About Assumption/All Saints Parish - St. Patrick · Jersey City, New Jersey
Saint Patrick & Assumption/All Saints Parish is a Roman Catholic parish serving the Bergen-Lafayette neighborhood of Jersey City, New Jersey, within the Archdiocese of Newark. For nearly 150 years it has been a visible presence of Christ's love for immigrant communities that have successively made the area their home. The merged parish combines three historic churches — the grand Gothic St. Patrick at Ocean and Grand Avenues, the smaller Gothic All Saints on Pacific Avenue, and the modern red-brick Assumption at 344 Pacific Avenue — and today celebrates Mass in English, Spanish, and French/Creole for a vibrant, multicultural Catholic community.
- Established
- 1869
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Rev. Marc-Arthur Francois
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Newark
Why belong here
Saint Patrick & Assumption/All Saints is one of the most culturally rich Catholic parishes in Jersey City, where the same congregation worships in English, Spanish, and French/Creole every Sunday at the historic St. Patrick Church on Ocean and Grand Avenues. The parish feeds bodies as well as souls through its Assumption Church food pantry (open the 2nd and 4th Tuesday evenings), supports a vibrant religious education program from pre-K through high school, and hosts lively devotional life — Charismatic Prayer Group, Legion of Mary, Ultreya, Holy Hour, and a long-running sacred-and-secular Concert Series. For anyone in the Bergen-Lafayette neighborhood or visiting the Statue of Liberty waterfront, it is a welcoming, historic, and truly multicultural home.
Mass times at Assumption/All Saints Parish - St. Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Adoration times
- Assumption/All Saints Church: Holy Hour / Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament immediately after the 9:00 a.m. daily Mass.
- First Friday at 7:30 p.m. at St. Patrick Church, followed by Mass.
Welcome & Parish Identity
Saint Patrick & Assumption/All Saints Parish has been the visible presence of Christ's love and commitment to the people of Jersey City's Bergen-Lafayette neighborhood for nearly 150 years. Uniquely situated on a rise above the city's waterfront — and, from its higher promontories, within sight of the Statue of Liberty — the parish has been a first stop for successive waves of immigrants and migrants carrying little more than hopes of a better life. Today it is a rich spiritual community blending the strength of an established congregation with vibrant Catholic traditions from around the world. Eucharist is celebrated at St. Patrick and Assumption churches, and visitors are warmly encouraged to join a Sunday Mass and experience the community of faith firsthand.
History of St. Patrick Church
St. Patrick Parish traces to 1868, when Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley — nephew of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton — deeded land near Communipaw Avenue in Bergen for a small wood-frame mission church called St. Joseph's. By December 23, 1869 the explosive growth of the Catholic population led Bayley to raise the mission to full parish status as St. Patrick, just three months after the cities of Hudson and Bergen merged with old Jersey City. Father Patrick Hennessey, the first pastor, envisioned a Gothic church on a hill and hired New York architect Patrick Kiely to design it in blue flintstone; the chapel opened in 1872 and the great church with its 225-foot spire was dedicated on August 19, 1877. Father Hennessey died in 1896, still burdened by the $300,000 mortgage, and is buried at the base of the bell tower.
- St. Joseph's Mission Church, Communipaw Avenue (1868)
- St. Patrick raised to parish status (December 23, 1869)
- Chapel opens for Mass (1872)
- Great Gothic church dedicated with 225-foot spire (August 19, 1877)
- Father Hennessey dies March 1, 1896
The Parish School
Father Hennessey was forced to close the parish school in 1877 under the weight of the church mortgage, and died without seeing it revived. His successor Father Lawrence Carroll nurtured the school dream back to life and laid the foundation for a school building on October 13, 1901 to match the great church. Msgr. John A. Stafford completed construction, and on August 11, 1909 fifteen Sisters of Charity led by Sister Rose Patricia Allen arrived. They opened the school in 1910 — not merely as a school but as a true center of parish life and culture, with a theater (one of the finest in New Jersey, modeled on Broadway stages) that attracted Victor Herbert, Edward MacDowell, and Henry Hadley to direct productions.
