Altogether: A Parish Family

"Today Is The Lord's Day"

"Come, let us climb up the Mountain of the Lord, to the Temple of Our God . . .

. . .so that He may teach us His ways, and we may walk in His paths."

These inspiring words from the Old Testament express a desire common to men and women of all ages and every place in society. They have an even more profound significance for a worshiping community which builds a beautiful church.  For the pastor and people of St. Mary's Church-Stony Hill, these words have a very personal meaning, for this is a very personal community of the "People of God."  To the building up of this community the pastor has contributed more than time and the people have contributed more than money - everyone has contributed a large measure of loyalty, devotion. and affection.  Everyone has contributed with heart and hands, with personal talent and personal energy and the evidence of this is everywhere to be seen.

The vestments worn by the pastor, Reverend Charles P. Platt, are handmade; Stony Hill Hall was a three-car garage before the men of the parish converted it into a parish meeting place and occasional chapel; the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine program is staffed by parish volunteers; but the crowning achievement of the personal cooperation, the community of personal devotion and sacrifice is the beautiful new church of Stony Hill. It is more than a building; it is more than a place of beauty for the present community to gather to worship; it is a lasting symbol of a truth which has echoed through the centuries - "The Church is ever ancient, ever new."

The parish can trace its origin back through a century and a quarter to a period preceding Vatican I; yet today it is totally a parish and a community of Vatican II. Before considering how completely St. Mary's Church-Stony Hill, fulfills the hopes and the recommendations of the Council of Vatican II, it is most appropriate to review briefly those one hundred and twenty-five years of Christian heritage which is the base of today's achievements and the platform for launching a new generation into the world of tomorrow.

When At First

The number of Catholics were few; the territory was wide open country; some of the old men who walked the roads could tell personal experiences of their part in the American Revolution as drummer boys; President James Polk had dispatched General Zachary Taylor to seize disputed Texas land from Mexican dictator, Santa Anna - it was 1847.

St. Mary's Church-Stony Hill, records its beqinninq on October 17th of that year. The baptismal register shows that on that date Reverend John Raffeiner of Brooklyn administered the Sacrament of Baptism to Bartholomew Wormzer. The priest had been sent by Bishop Hughes of New York to administer to the first Catholic settlers in the Stony Hill area.

These first settlers were mostly German immigrants who had come here to work in a brick- yard. They were devoted Catholics who desperately wanted their own church and priest; but there were very few German priests available and the people were very poor. At first they had neither pastor nor church; yet they kept their faith alive by holding religious services in private homes during the long intervals between visits from a traveling missionary priest. With the inspiration of Father Raffeiner, however, hopes were stirred anew. The owner of the brickyard, knowing the desires of the people, gave his assistance also. Thus encouraged and supported, the people responded with their own effort. A certain Mr. Geimer (whose first name is lost to history) donated an acre of land. A family by the name of Wahl furnished the timber and stone and everyone contributed their services to the project.

The cornerstone of the building was laid in the Autumn of 1847. Soon after, the first Mass was offered in the little hill church. The mission was called St. Mary's and it was visited regularly by a priest once a month.

This was the beginning of the parish which had as its membership the few Catholics who gathered together from the rugged Watchung H ill section of Somerset County. In expanse of territory it was as large as it was small in numbers. The parish embraced all the first and second mountains of the range and it spread down the countryside to the Passaic Valley. Included in the parish were what are now the communities of Plainfield, North Plainfield, Westfield, Scotch Plains, Stirling, Summit, Murray Hill, New Providence, Basking Ridge, Myersville and others.

From these hills and plains came such families as Vielbig, Fuchs, Herrold, Matz, Jene Bermger, Schaefer, Oechsner, Berwind, Zeller, Kerch, Blatz, Stump, Hilbert, Scheller, Roetger, Debbie, Helreigel, Funk, Kuntz, and other of the first German settlers. Names of Irish families can also be found in the early parish records - Murphy, McDonald, McGrath, Lynch, Fogarty, McDonough, Conrad, Cummings, and O'Connor. Among the Italian families in the parish records can be found names like Amadeo, Caruso, Damiano, DeNitzeo, DelDucca, DeCuollo, Amiano, Miano, Monica, Longo, DelNero, Nigro, DeFrancisco, Santo Salvo, Venezia, and Appozzato.

Missionary Priests

Because there was a scarcity of diocesan priests and the Religious Orders of priests were better able to care for the more isolated and poor missions in areas well removed from the larger cities, St. Mary's was assigned to the care of the Redemptorist Fathers of Brooklyn toward the close of the year 1847.

