Our History

The Polish community in Jersey City dates back to 1870.  Like other New Jersey Catholics who preceded them, many Poles ferried into New York City to attend Mass.  There, they found pastoral service in their own language at St. Stanislaus Church on Stanton Street.  Between 1882 and 1884, the Polish community in North New Jersey organized to establish a Polish parish on their own side of the Hudson River.

In 1884, the Most Rev. Winand Wigger, Bishop of Newark, appointed Father Ignatius Barszcz, OFM, as pastor of the newly-formed Saint Anthony of Padua Parish in downtown Jersey City.  Five hundred eager souls joined together to erect a small wood-framed church (only 40 by 90 feet in size) on the corner of Sixth and Monmouth Streets.  In May of 1884, Bishop Wigger blessed the cornerstone, and on Labor Day of the same year, the structure was dedicated.  The Polish community in New Jersey could finally celebrate Mass and receive the sacraments in their own Polish church, as well as pray those prayers and sing those hymns that were revered in their homeland's tradition for almost a millennium before.

With great joy and renewed vigor, the parish welcomed Father Joseph Urban as its current pastor.  Father Urban was installed by then-Auxiliary Bishop Paul Bootkoski on February 10th, 2002.  Known simply and affectionately to his parishioners and to the downtown residents and civic leaders as "Father Joseph," his efforts as pastor have brought many young singles and young families to St. Anthony's as returning or newly registered parishioners.

Father Joseph's other passion is his ongoing and tireless effort to continue the restoration of the church to its original grandeur as truly one of the most magnificent churches in New Jersey.  During Father Joseph's pastorate, the sanctuary has been graced with several visiting prelates, including:  Henryk Cardinal Gulbinowicz, the Archbishop Emeritus of Wroclaw, Poland; Bishop Michael Saltarelli, a Jersey City native and now the Bishop of the Diocese of Wilmington; and Archbishop Wojceich Ziemba, who came from Bialystok, Poland, to install Father Joseph as Honorary Canon of the Collegiate Chapter in Krypno on Feb. 1st, 2004.

On June 12th, 2004, the parish welcomed parishioners, clergy and friends from around the archdiocese and beyond, as it celebrated 120 years as a Roman Catholic Community and as the Mother Church of Polonia in the State of New Jersey.