History of the Catholic Church in Paterson, N.J.: with an Account of the Celebration of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Establishment of St. John's Church

In Short

Charles A. Shriner’s 1883 chronicle traces the rapid growth of the Catholic Church in Paterson, New Jersey, from its origins as a scattered, persecuted mission in the early nineteenth century to a powerful, well-established religious community. Relying on parish registers, land records, and oral histories from elderly residents, Shriner documents the succession of early circuit-riding priests, the acquisition of land from local industrial magnates, the construction of ever-larger church edifices, and the establishment of essential parochial schools, orphanages, and hospitals. It stands as an enduring document of nineteenth-century American immigrant resilience and civic organization.

The Story

The chronicle opens with an account of the anti-Catholic prejudice that marked the early history of the region, noting how the earliest priests operated in secret or traveled as itinerant missionaries across New York and New Jersey. In the 1810s, the first regular mass in Paterson is celebrated in private residences, such as the homes of local laymen James Gillespie and Bernard McNamee, where a single room serves as a makeshift chapel for the town's small Catholic population.

As Irish laborers arrive in increasing numbers to work on the Morris Canal and in the city's burgeoning silk and cotton mills, the need for a permanent house of worship becomes acute. In 1820, Father Richard Bulger becomes Paterson's first resident pastor. Shortly thereafter, industrialist Roswell L. Colt, representing the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures, donates a parcel of land at Congress and Mill streets. With additional financial aid from non-Catholic neighbors, the twelve original Catholic families construct St. John's Chapel in 1821—a modest, single-story structure furnished with plain wooden benches.

As the congregation outgrows this initial building, successive pastors undertake larger construction projects. Under Father James Quin in the 1840s, the church is substantially expanded to accommodate thirteen hundred worshippers. The creation of the Diocese of Newark in 1853 under Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley marks a pivotal shift toward institutional permanence. Bayley prioritizes the establishment of parochial schools, seminaries, and religious orders, laying the groundwork for rapid expansion.

The middle chapters document the construction of the monumental new St. John's Church at Grand and Main streets, a project spanning fourteen years. The narrative details its corner-stone laying, its elaborate dedication ceremonies, and the eventual addition of a $15,000 stone parsonage. Concurrently, the book highlights the diversification of the local Catholic populace. German immigrants establish St. Boniface's parish under Father Nicholas Hens; Franciscan friars exiled from Germany during the Kulturkampf found St. Bonaventure's in the Stony Road district; Carmelite and Mercy fathers arrive to serve French and Italian workers; and the Sisters of Charity establish St. Joseph's Hospital and an orphan asylum.

The narrative culminates in two grand civic celebrations: the 1883 silver jubilee of Father William McNulty’s pastorate and the golden jubilee of the 1833 stone church, celebrated with solemn masses, pontifical benedictions, and historical discourses that honor the sacrifices of the early pioneers.

How It Unfolds

The itinerant mission Missionary priests travel on horseback through northern New Jersey, holding secret masses in private homes for isolated immigrant families escaping religious and political hardship in Europe.

A permanent foundation Father Richard Bulger secures a land grant from mill owner Roswell L. Colt in 1821, allowing twelve local families to build the original wooden St. John’s Chapel.

Institutional expansion Under Bishop Bayley and Father James Quin, the parish expands its physical footprint, building larger stone edifices and establishing parochial schools staffed by the Sisters of Charity and Brothers of Mary.

Immigrant diversification German, French, and Italian Catholics establish specialized parishes, monasteries, and benevolent institutions, including St. Boniface's Church, St. Bonaventure's Franciscan Monastery, and St. Joseph's Hospital.

Jubilee and reflection The community gathers in November 1883 for a series of high masses and civic speeches celebrating fifty years of religious growth, paying tribute to the living and dead pioneers who built the church.

The People

• Father Richard Bulger: The first parish priest in Paterson, educated at Kilkenny College; he travels continuously across northern New Jersey to administer sacraments and builds the initial 1821 chapel before dying young in 1824.
• Roswell L. Colt: A prominent Protestant industrialist representing the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures; he generously donates city land and financial backing to allow Catholic immigrants to build their first house of worship.
• Father William McNulty: The long-serving, highly revered pastor of St. John’s; he guides the parish through fourteen years of cathedral construction, establishes parochial schools for thousands of children, and expands local charitable institutions.
• Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley: The first Bishop of the Diocese of Newark; an energetic organizer who prioritizes building churches, founding Seton Hall College, and bringing religious orders to New Jersey to ensure institutional stability.
• Father Nicholas Hens: The zealous pastor of St. Boniface’s Church; he dedicates his life to organizing the German Catholic population and facilitating spiritual services for incoming French and Italian immigrants.

In Its Own Voice

"The first chapter of the history of the Catholic Church, take it as a whole, or in whatever country or nation you like, is written in blood, the precious blood of the martyrs who died for their God and their faith."

Shriner reflects on the historical adversities facing the early Church before its eventual rise.

"Here we erect another bulwark against irreligion, indifference and vice, which all must acknowledge are spreading over our fair republic."

A visiting prelate addresses the congregation during the ceremonial laying of the new church's corner-stone.

"There were at that time only twelve Catholic families in Paterson, but the prejudice against the Catholic Church which characterized its earlier history in this country had subsided, and the Catholics received aid from persons of other denominations."

The author describes the cooperative spirit that enabled the construction of Paterson's first Catholic chapel in 1821.

What It's Really About

Beneath its record of parish dates, land purchases, and architectural dimensions, the book explores how working-class immigrant communities build enduring social and spiritual infrastructure in industrial America. It illustrates how marginalized groups transition from temporary laborers into established civic pillars through collective sacrifice, religious discipline, and institutional organization. Shriner highlights the interplay between industrial growth and religious expansion, demonstrating that as Paterson’s silk and cotton mills expanded, church institutions provided necessary stability, social welfare, and education. Ultimately, the work asserts that religious devotion and civic loyalty mutually reinforce one another in a pluralistic republic.

Why Read It Today

This work offers an authentic, hyper-local window into nineteenth-century American immigration, urban development, and religious history. Modern readers interested in New Jersey history, genealogy, or micro-histories of American industrial towns will appreciate Shriner’s meticulous documentation of early family names, land transactions, and city expansion.

The reading experience is straightforward, candid, and rich with archival detail, though it carries the inevitable stylistic markers of late-nineteenth-century church histories. Modern audiences must navigate long lists of clerical attendees, transcripts of sermons, Latin liturgical quotes, and detailed legal real estate boundary disputes (such as city legislative bans on urban cemeteries). Nevertheless, what stays with the reader is the profound sense of communal grit—how ordinary cotton spinners, canal diggers, and mill hands contributed their scarce earnings to raise monumental stone structures that outlasted the industrial era that birthed them.