One hundred years ago this month, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church was commissioned in New London. This weekend, the parish – now in Quaker Hill – will celebrate that feat.

Celebrations are a mainstay of the church. For years, the parish has held its Lady’s Guild Fair in October, and — up until a few years ago — an Easter dance. But the centennial celebration is something unique and special.

Parishioner Anna Malootian said a Mass Sunday with Bishop Michael Cote, followed by a dinner at Langley’s Restaurant, is “like a culminating thing, almost.”

“It’s just that it’s lasted here 100 years,” she said — a century of being woven into local history.

The church was commissioned in May 1915 following years of planning by Polish immigrants in New London who had been holding Mass in the basement of St. Mary’s Rectory, according to a short history of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, written by Malootian.

“The story of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church is the story of America and its wide and rich diversity of people and their cultures. The Catholic Polish people who came to the New London area in the early 1900s, came seeking freedom, educational opportunities, and economic improvement,” wrote Malootian.

The Rev. Robert Buongirno — or Father Bob, as he’s called — said national churches were common at the time and described the trend as part of the nation’s history of immigration. Father Bob joined the church as an administrator in 2011 and became pastor in April 2014.

In 1951, the Lady’s Guild Society, a committee that raises money for the church, was founded, according to Malootian’s history.

The church moved from its location at 327 Huntington St. in New London, to its current location at 63 Old Norwich Road in the Quaker Hill section of Waterford, in the 1970s in response to the planned expansion of Interstate 95, according to the history.

“This was a tremendous blow to all the parishioners who had worked so hard to establish their beautiful church … But as reality set in, the parishioners accepted the fact that they needed to move,” Malootian wrote.

The old church in New London is now Faith Fellowship. Our Lady opened at its new location in 1973, according to the history.

Malootian was present for many of these developments. She joined the church in the late 1940s. Last week in the sanctuary, she recalled a pastor whose homilies on Fridays in the late 40s were particularly long – he said them in English and Polish. He would yell at parishioners if they left early, said Malootion. This terrified her, she said, because if she stayed for both homilies, she might be late for her job as a teacher in Quaker Hill.

She was quick to add that the pastor wasn’t all salt. She described him as “highly intellectual and very compassionate for the poor.”

Malootian and Sister Mary Michelle Sokal can rattle the names of decades worth of pastors off their tongues like they’re sharing bits of trivia – or talking about family.

Sister Mary Michelle herself has had a long history with the church – 35 years as a nun, following in the footsteps of her aunt who was also a sister at the church. Sister Mary Michelle is in charge of religious education and may be equally well known in the Our Lady of Perpetual Help for her Babka bread.

The nun said she bakes 500 loaves of the bread each October for the Lady’s Guild Fair. She bakes an additional 150 loaves of cinnamon bread for the fair.

“Oh, I have help,” the 73-year-old nun said, “the whole Lady’s Guild.”

Malootian said the bread makes for fabulous French toast.

Planning for the centennial celebration is completed, according to Malootian. So, what about the bicentennial celebration? Has anyone started planning that?

“Did you hear? I’m 88,” said Malootian.

She paused.

“But the ladies have that kind of spunk — they may!”

t.townsend@theday.com

Twitter: @ConnecticuTess

If you go

What: Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church Centennial Celebration

When: Sunday May 24

Where: Mass at 4 p.m. with Bishop Michael Cote, 63 Old Norwich Road, Quaker Hill; celebration dinner at 6 p.m. at Langley’s Restaurant at Great Neck Country Club

Details: Reservations for the dinner may be made by calling the office of the church by Friday, May 22, at 860-442-1875. Dinner is $35 per person.

Information provided by church secretary Mary Cho