As all of you know, our former parochial vicar, Fr. Juan Gabriel Rojas, was reassigned to Saint Mary of the Assumption, Elizabeth, after his time here at Saint Helen. Since its founding in 1844, St. Mary of Assumption has served the Catholics of Elizabeth as a spiritual and pastoral center. Fr. Juan Gabriel is leading the effort to celebrate the 180th Anniversary of the parish and has asked for our assistance with the 50/50 raffle they will be running to raise much needed resources for the parish. The raffle will benefit their Buildings Restoration Fund. First prize is 25%, 2nd prize is 15% and 3rd prize is 10%. The winner need not be present. The drawing takes place on Sunday, May 19, 2024 and the donation requested is $10.00. Tickets are available at our Reception Desk.
In 1844 there were few Catholics living in Elizabeth and no Catholic churches in the city. At that time construction of the now abandoned Central Railroad of New Jersey began. As local labor was scarce, the railroad company turned to Ireland as a source of workers. Over the 10-year construction period more and more Irish Catholics settled in the Elizabeth area. Catholics who needed to attend Sunday Mass had to travel to St. John’s parish in Newark. The roads between Newark and Elizabeth were mostly just horse trails and, for the most part, those going to St. John’s had to walk. In 1843, as the number of Catholics grew, the community petitioned Archbishop Hughes, Archbishop of New York, to establish a parish in Elizabeth as the Diocese of Newark had yet to be established.
On Palm Sunday, 1844, the first Mass was held in a home on the corner of Rahway Ave. and DeHart Place. It was attended by about 25 people. This group gradually grew until it outgrew the residence and the group once again petitioned the Archbishop for permission to acquire land and build a proper church. A parcel of land on what would become Washington Avenue was selected and construction began in 1845. The parish community was to be designated St Mary of the Assumption Parish and by the first Sunday in Advent, 1845 enough of the church was ready and the first Mass was celebrated. The initial size of the community was now over 100 people and growing.
The parish continued to grow by leaps and bounds over the next century. They expanded the Church, and a school was added. Today, Saint Mary of the Assumption still stands serving those in Elizabeth in the tradition of serving the many immigrants that have come to this country. As they celebrate their 180th Anniversary, the needs to maintain and restore their buildings is great. If you would be so inclined to assist in this effort, as mentioned above, raffle tickets are available at the Reception Desk here at Saint Helen. Let’s join St Mary’s in celebrating their history and send them hope and prayers for their future.
God Bless You all,
Msgr. Tom