It is considered quite possible that one of these peripatetic priests who visited old Stony Hill was Father John N. Neumann. He was a horseback-riding, German-speaking priest who visited settlements like this in New Jersey. He died on January 5, 1860, as the Bishop of Philadelphia and has been declared Blessed by the Church - the initial step that hopefully ends when the Church declares him a saint ... living in heaven and seeing God face to face.

Although the Redemptorist Fathers administered to the congregation on a regular basis, there was no resident pastor until a secular priest was assigned in 1854. Reverend Peter Hartlaub, the first resident pastor, came in 1854 and remained until 1857. It Has apparent, however, that the little parish which had to struggle for survival could not afford to maintain a resident pastor at this stage of its development.

The Benedictine Fathers of Newark assumed charge of the parish in 1858 and continued to serve the congregation until 1874. Apparently, an effort was again made in 1874 to provide a resident pastor in the person of Reverend Gregory Misdziol, but again the effort failed due to the poverty of the people. The following year the Benedictine community resumed the pastoral responsibilities of the congregation, During the period in which the Benedictine Fathers cared for the parish, the people were administered by two priests who would later become bishops and one priest who would later become Archabbot in the Order. Reverend Louis Funk became Bishop of Leavenworth, Kansas and Reverend Rupert Seidenbusch became Bishop of St. Cloud, Minnesota. Reverend Leander Schnerr became Archabbot of St. Vincent's Monastery, Latrobe, Pennsylvania.

Growth And A New Church

Growth in the congregation was very slow and gradual, but by 1877 it was clear that the original church would be entirely inadequate, although it had been enlarged during a renovation under the direction of Reverend Bernardine Dolweck, O.S.B. Bishop Corrigan of Newark laid the cornerstone for the second St. Mary's Church on May 10, 1877. Construction was completed under the direction of Reverend Erhard Vanino, a Benedictine priest. In November of the same year, the bishop returned to dedicate the new brick structure. The congregation had a larger and more substantial church sooner than they had expected. The new church was a real necessity because the original church was severely damaged by fire the previous year. The new church, in fact, contained many of the original beams from the first building.

A Permanent Pastor

The congregation was pleased with their new facilities and they had additional reason for rejoicing the following June when they heard that Reverend John Schandel was assigned to Stony Hill as the permanent pastor. Father Schandel began his pastorate on June 20, 1878. The first rectory for the new pastor was on a back road about a mile from St. Mary's. From there he served the little parish of approximately sixty families scattered over a wide area. It was a quiet parish life with a small but substantial church building tastefully decorated inside. The parish maintained its own small cemetery. Father Schandel loved the people and the people loved him. Soon he moved to another rectory "just about one farm's distance" from the church and settled down to a twenty-five-year pastorate. He grew old gracefully, but finally, the distances from family to family were too much for his aged and crippled legs and he retired in 1904. He lived in North Plainfield until his death in 1909.

Oldest And Youngest

The year Father Schandel was assigned to Stony Hill, Linus A. Schwarze was born in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. When Father Schandel retired from the pastorate, Linus Schwarze had been ordained for one year. Father Schwarze was assigned pastor to succeed the retiring pastor. He was the youngest pastor in the diocese replacing the oldest priest in the diocese. He remained as pastor for ten years and accomplished much for the parish and the people. Under his direction a parochial hall was built at one corner of the parish property. It provided a social center for the people with a good dance floor, a fair sized stage, a snack bar, service kitchen and recreational facilities. He became well known throughout the territory as an accomplished musician and at the same time an organizer of a very popular and successful baseball team. In 1914 he was transferred to large city parishes such as St. Anthony's in Trenton where in the late 1940's he had as his assistant our own Reverend Charles P. Platt.

A Century of Service

From 1914 through the years which were clouded with two world wars separated only by the "Roaring Twenties" and the "Great Depression" until the celebration of the Centennial of the parish in 1947, St. Mary's Church-Stony Hill, was served by seven pastors. Each contributed of his own personality and substance to form the character and the heritage of the parish. These seven priests were:

Reverend Joseph A. McGrath  (1914-1916)
Reverend M. P. Waldron  (1916-1923)
Reverend James J. Egan  (1923-1937)
Reverend John P. McKeon  (1937-1938)
Right Reverend Patrick J. Clune  (1938-1940)
Reverend Edward J. Dalton  (1941-1942)
Reverend Martin A. Madura  (1942-1957)

They were followed by Administrator Reverend Robert P. Murray, 1957-1958, and the present pastor, Reverend Charles P. Platt, whose tenure began in 1958.

