USA > New Jersey > The Catholic Church in New Jersey > Part 49
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Father Conroy has made an addition to the school and hall, beautified the grounds, and repaired all the build- ings.
"In the near future we hope with God's help to grace our most beautiful church grounds in the diocese with a church, school, and rectory."
Up to July Ist, 1901, a Benedictine priest helped the ST. CECILIA'S CHURCH, KEARNY. pastors here on Sundays, and Father Bohl of the Protectory attended St. Stephen's, Arlington.
July Ist, 1901, Father McGuirk, now in Passaic, was assist- ant. He was succeeded by the Rev. Father Mackinson June 20th, 1902. Father Conroy was born in Orange, N. J., August 2Ist, 1860, and was educated in St. Benedict's, Newark, St. Charles's, Maryland, and Seton Hall, from which he was graduated in 1886. His theology was made in the diocesan seminary, and he was raised to the priesthood May 31st, 1890. His entire ser- vice as assistant was in St. Joseph's, Newark, until his appointment to Kearny.
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Church of St. Mary Magdalen, Newark.
THE parish of St. Mary Magdalen was separated from St. Aloysius's July 22d, 1893, and the ground was bought and the church erected by the late Rev. Walter M. Fleming. The Rev. William J. Wiseman, S.T.L., was appointed first pastor.
In the course of time Father Wiseman built a convent for the Sisters of St. Dominic, who taught the parish school, and a rec-
ST. MARY MAGDALEN'S CHURCH, NEWARK.
tory for himself, both buildings adjacent to the church and school on Esther Street. Father Wiseman died October 14th, 1897, and was succeeded by the Rev. Patrick Smith on November 19th, 1 897.
Father Smith was born in Jersey City on March 12th, 1864, and made his preparatory studies at St. Peter's College, Jersey City, and his theological studies at Seton Hall Seminary. He was ordained in the cathedral, Newark, May 26th, 1888, and served as assistant at St. Joseph's, Jersey City, until his appoint- ment to Newark.
Father Smith was transferred to the rectorship of St. John's, Jersey City, and was succeeded by the Rev. George F. Brown, formerly vice-president of Seton Hall, January 18th, 1869. He was educated at St. Francis Xavier's College, New York, and pur-
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sued his theological studies at Seton Hall Seminary, being ordained priest May 23d, 1891.
St. Mary's Church, Bayonne, Church of the Holy Cross, Har- rison, and St. Mary's Church, Hoboken, have been the fields of his labor.
Various additions and improvements to both church and school have been made under Father Brown's administration, which the demands of a generous and growing congregation have required.
St. Vincent de Paul's Church, Bayonne.
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL's parish was formed from the parishes of St. Henry and St. Mary, and incorporated June 16th, 1894. The first Mass was celebrated in the church on West Centre Street, July 7th, 1895.
The parish was attended from St. Henry's Church until the 4
appointment of the Rev. Joseph Gately, July 2d, 1900.
The pastor contemplates the erection of a new church on Avenue C and Forty-seventh Street.
ST. HENRY'S CHURCH, BAYONNE.
St. Augustine's Church, Ocean City, N. J.
THE history of the Catholic Church here dates back to the year 1894, when in the spring of that year the few Catholics who owned cottages desired to have a little church, and hence a build-
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ing was erected at the cost of $1,250. Mass was first said in this church, which was afterward called St. Augustine's, by the Jesuit Fathers from Philadelphia. Previous to its erection Mass was celebrated in a small two-story house on West Avenue. During the whole of the season of 1894 Mass was celebrated by the Jesuit Fathers.
By the Ist of June, 1895, the church was completed, and the Rev. Stephen Lyons was appointed the first summer pastor. On July 28th the Rt. Rev. James A. McFaul, bishop of Trenton, blessed it, assisted by Revs. Fathers Mulligan, of Camden, Geise, of Millville, Petri, of Atlantic City, and Lyons, of Trenton. The Rev. J. P. Dooley, S.J., of Philadelphia, preached the sermon. Father Lyons was succeeded by the Rev. Henry Russi, who re- mained for three summers, returning to Oxford Furnace, where he lived in the winter months. He resided here during the sea- sons of 1896, 1897, 1898, and in turn was succeeded by the Rev. Thomas Mccullough, whose pastorate extended over the season of 1899. He was succeeded by the Rev. P. J. Hart in the year 1900. Father Hart was succeeded by the present incumbent, the Rev. J. B. McCloskey, who was appointed resident pastor June 16th, 1901. Father McCloskey began immediately to col- lect funds to build a new parochial residence on the ground ad- joining the church. By the Ist of September of that year a building fund of $1,200 had been raised, and ground was broken for the new residence on September 8th. It cost $3,100, and is clear of all indebtedness. At the present time the church is being extensively enlarged, and the whole of the interior will be refitted with entirely new furniture at the cost of $6,000, and when completed will be by far the finest church edifice in Ocean City. In connection with this place there are three stations, Ris- ley, Dorothy, and Milmay. During the past year Father McClos- key has erected a church at Risley, which is free of debt; another at Dorothy, which was dedicated by Rt. Rev. James A. McFaul, the cost of which was $1,200, and it has an indebtedness of only $300.
