A Brief History of St. Adalbert Parish

The first records of Polish settlers in the Elizabeth area date back to the 1870’s. To hear the Word of God in their native tongue, they traveled to St. Stanislaus Church in New York City, and then to St. Stanislaus in Newark, and Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Elizabeth.

It was in 1905 that a delegation of Elizabeth residents contacted Rev. Vitus J. Masnicki, pastor of St. Stanislaus Church requesting his assistance in forming its own parish.  He suggested that they gather interested Poles in the area for a Mass and meeting.  More than a thousand people assembled on May 21st in the Grand Army Hall on East Jersey Street. They were unanimous in their intent and assessed themselves $25.00 each to purchase land.  The group decided to name the parish after the Patron and Apostle of Poland, Saint Adalbert (Wojciech) and to incorporate according to the regulations of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Newark.

The Church building, originally a combination Church and school, was built on land purchased in August 1905. The blessing of the cornerstone took place on December 17 and work was completed the following June. Father Masnicki was pastor of both the Newark and the Elizabeth parishes, commuting between them by trolley or bicycle.  By 1908 both had grown so much that he decided to resign the Newark pastorate and moved to Elizabeth.  A rectory was established on East Jersey Street, a convent on Fulton Street. A school began during 1909 with the arrival of Felician Sisters from Buffalo, NY.  The rapid growth of the school soon made the combination building inadequate. A separate school was built on Third and Fulton Streets during 1911. In September remodeling work was begun on the Church.  The original building was gutted and side aisles added converting it into the present structure of St. Adalbert Church.

The parish continued to grow and prosper. Mount Calvary Cemetery was established with the purchase of 15 acres of land in Linden in 1911. When Father Masnicki celebrated his Silver Anniversary in 1921, parishioners contributed funds for the construction of the Main Altar. The 1920’s brought a new convent built to house the sisters needed for the school’s ever increasing enrollment. Additional classrooms were provided by the purchase of one building and the construction of another. Large numbers of Polish immigrants had come to the Elizabeth area and those settling in the Bayway and Linden areas felt the need for a local parish of their own. In 1925 both St. Hedwig and St. Theresa of the Child Jesus were formed.

Major renovation of the church took place in the 1930’s with the installation of the copper roof, new wiring and electrical fixtures as well as interior redecoration. The current parish hall was constructed in 1941.

In 1956 Monsignor Masnicki died after a pastorate of 51 years. His successor, Rev. Joseph A. Smolen, was a native son of St. Adalbert.  Father Smolen was concerned about the deteriorating condition of the convent and rectory. He inaugurated a fund raising drive and built a new convent in 1960 and replaced the existing rectory in 1961. New pews were installed in the Church, the upper nave windows were replaced and the church was air-conditioned during the later 1960’s.  Monsignor Smolen retired in 1972 and was succeeded by another native son, Rev. Joseph A. Marjanczyk.

The late 1970’s saw replacement of the Church doors, repainting of the interior, renovation of the sanctuary and construction of reconciliation rooms. Attention was given to the Parish hall with refurbishment of the main hall and the lower hall. Also during this era, the first building of Calvary Garden Mausoleum at Mount Calvary Cemetery took place.  The diminishing amount of available land necessitated this expansion.  Monsignor Marjanczyk was named pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Bayonne during 1983.  Rev. Edward Gubernat became the fourth pastor of St. Adalbert.

The parish school was the focus of improvements during the 1980’s.  Installation of fire doors and the replacement of all the school windows added to the efficiency and safety of the buildings.  By 1990 St. Patrick’s, Sts. Peter and Paul’s and St. Adalbert’s were facing declining enrollments. It was decided that they would cease independent operations and merge their resources into Elizabethport Catholic School. Father Gubernat did not live to see this neighborhood academy become a reality; he died in September 1995.  Several weeks later, Rev. Ronald J. Marczewski was named the temporary administrator of St. Adalbert’s.

Shortly after Father Marczewski’s installation as pastor in February 1996 the Archdiocese conducted a survey of the physical structure of the parish facilities.  Because of the results of this assessment and after much consultation and prayer, the parish community embarked upon a Restoration Campaign.  While the main focus of this campaign was the renovation of the Church building, other projects were deemed equally important.  Pledges from current and former parishioners and friends exceeded the original monetary goal of the campaign within two months.  This is testimony to the revitalization of the urban, ethnic parish community that so many return to as their home, St. Adalbert.

The restoration of the Church began in April of 1996 with the replacement of the copper roof and extensive brickwork on the upper external levels of the church. This was necessary to end the water damage that occurred with each rainfall.  The church was closed for services on January 5, 1998 so that the restoration of the interior could be conducted in the most efficient manner.  The church reopened for services on Holy Thursday, April 9, 1998.  During this three-month period, the community conducted daily Mass in the church basement and Sunday Mass and other services in the parish hall. The last element of the restoration project, the addition of a handicapped ramp and the renovation of the front steps, took place during the spring and summer of 1998.

During Father Marczewski’s pastorate, the main meeting room in the lower Church was converted into a daily Mass Chapel and the Grotto Shrine of Our Lady was added on the lawn adjoining the church.  Monsignor Marczewski was named pastor of St. Aloysius Church in Caldwell, NJ and in July 2004 Rev. Krzysztof Szczotka, SDS was named the sixth pastor of St. Adalbert’s  With Father Szczotka’s pastorate the Salvatorian Fathers accepted responsibility for leading the parish community of St. Adalbert into their centennial year.

After a thorough self-assessment by all parties under the auspices of the Archdiocesan New Energies Program, St. Adalbert’s Parish and Ss. Peter and Paul’s Parish were permitted to establish a ‘linkage’ allowing for continued independent structures under a single pastor and clerical staff.  Embarking on a new century has taken us back to our common roots.

Since May 2005, St. Adalbert’s Parish has been observing its centennial and what a year it has been!  Monthly events focused on the parish heritage. The festivities began on May 21, 2005 with a Mass of Thanksgiving celebrated by Archbishop John J. Myers followed by an open house reception for over four hundred people at the Parish Hall.  June’s Memorial Mass brought a tribute to the first pastor, Msgr. Vitus J. Masnicki, the founders and trustees whose foresight built the parish and sustained it over the course of a century.  Veterans of the parish were feted in July.  The procession of flags representing all branches of the service was a breathtaking as the gun volley and taps played as a wreath was placed in front of the Marian Shrine in the parish garden.

A school homecoming was held in August, senior parishioners were celebrated in September and the deceased were remembered in November. October’s Living Rosary Service focused on prayers for the intention of the beatification of Pope John Paul II and December’s St. Nicholas Party focused on the children of the parish. As the Christmas season ended, the parish choir sponsored their annual concert followed by the traditional Oplatek. On February 12, a planned blessing for all married couples, as well as widows and widowers, was pre-empted by a record 25 inch snowfall.  Two days later, the roads were clear enough for a hundred hearty souls to celebrate an impromptu Valentine’s Day with all of the prepared refreshments. On March 19 the long and rich history of the Piotra Skargi Polish Supplementary School with alumni and former staff joined current students at Mass and a reception.

On April 23, 2006 the Jubilee Year came to a close with events beginning with a Mass of Thanksgiving. In commemoration of the Jubilee Year, a statue of the late Pope John Paul II was blessed and placed in a niche in the parish garden immediately following the Mass. The rich legacy of the first Polish-born Pope is a source of tremendous pride for Polonia worldwide and placing this life-size Italian bronze image of the late pontiff will serve as a reminder of this gentle but determined shepherd. The day concluded with a Gala Dinner Dance at the Woodbridge Sheraton Hotel.