A Strange Reversal

This was not a period of parish growth and development, however. A strange thing had happened to the quiet little parish of Stony Hill. While the population in the vast territory which St. Mary's originally served grew, the territory of the parish was diminished. Other parishes were created in the communities which were once a part of St. Mary's Church-Stony Hill. In fact, St. Mary's is literally the "mother" church of dozens of parishes which now comprise the Church in Central New Jersey, including St. Mary's Church in Plainfield which was established in 1851.

That the parish would suffer territorial problems was evident as early in its history as 1881. Until that time all of New Jersey was one diocese, with the See in Newark. In 1881, the Trenton Diocese was created and the parishioners at Stony Hill were surprised to find that the church and cemetery were under the jurisdiction of the new Trenton Diocese, while the pastor and most of the members of the parish were still in the Newark territory. Of course, the adjustment was made quickly, but as the years passed and new parishes were created, St. Mary's continued to diminish so that by the centennial year, the parish which had been the first and the largest in the entire area, had become one of the smallest in the diocese.

The diminution of territory also led to a change in policy regarding the residency of the pastor which was effected about 1923. The pastoral care of the people of the parish was placed in the hands of the chaplain of Mount St. Mary's Academy, a boarding school located on the opposite side of the mountain from Stony Hill. Father James Egan was the first to live under this dual arrangement. He served the religious needs of the community of the Sisters of Mercy at the Academy where he resided, and attended the spiritual needs of the parishioners at the same time.

Beyond A Century

The first decade of the new century passed like the rhythmic recital of a rosary by a family, but by the late Fifties some hints of changes to come were in the air. Pope Pius XII died in 1958 and was succeeded by Pope John XXIII the same year. It was immediately evident that, in spite of his age, his would be a very active pontificate; but few would have imagined at that time the changes soon to come. That same year a priest was assigned to the dual role of chaplain at Mount St. Mary's and pastor of St. Mary's Church-Stony Hill.

Reverend Charles P. Platt was chaplain at Mount St. Mary's where he taught novices and postulants as well as high school girls in the Academy before coming to St. Mary's-Stony Hill. He was administrator of the parish and among his duties was the visiting of the sick daily. Within a year of his appointment as pastor of St. Mary's-Stony Hill, in the Fall of 1958, the Sisters from Mount St. Mary's returned with him to teach Confraternity of Christian Doctrine classes.

Few would have imagined the changes Father Platt's pastorate would bring to the community. While the formula of Church renewal was being developed and promulgated for all the parishes of the world, the pastor of St. Mary's Church-Stony Hill, was carefully studying the needs of his people. All the changes wrought by Vatican II can be ascribed to the renewed awareness of the identity of the Church - that the Church is the community of the "People of God," that the Church is the priest and people gathered together in common worship. Father Platt saw the number of Catholics in the area, after so many years without growth, suddenly increasing. The little church which had served for more than a century with its capacity of one hundred and twenty-five persons was quite inadequate for the stirring of new life in the area. New plans for a new era with a new awareness of the identity of his community were developing in Father Platt's mind as he studied the documents of Vatican II and watched his community grow.

By 1966, the new directions the Vatican Council had given the Church in the modern world were clear. And to Father Platt the direction his congregation should take was also clear. It was not to fade away into the past as its members were absorbed by the newer surrounding parishes. But that also meant a great deal of hard work and sacrifice lay ahead to bring renewal to the parish. It was not feasible to renovate the aging church. The alternative was to relocate and build a new church, but the task of building a new church and forming a new community life around it called for the full time and attention of the pastor.

Rebirth

In a way, a new parish was created on September 9, 1966, when Father Platt relinquished the chaplaincy of the academy to Reverend Gerard J. Brown and became the full-time director of the plans for the new St. Mary's Church-Stony Hill. In addition to Father Brown who took care of Immaculate Conception Chapel, Mount St. Mary's, Reverend Anselm Sell, O.F.M., Conv., took care of the sick after the dedication of McAuley Hall.

Right Reverend Monsignor Michael P. McCorriston, P.A., the Vicar General of the Diocese, traveled many times from Trenton to assist Father Platt in the choice of the new site for St. Mary's Church in a more central location for the community in Watchung.

The new parish boundaries were defined and the pastor took up residence in a two-story colonial house at 210 Mountain Boulevard across the street from a twenty-five acre tract destined to be the site of the new church and parish buildings. Although the new parish was the outgrowth of the oldest parish in the territory, the duties of the pastor were very much the same as those of a founding pastor.

