USA > New Jersey > The Catholic Church in New Jersey > Part 35
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St. Boniface's congregation worshipped for a short time in a stable on Newark Avenue. Then a Protestant church was rented for one year for $200, on John Street; the vestments were kindly loaned by Father Kelly, of St. Peter's, Jersey City. November 22d, 1863, the first High Mass was sung and the first sermon preached by Rev. D. Kraus. First rector Rev. D. Kraus, November 15th, 1863; died November 16th, 1885. The second rector, the Rev. William F. Wahl, still in charge, was appointed No- vember 17th, 1885. Assis- tants: Rev. B. Ahne, from February, 1891, to January, 1892, Rev. Charles Müll, from February, 1892, to Au- gust, 1896; died August Ist, 1896. Rev. Peter Lill, from August, 1896, to May, 1899, Rev. Peter Kurtz, from De- cember, 1899, to September 16th, 1903.
Father Wahl, born at Gross Eislinger, Würtem- berg, Germany, November 3d, 1855, made his prepara- tory studies at Feldkirch, ST. BONIFACE'S CHURCH, JERSEY CITY. Austria, Rottenberg, St. Vin- cent's, Pennsylvania, and his theology at Seton Hall. He was ordained priest May 22d, 1880, in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Newark. In this parish he labored in his quiet, unobtrusive way, but unto edification, from June Ist,
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1880, until May 20th, 1884, when he was appointed to assist the late Father Kraus, and, after a brief period of service in St. Mary's, Elizabeth, he was appointed rector of St. Boniface's, March 3d, 1885. All these years he has toiled unremit- tingly, without noise or notice, single-minded, devoted, and weariless in searching out his flock and bringing them to the practice of their religion. Animated with this lofty pur- pose the material assistance has not failed ; and, although he has made many improve- ments in his church and schools, not a few were sur- prised when the announce- ment was made that St. Bon- iface's was to be consecrated. This solemn act may be car- ried out only when the church is free from all indebtedness. The consecration services REV. DOMINIC KRAUS, Rector of St. Boniface's Church, Jersey City. were performed by the Rt. Rev. Bishop O'Connor, Sun- day, November 8th, 1903, assisted by the Rt. Rev. Monsignor Sheppard and many priests. The improvements made by Father Wahl amount to almost $70,000, and the gross amount of rev- enue received by him and expended is over a quarter million of dollars. This statement is the eulogy of the pastor and his flock.
The Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart, Vineland, N. J.
THE Catholics of Vineland were visited by Father Gessner for the first time in 1864, and Mass was occasionally celebrated in private houses by him until 1868, when divine service was held once a month. He came from Millville, where he was stationed, and from which place he attended Vineland, Bridgeton, and Cape May. He said Mass finally in an upper room of the old Pennsyl- vania depot. Father Gessner gave up Vineland at the close of the year 1872. Father Deegan took charge after Father Gess-
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ner, and ministered to the spiritual wants of the people of Vine- land mainly through his curate, Father Vivet. With a view to building a church and organizing a parish a corporation was formed in the fall of 1873. The Church of the Sacred Heart was commenced in 1874. The work progressed rapidly through the summer under the constant supervision of Father Vivet. The church was roofed before Christmas, and, although the interior was not yet finished, Mass was first said in it on Christmas Day, 1874, by Father Vivet, Rev. William Dwyer succeded Father Vivet in June, 1879, at Millville, to which Vineland was still attached as a mission. Father Dwyer personally, and through his curate, the Rev. J. J. Durick, had charge of Vine- land to June, 1881. Father Dwyer added the sacristy to the church and improved it in other respects. He also purchased a church from the Methodists at North Vine- land. This church has passed out of the possession of the Catholics. The Rev. Charles J. Giese succeeded to Mill- ville upon the death of Father CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART, VINELAND. Dwyer, and Vineland contin- ued under his administration until June, 1883. Father Giese at this time made a trip to Europe and left Father Mc- Teague, of the Society of the Fathers of Mercy, in charge of Millville and Vineland during his absence. At this time the people of Vineland began an agitation to be erected into an inde- pendent parish and to have a pastor of their own. The result was that at the close of the year 1883 the Rt. Rev. Bishop O'Farrell, then Ordinary of this diocese, consented to give the church in charge of the Fathers of Mercy, and Father McTeague was ap- pointed first pastor. These fathers in 1884 purchased a large build- ing on the outskirts of the town and organized the Sacred Heart College, which was at the same time the diocesan seminary. The college was under the presidency of the Rev. E. H. Porcile, S.P.M. A parochial house of brick was erected in 1884. Father McTeague took up his residence at the college, and the Sisters of Charity established a private school in the parochial house. Later
