St. James History
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The history of St. James is a story of continuous physical change as well as the constancy with which this faith community has shared their Christian values.
The first Catholics in the area were Irish immigrants who arrived shortly after the Civil War. They were hired as laborers for the railroad or as domestics. To attend Mass,they walked to either St. Mary's Cathedral or St. Francis Church in Trenton. In 1878, this trip was shortened slightly when Hopewell's Catholic Church was opened. It was still necessary to travel to Trenton for instructions in the sacraments of the Eucharist and Confirmation.
St. James Mission
In 1895, this tiny community of five families became St. James Mission when Fr. Francis Keuper began celebrating Mass monthly in private homes on Dublin Road. By 1898, lay trustees were named and plans were made for the construction of a church.
As a mission church attended by poor immigrant laborers, funds were difficult to come by: it was a real sacrifice when a canvas of the parish yielded $95.10. Fortunaely, additional funds came from outside the parish, primarily from the established churches in Trenton (St. Mary's and St. Francis), as well as from Bishop McFaul and Fr. Keuper. Two local non-Catholics also made major contributions: Col. John Kunkle donated the land and Dr. Thomas O'Hanlon, President of the Pennington Seminary, in addition to a sizable contribution of $100, offered a house for Masses while the church was beling built. In spite of the meager resources of these early parishioners, they erected a church that accommodated many times their number for over sixty years.
In 1899, with funds in hand and the property on Eglantine Avenue acquired, the excavation for the cellar was begun, hand dug by volunteers. Laborers for the railroad during the day, these men then hurried back to the church site to accomplish as much as possible before daylight faded.
The total cost of the church was $2300, funds on hand were $2200. As no money had been allocated for pews, the families raised money to buy a dozen chairs. The organ was the personal property of Fr. Joseph Thurnes, who was assigned to the St. James Mission during the construction. He donated it when he died two years later at the age of 72.
By 1902, three Masses per month were being celebrated in the new church and the parish continued to grow and prosper. Improvements were made to the building which included the installation of stained glass windows and the beautiful paneled ceiling. A number of priests were assigned to St. James from St. Mary's Morris Hall and St. Ann's. Among them were Fr. John Kucker (1914-1930).
On June 18, 1943, St. James was canonically designated a parish by Bishop William Griffin and Fr. Francis "Fr. Frank" Zgliczynski was appointed the first resident pastor. St. George’s in Washington Crossing became our mission. Later, Our Lady of Good Counsel in West Trenton became our second mission.St. James Rectory I
The next several years saw a new flurry of activities. The house on Eglantine Avenue next to the church was purchased as the rectory. Parish organizations such as the Holy Name Society, the Women's Guild (later St. James Guild), the Junior Sodality, CYO, and Senior and Junior choirs were formed, and religious education programs for chldren were begun. In 1955, as these programs expanded, the house next to the rectory was puchased as a Parish Center and the first parish library was established.
The Family Center
By 1965, the parish had grown to over 400 families and the original church could no longer accommodate all the parishioners for Sunday Mass. Plans were drawn up for the Auxiliary Building. The design of this building provided for a large physical space for Mass, six religious education classrooms, and the potential for having a Catholic School.
St. James Rectory II
In 1969, after 25 years as pastor, Fr. Frank was transferred to St. Hedwig’s parish in Trenton. Fr. Thomas Ryan was named pastor. The old rectory and Parish Center were sold and the current rectory on Delaware Avenue was purchased.Eventually, the gym was no longer large enough to hold Mass. The new church was built and dedicated by Bishop Reiss on October 24, 1987.
The "New" Church
Today, St. James has grown to 1500 families, some of whom are descendants of the men who dug the foundations of the “Little Church." Our parish is blessed with more than 75 ministries including Liturgy, Religious Education, Adult Faith Formation, and Parish Life. We have an active social justice ministry that reaches out to others beyond our parish borders.
Throughout our history, as our physical structure continues to expand, we remain domus ecclesia—the Home of the Church. We recognize all of the parishioners over the years who have made St. James “Church” and it is our privilege and joy to maintain it.
For additional information, see the documents on the right, put together by our parishiners.