St. Paul the Apostle

Welcome & About St. Paul the Apostle

St. Paul the Apostle Parish is a vibrant Catholic community in the Greenville section of Jersey City, New Jersey, in the Archdiocese of Newark. Many longtime parishioners simply call the parish 'St. Paul's (Greenville).' The parish welcomes new faces and longtime members alike: 'St. Paul's is for you. Whether you're brand new or have been coming awhile, make it official by registering as a parishioner. We're blessed to have you!' Visitors can register as parishioners, inquire about OCIA, request a Baptism or marriage, and contact the priests through the parish website.

History of St. Paul's (Greenville)

The parish's story begins in 1861, when Bishop James R. Bayley incorporated 'St. Paul's Catholic Church, Greenville, N.J.' at the request of Irish and German Catholic immigrants who had been traveling miles to Mass. Passionist Fathers from St. Michael's Monastery in West Hoboken celebrated the first Masses in parishioners' homes. A modest 20-by-30-foot wood-frame church costing $1,382 was built on Old Bergen Road, and by 1888 the parish had grown enough to dedicate the present Gothic Revival church at Old Bergen Road and Greenville Avenue, designed by architect Edward Simon. The New York Times called its architecture 'pure Gothic.'

• 1861 — Parish incorporated; first pastor Father Vincent, C.P.
• 1865–1869 — Rev. Peter Niederhause preaches in English and German; two wings added (1869).
• 1872–1878 — Rev. Joseph Mendl expands frontage (1874) and builds the first school.
• 1873 — Greenville annexed to Jersey City.
• 1882–1895 — Rev. J.J. Schandel plans and builds the present Gothic Revival church; cornerstone 1887, dedication July 15, 1888 by Bishop Wigger; Bach's Mass in B minor performed in the U.S. for the first time.
• 1906 — Sacred Heart Parish formed to the north; Armstrong Avenue becomes the boundary.
• 1912 — Present rectory built for the Golden Jubilee, designed by J.T. Rowland, Jr.
• 1915–1958 — Msgr. Thomas F. Monaghan's 43-year tenure; new convent (1929) and 1,500-student school (1926).
• 1963 — Our Lady of Mercy Parish formed west of Kennedy Boulevard.
• 2003 — St. Paul's School of Excellence closes; later used by CREATE Charter School and Infinity Institute.
• 2012 — 150th anniversary celebrated.
• 2021 — Rev. Joseph A. Furnaguera appointed Temporary Administrator (February 1).
• 2023 — Parish takes Sacred Heart School under its wing — an arrangement unique in the archdiocese.

Architecture & Buildings

The present church, constructed in 1888 on the highest point in southern Greenville (98 feet above sea level), is the parish's signature feature: a Gothic Revival church at the corner of Old Bergen Road and Greenville Avenue whose facade 'resembles a medieval cathedral.' Its steeple is considered one of the tallest church towers in all of New Jersey. The marble cornerstone was laid May 29, 1887 and Bishop Michael Winand Wigger of Newark presided over the dedication on July 15, 1888.

• Architect: Edward Simon (local, of North Wales).
• Building cost: $87,000 raised by 3,600 parishioners.
• Cornerstone: polished marble, May 29, 1887.
• Dedication: July 15, 1888, Bishop Michael Winand Wigger.
• Rectory (14 Greenville Ave.): built 1912, designed by J.T. Rowland, Jr.
• School (1926): $600,000 building for 1,500 students at Greenville Ave. and Old Bergen Road.
• Convent: built 1929 under Msgr. Monaghan.

Clergy & Parish Staff

St. Paul's is led by its current pastor, the Rev. Joseph A. Furnaguera, who was first appointed Temporary Administrator of the parish on February 1, 2021, after serving as parochial vicar from 2019. A son of Cuban immigrants, Fr. Joseph grew up in Union County, was sent to study at Seton Hall and in Rome, and has led a parish revival that includes updated parish council, bus trips, the annual bazaar, a formalized youth group, and a new men's prayer group. He also serves as dean of Catholic churches from West Side to Bayonne, and as director of the Sacred Heart School.

• Pastor: Rev. Joseph A. Furnaguera (since Feb. 1, 2021; previously parochial vicar from 2019).
• Associate: Fr. Jae.
• Pastoral Associate: Joanne Gorman (lifelong Jersey City resident; became principal of Sacred Heart School in July 2023).
• Priest Office Hours: Monday & Wednesday, 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM.
• Emergency line: 201-433-8500, Ext. 2 (Fr. Joseph) or Ext. 3 (Fr. Jae).