Father Platt first directed a census of the Catholic population in his newly defined parish territory in order to determine the actual and projected membership. These figures would guide the preliminary plans for developing the parish facilities. But because a parish is more the community of people than the complex of buildings, Father Platt busied himself personally with forming the parish societies and organizations which would work with him in forming the community spirit and purpose. Because the parish is first and essentially a worshiping community, the primary concern was to locate a suitable place for Mass during the transition from the old to the new.

The Watchung Board of Education granted permission for the congregation to meet for Sunday Mass at Valley View School. The spirit of loyalty and devotion of the parishioners was immediately evident. Men from the parish volunteered their labor to renovate the colonial house into a rectory with a chapel for daily Mass provided by adapting a side porch into a tiny eiqht-seat parish church. As was mentioned in the beginning of this journal, the men of the parish also helped to convert the three-car garage into Stony Hill Hall. Masses were said there on Holy Days when the school was not available and the rectory chapel too small to accommodate the worshipers. The hall also served as a meeting place for the various parish activities. Soon there were the Holy Name Society and the Rosary-Altar Society holding regular meetings, and the staff of Sunday school teachers working out their plans for the children of grades one through eight.

The parish held its first big "get together" at the new location on May 28, 1967. It was a family picnic held on the rectory grounds. Besides the food and refreshments the day's program included a number of sports events and activities and games for the children.

Beyond the success of that, Father Platt was quite proud of his parish for its first community-wide effort - a joint service in January with Wilson Memorial Church and its pastor, Reverend Roland R. Ost, and his associate pastor, J. Ronald Miller. On that occasion St. Mary's Church-Stony Hill, was the "host" for the interdenominational service held in Valley View School. It was well attended by Catholics and Protestants and has helped to create an atmosphere of warmth and Christian fellowship throughout the entire community.

The New Church

The spiritual and social and educational functions of the parish were early and well established, the community of the people of God was formed; still the greater sacrifices of time and money were required of each member of the parish as the time for building the new church pressed upon the "homeless" congregation. A large committee of parishioners assisted Father Platt in planning the new church. They included in their number Judge Paul E. Feiring and Vincent J. Milana, lay trustees; Louis R. Harding, chairman of the architect's committee; and William P. McKay, chairman of the finance committee. The small but rapidly growing community supported the fund-raising campaign with generous and sacrificial pledges. Besides the direct building pledge other fund-raising efforts have been successfully conducted by parish organizations.

Arts And Architecture For Our New Church

The architectural firm of Harsen and Johns of Tenafly, New Jersey, designed the church. When their plans were reviewed and approved the Hahr Construction Company of North Plainfield, New Jersey, was awarded the general construction contract.

The new St. Mary's Church-Stony Hill reflects the fact that the reforms of Vatican Council II did not signify a complete breaking with the past history of the Catholic Church. The Church of the future will merely present a different image than the one of the past. The eyes of faith see that these changes are only on the surface, they were never meant to disturb or negate what is fundamental, vital and essential for the continuity of the Church founded by Jesus Christ, Our Lord. The substance of the faith He taught, like TRUTH itself, is eternal. "Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow" .... and the Church is the living Christ ... and we are the Church. Through the Bible, oral and written, He revealed Himself to us as well as His plan of redemption.

The arts and architecture of our new church are a means to make this faith relevant in today's culture and in the geographical and social boundaries of our parochial community. Man needs symbols that appeal to his senses. That is the way to his intellect. That's what moves him through faith to commitment to Christ. The lay participation of the renewed liturgy is an attempt to instruct and move in this way.

The visual signs that enhance our whole structure are attempts to enlighten the mind from our past history and to effect the future lives of our local people of Cod. Church art gives visible form and reality to invisible grace and spiritual fact. Non- essentials were eliminated in the church building. Increased awareness of the altar, tabernacle, baptismal font and the truths they contain were emphasized. God always revealed Himself to men through signs and wonders. Christ also gave to us sacraments, i.e., sensible signs whereby His life is given to us. This church is a sacrament as well as the Gate of Heaven for the people of God in Watchung.

The aim of Architectural Plan

As a result of the documents of Vatican Council II, we sought a return to the Biblical sources of Christian teaching ... to design a liturgically functional church in a suburban setting ... a place of serene peace for quiet prayer and meditation as well as a building suitable for lay participation in the Holy Sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Christ. We also tried to bear in mind that we are a family oriented parish and parents have to be the first and best teachers of our children. The church had to contain many catechetical symbols as teaching aides.