- School foundation laid October 13, 1901
- Sisters of Charity arrive August 11, 1909
- School opens 1910 under Sister Rose Patricia Allen
All Saints Parish
All Saints Parish was organized November 1, 1896 as the Lafayette Section of St. Patrick Parish. Its first pastor, the Rev. Joseph H. Meehan (transferred from St. Patrick's in Elizabeth), celebrated the first Mass in Lafayette Battery Hall on Whiton Street on November 15, 1896. A combined school-and-church building on Whiton and Lafayette Streets was begun April 29, 1897 and dedicated by Bishop Winand Wigger on December 19, 1897; the Sisters of Charity opened the school in January 1898 with an attendance of 400. Fr. Meehan then purchased the Van Horn property on the corner of Communipaw and Pacific Avenues for $33,650, broke ground in July 1906 and laid the cornerstone September 9 of that year. The new All Saints church — English Gothic, built of North Carolina granite, 85 by 167 feet, costing about $165,000 — was valued at $200,000 with furnishings.
- All Saints organized November 1, 1896
- First Mass at Lafayette Battery Hall, November 15, 1896
- School/church building dedicated December 19, 1897
- Sisters of Charity open school January 1898
- New English Gothic church foundation begun July 1906; cornerstone September 9, 1906
The 1980s/2005 Merger
Saint Patrick & Assumption/All Saints Parish was created by the merger of the three historic congregations — St. Patrick, All Saints, and Assumption — in the 1980s, with the merged parish formally recorded in the Archdiocese of Newark archives in 2005. The mission of the combined parish incorporates the legacy of each — to welcome, encourage, nourish, minister, and educate — within the framework of Christ's living presence in the Eucharist and in the sacramental life and ministries of the Church.
- St. Patrick, All Saints and Assumption merged (1980s)
- Archdiocese of Newark records the merger (2005)
Our Three Churches
The parish worships in three historic churches that anchor the Bergen-Lafayette neighborhood. St. Patrick, the grand Gothic cathedral at the intersection of Ocean and Grand Avenues, is the Sunday Mass church. All Saints, the smaller Gothic structure on Pacific Avenue, and the more modern red-brick Assumption at 344 Pacific Avenue together house the daily Mass, adoration, food pantry, and many parish ministries. The St. Patrick Church and School complex was added to the New Jersey State Register of Historic Places on March 17, 1980 by Governor Brendan Byrne.
- St. Patrick Church — Ocean & Grand Avenues (Gothic, 225-foot spire)
- All Saints Church — Pacific Avenue (English Gothic, North Carolina granite)
- Assumption Church — 344 Pacific Avenue (modern red-brick)
Pastoral Team & Staff
The parish is served today by Rev. Marc-Arthur Francois as Pastor, with Rev. Eugene Squeo serving as Pastor Emeritus. Deacon Jesus Reyes supports the parish's ministry, particularly inquiries to the archdiocesan diaconate program. The parish also relies on a dedicated team of lay ministers and staff handling RCIA, Baptism preparation, Safe Environment, religious education, music, bookkeeping, accounting, reception, and maintenance at both church campuses. Parish Trustees are Keith Davis and Cheryl Dawkins.
- Rev. Marc-Arthur Francois — Pastor
- Rev. Eugene Squeo — Pastor Emeritus
- Deacon Jesus Reyes
- Anna Maria Padilla — RCIA, Baptism & Local Safe Environment
- Sr. Myriam Meus, FMA — Religious Education
- Norman Padua — Music
- Naida Larose — Receptionist
- Victorina Figueras — Bookkeeper
- George Marucha — Accountant
- Greg Chapman — Maintenance (St. Patrick)
- Nelson Gonzalez — Maintenance (Assumption)
- Keith Davis & Cheryl Dawkins — Parish Trustees
Liturgical Schedule
Sunday Mass is celebrated at St. Patrick Church in three languages. From June through November (Summer Schedule) the times are 9:00 a.m. in English, 11:00 a.m. in Spanish, and 12:30 p.m. in French/Creole. From Sunday, December 8, 2024 through Sunday, May 25, 2025 (Winter Schedule) the times are 9:30 a.m. English, 11:30 a.m. Spanish, and 1:00 p.m. French/Creole. Daily Mass is celebrated Monday through Saturday at 9:00 a.m. at Assumption/All Saints Church, followed immediately by a Holy Hour / Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
Religious Education & RCIA
The parish sponsors religious education for children in pre-Kindergarten through high school, including preparation for the Sacraments of Holy Communion, Reconciliation, and Confirmation. Adults seeking full communion with the Catholic Church — or non-Catholics who wish to become Catholic — complete the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) program. Inquiries go through Anna Maria Padilla (RCIA, Baptism, Local Safe Environment) or Sr. Myriam Meus, FMA (Religious Education).