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on the parish house was reoccupied by the pastor, and the sisters removed to a property which they purchased on East Avenue. The school did not flourish and was abandoned, the sisters with- drawing. The college was closed for good in 1894. But the Fathers of Mercy continued in charge of the parish up to 1895. The several priests belonging to that order in charge of the par- ish were the Rev. Fathers Thomas McTeague, I. M. Wiest, E. H. Porcile, E. Kelley, C. Elert, J. E. Sheehy, and J. J. McCul- lough. The last one of the society in residence was Rev. J. Courvoisier. On October Ist, 1895, the Rt. Rev. James A. McFaul took the church under his direct control and appointed the Rev. William F. Dittrich pastor. The Fathers of Mercy had built a church for a colony of one thousand Italians at East Vine- land, and commenced saying Mass for them at intervals. Father Dittrich continued to attend this mission and prepared it for a separate pastor, who was appointed on November 14th, 1897, the Rev. Louis Pozzi. On September 21st, 1899, Father Dittrich was removed to Bound Brook, N. J., and the Rev. J. H. Hen- dricks became pastor of Vineland. Upon the latter's removal, May 29th, 1901, to Riverton, the Rev. John Gammell became pastor. In 1902 the Rev. Michael di Elsi, an Italian priest, was appointed at Minotola to look after the Italians in the district between that place and Vineland. He organized the two parishes of Landisville and Minotola, and succeeded in erecting two churches which are already used for religious services. He was transferred to Camden to organize an Italian parish in that city in 1903, and his place was filled by Rev. Father Leone.
St. Mary's Parish (Cathedral), Trenton, N. J.
OBSERVING the rapid growth of the Catholic population in the northern portion of the city, the Rev. Anthony Smith resolved to form a new parish, to be called St. Mary's. With this object in view he purchased, in 1865, the ground on which St. Mary's Cathedral now stands. This is historic ground, for here some of the hardest fighting in the battle of Trenton took place, and Colo- nel Rall, who commanded the Hessians, had his headquarters in the frame building which stood on the very spot now occupied by the cathedral rectory. Rall, being mortally wounded during the engagement, was carried to his headquarters, where he died December 27th, 1776. On April 23d, 1866, ground was broken for the foundation of St. Mary's Church, and the corner-stone
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was laid by Bishop Bayley, of Newark, on July 15th of the same year. The work on the church went on slowly for almost five years, and was finally completed toward the end of 1870. On Sunday, January Ist, 1871, it was solemnly dedicated to the service of God by the Rt. Rev. James R. Bayley, Bishop of Newark, assisted by a large number of clergy- men, among whom was the Rev. Dr Corrigan, the Arch- bishop of New York. Up to this time St. Mary's parish was not separated from St. John's, which was still in charge of Father Smith. Now, however, the two were formally divided. Father Smith resigned St. John's and retained St. Mary's, which embraced all the ter- ritory north of the Assinpink Creek.
While the church was being built, Father Smith ST. MARY'S CATHEDRAL, TRENTON. was making provision for the Christian education of the children. On September 11th, 1868, he purchased the property on the corner of Bank and Chancery streets, and on it, in 1870, commenced the erection of a parochial school. As this property scarcely afforded room for a playground, an adjoining lot on Chancery Street was purchased November 2d, 1868. The school was opened on October 2d, 1871, with about one hundred and seventy scholars and three Sisters of Charity as teachers.
His next care was to provide a cemetery, and for this purpose a property of eight and one-half acres, situated on the Lawrence Road, just beyond the city limits, was purchased October 12th, 1872. The character of the soil, however, made it unsuitable for a burial place, and the present St. Mary's Cemetery, or rather a portion of it, containing thirteen and one-half acres, was bought November Ist, 1872. An adjoining tract of ten acres was pur- chased March 24th, 1886.