The church building itself was envisioned as a "TENT OF MEETING" for prayer and worship of God in a serene and tranquil setting - a place where the community of God in Watchung can meet one another and joyfully worship God and have God come to them. The tent-like structure tells us we are a nomadic family, a passing group who do not have a permanent home here on earth. We seek one in the New Jerusalem to come. CHRIST HAS DIED, CHRIST HAS RISEN, CHRIST WILL COME AGAIN.

The twelve laminated or structural beams represent the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve Apostles. The eleven rows of seats are the same number of seats which were in our old church on Plainfield Avenue and are symbolic of the eleven Apostles in the First Church "sent out" from the earthly Jerusalem to Christianize the world.

In the center of the focal point - today's Altar of Sacrifice - is the sculptured base which depicts e Lamb of God - Christ who takes away the sins of the world.

The Stations of the Cross on the windows are of the same material as the Altar and relate to it as a teaching aide. "Lord, by your Cross and Resurrection you have set us free. You are the Savior of the world."

The Sacraments were given to us by Christ to begin and build up the living children of God. Baptism is the entrance to the Church ... within the church building, we receive the six remaining sacraments. They are depicted in the alcoves in the outside walls - on the left side, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, Holy Matrimony; on the right side, Penance, Eucharist, and Confirmation.

The Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament is on the left-hand side of the Main Altar. The Tabernacle for Reservation of the Body and Blood of Christ is supported by a sculptured base containing symbols of the Eucharist - vines, grapes, crucifix, chalice, bread, child. Chairs and kneelers are provided to encourage prayer and contemplation of the presence of Christ in this House of God. The Baptismal area is on the right-hand side.

The Baptismal Font is in the center with the safe for the Holy Oils in the wall. A sculptured base depicts the Holy Spirit as a Dove with the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. The organ is nearby. This whole area can also be used for musical enrichment for the culture of this community as well as a complement to the musical accompaniment for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Baptism and the Eucharist are as Christ Himself, the Alpha and Omega - the beginning and the end of the life of faith. Through baptism, a person enters into the Church, becomes a member of Christ's Mystical Body and in the Eucharist the faithful receive the sacred Body and Blood of the resurrected Christ.

Symbols of Loaves and Fishes - Our Lord feeding us in Holy Communion - were engraved on the pew ends. These direct our thoughts to the source of the Food of Life - the Altar of Sacrifice. This is the heart of our "tent of meeting" ~ our Gate To Heaven!

The Pulpit is situated in a prominent place as befits the proclamation of God's revelation to us. A throne is provided for the Holy Scripture and sculptured plaques of the four Evangelists are attached - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

The new St. Mary's Church accommodates over five hundred persons. Stones for the facade relate to the area of the old church, i.e. Stony Hill. Situated at the top of Gloria Dei Drive in the Watchung Hills, the church reflects how Moses received the Commandments atop a mountain. In the Bible, God's favorite place for meeting with His people or their leaders was a mountain-top ... "God's Holy Mountain We Ascend."

The concept on which the entire future of St. Mary's Church-Stony Hill is to be built is made very clear as we enter or leave the church grounds. The entrance is dominated by the stone grotto dedicated to the Holy Family. The grotto was erected by a parishioner, Charles DeAngelis. A local artist, Michael Persiano, who is also a member of the parish, refurbished the cast metal statues from the old church which are now placed in the grotto. Opposite this is a wooden cross, a gift from the parishioners of Wilson Memorial Church. As a token of thanks to the Wilson Memorial Congregation, the people of St. Mary's are presenting a living gift - a tree - to be planted on the grounds of their church.

Design of the Future

It was indeed providential that St. Mary's Church-Stony Hill, had not built a church for nearly a century before Vatican II, but had the opportunity to do so almost immediately after Vatican II. The pastor was able to incorporate all the liturgical and community insights and recommendations of Vatican II in the very fiber of the building. It is at once a place of divine worship for the people of God gathered around the table of the Eucharistic Banquet and a community center from which radiates the Christian graces received in the sanctuary above.

The church and community center is situated high on a plateau overlooking Mountain Boulevard. The entire structure is circular Romanesque style. The church is on the upper level which has one ground level entrance at the front of the building. The entrance symbolizes the unity of the "People of God" who enter there to worship in one baptism and one faith.