Our Lady Help of Christians, West New York, N. J.
THE corner-stone of the Church of Our Lady Help of Chris- tians was laid July 14th, 1895, and the church was dedicated October 28th, 1895.
The first resident pastor was the Rev. Alexander Berghold. The Rev. P. D. Lill succeeded Father Berghold on October 25th, 1903.
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Father Lill enlarged the church, doubling the seating capacity ; built a new hall; and enlarged the sisters' house and school. He has likewise added to the property of the parish, so that to-day it owns an entire block.
All Saints' Church, Jersey City, N. J.
ALL SAINTS' parish was established in the fall of 1896. It was a part of St. Patrick's parish, which was known as the " La- fayette Section." The Rev. Joseph H. Meehan was appointed its first rector, October 31st, 1896.
Mass was celebrated for the first time in Lafayette Battery Hall on Whiton Street, November 15th, 1896, and on all Sundays and holydays thereafter until December, 1897. During the week Mass was celebrated in the rectory on Pacific Av- enue.
On April 29th, 1897, ground was broken for the new church, school, and ly- ceum in the presence of one thousand people, and the corner - stone was laid by Bishop Wigger in June, 1 897. Father Meehan did not find a very lively faith among the people when he first assumed charge. He argued, how- ever, that if he could only get the children he would soon be able to know their ALL SAINTS' CHURCH AND SCHOOL, JERSEY CITY. parents. Consequently his first efforts were directed toward the erection of a building that would contain both church and school. Rapid strides in that di- rection were made. In August, 1897, three sisters arrived. Although the school was far from being completed, Father Mee- han thought that by having the sisters in their midst, the parents and children (very few of the latter ever having attended a Cath- olic school) would be attracted by their gentle manner, and thus learn to know and love them. The sisters occupied the present building adjoining the school. The number now has increased to ten.
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On December 19th, 1897, the building was completed, and on that day the chapel was dedicated by Bishop Wigger. A Solemn High Mass was offered up for the first time, the Rt Rev. Bishop O'Connor, then vicar-general of the diocese, being cele- brant, the Rev. Eugene Carroll, deacon, and the Rev. John A. Westman, subdeacon.
The school was opened in January, 1898, with four hundred and fifty-three children, the people having responded most will- ingly to Father Meehan's appeal to send them to their own school. Societies were formed and soon hundreds were seen approaching the sacraments.
The new parish had been a long-needed want for this section, as the people had been gradually drifting away from God and his church. Now a large percentage of the three thousand parishion- ers attend Mass, and about five hundred and seventy-five chil- dren's names may be found on the school roll.
It has been a success not only spiritually but financially, Father Meehan having collected during the first seven years almost $ 150,- 000. He has also paid off all the debt, and has on hand a surplus of $20,000. In May, 1901, a new rectory was purchased at a cost of $ 10,000, which sum was paid before the year had expired.
In the near future Father Meehan contemplates building a new church; the present chapel will then be used as parish hall.
Father Meehan was born in St. Michael's parish, Jersey City, November 22d, 1859, and educated at St. Francis Xavier's and De La Salle, New York, St. Charles', Maryland, and Seton Hall, and graduated with the class of '81. He was ordained after the completion of his theological studies, in the college chapel, March 8th, 1885. He served as assistant in Elizabethport until his ap- pointment to All Saints' parish.
St. Aloysius's Church, Jersey City.
THE parish of St. Aloysius was organized May 12th, 1897, and the Rev. John A. Sullivan appointed first pastor.
Father Sullivan was born in New York City on January 11th, 1860, and made his preparatory studies at the Laurents' College, Canada, and St. Francis Xavier, New York City. He finished his theological course in Seton Hall Seminary, and was ordained in the seminary chapel May 19th, 1883.
He has served as assistant at St. Joseph's and St. Michael's,
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Jersey City, at St. Columba's, Newark, and at St. John's, Pater- son.