- Pre-K through high school Religious Education
- First Communion, Reconciliation, and Confirmation preparation
- RCIA for adults
- Contact: 201-332-8600
Outreach & Social Ministry
The parish continues the legacy of 'Patrick House,' an early urban social-services ministry to Jersey City's poor and Black community that drew formal recognition and funding from the state. Today that legacy lives on in the parish's Food Pantry at Assumption Church, 344 Pacific Avenue, which is open the second and fourth Tuesday of each month from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. Parishioners wishing to support this ministry are encouraged to drop off bags of food at St. Patrick's or Assumption Church. Eucharistic Ministers also bring Communion to those who are sick or homebound, and the parish continues some family services begun under Patrick House.
- Food Pantry — Assumption Church, 344 Pacific Avenue
- Open 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 5:30–8:00 p.m.
- Eucharistic Ministers to the Sick
- Patrick House legacy of family services
Music, Liturgy & the Concert Series
Music is central to parish life at St. Patrick, and for more than a quarter century the parish has sponsored a concert series celebrating both sacred and secular music hosted in St. Patrick Church. The Haitian Catholic community enriches the parish's annual Festival of Music with its own traditional music and dancing, joining other ethnic groups in field trips and parish gatherings.
- Concert Series at St. Patrick Church (25+ years)
- Festival of Music with Haitian community traditions
- Music Director: Norman Padua
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, with full information available on its website. Anointing of the Sick is conferred on those who are seriously ill or near death as a witness of Christ's presence in difficulty or distress; arrangements are made by contacting a parish priest or the rectory at 201-332-8600. Parishioners interested in Holy Orders may contact Deacon Jesus Reyes for the diaconate program, or speak with any parish priest about priestly service.
- Baptism
- Reconciliation (Penance)
- First Holy Communion
- Confirmation
- Matrimony
- Anointing of the Sick
- Holy Orders
Getting Involved & Pastoral Identity
The parish relies on the voluntary efforts of its members to create a vibrant faith community, to minister to the spiritual and physical needs of parishioners, and to support outreach to the broader community. In its various ministries, parishioners — selflessly and often anonymously — advance the Church's message of hope and salvation and witness to God's enduring love and commitment to His people. For nearly 150 years this has been the visible presence of Christ in the Bergen-Lafayette neighborhood.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Patrick Hennessey1869–1896
First pastor of St. Patrick Parish; visionary Irish-born founder of the great Gothic church on 'the crest of Bergen Hill.' Died March 1, 1896 and is buried at the base of the bell tower.
- Rev. Lawrence Carrollafter 1896
Succeeded Hennessey; revived the parish school dream and laid the foundation for the school building on October 13, 1901.
- Msgr. John A. Staffordearly 1900s
Completed and opened the parish school in 1910 with the Sisters of Charity.
- Msgr. Edward A. Kellyfrom 1913
Fourth pastor; led St. Patrick through WWI, the Roaring Twenties, the Depression and into WWII.
- Rev. Joseph H. Meehanfrom 1896
First pastor of All Saints Parish (then Lafayette Section of St. Patrick); came from St. Patrick's in Elizabeth.
- Rev. Eugene Squeo
Pastor Emeritus of St. Patrick & Assumption/All Saints; previously part of the team ministry along with Fathers Francis Schiller and Fritz Ligonde.
- Rev. Marc-Arthur Francois
Current Pastor.