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Winter 1988 New Jersey Catholic Records Newsletter, Vol. 7, No.1 New Jersey Catholic Historical Commission

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Recommended Citation New Jersey Catholic Historical Commission, "New Jersey Catholic Records Newsletter, Vol. 7, No.1" (1988). New Jersey Catholic Historical Commission newsletters. 21. https://scholarship.shu.edu/njchc/21 NEW JERSEY 'CatJuAic Jtwmual RECORDS COMMISSION

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VOLUME VII NO.1 WINTER 1988 Newark-fifty years as an archdiocese December 10, 1987 marked the 50th anniversary of the establish­ ment of the Ecclesiastical Pro­ vince of New Jersey and the elevation of the see of Newark to the rank of archdiocese. The oc­ casion calls to mind not only the local history which led to the creation of the new ecclesias­ tical jurisdiction but also its ties with the ancient traditions of the Church. Since the time of the Roman empire the Catholic Church has traditionally adjusted its jurisdictional boundaries to those of the civil authority. The very term "diocese" is adapted from the divisions of the 4th cen­ tury Roman empire upon which the ecclesiastical boundaries were modelled. The establishment of the first American diocese at Baltimore was occasioned by the political separation of the United States from England in the American Revolution. Bishop John Carroll's Thomas J. Walsh, first archbishop of Newark. jurisdiction embraced the entire United States. As the number of expansion caused principally by Walsh presided over Newark un­ Catholics grew, new dioceses the heavy influx of German and til 1937. In December of that were established in 1808. New Irish immigrants, with smaller year, the Holy See separated the Jersey was divided, generally sprinklings of other groups. Dur­ six southern counties of the along the line of the colonial ing his 1877 ad limina visit to state from the Diocese of Tren­ separation of East Jersey from Rome, Corrigan proposed the ton to create the Diocese of West Jersey, between the division of the state into two Camden, and the three north­ dioceses of New York and dioceses and in 1881, after his western counties from Newark to Philadelphia. For 45 years this transfer to New York, the create the Diocese of Paterson. boundary divided the state into diocese of Trenton was created. At the same time, Newark was two ecclesiastical jurisdictions Trenton embraced the 14 made an archdiocese and until in 1853 the see of Newark southern counties of the state, became the metropolitan see of was established, with all New and Newark retained the seven the new Ecclesiastical Province Jersey as its responsibility. The northern counties. Both dioceses of New Jersey. Thomas Joseph first two ordinaries, James remained part of the ec­ Walsh, the fifth bishop of Roosevelt Bayley and Michael clesiastical province of New Newark, became its first Augustine Corrigan, led the York. Bishops Winand Wigger, archbishop, a position in which diocese through a period of rapid John J. O'Connor and Thomas J. he served until his death in 1952.

Continued on Daae 2 1853 1881

1881 1937

Most Reverend Theodore A. McCarrick, fourth archbishop 1937 of Newark. 1981 50 years an archdiocese Continued from page 1 New Jersey, in common with all the United States, was suffer­ ing its way through the Great Depression when Newark be­ came an archdiocese. Through­ A: Newark B: Trenton C: Camden out the state, the majority of D: Paterson E: Metuchen Catholics resided in urban areas Changing diocesan boundaries of the Church in New Jersey. and the suburbanization of the Garden State had been inter­ rupted by the hard times of the state. In the older cities, too, the manifestation of a more collegial 1930's. Industrial centers like situation changed, as Blacks approach to church activity is the Newark, Jersey City, Camden, migrated north in increasing New Jersey Catholic Conference, Trenton and Paterson were the numbers and the vanguard of through which the bishops of focal points of Catholic life. heavy Hispanic migration began New Jersey coordinate many of Italians, Poles, Slovaks, to appear. One result of the their public actions and Hungarians and all the peoples Church's growth in this period statements. The last 20 years of central and eastern Europe was the establishment of the have been an upsetting time for had flooded into the state in the diocese of Metuchen, carved out many Catholics, as they have wake of the Irish and German of Trenton in 1981, thus com­ tried to work through the migrations of the mid-19th cen­ pleting the current configuration changes induced by Vatican II tury and the Church was still, at of the ecclesiastical province of and conform themselves to the the outbreak of World War II, New Jersey. vision of the Council Fathers. very much an immigrant church. In the mid-1960s Vatican Yet the anniversaries observed The post-war period saw the Council II opened a new era in this year-Newark as an arch­ suburbanization of American the life of the Church at large diocese, Paterson and Camden Catholics, and the bishops of the and in the province of New as dioceses-are indeed cause era-Walsh and Boland in Jersey. Vernacular liturgy, re­ for celebration. They recall those Newark, Eustace and McCarthy newed emphasis upon social doughty souls who first planted in Camden, Boland and McNulty obligations, new conceptions of and nourished the seeds of the in Paterson, Griffin and Ahr in the mission of clergy, religious Church in this area, their suc­ Trenton-faced with their people and laity-all modified the habits cessors who fed and watered in the task of providing churches, of Catholicism and brought their turn and remind all that we schools and hospitals in new about wrenching changes in are trustees for the future settlements throughout the practice for many. One Church in New Jersey. Catholic Records Newsletter

Published by the New Jersey Catholic Historical Records Commission, Seton Hall University, South Orange, New Jersey 07079-2696

Bernard Bush, Rev. Mark Dobrovolsky, Rev. Msgr. William N. Field, Barbara Geller, Rev. Msgr. Charles J. Giglio, Sr. Mary Ellen Gleason, S.C., Rev. Raymond J. Kupke, Joseph F. Mahoney, Sr., Margherita Marchione, M.P.F., Rev. Msgr. Robert Moneta, Rev. M. Joseph Mokrzycki, Miriam L. Murphy, Rev. Msgr. Theodore A. Opdenaker, Carl E. Prince, George L.A. Reilly, Rev. Msgr. Francis R. Seymour, Rev. Edwin V. Sullivan, Rev. Robert T. Wister