Previous to his appointment to St. Aloysius's he was rector of Ridgewood and Hohokus. The first Mass in the new parish was said May 30th, 1897, in Donahue's Hall on Westside Avenue.
The corner-stone of the present building, which is a combina- tion church and school, was laid October 17th, 1897, by the Very
ST. ALOYSIUS'S SCHOOL, JERSEY CITY.
Rev. John J. O'Connor, at that time vicar-general of the diocese, and was dedicated by Bishop Wigger in February, 1898.
The rectory was built the following year, and in the spring of 1903 a house was purchased and converted into a convent for the sisters.
This congregation owns a fine property covering an entire city block.
Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Bernardsville.
BERNARDSVILLE, the attractive and romantic resort in which the wealthy merchants of New York have erected stately homes, until the last five years was attended from Mendham.
June 17th, 1898, Bishop McFaul, at the urgent request of the guests of the hotels and inns and also of the residents, appointed the Rev. Joseph A. Ryan to establish a parish and erect a church.
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Mr. Frederick P. Alcott, an ardent admirer of Father Ryan's work, assisted him very generously by donating one dollar for every dollar Father Ryan would collect. Within eighteen months the Catholics of Bernardsville had one of the prettiest churches in the State. Owing to the generosity of Mr. Alcott and the per- sistent efforts of the young pastor the church stands to-day unique
Church of Our Lady of perpetual Help. Bernardsville, few Jersey. Pollard- and - Steinam-Arch'is. new york.
in the history of Catholicity in the United States, as it is, perhaps, the only one on record to be opened and consecrated on the same day, May 2d, 1900.
Father Ryan has improved the property around the church, and practically made a new house out of the old building which formerly stood upon the land.
Church of St. Anthony of Padua (Italian) West Hoboken, N. J.
ST. MICHAEL's parish of West Hoboken originally embraced a territory which now has ten flourishing churches. Under the care of the Passionist Fathers half that number of churches were erected and attended by them when priests were less numerous in the half-century that has gone by. The last of these churches crected by the Passionists is the Church of St. Anthony of Padua on Morris Street, West Hoboken. Father Andrew Kenny, C.P.,
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was designated by his superiors to take charge of the Italians, and on October 9th, 1898, the natives of Italy had Mass celebrated for them in the basement chapel of the monastery church and a ser- mon was preached in their native tongue With the consent of Bishop Wigger the Fathers undertook to erect the new church. Two lots were purchased on Morris Street, and May Ist, 1899, ground was broken for the new Church of St. Anthony of Padua. The corner-stone was laid on June 4th of the same year by Mon- signor (now Archbishop) Seton.
The senior and junior Holy Name societies of the monastery church, St. Michael's Young Men's Lyceum, and the St. Anthony's Society of the new church with St. Joseph's Society of Hoboken participated in the parade from the monastery to the site of the new church The procession was headed by the Cosmopolitan Military Band of West Hoboken, composed exclusively of Italians.
On Sunday, August 13th, the new church was dedicated by Bishop Wigger, assisted by his chancellor, Father O'Neil, as mas- ter of ceremonies. After the dedication a Solemn High Mass was sung, "Coram Episcopo," by Very Rev. John Baudinelli, C.P., formerly provincial of the Passionists in America, but shortly before elected general consultor, with residence in Rome.
Among those present on this occasion was Father (now Mon- signor) Stafford of Seton Hall College, Father Thomas Quinn of the Church of St. Paul of the Cross, Jersey City Heights, Rev. Dr. Burke of St. Philip Neri's Church, New York, Father Oreste Lussi of the Roosevelt Street Italian Church, New York, Father Alexander Iudelli of West New York, and Father Ubaldo, O.F.M. The sermon on this occasion was preached by Father Ubaldo of the Franciscan Fathers, Sullivan Street, New York. He said :
Without religion life is a blank. We are not in this world without an end. We are here to prepare for another world, and we must have a place to prepare ourselves, a spot where Christ himself is at all times waiting for us in the sacrament of the altar, waiting to hear our appeal and help us. The element of our nation who oppose the practice of religion is composed of the very lowest strata of humanity. These not only oppose the Church, but their views are so distorted and their intelligence so small that they would wish to abolish all forms of government.
Father Ubaldo exhorted his hearers to avoid temptation, to be faithful to their religion, and as far as possible to avoid any ming- ing with the class he referred to in his sermon.
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-
In the afternoon at 3:30 o'clock solemn vespers were sung in the new church, during which St. Michael's choir rendered the music. St. Anthony's choir, composed of Italians, sang in the morning.
