The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-14

ST. AL0YSIUS PARISH.
Wonderful Growth Of the
West Side Parish in
One Year.
REV. A. s%ULLIvAN's WORK
Beautiful School Building in
Which Masses Are Said
Among the Churches.
REV A. SULLIVAN'S WORK


Two years ago no n would have
thought, that within such a short time,
the Furnishing parish of st. Aloysius
would have been built up. 1t IS really
remarkable the way that parish mas
grown<within the space of less than a
year. 1t was only a year ago that the
first mass was held in that part OF the
city by the Rev. Father A. Sullivan.
This service was held in a small hall on
West Side Avenue near Montgomery
Street. Now that parish boasts of one OF
the finest places Of worship of its kind
in the State.
The building, which has been described
in 1.-THE News a humble of times, IS
situated on West Sid Avenue between
Kensington and Belmont Avenues. 1t Is
of the Romanesque type of red brick and
Is finished with granite trimmings. h
building is now thoroughly completed and
the interior presents a very pretty APP
pearance. The altar is finished in oak
The seating capacity of the church Is
about 500. The hall upstairs will seat
fully as many A stage has been buiit
there for the presentation of entertain
ments and different forms of amusements
which are usually held in churches. The
grounds about the place of worship are
being leveled of for the purpose of sodding
as no flower garden will be laid out this
summer. There will. without a doubt, be
one next summer, when a fence is placed
around the plot.
It win probably be a number OF years
yet before school sessions are held in that
parish. The church building as it stands
now, is far too small to accommodate
many pupils, if It were divided into rooms,
and for that reason it is thought that it
will be at least three years before school
will be held. The organ which was used
in the hall before the congregation moved
into the new place of worship. is still
being used in the church, but Father
Sullivan is in hopes of having d new one
very shortly.
The property, owned by the parish,
axes in a whole block, and it is the inten-
ton of Father Sullivan, in time, to add
many more buildings on the property.
He says that in time there win no u
be a new church erected on the corner
facing West Side avenue and Kensington
avenue. The present church will then
be used for the school. A rectory viii
be built. likewise a home for the Sisters.
Father Sullivan deserves a great deal of
credit for the wonderful way in which
he has built up that parish in such a
short time.
when the idea of starting a parish on
the west side was first spoken Of" said
Father Sullivan yesterday afternoon, Il
had no idea that 1t was such a large field.
Fifteen years ago, when 1 was an as
sistant in st. Joseph's Church on Bald
win avenue, this place dow here was
nothing but a wilderness. When Bishop
Wigger spoke to me about starting a
parish here / was of the opinion that it
was still a very thinly settled place. but
| was very much surprised to find so
many dwellings. 1t has certainly been
built up wonderfully during the last few
years and | am of the opinion that in
time this parish viii be one of the largest
in the city. Of course there is any
amount of work connected with it, but
success viii crown our efforts"
There are now about two thousand souls
in that parish, a very large increase over
that of some six months ago. Father.
Sullivan is very well liked in his field of
labor and his parishioners have worked
by his side since the parish work was
started. On Tuesday evening next an en-
tertainment and reception will be held
in the hall, the proceeds of which will go
towards the church fund The programme
which has been prepared will consist of
a number of amusing sketches.