'Beacon of hope': St. Paul parish in Passaic County marks 100th anniversary
PROSPECT PARK — It had no pews and an untreated floor.
The first chapel of St. Paul R.C. Church, blessed by a priest 100 years ago at the corner of Haledon Avenue and North 13th Street, was little more than a 1,736-square-foot box — a wood-frame tabernacle about the size of a modern-day Starbucks.
But where it lacked in elbow room, it made up for in faith.
Despite its humble beginning, the parish continues to serve a devoted and growing flock a century later. Its attendance has doubled in recent years due to a new pastor, the Rev. Henry Pinto, who schedules two Mass times per week for Spanish speakers.
Pinto, a native of Colombia, said the parish centennial is a “beautiful opportunity” to honor the past and to prepare for a bright future.
“We stand on the shoulders of the faithful who came before us,” said Pinto, the seventh pastor in parish history. “Their hard work and sacrifices shaped this church into a beacon of hope that we celebrate today.”
Pinto said the parish has 280 member families, but there are hundreds of regular attendees on top of that who are not technically registered.
The parish will host a 100th anniversary gala on July 27 at The Brownstone, at 351 West Broadway in Paterson. The event will start after a 3 p.m. Mass led by Bishop Kevin Sweeney of the Diocese of Paterson.
Mayors from five towns — Haledon, North Haledon, Paterson, Prospect Park and Wayne — were invited to the gala to give proclamations on the special occasion.
Gloria Counsellor, who has been a St. Paul parishioner for nearly 35 years, helped to organize the event with a seven-person committee. She said the group has planned it since last summer.
Saint Paul Roman Catholic Church in Prospect Park on Thursday, July 17, 2025. This year this church celebrates its 100th anniversary.
“We’re a very friendly community,” said Counsellor, a Eucharistic minister and a resident of North Haledon. “We’re always there for each other — it’s a remarkable parish.”
St. Paul church, which was incorporated as an independent parish on July 25, 1925, began as a mission of Our Lady of Lourdes R.C. Church in Paterson because, Counsellor said, there was nowhere for Catholics to worship in Prospect Park.
The up-and-coming parish had its resolve tested early on.
A fire damaged the tiny chapel on Christmas Eve in 1926, barely a year into its existence. The resourceful congregation solicited donations from themselves to make repairs.
A major milestone for the parish came in April 1954, when it broke ground for a convent and school on the south side of the property, adjacent to Wagaraw Boulevard.
Saint Paul Roman Catholic Church in Prospect Park on Thursday, July 17, 2025. This year this church celebrates its 100th anniversary.
The parochial school graduated its final class of 15 students in June 1999, but it has been repurposed multiple times since then. It is now used as classrooms for seventh and eighth graders enrolled in the K-8 district.
Ten years after the opening of the convent-school complex, the parish unveiled a drawing for a rectory and a much larger sanctuary. The first Mass was celebrated there by the late Bishop Lawrence Casey in May 1967.
Its construction price? $613,000 — or roughly $6.1 million in today’s dollars.
Counsellor said the parish will sell souvenir ornaments at the gala for $15 apiece, or two for $25. The gold-colored keepsakes depict an image of the sanctuary.
The cost to attend the gala is $100 per person, including dinner and dessert; there will be a cash bar. To purchase a ticket in advance, call the parish office at 973-790-8109.
Philip DeVencentis is a reporter for NorthJersey.com. For access to the most important news in your community, subscribe or activate your digital account.