St. Anthony's Church is two stories in height and covers a plot of ground 96 by 44 feet. The building is of Roman architec- tural design, exceedingly plain, and is built upon lines of remark- able grace and symmetry. The ground floor of the church will be used as a meeting and Sunday-school room. The first story is of brick, the church proper being frame.
Father Andrew Kenny, C.P., the pastor of St. Anthony's, is a native of West Hoboken. At an early age he was sent by his superiors to Rome, where he was ordained and learned the Italian language, which has enabled him to accomplish a good work for the preservation of the Catholic faith among the Italians of West Hoboken.
St. Rocco's Church, Newark.
AUGUST 5TH, 1899, the Rev. James Zuccarelli was appointed by Bishop Wigger to open a new mission for the accommodation of the Italians in the neighborhood of the present church of St. Roch.
The corner-stone of the church was laid on March 12th, 1900, and the dedication ceremonies were held on Decoration Day, May 30th, 1900, by the late Bishop Wigger.
Property has been acquired on Bedford Street for a school, and additional property for a sisters' house on Prospect Street in the rear of the church. The rectory is a substantial brick building and is annexed to the church.
The church, a neat brick structure with white trimmings, 24 by 80 feet, contains a beautiful high altar of Carrara marble, erected by a member of the parish in memory of his deceased wife. The sanctuary has been beautifully embellished by the parishioners.
Church of the Holy Trinity, Passaic.
THE parish of the Holy Trinity was organized by the Francis- can Fathers for the benefit of the Germans of Passaic in the year 1900. Services were held on Sunday afternoon in a public hall once a month. The parish was incorporated by the late Bishop Wigger August 17th, 1902.
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The Germans attended Mass in St. Joseph's (old) Polish Church for five months until the appointment of the Rev. Joseph Hasel. Father Hasel has purchased nine city lots valued at $10,000, and taken the first steps to erect a new church, the cor- ner-stone of which was laid by the Rt. Rev. Mgr. Sheppard in the month of May. It was dedicated on September 6th, 1903, by Bishop O'Connor.
ST. PHILIP NERI, NEWARK. For Italian Catholics.
The Rt. Rev. John Joseph O'Connor, D.D., Fourth Bishop of Newark.
THE Very Rev. John J. O'Connor, V.G., after the death of Bishop Wigger, was appointed during the widowhood of the Dio- cese of Newark the administrator. A few weeks later he sum- moned by direction of the Metropolitan the rev. consultors and permanent rectors of the diocese to meet at the See house, New York, to select three names as the expression of their choice, to be submitted to the bishops of the province and to be forwarded to Rome.
In obedience to this call the following priests of the Diocese of Newark presented themselves to exercise for the first time the privilege conceded by the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore to the clergy of the United States: the Very Rev. Administrator John J. O'Connor, the Rt. Rev. Monsignor G. H. Doane, P.A.,
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the Very Rev. William McNulty, V.F., the Very Rev. Joseph M. Flynn, V.F., the Rev. H. P. Fleming, Martin Gessner, Dennis McCartie, B. H. Ter Woert, Charles P. Gillen, and Charles J. Kelly. The Rt. Rev. Monsignor Robert Seton, P.A., D.D., arrived after the first ballot was cast. Archbishop Corrigan pre- sided over the meeting, which was held in the library of the archi- episcopal residence. The Veni Creator was recited, and after making a few remarks on the object of the meeting, and remind- ing the priests of the grave responsibility resting upon them to select the worthiest among ecclesiastics for the exalted office of bishop, tellers were appointed and the body of clergymen pro- ceeded to cast their ballot. On the first ballot Father O'Connor's name was found six times; and after two other names were se- lected, balloting was again resumed to determine the rank of the nominees. As Father O'Connor received seven out of the twelve votes cast, his name was placed dignissimus on the priests' list. The clergy were afterward entertained most hospitably by the archbishop. In the latter part of April the information was flashed across the ocean that Father O'Connor had been chosen by the Holy Father Leo XIII. on the recommendation of the Propaganda to be the successor of the late Bishop Wigger. The choice was well received by both the clergy and the laity. Bishop O'Connor was born in Newark, in St. James's Parish, June IIth, 1855, and made his preparatory studies in Seton Hall, from which he was graduated in the class of '73. As Archbishop Corrigan stated in his address on the day of Bishop O'Connor's consecra- tion, the young graduate was sent to Rome that he might one day succeed him as bishop of the diocese. He spent four years in the American College, Rome, and one year in Louvain; and he was ordained priest by Monsigneur Ch. de Anthonis, December 22d, 1877.