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During all these years Father Smith labored alone; he had no assistant. How great were his labors can be understood only by those who know the duties of a pastor of a large congregation. His first assistant priest, Rev. Michael J. Holland, was appointed in March, 1877. He relieved Father Smith of much of the spirit- ual work of the parish. But the energetic pastor could not rest. His attention was directed to Hopewell, where there was a small settlement of Catholics without a church or pastor. He bought a suitable piece of land, and on July 6th, 1877, laid the corner- stone of a beautiful little church. This was attended from St. Mary's till January, 1883.
St. Mary's was now provided with everything necessary to constitute a perfectly equipped parish. But the congregation was a growing one, and increased so rapidly that the school, which contained six large rooms, was incapable of accommodating all the children. To provide for these Father Smith bought, July Ist, 1875, another lot on Chancery Street, and began at once to enlarge the school by an addition of six more rooms. It can now accommodate seven hundred children. In February, 1880, he bought a lot on Warren Street, adjoining the rectory, on which he built, in 1883, the episcopal residence.
For the accommodation of the Catholics who lived in Millham, now East Trenton, he bought a plot of ground on Sherman and St. Joe's avenues, and in July, 1882, laid the corner-stone of a brick building, to be used as a school and chapel. This was the beginning of St. Joseph's parish. But it con- tinued a mission of St. Mary's until April, 1893, when it was separated and became a distinct parish.
REV. ANTHONY SMITH. First Pastor of St. Mary's Cathedral, Trenton.
The Holy Father in 1881 created a new diocese for Southern New Jersey and made Trenton the episcopal city. The bishop of the new diocese, the Rt. Rev. Michael J. O'Farrell, for-
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merly pastor of St. Peter's Church, New York, was consecrated in St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York City, on November Ist, 1881. Eight days afterward he came to Trenton and chose St. Mary's Church for his cathedral, where he was installed with impressive ceremonies. Bishop O'Farrell rented a house on West State Street and resided there until Father Smith, in 1883, erected the present episcopal residence. At the same time he enlarged the rectory, and, by joining it to the bishop's house, produced a grand, imposing front. From this time until his death Father Smith labored for the spiritual welfare of his people and the reduction of the debts of the parish. When he died, August 11th, 1888, he was mourned not only by his own people, for whom he labored so well for more than twenty-seven years, but by the public gener- ally, who recognized in him a faithful servant of God and an emi- nently good citizen. The buildings he erected and left with com- paratively little debt will stand as monuments to his zeal and executive ability. Before coming to Trenton he had charge of missions in Buffalo and Baltimore. In the former city he built St. Mary's Church and St. Andrew's Hospital. He was born in Obergunsburg, Germany, on April 8th, 1821, came to this coun- try in 1844, and was ordained a priest of the Redemptorist Order on December 21st, 1845, by Archbishop Eccleson, in Baltimore. After Father Smith's death Bishop O'Farrell assumed for a time the rectorship of the cathedral and appointed Rev. J. Joseph Smith acting rector.
In the spring of 1890 Father Smith had to leave the cathe- dral, on account of ill health, and was transferred to St. Francis's, Metuchen, where his duties were light and where it was hoped he would regain his strength; but after some months he was com- pelled to give up his charge and returned to his parents' home in Trenton, where he died October 31st, 1891. His early death was deeply mourned, for his kindly ways and bright, sunny disposition had endeared him to all who knew him. During Bishop O'Farrell's rectorship steam was substituted for hot air in heating the church and school. After Father Joseph Smith's appointment to Metuchen he was succeeded by the Rev. John M. McCloskey, who afterward became so well and favorably known to the priests of the diocese as the secretary and chancellor of Bishop McFaul. Father McCloskey looked after the affairs of the parish till October, 1890, when the Rev. James A. McFaul, rector of the Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea, Long Branch, was made rector of the cathedral. He had for- merly been assistant under the Rev. Anthony Smith, in December,
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1879, and was therefore well acquainted with the parish. He entered on his work with his well-known zeal and energy, infusing new life and vigor into the parish. His first care was the school; he improved the class-rooms, raised the standard of studies, and introduced the latest and most approved methods of teaching. Bishop O'Farrell had some time before contracted for the new organ, but it was Father McFaul who superintended its erection and raised the funds for its payment.
St. Joseph's parish, East Trenton, was still attended from the cathedral, and the old building containing chap- el and school became too small for the rapidly growing parish. Father McFaul, in 1891, erected a large and handsome school. It is a three-story brick building with brownstone trimmings, has eight large, well-lighted, and well-ventilated class- rooms, and a large hall on the third floor which is now being used for a chapel. He changed the old chapel and school into a dwelling-house for the Sisters of Charity, who up to this time went from St. Mary's every day to teach.
