The story of St. Mary\u2019s is connected with the tremendous expansion of Paterson during the Industrial Revolution. By the middle and late 19th century, the city was attracting thousands of immigrants to work in its silk mills, factories, and other industries. Catholics\u2014particularly immigrants and their families\u2014were becoming an increasingly important part of Paterson’s population.<\/p>\n
Paterson’s first Catholic parish, St. John the Baptist<\/strong>, had been established decades earlier. As the Catholic population expanded into different sections of the city, new churches and parishes were needed. Charles A. Shriner’s History of the Catholic Church in Paterson, N.J.<\/em>, published in 1883, provides one of the most valuable contemporary accounts of this expansion.<\/p>\n The immediate predecessor of St. Mary’s was established in the eastern part of Paterson.<\/p>\n In 1872<\/strong>, Father William McNulty, pastor of St. John’s, purchased eight lots on Sherman Avenue near Union Avenue<\/strong> for the purpose of establishing another Catholic center. A substantial brick building was constructed, measuring approximately 40 by 90 feet and two stories high<\/strong>. One floor was used as a chapel while the other was used for school purposes.<\/p>\n The location was strategically important because Catholics were settling farther from the older Catholic churches in central Paterson. The new chapel quickly attracted a substantial congregation.<\/p>\n The growing Catholic community eventually became an independent parish.<\/p>\n In 1880<\/strong>, the portion of Paterson served by the Sherman Avenue chapel was formally established as a separate parish under the patronage of St. Mary<\/strong>. The first pastor was Father Curran<\/strong>, who undertook energetic work to develop the new parish.<\/p>\n Father Curran’s tenure was relatively brief. In 1883<\/strong>, he was transferred to Arlington, New Jersey, and was succeeded at St. Mary’s by Father Samuel Welsh<\/strong>. Shriner described Father Welsh as a devoted and capable priest who was rapidly building the congregation.<\/p>\n This makes 1880 an important founding date for St. Mary’s parish<\/strong>, even though Catholic worship at the location had begun several years earlier.<\/p>\n The creation of St. Mary’s reflected a larger pattern occurring throughout Paterson during the late 19th century.<\/p>\n The city’s silk industry was expanding rapidly, bringing immigrants from Ireland, Germany, Italy, Holland and other parts of Europe. Catholic parishes often developed around particular neighborhoods and immigrant communities, providing not only worship but also schools, social organizations, charitable activities and a sense of community.<\/p>\n St. Mary’s was therefore much more than a church building. It became an important institution for Catholic families living in the eastern and southeastern portions of Paterson.<\/p>\n The parish is now located at 410 Union Avenue<\/strong>, where it continues under the name St. Mary, Help of Christians<\/strong>. The Diocese of Paterson identifies the parish at that address and lists it among the city’s Catholic parishes.<\/p>\n The church property has also been recognized for its historic significance. The New Jersey Historic Preservation Office<\/strong> lists St. Mary Help of Christians Roman Catholic Church<\/strong>, 410\u2013420 Union Avenue, as a recognized historic resource, with a Certificate of Eligibility dated January 22, 2009<\/strong>.<\/p>\n That designation is particularly significant for Paterson history because the church survives as a physical reminder of the city’s late-19th-century Catholic expansion.<\/p>\n Like much of Paterson, St. Mary’s congregation has changed considerably over its history.<\/p>\n The parish originally developed during an era when large numbers of European immigrants were arriving in Paterson. Over succeeding generations, the ethnic composition of the neighborhood changed, and the parish adapted to new communities.<\/p>\n Today, St. Mary, Help of Christians serves a multilingual congregation<\/strong>, with worship and parish activities incorporating English, Italian and Spanish<\/strong>. The parish describes these different cultural traditions as coming together in the life of the church.<\/p>\n The parish continues to operate at 410 Union Avenue and remains part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson<\/strong>.<\/p>\n St. Mary, Help of Christians is important to the history of Paterson because its story parallels the development of the city itself:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Sherman Avenue chapel<\/h2>\n
Creation of St. Mary’s Parish<\/h2>\n
From a neighborhood chapel to an established parish<\/h2>\n
The present church on Union Avenue<\/h2>\n
A changing congregation<\/h2>\n
St. Mary’s and Paterson’s history<\/h2>\n
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