On his return he was appointed professor in Seton Hall, both in the college and seminary, of which latter he became director On the death of the Very Rev. William P. Salt, V.G., he was named vicar-general; and later, October 30th, 1895, appointed rector of St. Joseph's Church, Newark. During the eighteen years that he assisted in the diocesan seminary in training the young Levites, as professor of both philosophy and theology, by his unremittent care, gentleness, and piety he endeared himself to all. In this difficult and most divine of all works his career was marked by firmness without obstinacy, kindness without weakness, and by zeal tempered with charity. How richly he stored his
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e
RT. REV. JOHN J. O'CONNOR, D.D., Fourth Bishop of Newark.
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mind while imparting Catholic teaching to those under his care is clearly evident in his discourses, addresses, and letters, which show him to be the finished scholar and an orator of rare merit. Bishop O'Connor was preconized Bishop of Newark May 20th, 1891, and was consecrated in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Newark, by the Most Rev. Michael A. Corrigan, D.D., July 25th, 1901, assisted by the Rt. Rev. Charles McDonnell, D.D., Bishop of Brooklyn, and the Rt. Rev. James A. McFaul, D.D., Bishop of Trenton.
Bishop McQuaid was the orator of the day and preached in his usually eloquent and reminiscent style. The cathedral was
PROCESSION ENTERING ST. PATRICK'S PRO-CATHEDRAL ON THE OCCA- SION OF THE CONSECRATION OF BISHOP O'CONNOR.
The Bishops from left to right are, Bishop McDonnell, Bishop O'Connor, Bishop Mc- Quaid, Bishop Ludden.
crowded with the laity, and not only the priests of the Newark diocese, but many from Trenton and New York were present.
Bishop O'Connor was fortunate enough to secure from the heirs of the late Eugene Kelly, Esq., his country home, which adjoins the college property, and this he has made his episcopal residence.
December 22d, 1902, he was obliged to yield to the importunity of his priests and celebrate in a befitting manner the silver jubilee of his priesthood. In these festivities the clergy were not alone in
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testifying, and substantially, their affection for their bishop, but the laity likewise proved their devotion and loyalty to their ecclesias- tical superior.
Inheriting from his predecessor the burden of completing the cathedral, he lost no time to adopt measures whereby the means necessary to carry on the work might be obtained. To this end he acquiesced in the suggestion made at the meeting of the con- sultors and permanent rectors of the diocese in St. Michael's rec- tory, Jersey City, called for the purpose of taking suitable measures for the celebration of his silver jubilee, and appointed the Very Rev. Vicar-General, John A. Sheppard, the Very Rev. Joseph M. Flynn, and the Rev. Charles J. Kelly, LL.D., a committee to-call upon the prominent and wealthy members of the laity and solicit from them a generous offering for the new cathedral, in view of the approaching golden jubilee of the Diocese of Newark. To emphasize his desire and to impress upon the clergy and laity alike the propriety of recognizing in this way the boundless mercy of God as manifest. in the blessings bestowed upon the Catholics of the Newark diocese during fifty years about to elapse, Bishop O'Connor addressed the following pastoral to his diocesans:
BISHOP'S HOUSE, 552 SOUTH ORANGE AVE., SOUTH ORANGE, N. J., Nov. Ist, 1902.
REV. DEAR SIR: During the year 1903 the Catholics of this diocese will celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the erection of the See of Newark and the appointment of its first bishop. It is certainly fitting that we should observe with appropriate cere- monies the golden jubilee of so noteworthy an event in the history of religion in this State. The formation of the new diocese marked the beginning of a more prosperous era. It was hailed with delight as a triumph of our faith and the fulfilment of an ardently cherished hope. It crowned with success the self-sacri- ficing efforts of the early pioneers, who in spite of difficulty and discouragement laid deep and solid in the soil of New Jersey the foundations of the spiritual edifice of which we are at present justly proud and for which we are deeply grateful to Almighty God.
On October 30th, 1853, James Roosevelt Bayley, a distin- guished convert to our faith, who was revered and loved by all who knew him, and whose name will be held in grateful remem- brance by all future generations of Catholics in this diocese, as well as in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, to which he was subse- quently transferred, was consecrated first Bishop of Newark in the venerable church of St. Patrick's, New York, by Archbishop Bedini, Apostolic Nuncio to Brazil. Two days later he appeared on the scene of his new labors in the city of Newark, to which in
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1 827 the Rev. Gregory B. Pardow had been sent by Bishop Dubois to build its first Catholic church.
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