History of the Archdiocese of Newark
On July 29, 1853, Pope Pius IX erected the Diocese of Newark, taking all of New Jersey from the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Philadelphia. The first bishop, James Roosevelt Bayley, was installed on November 1, 1853. He founded Seton Hall College and Immaculate Conception Seminary in 1856 and laid the groundwork for a future cathedral. The southern 14 counties were detached in 1881 to form the Diocese of Trenton, and in 1937 three more counties (Passaic, Morris, Sussex) were split off to create the Diocese of Paterson, with Camden simultaneously erected. On December 10, 1937, the Diocese of Newark was elevated to a metropolitan archdiocese with Bishop Thomas J. Walsh as its first archbishop. The archdiocese celebrated its centennial in 1954, the same year the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart was finally dedicated. The cathedral was raised to the rank of minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1995.
- 1853 — Diocese erected by Pope Pius IX; Bayley installed as first bishop
- 1856 — Seton Hall College and Immaculate Conception Seminary founded
- 1871 — Site of future cathedral acquired for $60,000
- 1881 — Diocese of Trenton erected from southern counties
- 1898–1899 — Cathedral cornerstone laid
- December 10, 1937 — Elevated to Archdiocese; Paterson and Camden erected; Province of Newark created
- 1954 — Cathedral of the Sacred Heart dedicated October 19
- 1995 — Cathedral elevated to minor basilica by Pope John Paul II
- 2017 — Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin installed as sixth Archbishop
The Sixth Archbishop: Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R.
His Eminence Joseph William Cardinal Tobin, C.Ss.R., was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1952, the eldest of thirteen children. A Redemptorist, he served as Superior General of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer before Pope Benedict XVI named him Secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life in 2010 and titular Archbishop of Obba. Pope Francis appointed him Archbishop of Indianapolis in 2012, a cardinal on October 9, 2016, and the sixth Archbishop of Newark on November 7, 2016. He was installed at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart on January 6, 2017. His episcopal motto is 'Rejoice in the Lord' from Philippians 4:4. Cardinal Tobin is the first Redemptorist to lead the Archdiocese of Newark.
- Born Detroit, MI, 1952; professed vows as Redemptorist 1973/1976; ordained priest 1978
- Secretary, Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life, 2010
- Archbishop of Indianapolis, 2012–2016
- Created Cardinal, November 19, 2016
- Appointed sixth Archbishop of Newark, November 7, 2016; installed January 6, 2017
- Episcopal motto: 'Rejoice in the Lord' (Phil. 4:4)
Auxiliary Bishops and Archdiocesan Leadership
The archbishop is assisted by four auxiliary bishops, each assigned as Regional Bishop for one of the four counties: Bishop Pedro Bismarck Chau (Regional Bishop for Essex County), Bishop Michael A. Saporito (Bergen County), Bishop Manuel A. Cruz (Hudson County), and Bishop Elias R. Lorenzo, O.S.B. (Union County). Bishops emeritus include John Walter Flesey, Dominic Anthony Marconi, and Gregory J. Studerus. The Vicar General is Very Rev. John J. Chadwick, S.T.D., and the Judicial Vicar is Very Rev. Raphael Lee, J.C.L.
- Bishop Pedro Bismarck Chau — Regional Bishop, Essex County
- Bishop Michael A. Saporito — Regional Bishop, Bergen County
- Bishop Manuel A. Cruz — Regional Bishop, Hudson County
- Bishop Elias R. Lorenzo, O.S.B. — Regional Bishop, Union County
- Vicar General: Very Rev. John J. Chadwick, S.T.D.
- Judicial Vicar: Very Rev. Raphael Lee, J.C.L.
The Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart
The Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, located at 89 Ridge Street in Newark's Lower Broadway neighborhood overlooking Branch Brook Park, is the fifth-largest cathedral in North America. The land was purchased in 1871 for $60,000 by Bishop Bayley; architect Jeremiah O'Rourke broke ground in January 1898, and Bishop Wigger laid the cornerstone on June 11, 1899. Originally planned in English-Irish Gothic, the design was changed to French Gothic in 1913. Construction stretched over 55 years at a final cost of about $18 million. The cathedral was dedicated on October 19, 1954 and elevated to a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II during his 1995 visit. The Great Rose Window over the entrance, 36 feet across, is the largest in any Catholic church in the Western Hemisphere, and many scholars rank the building's Zettler stained glass second only to Chartres. Daily Mass is offered in English, with a Sunday noon Mass in English celebrated by the Cathedral Choir and a Sunday Mass in Spanish.
- Fifth-largest cathedral in North America
- 365 feet long, 165-foot-wide transept, French Gothic Revival
- Great Rose Window — 36 feet, largest in a Western Hemisphere Catholic church
- Dedicated October 19, 1954; raised to basilica 1995
- Listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places (1976)
- Daily Mass in English; Sunday Mass in English and Spanish
Seminaries and Priestly Formation
The Archdiocese of Newark has been forming priests locally since 1856. The Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology at Seton Hall University — one of the oldest Catholic seminaries in the United States — was begun in 1860/1861 and today enrolls roughly 245 students in M.A., M.A.P.M., and M.Div. programs, open to lay students and seminarians. St. Andrew's Hall College Seminary provides undergraduate formation. The Redemptoris Mater Archdiocesan Missionary Seminary, established October 29, 1990 in Kearny, forms priests according to the Neocatechumenal Way for service in Newark and beyond — and is the only Redemptoris Mater house in the United States so established. The Archdiocesan Office of Priestly Vocations (newarkpriest.com) promotes vocations through prayer, accompaniment, and discernment, and Cardinal Tobin ordains new priests and deacons at the Cathedral Basilica each spring.
- Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology at Seton Hall (founded 1860/1861)
- St. Andrew's Hall College Seminary
- Redemptoris Mater Seminary, Kearny (est. 1990) — Neocatechumenal Way
- Office of Priestly Vocations (newarkpriest.com)
Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Newark
Carrying out Bishop Bayley's founding vision — that every Catholic child in New Jersey should be in a Catholic school — the Archdiocese of Newark today supports 64 Catholic schools across Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union counties, administered in partnership with the Office of Catholic Schools and the regional Catholic Schools office. The system spans elementary, middle, and high schools, including Seton Hall Preparatory School, Immaculate Conception High School (Montclair), and academies serving students of every ethnic and economic background. The schools' network is among the largest in the Northeast.
- 64 Catholic schools system-wide
- Seton Hall Preparatory School
- Immaculate Conception High School, Montclair
- Regional schools across Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union counties
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark (ccannj.org) has been a social-services arm of the local Church for more than 120 years. Today it operates 86 programs serving close to 56,000 individuals each year in the four counties. Its ministries include the Emergency Food and Nutrition Network (feeding 30,000 annually), Mount Carmel Guild Academy (West Orange, learning- and behaviorally-disabled students Pre-K–12), Mount Carmel Guild Little Schoolhouse Preschool in Elizabeth, the MCG Cares Center in Newark, the 1-800-227-7413 Help Line, Parish Access Centers, School Social Services, refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, adoption services, HIV-positive housing, and shelters for the homeless.
- 1-800-227-7413 Help Line
- Emergency Food and Nutrition Network
- Mount Carmel Guild Academy, West Orange
- Mount Carmel Guild Little Schoolhouse, Elizabeth
- MCG Cares Center, Newark
- Refugee resettlement and immigration legal services
- Parish Access Centers
Welcoming Immigrants — A 200-Year Story
From the first parish of St. John's in 1828, the diocese of Newark has been shaped by successive waves of immigrants. The Irish and German pioneers of the 1840s gave way to Italian, Polish, Slovak, Hungarian, and Hispanic newcomers. Each wave founded its own parishes and parochial schools — St. Mary's (1842) for the Germans, national parishes across the Oranges, Newark, Jersey City, Bayonne, and the Hudson County waterfront for Italians and Eastern Europeans, and a dense network of Latino parishes from the late 20th century on. Today the cathedral itself celebrates Sunday Mass in both English and Spanish.
