File:St. Paul's in Greenville in The Catholic Advocate on 19 October 1961, page 3.png

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St. Paul’s in Greenville Marks Centennial November 19, 1961

Jersey City - One of the largest parishes in the Archdiocese of Newark will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its foundation next month with a Solemn Pontifical Mass on November 19 and a centennial banquet on Nov. .'>o. Catholics first came to what was then the community of Greenville in the early 19th century when it was an area of farmland. They attended Mass at St. Peter’s Church in Barclay St., New York, and later at St. Peter’s and St. Joseph’s in Jersey City. By 1861, the Catholic population of the area, chiefly German in origin, had grown so that Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley established a mission under the care of the Passionist Fathers, who had just arrived to take charge of St. Michael’s in West Hoboken. For four years, St. Paul’s was served by the Passionists, but. in 1865, the first secular priest was assigned as pastor of what was now a full-fledged parish with about 1,000 parishioners.

The first church, a 30 by 20 ft. frame building, had been erected in 1861 and was enlarged by the addition of two wings in 1869. A rectory was constructed in 1870 during the pastorate of Rev. Angelus Kempen and the first school in 1872 during the pastorate of Rev. Joseph Mendl. At first, lay teachers taught the children but, in August, 1873, a band of five Sisters of St. Dominic of Newburgh arrived to begin 88 years of uninterrupted service to the parish. Another addition to the church was made in 1874 and the first convent built in 1877. Another change, of civic nature, also took place during Father Mendl’s pastorate. In 1873, Greenville became part of Jersey City, though the old name continues to be attached to the parish even to this day. Rev. J. Joseph Schandel, who became pastor in 1882, foresaw the day when the farms of Greenville would be turned into city streets lined by private homes and, in 1886, commenced plans for erection of anew church. This imposing structure, on the corner of Greenville and Old Bergen Rd., was dedicated by Bishop Wigger in July, 1888, and, standing on the highest point of ground in the city, its steeple is a landmark to be seen for many miles around. Father Schandel also undertook the construction of anew school which was completed in 1890. Accommodating 700 children, it served the parish until 1926 when the present modern structure was erected.

No new construction took place in the parish until 1912, the intervening years being given to clearing the parish debt. In 1912, the 50th anniversary of the parish was celebrated under Rev. Alphonse M. 11. Scharkcn and that same year the present rectory was constructed on Greenville Ave. In 1915, there came to St. Paul’s the priest who was to guide the parish through the next 43 years, Msgr. (then Rev.) Thomas F. Monaghan. By this time, the original German nature of the parish had changed as Catholics of all national origins settled in Greenville.

Monsignor Monaghan undertook improvements to the church which were completed in 1916. The Black Tom explosion of that year shattered the stained glass windows of the church and new ones were installed. -World War II interrupted new building plans as almost 300 men of the parish entered service. The construction of the present school in 1926 was followed in 1929 by erection of anew convent, next to the rectory on Greenville Avenue. Another major renovation of the church was undertaken in 1932, at which time the three sets of Swedish wrought iron doors, including scenes from the life of Christ, were installed at the entrances on Greenville Ave. and Old Bergen Rd. The growth of Greenville exceeded all expectations and is even now still going on by leaps and bounds. St. Paul’s presently has 23,000 parishioners and accommodates them each Sunday with a heavy schedule of Masses in both church and school auditorium. More than 9,000 attend the Masses in the school each week, more than in most churches of the archdiocese. Msgr. Monaghan was elevated to the rank of domestic prelate with the title of Right Reverend Monsignor by Pope Pius XII in 1941. In 1955, he celebrated his 40th anniversary as pastor of St. Paul's and, two years later, the 60th anniversary of his ordination. He died on Mar. 27, 1958.

Succeeding Monsignor Monaghan, was Msgr. (then Reverend) Leo J. Mahoney, who had served as an assistant at St. Paul’s from 1930 to 1953. Msgr. Mahoney (he was elevated to the rank of domestic prelate in 1959) is also head of the Archdiocesan Federation of Sodalities and St. Paul’s has become the nerve center of the Sodality in the archdiocese under his pastorate. Among the programs of Msgr. Monaghan which have been continued and developed under Msgr. Mahoney is the Catholic education plan which provides tuition for over 400 parish children to Catholic high schools each year St. Paul’s led all parishes of the archdiocese in contributions to the Archdiocesan Development Fund with over $390,000.

The grounds of St. Paul’s have been beautified in the last decade by the erection of three marble statues: (1) a Carrara marble statue of the Blessed l Mother presented by the parish to Monsignor Monaghan in 1955 and placed in front of the church: (2) a statue of Christ the King given by Monsignor Monaghan to the parish and placed in front of the school in 1956; and (3) a memorial statue of St. Paul on the corner of Linden Ave. and Old Bergen Rd., in memory of Msgr. Monaghan. Archbishop Bolani) will celebrate the Pontifical Mass of Thanksgiving on Nov. 19 in St. Paul's Church and Bishop McNulty will he principal speaker at the reunion banquet on Nov. 20 at the Boulevard Skating Rink.