint Leo’s as great as its name.Excerpted from the book, Baltimore’s Little Italy: Heritage and History of The Neighborhood”
by Suzanna Molino, a St. Leo's parishioner