Newsletter staff: Peter Leo Gerety, third archbishop of Newark, seated Joseph F. Mahoney, Barbara Geller left, greets his predecessor, Archbishop Thomas A. Boland. Recent accessions acquired Items made avai lable to clerical and general cor­ -owned by the Archdiocese of researchers in the archives of the respondence received between Newark. Archdiocese of Newark, located 1883 and 1898, in English, For further information, re­ at Seton Hall University include French, German, Italian and searchers can contact the the following: Latin, handbills referring to mis­ archivist, Ms. Barbara Geller, at Papers of Thomas Joseph sion work among Blacks and In­ (201) 761-9476. Walsh (1928-1952) 13 cubic feet. dians, and the Lenten Regula­ Call for papers tions for 1893. This collection spans the entire Saint Anselm's College, Man­ tenure of Walsh as bishop, then Papers of Michael Augustine chester, New Hampshire, in first archbishop of Newark, and Corrigan (1873-1885) 5 items. observance of its centennial contains personal as well as of­ These items added to the papers year, will sponsor a symposium; ficial material generated by or of Newark's second bishop con­ Faith Seeking Understanding: pertaining to Archbishop Walsh. cern the Pius Union Delle Donne Learning and the catholic Tradi­ This accession includes his ap­ Cattoliche, and the issue of taxa­ tion, from Thursday, April 20 to pointment books for the years tion of churches in 1876. Sunday, April 23, 1989. The con­ 1928-1952, petitions and cor­ Papers of John J. O'Connor ference will consider Catholic respondence from members of (1901-1927) 2 cubic feet. These education in all its aspects, with various parishes within the are principally petitions for a special section on Anselm of archdiocese, pastorals, circulars dispensations from banns, Canterbury. At an academic con­ and form letters, financial monetary appeals for mission vocation during the symposium, statements, scrapbooks, ser­ work, diocesan insurance a distinguished church figure, mons, photograph albums, in­ reports, including war insurance theologian or philosopher will be coming correspondence, invita­ between 1904 and 1917, and honored with the Saint Anselm tions and programs, newspaper financial accounts. medal. Those interested in clippings and a Register of Or­ Papers of Thomas A. Boland delivering papers or presenting dinations, 1918-1951, begun by (1952-1979) 8 volumes. This ac­ complete sessions at the sym­ Bishop John J. O'Connor and cession consists of bound posium are invited to submit a completed by Archbishop Walsh. volumes of Consolidated Re­ one-page abstract to the commit­ Papers of Winand Michael valuation Reports prepared by tee by September 1,1988. Send Wigger (1881-1901) 2 cubic feet. the Industrial Appraisal Com­ abstracts to Reverend George C. This is an addition to previously pany. The reports are based on Berthold, P.O. Box 2278, Saint available papers of the third concise descriptions of property Anselm College, Manchester, NH bishop of Newark which includes -principally church buildings 03102-9001. Meet the Commission Born in Jersey City, New sion, 1892-1896. While pursuing Jersey, Reverend Robert T. his studies in Rome, Father Wister attended parochial grade Wister served also as an instruc­ and high schools and then tor at the Institute for Continuing studied at Seton Hall University, Theological Education and as earning a Bachelor of Arts supervisor of the Program for degree in 1965. For the next four Apostolic Formation, both at the years he resided at the North North American College, and as American College in Rome while an instructor in the overseas pro­ studying at the Gregorian Univer­ gram of St. John's College, sity, where he received his bac­ Collegeville, Minnesota. calaureate in sacred theology in Since his return from Rome, 1969. He was ordained to the Father Wister has continued to priesthood on December 20, 1968 serve as assistant professor of in St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican historical studies at the Rev. Robert T. Wister City. Returning to his native seminary, first at Darlington and University's Mother Seton Con­ diocese, he served as assistant now at Seton Hall. In addition, he vocation on the topic, "Seminary pastor at Our Lady of Mount regularly assists on weekends at Education Then and Now." In ad­ Carmel, Montclair from 1969 to the Church of the Epiphany in dition he has addressed the Na­ 1974 and at the Church of the Bricktown. In 1975 he became tional Catholic Education Ascension, New Milford from Associate Dean of the Seminary, Association on "Teaching and 1974 to 1976. Meanwhile, he and in the following year Scholarship in a Seminary En­ undertook advanced study at assumed responsibility as vironment" and has spoken to Union Theological Seminary in Executive Secretary of the numerous other organizations. New York City, earning a Archbishop Peter L. Gerety Fund His other activities include master's degree in 1973. From for Ecclesiastical History, which participation in the Annual 1973 to 1976 he also served as sponsors lectures and research Dialogue between the assistant professor of church on church history. Pentecostal Churches and the history at Immaculate Concep­ His own research has resulted Vatican Secretariat for Christian tion Seminary, Darlington. in several papers delivered to the Unity (1980-1982) and the Com­ In 1976 he returned to Rome American Catholic Historical mission for Ecumenical and In­ for graduate studies in church Association at its annual terreligious Affairs of the history, and in 1980 earned a meetings, including "The Archdiocese of Newark. He has doctorate in ecclesiastical Establishment of the Apostolic also served regularly as consul­ history from the Gregorian Delegation," which was later tant to the Columbia Broad­ University with his dissertation, published in U.S. Catholic casting System on the Vatican The Establishment of the Historian (Spring, 1983) and and on United States Catholic af­ Apostolic Delegation in the "Teaching Church History." In fairs. He serves on the Commis­ United States: The Satolli Mis- 1982 he addressed Seton Hall sion's publications committee.

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