St. Joseph Pro Cathedral

Parish Mission

St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral Parish describes itself as a gathering of God's people bound by a common baptismal call to deepen faith and bring about the Reign of God. The parish mission statement commits the community to upholding the dignity of every person, living the principles of Catholic social teaching, and embodying the scriptural mandate of Jesus 'to bring good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, and to let the oppressed go free' (Luke 4:18).

Parish History

St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral grew out of a 1890 mission in the Boyce residence on Cooper Street (now 27th Street) in Stockton, served by the Franciscan Fathers of Sts. Peter and Paul Church beginning in early 1892. The parish was formally established in 1893, the first church dedicated December 16, 1893, and the present Modern-style church built in 1952 on the former St. Patrick's Cemetery site. It was declared a pro-cathedral because the downtown Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception could not accommodate the larger diocesan liturgies. In 2017 St. Anthony of Padua Parish was merged into the parish, making St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral the mother parish for two active worship sites.

• Mission station started February 7, 1892
• First church dedicated December 16, 1893
• Original church demolished c. 1939
• Current church built 1952
• St. Anthony of Padua merged in July 2017

Parish Staff & Clergy

The parish team is led by Pastor Rev. Jaime E. Hostios and includes a priest in residence, two permanent deacons, religious-education and baptism leadership, parish administrative staff, a director of music, and Romero Center staff.

• Rev. Jaime E. Hostios — Pastor
• Rev. Robert D'Imperio — Priest in Residence / Cooper Hospital Chaplain
• Deacon Pedro Espinal — Director of Religious Education & Baptism
• Deacon Eddy Gonzalez — Permanent Deacon, hospital chaplaincy
• Josefina Pantaleón — Parish Secretary (Funerals, Weddings, Quinceañeras, Mass Intentions, Priest appointments)
• Licelot Rodriguez — Business Manager
• Carmen Segura — Bookkeeper
• Eduard Facenda — Director of Music
• Teresa Garibay — Romero Center Ministry

Apostolic Groups & Ministries

The parish supports a wide range of lay-led ministries serving both English- and Spanish-speaking parishioners, with particular strength in youth ministry and devotion groups.

• Altar Servers (Monaguillos / Servidores)
• Eucharistic Ministers (Ministro Extraordinario de la Sagrada Comunión)
• Ushers (Ujieres)
• Lectors (Lectores)
• Sacred Heart of Jesus Group (Sagrado Corazón de Jesús)
• Movimiento Juan XXIII (Cursillo movement)
• Youth Group Ministry
• RCIA for Youth and Adults
• Hospital chaplaincy

Faith Formation & Sacraments

Faith formation at St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral is coordinated by Deacon Pedro Espinal and includes baptism preparation, First Communion, Confirmation, and the RCIA / RCIT processes for adults 18 and older who are unbaptized or missing a sacrament. The parish also offers Pre-K faith formation, anointing of the sick, and helps families coordinate weddings, quinceañeras / sweet 15-16 celebrations, and funerals through the parish secretary.

• Baptism
• First Communion
• Confirmation
• RCIA (adults) and RCIT (adults missing a sacrament)
• Anointing of the Sick
• Holy Orders (vocations)
• Marriage
• Quinceañera / Sweet 15-16
• Pre-K
• Funerals

Romero Center Ministries

Founded March 24, 1998 on the 18th anniversary of Archbishop Oscar Romero's martyrdom, Romero Center Ministries began when St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral parish converted its former convent into an urban retreat center. Its flagship program, The Urban Challenge, offers Catholic education and retreat experiences that immerse participants in the realities of urban poverty in Camden — from failing schools and lack of affordable housing to homelessness, hunger, violence, and environmental injustice — and grounds them in Catholic social teaching and the call to serve the poor. Romero Center is widely recognized as a national Catholic urban-justice apostolate and shares the St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral campus.

• Urban Challenge retreat program
• Year-round Catholic education and retreat experiences
• Inspired by Saint Oscar Romero's prophetic witness
• Located on the parish campus (former convent)
• Contact: 856-964-9777, [email protected]

Parish School (K-8)

St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral School serves grades K-8 and is listed among the Catholic elementary schools of the Diocese of Camden. The school principal is Mrs. Frances Montgomery, and the school shares the parish campus.

• St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral School (K-8)
• Principal: Mrs. Frances Montgomery
• Phone: 856-964-4336
• Located on the parish campus

Diocese of Camden

St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral belongs to the Diocese of Camden, which was established by Pope Pius XI on December 9, 1937, covering the six southernmost counties of New Jersey and previously part of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The diocesan bishop is Most Rev. Joseph A. Williams. Because the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception downtown is comparatively small, the diocesan bishop uses St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral as the larger pro-cathedral for major liturgies such as ordinations and Chrism Mass.

• Diocese established December 9, 1937
• Bishop: Most Rev. Joseph A. Williams
• Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is the official cathedral downtown
• St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral serves as the larger pro-cathedral for major diocesan liturgies

Visit & Contact

Parishioners and visitors may contact the parish office during business hours. Mass Intentions, funeral arrangements, weddings, quinceañeras, and priest appointments are handled by the Parish Secretary; Baptisms, First Communion, Confirmation, RCIA/RCIT, and sacramental records are handled through the Director of Religious Education.

• Office: 2907 Federal Street, Camden, NJ 08105
• Phone: 856-964-2776
• Fax: 856-964-0044
• Parish Secretary (Josefina Pantaleón): Ext. 403 — [email protected]
• Religious Education & Baptism (Deacon Pedro Espinal): Ext. 401 — [email protected]
• Business Manager (Licelot Rodriguez): Ext. 413 — [email protected]
• Bookkeeper (Carmen Segura): Ext. 404 — [email protected]
• Romero Center (Teresa Garibay): Ext. 507 — [email protected]