Diocese of Camden history

Amidst the anti-Catholicism fervor of the mid-18th century, with the English crown’s laws limited freedom of worship, the number of committed faithful in Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem Counties continued to rise. On Oct. 5, 1743, the first recorded Mass and baptism in what is now the Diocese of Camden took place in a glass factory in Salem County, with Father Theodore Schneider, SJ, from Saint Joseph’s, Philadelphia, a university professor and rector.

In 1808, the six counties became part of the Diocese of Philadelphia, under the charge of Bishop Francis Kenrick. In 1830, he dedicated the first Catholic church in the present-day Diocese of Camden: Pleasant Mills, Atlantic County. The earliest confirmations took place at Saint Elizabeth of Hungary in Port Elizabeth. 

During this time, dedicated Jesuits, Redemptorists, Augustinians and diocesan clergy from Philadelphia traveled to South Jersey on horse or foot, through streams, rivers and woods to bring the sacraments to those hungry for the faith. It wasn’t until 1848 that the first priest assigned primarily to South Jersey, Father Edmund Waldron, arrived in Gloucester City, albeit under the warning of stoning. Saint Mary Church in Gloucester was blessed by Bishop Kenrick in 1849; it was replaced by the present church in 1889, now the oldest church in the Diocese of Camden.

In 1853, the Diocese of Newark was established under Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley, with the six southern counties of New Jersey a part of it. In 1855, the first priest ordained in New Jersey, Father James Moran, became the first pastor of the new Immaculate Conception Parish in Camden. Eleven years later, that first church was replaced with what is now the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, today the diocesan seat.

South Jersey’s diversity

The Diocese of Camden’s diversity began to take root in the mid-1800s, when Black Catholics in Snow Hill (now Lawnside) helped build Saint James Church in 1865. At the turn of the 20th century, Emma “Mother” Lewis, with the help of (later Saint) Katharine Drexel, started Saint Monica Parish in Atlantic City, which attracted Black Catholics. In 1947, Saint Bartholomew Mission in Camden (now part of Sacred Heart Parish) was also established; it became a home for Black Catholics. 

The Germans and the Irish had been the earlier settlers of South Jersey, but by the beginning of the new century, there were 14,000 of Polish descent in New Jersey. As such, along with Saint Joseph Church on Mechanic Street in Camden, missions were established in Egg Harbor, Mays Landing, Swedesboro and Woodbine.

The early presence of Italian citizens in South Jersey was a presence crucial to the growth of Catholicism in the region, as well. In 1880, the first Catholic Church in New Jersey for Italian Catholics was Saint Paul of the Cross in “New Italy,” north of Vineland.

Also in Vineland, in 1962, the Spanish Catholic Center began operations to accommodate the growing number of Hispanic Catholics in South Jersey. 

In 1953, the first Bishop of Camden, Bartholomew J. Eustace, began a parish for Hispanic Catholics at Our Lady of Fatima, Camden. Prior to this, the Diocese’s Hispanic Ministry was split between the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Camden.

Five years later, his direct successor, Bishop Justin J. McCarthy, dedicated two diocesan priests to study the language and culture of Hispanic Catholics. One priest is assigned to work with migrant workers at Saint Joseph, Swedesboro, and another to Saint Mary, Vineland, to minister to its residents. 

Today, there are approximately 118,000 Hispanic/Latino Catholics in the Diocese of Camden. Twenty of the Diocese’s parishes have dedicated Hispanic Ministries, with 11 other parishes contributing to regional ministries for evangelization outreach to Latino Catholics.

Prosperity and education

In 1881, the Diocese of Trenton was formed, and by 1900, 20 of its 81 parishes were located in South Jersey. With South Jersey’s turn-of-the-century population growth and prosperity spurred by transportation, industry and immigration, areas such as Camden became more developed and vibrant. A need arose for education for the youngest Catholics, and 45 parochial and 11 secondary high schools (in places like Camden, Gloucester City, Atlantic City and Penns Grove) were established in the next 10 years. During this time, the area’s shepherd was Bishop Thomas J. Walsh.

With continued growth in the Catholic population of southern New Jersey, Pope Pius XI on Dec. 9, 1937, established the Diocese of Camden for the counties of Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem, a region containing nearly 2,700 square miles.

The new Diocese had approximately 100,000 Catholics in 49 parishes, 31 mission churches and 35 parochial schools (30 elementary and five secondary), with 75 diocesan priests and 11 priests of religious communities.