Faith Formation — Sunday School & OCIA

St. Paul's runs a Religious Education / Sunday School program for children in Grades 1–12, with registration held every Sunday after the 12:00 PM Mass from July 12 through September 13 at the back sacristy. A Sunday School Handbook and Schedule are available to download from the parish website. For adults, the parish offers OCIA — the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (formerly RCIA) — for those seeking Baptism, First Holy Communion, Confirmation, or full communion with the Catholic Church from another Christian denomination.

• Sunday School (Grades 1–12): registration after 12 PM Mass, July 12 – September 13, back sacristy.
• Downloadable Sunday School Handbook and Schedule.
• OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults): for adults seeking the sacraments of initiation or full communion.
• Spanish-language OCIA / faith-formation inquiries welcome.

Sacraments

The parish prepares members for the sacraments of Baptism, Marriage, the Anointing of the Sick, and the sacraments of initiation (Baptism, First Holy Communion, Confirmation) through both the Sunday School program for children and the OCIA process for adults. Anyone interested in marriage should contact Fr. Joseph directly to begin preparation. Families wishing to baptize a child are invited to enroll them in the religious education program as part of their journey.

• Baptism — begin by enrolling the child in the religious education program.
• Marriage — speak with Fr. Joseph (call 201-433-8500).
• Anointing of the Sick — call the rectory; emergencies: 201-433-8500 Ext. 2 (Fr. Joseph) or Ext. 3 (Fr. Jae).
• First Communion & Confirmation — preparation via Sunday School (Grades 1–12) or OCIA (adults).

Parish Life & Ministries

Under Fr. Joseph Furnaguera, St. Paul's has renewed its parish council and brought more social activity into parish life. The parish runs parish-wide bus trips (often filling two buses), a formalized youth group, a new men's prayer group, and the annual parish bazaar that Fr. Joseph calls 'the feast,' which has been revived two years running and brings alumni of the school and church alongside new, diverse parishioners. The parish has roughly 500 registered families, with about 600 people attending the four Sunday Masses on a typical weekend, and a congregation that includes Hispanic, Asian Indian, Filipino, African-American, German, and Irish heritages.

• Parish Council — refreshed under current pastor.
• Youth Group — formalized under Fr. Joseph.
• Men's Prayer Group — new under Fr. Joseph.
• Annual Bazaar — revived two consecutive years.
• Parish Bus Trips — typically two buses per trip.
• Sacred Heart School partnership — archdiocese-unique sponsorship of the nearby school.

Sacred Heart School Partnership

In a 2023 arrangement described by NJ.com as 'unique in the entire archdiocese,' St. Paul the Apostle took the nearby Sacred Heart School in Greenville under its wing even though it sits about a mile from the parish. Sacred Heart Church itself closed in 2005, but its school remained open under the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth and the Archdiocese of Newark. When longtime principal Sister Frances Salemi (40 years) expressed interest in stepping down, Fr. Joseph promoted his pastoral associate, Jersey City native and St. Dominic Academy graduate Joanne Gorman, to become principal (effective July 1, 2023). The school serves around 160 students, mostly African American, in pre-K through eighth grade, with tuition of $4,700 annually and most students receiving scholarship aid.

• Enrollment: ~160 students, pre-K through 8th grade.
• Demographics: mostly African American, from surrounding neighborhoods.
• Tuition: $4,700/year, with scholarships from the Scholarship Fund for Inner City Students and the Simon and Tyrrell foundations.
• Principal: Joanne Gorman (since July 1, 2023).
• Consultant: Sister Frances Salemi (former principal of 40 years).
• Staffing support: Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth; long-time volunteer support from St. Elizabeth Church in Wyckoff.

Contact & Visit

St. Paul the Apostle is located at 14 Greenville Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07305, with the church and school grounds at the corner of Greenville Avenue and Old Bergen Road in the Greenville neighborhood. The parish can be reached by phone at (201) 433-8500 or by email at [email protected]. Newcomers are encouraged to register as parishioners; those interested in OCIA, Baptism, marriage, or the Anointing of the Sick should contact the rectory to be put in touch with Fr. Joseph or Fr. Jae.

• Address: 14 Greenville Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07305.
• Phone: (201) 433-8500.
• Email: [email protected].
• Website: http://www.stpaulrcc.com/.
• Emergency Anointing of the Sick: Ext. 2 (Fr. Joseph), Ext. 3 (Fr. Jae).