Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Camden
Encyclopedia
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is a Catholic Cathedral
located in Camden, New Jersey
, United States
. It is the seat of the Diocese of Camden
, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2003 as the Church of the Immaculate Conception. Built in 1864, it was officially designated as a cathedral in 1937.
priests from Old St. Joseph's Church
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. They started to minister to Catholics in southern New Jersey in the 1740s where Catholicism was officially banned from being practiced. Masses and other services were celebrated in private homes. In 1796 the Augustinian priests from St. Augustine Church
started ministering to Catholics in the region. They were followed sometime later by priests from the St. Mary’s Cathedral
in Philadelphia who served Camden until the Diocese of Newark
was established in 1853. Camden became a mission of the Catholic parish in Gloucester
, which had received its first resident pastor in 1851. Mass was celebrated a couple times a months in Camden in private homes and in public halls. In 1852 the hall that was regularly used for Mass was destroyed in a fire set by Nativists
.
The first resident priest assigned to Camden was the Rev. James Moran who established the Church of the Immaculate Conception in 1855. Starr’s Hall continued to be used for a church. Property was purchased in 1857 at Fifth Street and Taylor Avenue for a new church. Ground was broken for the new structure on June 9, 1859. The first Mass was celebrated on October 9 and dedicated on November 5 of the same year. A rectory
was added in 1861.
A private Catholic school was started by Sarah Fields in her home in 1859. It moved to the new church building after it was completed and became a parochial school. Initially the students were taught by lay teachers. A new school building was begun in 1871, but construction was halted during the financial panic of 1872-1873. Construction then resumed and the school building and convent
were completed in 1874. That year the Sisters of St. Joseph
from Chestnut Hill started teaching in the school. The Brothers of the Holy Cross
taught the boys from 1881-1892. A house was built for them and was completed in 1882. The Sisters of St. Joseph were replaced by the Sisters of Mercy
from Bordentown, New Jersey
in 1885. The school has subsequently been closed.
As Irish immigration accelerated the church building became too small. Property for the present church was bought in 1864 for $7,500. Jeremiah O'Rourke
from Newark was chosen as the architect. The cornerstone
was laid by the Rev. Bernard McQuaid
, then Vicar General
of the Newark Diocese, on October 23, 1864. The church was built of stone and measured 60 by 165 feet. Though unfinished, the first Mass was celebrated in the church in July 1866. The old church was sold on August 20, 1868 and it housed a factory unit it was sold again and became a meeting hall for the Grand Army of the Republic
. The church was not completed until 1888 when the tower and spire were completed. The interior was also extensively renovated in 1890 when the marble altars were added. The church was consecrated on May 27, 1893 by Bishop Michael J. O'Farrell
.
In 1867 the German Catholics who immigrated to Camden formed their own parish from Immaculate Conception, Saints Peter and Paul. Camden became part of the Diocese of Trenton
when it was established in 1881. The rectory, which had been built in 1861, was expanded in 1882. Sacred Heart Parish was established in 1885 from Immaculate Conception at a chapel that had been built in 1872.
, Pope Pius XI
established the Diocese of Camden on December 9 1937. The Church of the Immaculate Conception became the cathedral church for the new diocese at this time. The diocese’s first bishop, Bartholomew J. Eustace
, was installed on May 4, 1938. The number of Catholics continued to increase in the diocese and Immaculate Conception’s rather modest size necessitated St. Joseph’s Church
being named a pro-cathedral
in the 1950s.
Demographic changes in the late 20th and early 21st century necessitated changes to the parishes in Camden. On April 4, 2008 Bishop Joseph Galante announced that the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception would merge with Holy Name and Our Lady of Mount Carmel & Fatima parishes in Camden. The Cathedral was designated as the primary worship site with a secondary worship site at Our Lady of Mount Carmel & Fatima.
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
located in Camden, New Jersey
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the seat of the Diocese of Camden
Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden is a particular church or diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, located in New Jersey, United States, and presides over Roman Catholic parishes and schools in the six southern New Jersey counties of Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland,...
, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2003 as the Church of the Immaculate Conception. Built in 1864, it was officially designated as a cathedral in 1937.
Parish
The first Catholic priests to visit the area that is now Camden were JesuitSociety of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
priests from Old St. Joseph's Church
Old St. Joseph's Church
Old St. Joseph's Church was the first Catholic church in Philadelphia. When it was founded in 1733, Old St. Joseph's Church was the only place in the English-speaking world where public celebration of the holy sacrifice of the Mass was permitted by law. In 1734, the right of Catholics to worship...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. They started to minister to Catholics in southern New Jersey in the 1740s where Catholicism was officially banned from being practiced. Masses and other services were celebrated in private homes. In 1796 the Augustinian priests from St. Augustine Church
St. Augustine Church, Philadelphia
St. Augustine Catholic Church, also called Olde St. Augustine's, is a historic Catholic church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Consecrated in 1848, the Palladian-style church was designed by Napoleon LeBrun. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The church was...
started ministering to Catholics in the region. They were followed sometime later by priests from the St. Mary’s Cathedral
St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church is a historic church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is located in the Society Hill neighborhood at 248 S. Fourth Street, between Spruce and Walnut Streets.-History:...
in Philadelphia who served Camden until the Diocese of Newark
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark
The Archdiocese of Newark is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in northern New Jersey, United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of the Catholic parishes and schools in the New Jersey counties of Bergen, Union, Hudson and Essex .-History:Originally established as the Diocese of...
was established in 1853. Camden became a mission of the Catholic parish in Gloucester
Gloucester, New Jersey
Gloucester, New Jersey may refer to:* Gloucester City, New Jersey, Camden County* Gloucester Township, New Jersey, Camden County* Gloucester County, New Jersey...