SACRED HEART, OLD ST. JOHN'S, TRENTON.
On November Ist, 1892, Father McFaul was appointed vicar- general of the diocese. On the death of Bishop O'Farrell, April 2d, 1894, Father McFaul was made administrator of the diocese, and by a papal brief dated July 20th appointed Bishop of Trenton, to succeed his friend the lamented Bishop O'Farrell. He still continued as rector of the cathedral until February Ist, 1895, when he appointed the present rector, Rev. John H. Fox. Under his supervision the improvements long contemplated by Rt. Rev. Bishop McFaul were begun and so successfully conducted that to-day the cathedral is one of the most beautiful churches in the State.
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As the sisters' house has scarcely sufficient accommodation for the present number of sisters, and as it will be soon necessary to increase their number, the building on the northwest corner of Warren and Bank streets, formerly the old State Bank, was pur- chased March 18th, 1897
A new religious sisterhood was brought to Trenton in June of the year 1899 by Bishop McFaul,-the Mission Helpers, whose mother house is in Baltimore. Their name gives some idea of the purpose of the institution. They are to supplement the work of the priest, to reach classes that he cannot well reach, and espe- cially to look after the colored people and instruct the deaf and dumb.
St. Mary's Cathedral has been the scene of many grand and solemn ceremonies. Here the first Bishop of Trenton was en- throned and received the obedience of the clergy of his diocese; here the first Apostolic Delegate of Leo XIII. of the United States was received in an official and canonical manner for the first time in this country ; here the present bishop, Rt. Rev. James A. McFaul, who had been so long connected with the parish, was consecrated. Those were occasions of great joy that brought together within the walls of the cathedral many distinguished persons both of church and state. There were present at Bishop McFaul's consecration three archbishops, eleven bishops, and about three hundred priests, besides many ministers of other de- nominations and men prominent in public and professional life. But these large and distinguished gatherings were not always of a joyful character. Solemn and sorrowful were some of them. It was a sad assemblage that filled the cathedral on August 14th, 1888, when Bishop O'Farrell, surrounded by priests and people, offered the sacrifice of the Mass for the repose of the soul of Father Smith, the founder and for many years pastor of St. Mary's, whose remains lay in state before the altar at which he so often celebrated. The cathedral was the scene of a still deeper and greater sorrow on the occasion of the funeral services of the first Bishop of Trenton, the lamented Rt. Rev. M. J. O'Farrell. The presence of so many high ecclesiastics, the great number of priests, and the large gathering of people showed the esteem in which the dead prelate was held, and the sad countenances of all told better than the dark drapery of the church the grief occa- sioned by his death,
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Holy Cross Church, Trenton, N. J.
SHORTLY after the erection of the Immaculate Conception Church, the Polish members of the congregation resolved to form a parish of their own. They purchased ground on the corner of Cass and Adeline streets, and in 1891 erected a two-story brick building. The upper story serves for a chapel, the lower for a school. The chapel was blessed for divine services by the Rt. Rev. Bishop O'Farrell in the latter part of 1891. Their first pas- tor, under whose supervision the building was erected, was Rev. Valentine Swinarski. Father Swinarski labored zealously for the parish till his departure in the summer of 1895. He was suc- ceeded in December of that year by the Rev. Francis Czernecki, who is the present rector. Father Czernecki is doing excellent work among his people, and has a school with a hundred and twenty pupils. The parish has about one thousand members.
St. Stanislaus's Church, Trenton, N. J.
IN 1892 the Rev. Stanislaus Czclusniak came to Trenton, and with the approval of Bishop O'Farrell formed another Polish par- ish. A lot was purchased on Randall Avenue at the point where South Broad Street and Chestnut Avenue join. The corner- stone of the new church was laid by Bishop O'Farrell on Septem- ber IIth, 1892, and the dedication took place on August 29th of the following year. The church is built of pressed brick, has two large towers in front, and can seat over seven hundred. It is called St. Stanislaus's, after Poland's patron saint. Father Czclusniak was succeeded in December, 1893, by the Rev. Felix Baran, who remained till the end of the year 1896. Up to this time the pastors of St. Stanislaus's were priests of the Franciscan Order. On February 20th, 1897, the bishop sent a secular priest, Rev. Julien Zielinski. For two years this young pastor labored with untiring zeal, and was succeeded in January, 1899, by the present pastor, Rev. Matthias Tarnowski. Father Tarnowski is an earnest and successful worker. The parochial school, which for financial reasons was closed for a time, has just been reopened. It has now about fifty pupils. The population of the parish is about one thousand.