- 1828 — St. John's, Newark, first parish
- 1842 — St. Mary's, Newark, serves the German community
- National parishes for Italian, Polish, Slovak, and Hungarian Catholics in the late 19th and early 20th centuries
- Hispanic ministry expansion in the late 20th and 21st centuries
Religious Orders and Congregations
The archdiocese has been home to a wide array of religious orders since its founding 170 years ago. In 1858 Bishop Bayley invited the Sisters of Charity to establish a New Jersey branch, and they moved their motherhouse to Madison; in 1880 Bishop Corrigan welcomed the Dominican Nuns of the Perpetual Adoration from France. Redemptorists, Benedictines (Mount Saint Benedict, Mendham), Jesuits, Franciscans, Capuchins, Passionists, Salesians, and many women's congregations have staffed parishes, schools, hospitals, and retreat houses throughout the four counties.
- Sisters of Charity — New Jersey province, motherhouse at Madison
- Dominican Nuns of the Perpetual Adoration — arrived 1880
- Benedictine monks — Mount Saint Benedict, Mendham
- Jesuits, Franciscans, Capuchins, Redemptorists, Salesians, and others
Parish Life and Recent Mergers
The 211 parishes of the archdiocese serve Catholics in every neighborhood, from the urban cores of Newark, Jersey City, Elizabeth, and Bayonne to the suburbs of Bergen and Union counties. Beginning in 2002 the Pastoral Plan for Parishes led to a sustained program of mergers and consolidations designed to sustain vibrant Catholic life in changing demographics. Notable recent mergers include Holy Trinity–Epiphany (Newark, 2002), Good Shepherd (Irvington, 2005), St. Patrick and Assumption/All Saints (Jersey City, 2005), Our Lady of Grace and St. Joseph (Hoboken, 2008), St. Michael/St. Joseph (Bayonne, 2009), Divine Mercy (Rahway, 2010), and the 2016 Bayonne reorganization that created Blessed Miriam Teresa Demjanovich Parish and St. John Paul II Parish.
- 211 parishes across Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union
- 2002 — Holy Trinity–Epiphany, Newark
- 2005 — Good Shepherd, Irvington; St. Patrick and Assumption/All Saints, Jersey City
- 2008 — Our Lady of Grace and St. Joseph, Hoboken
- 2010 — Divine Mercy, Rahway
- 2016 — Blessed Miriam Teresa Demjanovich and St. John Paul II parishes, Bayonne
Archives and Records
The Archives of the Archdiocese of Newark collect, preserve, and make available the permanent records of the local Church — parish registers, sacramental records, bishops' papers, institutional files, and audiovisual holdings. They are housed on the campus of Seton Hall University in South Orange, in the Walsh Library. The archives also document the 1995 papal visit and the 2002–2016 parish mergers, and serve as a research resource for genealogists, scholars, and journalists.
- Archdiocesan Archives at Seton Hall University, Walsh Library, 400 South Orange Ave., South Orange, NJ 07079
Contact and Visiting the Archdiocese
The archdiocesan Pastoral Center is at 171 Clifton Avenue, Newark, NJ 07104, telephone (973) 497-4000. The official website, rcan.org, carries news, the Bishop's calendar, vocation information, parish directories, and liturgical resources. The Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart is at 89 Ridge Street, Newark, and offers daily Mass in English and Sunday Mass in English and Spanish.
- Pastoral Center: 171 Clifton Avenue, Newark, NJ 07104
- Phone: (973) 497-4000
- Website: https://rcan.org
- Cathedral: Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, 89 Ridge Street, Newark
