The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1909-03-29
ST. JOHNS CHURCH
THE FOUNTAIN OF
CATH0LC|TY HERE
Remarkable History of Oldest
Edifice Of Worship in
Newark.
ITS PASTORS MEN OF
NOTE AND SCHOLARS
Free Schools and Libraries Were
Established Under Its
Auspices.

st. Johns Roman Catholic Church. in
Mulberry street, is the oldest Catholic
church in the State, according to the
History of the Catholic Church in
New Jersey" complied by the Very
Rev. Dean Joseph NJ. Flynn, of Morris
town. 1t is Familiarity called .'thc
mother church Of Catholicity in New
Jersey
the Rev. Paul McQuade. ordained in
Canada September %, 1905, after labor
ing In Albany for eight years. came 10
this city and was the first to celebrate
the sacrifice of the mass in a house at
Mulberry and Durand streets. and con.
t1nued to do so for several years.
To the Rev, Gregory Bryan Pardow
Is u the credit for organizing what Is
now known as st. Johns parish in
1879. He erected a frame building on
the site OF the present church. The
building today is the fourth edifce. and
1t was designed and erected under the
direction of the Rev. Patrick Moran.
The latter also designed st. Patrick
Cathedral and st. Peters Church. at
Belleville.
Took Charge In 1888.
rather Moran took charge of the
parish November 8, 1888. and under his
management the affairs of st. Johns
advanced rapidly. He remained pastor
until his death, in 1866 During his life
time he saw many other Catholic
churches erected in this city. The frsl
was st. Mary's, in High street. in
1912. n st. Patrick's. in 1S4s, which
became the cathedral of the diocese in
1853. when the, late, Most Rev. James
Roosevelt Bayley was appointed first
bishop'of Newark. One of his first acts
was to appoint Father Moran his vicar
general.
Father Moran made ST. Johns
Church famous by establishing the frsf
free school in the city. He a1so 'or-
ganized literary and %enevolen So
cieties, and established the first free
public library.
st. Johns has always been noted Tor
the many prominent cfergymen VINO
oflciated at her affairs. Among them
We're The Late Archbishop Michael a.
Corrigan, of New York, Who was bishop
Of Newark. for hssnumberao OF years, the
present bishop Of. the diocese, the Right
Rev John ]. O'Connor; the Rev. George
w. Corrigan. now rector OF ST. Joseph's
Church; the Rev. 1. p. Whelan, rector
of st. Patrick's Cathedral; the Rev.
Michael j.. White, rector of st. Colum
+ ba's Church; the Rev. Joseph NJ. Mar
diello, rector of the Sacred Heart
Church. Bloomfield; the late chancellor
of the diocese, the Rev. Thomas y.
Wallace: the late Rev. Patrick Leonard.
who was pastor of Sc Michael's; the
late Very Rev. James A. Corrigan. who
was vice-president Of Seton Hall Col
lege, and the late Rev. Martin O'Con-
nor, brother of John II. O'Connor,
president of the Essex County Fedora
ton of Holy Name Societies.
Rewrote Records.
When the late Rev. Louis tIambos-
vile was rector he personally rewrote
the church's records of birth and mar
riage, and they are models of their
kind. To the present rector. the Rev.
J. p. Poels, who assumed charge il,
1892, is due the credit OF making the
church a modern one, and equal to any
in the State.
Father Poels is also said to be an ex
cellent ~f1nancier, az we'll as a church
man, and through his careful manage.
ment the parish has thrived in a re
markable manner, despite the fact in
roads of business houses has consider
ably decreased the membership of the
parish. About a year ago he institu-
ted congregational singing at the ave-
ming services, with the assistance oi
the Rev. Father FideIs. Q. 8. b., and
their efforts have met with such
marked success that a number oil
other churches have followed the ex.
ample. The first native of Newark or
dained to the priesthood was Daniel G
burning, q son of Charles Burning, II
whose house mass was first celebrated
in the city, and the first two women
to embrace religious life were the
daughters of Patrick Hart, who assist
ed in the organization of st. John.
parish.
Among others who were born anc
raised in the parish and who became
priests. are the Rev. James A. Lundy
assistant al st. Patrick's Church. Eliza,
bethport, n the Rev. Matthew ]
Farley, assistant at st. Joseph:
Church, Jersey City.
The history of st. Johns is the his
tory Of Catholicity in New Jersey.