, which had received its first resident pastor in 1851. Mass was celebrated a couple times a months in Camden in private homes and in public halls. In 1852 the hall that was regularly used for Mass was destroyed in a fire set by Nativists
Nativism (politics)
Nativism favors the interests of certain established inhabitants of an area or nation as compared to claims of newcomers or immigrants. It may also include the re-establishment or perpetuation of such individuals or their culture....
.
The first resident priest assigned to Camden was the Rev. James Moran who established the Church of the Immaculate Conception in 1855. Starr’s Hall continued to be used for a church. Property was purchased in 1857 at Fifth Street and Taylor Avenue for a new church. Ground was broken for the new structure on June 9, 1859. The first Mass was celebrated on October 9 and dedicated on November 5 of the same year. A rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
was added in 1861.
A private Catholic school was started by Sarah Fields in her home in 1859. It moved to the new church building after it was completed and became a parochial school. Initially the students were taught by lay teachers. A new school building was begun in 1871, but construction was halted during the financial panic of 1872-1873. Construction then resumed and the school building and convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
were completed in 1874. That year the Sisters of St. Joseph
Sisters of St. Joseph
The title Sisters of St. Joseph applies to several Roman Catholic religious congregations of women. The largest and oldest of these was founded in Le Puy-en-Velay, France...
from Chestnut Hill started teaching in the school. The Brothers of the Holy Cross
Congregation of Holy Cross
The Congregation of Holy Cross or Congregatio a Sancta Cruce is a Catholic congregation of priests and brothers founded in 1837 by Blessed Father Basil Anthony-Marie Moreau, CSC, in Le Mans, France....
taught the boys from 1881-1892. A house was built for them and was completed in 1882. The Sisters of St. Joseph were replaced by the Sisters of Mercy
Sisters of Mercy
The Religious Order of the Sisters of Mercy is an order of Catholic women founded by Catherine McAuley in Dublin, Ireland, in 1831. , the order has about 10,000 members worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations....
from Bordentown, New Jersey
Bordentown, New Jersey
Bordentown City is in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 3,924. Bordentown is located at the confluence of the Delaware River, Blacks Creek and Crosswicks Creek...
in 1885. The school has subsequently been closed.
As Irish immigration accelerated the church building became too small. Property for the present church was bought in 1864 for $7,500. Jeremiah O'Rourke
Jeremiah O'Rourke
Jeremiah O'Rourke, FAIA, , was an Irish-American architect known primarily for his designs of Roman Catholic churches and institutions and Federal post offices...
from Newark was chosen as the architect. The cornerstone
Cornerstone
The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
was laid by the Rev. Bernard McQuaid
Bernard John McQuaid
Bernard John McQuaid was an American Catholic priest, the first Bishop of Rochester, U.S.A. and the first president of Seton Hall University...
, then Vicar General
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
of the Newark Diocese, on October 23, 1864. The church was built of stone and measured 60 by 165 feet. Though unfinished, the first Mass was celebrated in the church in July 1866. The old church was sold on August 20, 1868 and it housed a factory unit it was sold again and became a meeting hall for the Grand Army of the Republic
Grand Army of the Republic
The Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, US Marines and US Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died...
. The church was not completed until 1888 when the tower and spire were completed. The interior was also extensively renovated in 1890 when the marble altars were added. The church was consecrated on May 27, 1893 by Bishop Michael J. O'Farrell
Michael J. O'Farrell
Michael Joseph O'Farrell was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the first Bishop of Trenton .-Biography:...
.
In 1867 the German Catholics who immigrated to Camden formed their own parish from Immaculate Conception, Saints Peter and Paul. Camden became part of the Diocese of Trenton
Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in southern New Jersey, United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes the counties of Burlington, Monmouth, Ocean, and Mercer ....
when it was established in 1881. The rectory, which had been built in 1861, was expanded in 1882. Sacred Heart Parish was established in 1885 from Immaculate Conception at a chapel that had been built in 1872.
Cathedral
As the number of Catholics continued to increase in South JerseySouth Jersey
South Jersey comprises the southern portions of the U.S. state of New Jersey between the lower Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean. The designation is a colloquial one, reflecting not only geographical but perceived cultural differences from the northern part of the state, with no official...
, Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
established the Diocese of Camden on December 9 1937. The Church of the Immaculate Conception became the cathedral church for the new diocese at this time. The diocese’s first bishop, Bartholomew J. Eustace
Bartholomew J. Eustace
Bartholomew Joseph Eustace was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Camden from 1938 until his death in 1956.-Early life and priesthood:...
, was installed on May 4, 1938. The number of Catholics continued to increase in the diocese and Immaculate Conception’s rather modest size necessitated St. Joseph’s Church
St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral (Camden, New Jersey)
St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral is a Catholic parish located on the east side of Camden, New Jersey, United States. It serves as the pro-cathedral of the Diocese of Camden. It is one of two parishes in the city of Camden to be named St. Joseph. The other one is St...
being named a pro-cathedral
Pro-cathedral
A pro-cathedral is a parish church that is temporarily serving as the cathedral or co-cathedral of a diocese.-Usage:In Ireland, the term is used to specifically refer to St Mary's Pro-Cathedral in Dublin, the seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin since the Reformation, when Christ Church...
in the 1950s.
Demographic changes in the late 20th and early 21st century necessitated changes to the parishes in Camden. On April 4, 2008 Bishop Joseph Galante announced that the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception would merge with Holy Name and Our Lady of Mount Carmel & Fatima parishes in Camden. The Cathedral was designated as the primary worship site with a secondary worship site at Our Lady of Mount Carmel & Fatima.
External links
- Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception - official site