The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1909-01-30
ST. PATR|CKS TO
CHANGE RECTOR|ES
AND MAKE HISTORY
Sacred Memories Cluster About
Modest Dwelling in Blocker
Street, Soon to GO.
MONSIGNOR DOANE WAS
ITS PRESIDING GENIUS
The Old Order C~hangeth, and
Fine New Parish Residence
Will Take Up Work.

Soon the old st. Patrick's Cathedra
rectory in Blocker street will he only
A memory to the members of the parish
and many other Catholics in NeWarh
and outside of it,
The old house. in which a great part
of the history OF Catholicity III Ne"afh
and New Jersey was made, is to be torn
down. The Rev. Isaac 2. Whelan, rec
tor. and his assistant priests and the
servants moved this week into the new
rectory, which fronts Washington
street. near Blocker street, on the
south side of the cathedral
The original Blocker street building
was a two-story and high basement
brick structure. It consisted of the
west two-thirds of the Blocker street
front of the old r~ectory as it is now
Old men and women who were in he
parish when st. Patrick's Church was
dedicated in 1850 differ in their recoi-
l~nctions Of The year the old dwelling
was converted into a rcctory and
whether the Rev. Louis Dominic Senel.
The first pastor. or ths Rev. Bernard
!. McQusid. who succeeded. IS entitled
t. the homer. But the majority con
tend that Father Sene2 purchased the
building IN the fan of 1862 or the winter
of 1853, and that he and his curate, the
Rev. John Hogan who once lived III
the one and d half story frame house,
yet standing, adjoining the old Newark
High School on the north in Washing
ton street, first used the old Blocker
street house as a rectory.
Formation of Diocese,
Archbishop John Hughes, of New
York, made the whole of New Jersey
the diocese of Newark early in 1853, ap-
pointed the Rev. DIR. James Roosevelt
Bayley. a convert from the Protestant
faith, as the first bishop of the new
diocese, and when Father Senez re-
signed made Father McQuaid pastor of
st. Patrick's Church, which became the
cathedral church. Bishop Bayley max
ing it his episcopal residence. Father
McQuaid built an addition to the east
side of the old rectory, and it extended
north towards the cathedral. The front
room on the first floor was the bishops
study and at the rear was his spacious
bed chamber. Father McQuaid had a
study and a bedroom on the west side
of the entrance hall. and the curates
- = - &AAA h'%SAttt - ~ ~ 80
room and kitchen were in the basement.
The reception room was where it is
now. and in that room many sad stories
of poor widows and married women
were heard by the priests, and men of
the parish met there with Father Nc
Quad and Bishop Bayley, or both. to
subscribe money for founding st. Eliza
beth Convent and Seton Hall and the
Catholic Institute in New street and for
other purposes.
Late one night in 1855. or Whereabouts.
a young man called at tine rectory, told
Father McQuaid he was the Rev.
George Hobart Doane. assistant at
Grace Episcopal Church. and was so
determined to talk with Bishop Bayley
that the latter received him. The
young clergyman, whose father was the
Episcopal bishop of New Jersey, said
he had doubts about his church being
the one Christ founded. In a long talk
the bishop advised the young man to
read books he gave him and ponder
long and well before he abandoned the
religion in which he was reared. The
result was that young Doane asked for
and was given instructions in Roman
Catholic doctrine by Bishop Bayley and
the latter received him into the Catholic
faith by baptism and he sailed at once
for Rome to study for the Catholic
priesthood. He returned to Newark in
1857. was ordained in the cathedral on
October Is of that year, and became a
curate and secretary to the bishop and
an inmate of the rectory.