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St. Mary's (Greek) Church, Trenton, N. J.
AMONG the immigrants that have come to Trenton in recent years are many Catholics of the Greek rite. In 1891 they consid- ered that they were numerous enough to have a church and pas- tor of their own, and at their request Bishop O'Farrell appointed the Rev. John Szabo to be their first pastor. He bought ground on the corner of Grand and Malone streets, and began at once to collect funds for the building of a church. The corner-stone was laid on April 16th, 1893, by Bishop O'Farrell, and the church was dedicated in September of the same year. It is a brick build- ing and will accommodate about four hundred people. Before the erection of this church, which they called St. Mary's, they held services in a building on the corner of South Broad and Cole- man streets. Father Szabo left in December, 1893, and was suc- ceeded by the Rev. Theodore Damjanovics, who remained till January, 1898. The next pastor was the Rev. John Csurgovich, who is still in charge of the parish. He has a school in the base- ment of the church with fifty scholars, and is at present building a neat rectory beside the church. The parish numbers about four hundred and fifty.
St. Joseph's Church, Trenton, N. J.
IN April, 1893, St. Joseph's Parish, East Trenton, was sepa- rated from that of St. Mary's Cathedral. The stone bridge on North Clinton Avenue was made the boundary line between it and the mother parish. The first resident pastor, Rev. John H. Fox, labored hard for the spiritual welfare of the parish until Feb- ruary Ist, 1895, when he was transferred to St. Mary's Cathedral. He was succeeded by the Rev. Bernard T. O'Connell, who, owing to ill health, was compelled to resign after one month. The next rector, Rev. Michael O'Reilley, remained for three years and a half, during which time he proved to be an earnest worker. He was followed in September, 1898, by the present rector, Rev. Henry A. Ward. Father Ward is an energetic clergyman, and hopes before long to lay the foundation of a new church. He has recently purchased a house for the Sisters of Mercy, and changed the one formerly occupied by the sisters into a rectory. St. Joseph's has a population of two thousand and a parochial school with three hundred and thirty scholars.
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Trenton will soon have another Catholic church. The Slavs have already purchased a site in South Trenton, upon which they expect to erect a church during the coming year, and in the fall of 1903 the Italians, who now are sufficiently numerous, followed the example of the Catholics of other nationalities and erected a church of their own.
St. Francis's Hospital.
THE Catholic Church is the mother of Christian charity; her history is the history of organized charity. She was the first to conceive the idea of founding hospitals for the sick and afflicted, and homes for the orphan, the aged, and the abandoned. That these institutions might become permanent, she established relig- ious orders of women who give up the world and devote them- selves entirely to these works of charity. It is not surprising then to find the Catholic Church founding the first hospital in Tren- ton. In 1871 the Sisters of St. Francis, whose mother house is in Philadelphia, purchased a beautiful site on Chambers Street, cor- ner of Hamilton Avenue. The foundation was begun October 15th of that year, and the hospital was dedicated May 31st, 1874, by the Rt. Rev. M. A. Corrigan, then Bishop of Newark, and later Archbishop of New York. In 1880 a chapel was added to the hospital for the use of the sisters and the convalescent patients who might wish to attend religious services. In the same year a house was erected at some distance from the main building for contagious diseases. In 1888 additional land was purchased, and in 1896 a large wing was added. This new building has one of the finest and most completely equipped operating-rooms in this country. An idea of the work accomplished by this hospital may be obtained from the report. The number of patients admitted to the hospital during the year was 1,120, number of opera- tions performed 212, and the number of outside patients who received free treatment at the hospital dispensary over 3,000. The doors are open to all needy sufferers, without distinction of creed or color.
It is seen from this sketch that the Catholic Church in Tren- ton has grown during a century from a few members to nearly 16,000. While a large part of this increase is due to Catholic immigration, the natural growth has also been great. A little more than half a century ago one small church accommodated all the Catholics of the city; to-day there are eight churches, of
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