The interior utilizes glass in a striking fashion, both to create an atmosphere of reverence and beauty in the very construction of the building and to teach in the decorative stained-glass windows. Father Platt explains that the major use of glass in the construction is intended to "combine the beauty of God in nature and the beauty of God in the church." The stained glass in not lead, but laminated. Contrary to recent usage the stained-glass windows in this new church tell a doctrinal or moral story. The entrance window and the three windows flanking each side depict the seven sacraments. The two large windows behind the altar depict sacrifice - one, as understood and practiced in the Old Testament, Abraham, and Isaac; the other, in the New Testament, The Crucifixion.

Father Platt's reason for returning to the "teaching windows" is that since the parish has no school, maximum amounts of teach ing aides are incorporated in the church. The average man and woman can use the church to teach their children their common heritage of religious faith.

The Altar of Sacrifice is the central focus of the church - the window above the sanctuary allows natural light to focus the attention of the congregation gathered around the altar on the actions of the priest. The unobstructed view invites the congregants to participate personally in the liturgical celebration. Because of the seating arrangement, five hundred and fifty can personally participate in the action at the altar without distraction. Further, the circular arrangement enhances the community awareness of priest and people acting together in unity.

The lower level of the new structure is the parish community center which can seat approximately six hundred to six hundred and fifty persons. The same area can be divided into separate rooms of various sizes by a network of sliding doors. These rooms can be used for various smaller meetings and, of course, are utilized for classrooms for the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine Program.

Although the parish has no parochial school, in every aspect the church and parish center is designed to teach and to foster the ancient faith of our fathers, yet in the same way, it is a church and center of Vatican II, a parish of the future.

Ground-Breaking Ceremonies

The ground was broken for the new church on February 22, 1970, in a ceremony attended by the Mayor of Watchung, Kenneth Schmidt; by the trustees, Mr. Milana and Judge Feiring; members of the finance and building committees; and many, many happy parishioners. For the pastor, Father Platt, it was an especially joyous occasion for, as he said, the ground-breaking ceremony also served as an advance "personal celebration" of his twenty-five years in the priesthood. The Silver Jubilee of Ordination was observed the next month. Following the brief ceremonies at which Father Platt blessed the ground and turned the first spadeful of earth, a reception for the parishioners and distinguished guests was held at Wally's Mountain Villa.

Dedication Day

Dedication Ceremonies of St. Mary's Church- Stony Hill, in the community of Watchung, New Jersey, took place on May 13, 1972, at 4:00 p.m.

Prior to the Dedication Mass, the cornerstone was placed and blessed as were the exterior walls and interior of the church and Stony Hill Hall by the Most Reverend George Ahr, S.T.D.

Contained in the cornerstone is a fact sheet of the present civil and religious authorities, the date of dedication, etc., signed by Bishop Ahr and all of the clergy present. Coins from the U.S. Mint and Vatican Mint along with coins dating from 1847 from Cornerstone, Old Church, are also sealed in the cornerstone.

A local newspaper of the day and the Monitor for the week, a book of family names of our parishioners, and a token medallion of the Holy Family, a symbol of our parish families, were also included.

The stone bears three dates: 1847, commemorating the founding of St. Mary's one hundred and twenty-five years ago; 1877, when the second parish church was built on the ashes of the first which was destroyed by fire; and the current date for the new church.

The main celebrant at the Concelebrated Mass was Bishop Ahr assisted by Monsignor Charles E. McGee, pastor of St. Joseph's, North Plainfield; Reverend Frederick J. Clancy, pastor of St. Joseph's, Bound Brook; Reverend Joseph L. Remias, pastor of St. Luke's, Plainfield; and Reverend Charles P. Platt, pastor of St. Mary's. Homilist at the Mass was Reverend Walter Duffy, O.F.M., Conv. Guard of Honor to His Excellency, Bishop Ahr, were the Exempt and Volunteer Firemen of Watchung Chemical Engine Company. Vestments used at this Mass were handsewn by the Women's Sewing Group of St. Mary's.

In concluding the history of this parish and a resume of the arts and architecture of our New Church, let us remember those who preceded us, especially those priests and people "who have died and have gone before we marked with the sign of faith." We have built and prospered on what they left to us in faith and in nature. The Old Church on Plainfield Avenue and the Cemetery behind it is a constant reminder of their sacrificial lives. "It is a holy and pious act to pray for the dead, so that they may be free from their sins."

"Lord, may these, and all who sleep in Christ, find in your presence, light, happiness and peace."

From the book "Altogether: A Parish Family" publishing on the occasion of the dedication of the current church building in 1972.