The History of the Parish of Saint
Joseph (page 3)
Washington, New Jersey
The church was solemnly dedicated on Sunday,
August 18, 1872,
and the local newspaper carried the following account:
“On Sunday last the R.C. Church of this town was solemnly
dedicated. It is only a short time since we noticed the laying of the
cornerstone, and today we announce the completion of this handsome
temple. It speaks well for the generous efforts of the small congregation
and the zeal of their pastor, Father Smyth. The style of the church is
early gothic, from designs of the celebrated architect, P.C. Keily, Esq., Brooklyn, and although the plans could not be fully carried out, it is
still complete enough in its details to make it a neat building and an ornament
to that portion of the town.
The ceremonies on Sunday commenced at half past ten o’clock. The
officiating prelate being the Very Rev. Monsignor Seton, nephew to the lately
appointed Archbishop of Baltimore. The Rev. Fathers McCarthy, Dover; McClosker, Newton; O’Reilly, Phillipsburg; Dogherty,
Donegal, were also present. All the rites prescribed by the Roman ritual
having been observed, High Mass was celebrated by Father McCarthy. After
the Gospel, Dr. Seton preached a very instructive sermon, proving from
Scripture, the necessity of having certain places specially dedicated to the
worship of Almighty God, and the reverence that should always be shown to
Him. There was a large and respectable congregation present composed of
persons of every denomination, and it is gratifying evidence of the kindly
feeling existing amongst all classes in town that a large portion of the
subscriptions on the occasion was contributed by Protestants. We are
requested to thank those and all others who have given a helping hand.”
Some of the gallant pioneer Catholics of Washington who put their hearts and
hands into this great work were: James Allen, Thomas Sexton, Thomas Byrnes,
James Nolan, Lawrence Dempsey, Patrick Hastings, John Mahoney, Michael Leonard,
Michael Meagher, John Connors, Roger Hayes, Matthew Casey, and John Gleason,
all brave men and true who with their wives and sweethearts did many other
faithful works that space will not permit us to mention.
Thus was the Home of God officially started, and there with Love and Grace and
Blessings for all, He has spent the past seventy-five years. Many priests
have come to labor for His people during these seventy-five years. Their
memories are still fresh in the minds of many.
It must have been with some regret, after completing the new church, that
Father Smyth was transferred by Bishop Corrigan to the more important parish of
Madison in the month of May, 1873.
The second pastor of St. Joseph’s was the Rev. Patrick Treacy, who remained at Washington till 1882. At that time, he took
up his residence at Oxford and made Washington a mission church. Soon, however,
a new pastor, the Rev. Father Fitzpatrick was appointed to Washington, with Belvidere as a mission, but in 1883 Father
Fitzpatrick resigned this charge and Washington became a part of the newly established
Diocese of Trenton. Rev. William H. Donovan, a priest of the Trenton
Diocese, now succeeded to this charge, and for five years he worked with
persevering energy towards the liquidation of the debt, which had become
heavier on account of the hard times. Father Donovan made many needed
improvements, and kept the property in excellent repair.
In 1888 he was transferred to New Hampton Junction, which parish was then
afflicted with a big debt and a dwindling congregation, owing to the removal of
the railroad shops.
Rev. John A. Lawrence took charge of Washington parish in 1888 and remained until
1890, when he was succeeded by Rev. Henry Ward, April 28,
1890, from the
Cathedral, Trenton, where he had served as assistant. On taking charge
Father Ward was given the parish of Hackettstown as a Mission instead of Belvidere which was left in charge of Oxford. Father Ward remained at Washington for eight and one-half years, and
succeeded in reducing the debt considerably as well as keeping the property in
repair, but the congregation, never very large, was gradually
diminishing. Father Ward also had stations at the following places where
he went from time to time to say Mass, administer the Sacraments and instruct
the children in Catechism; -- At Schooley’s Mountain
Mass was offered during the Summer months in the
parlor of Heath House Hotel for guests and cottagers and domestic help.
Mr. Coleman, proprietor of the hotel, a Protestant gentleman, always gave him a
cordial welcome. Near Waterloo, Mass was offered in a farm house of
Michael Kenny once a year, at Paschal time, in order to give some aged and
infirm people in the vicinity an opportunity to fulfill the Easter duty.
At a point near Mr. Kenny’s farm the three counties of Morris, Essex, and
Warren meet. Near Allamuchy, Mass was
celebrated in the house of John Smith and was attended by the Catholics
employed on Mr. Rutherford’s “Tranquility Farm”. Near Danville, Mass was offered in the home of
Michael Preston. Near Vienna, Mass was offered three or four times
a year in the farm house of a good Irishman, Patrick Larkin.
Father Ward also had a station at Harker’s Hollow,
west of Montana, which he visited, at the home of
James Gorman, for the purpose of baptizing infants and instructing children.
On September 8, 1898, he was transferred to St. Joseph’s Trenton, and succeeded by Rev. James Rigney, 1898-1905. Father Rigney
made many repairs on church and rectory. In May, 1906, he was transferred
to the Highlands and was succeeded by Rev. John
Caulfield of Ocean City, who remained here until 1910. The ninth pastor was
Father Simon B. Walsh, serving from 1910 to 1914. He was succeeded by
Father Burke, now Monsignor John P. Burke of Keyport
and the only former pastor of St. Joseph’s to live to celebrate the Diamond
Jubilee of this parish. Father Burke was succeeded by the saintly priest
and scholar Father John Gammell who came to Washington November 8th,
1916. He
was born in Phillipsburg, N.J., December 28th,
1861,
attending the Parochial School there and later became an honor student at Seton Hall College. He made his studies for the
priesthood at the Seminary Brighnole-Sale, Genoa, Italy, and was ordained in the Cathedral of
that city June 15th, 1889. He died on March
8th, 1932. Father Gammell was loved,
revered and respected by all Catholics and Non-Catholics alike and even to now,
his name is daily on the lips of the people of Washington. His memory is a benediction to
his people. He lived a frugal life and through his economies, besides
having the honor of making final payments on the original mortgage in the year
1924, he left at the time of his death, a church fund of over $12,000.00 that
his successor might have a fun for repairs and improvements. He is buried
in the family plot in the old cemetery of Sts. Philip and James at Phillipsburg, N.J.
Page
4 of our history