St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church (Polish)

This is hardly the definitive web-page on what in Camden is known as the Polish church, St. Joseph's Church at 10th & Mechanic Street in the Whitman Park section of the city.

However, I simply couldn't leave St. Joe's off the website, so I'll post a few odds and ends, newspaper articles, photos, and such, concerning the church, the school, and various affiliated groups. Have Fun!

October 2005

• St. Joseph's Parish in World War II — Newsletters — three parish newsletters from the war years: November 29, 1944; February 7, 1945; and the "VE edition," May 1, 1945.
• St. Joseph's Parish in World War II — Photos — a slide presentation of men and women who served with the U.S. armed forces during World War II, first shown at St. Joseph's Church in June 2009.
• 1943 Service Flag of St. Joseph Church
• Memorial Plaque Inside of St. Joseph Church
• Polish Heroes War Memorial at Cooper River Park

Miss Leonora Marie Wyzykowski, 942 Thurman Street, and Albert J. Gawronski, 1217 Chase street, were married at S. Joseph's Polish Catholic Church, Tenth and Liberty streets, yesterday.

Mrs. Gawronski is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Anthony A. Wyzykowski, of the Thurman street address. Gawronski, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Gawronski, is widely known in local football and baseball circles.

The Parent-Teachers' Association of St. Joseph's Polish School, at Tenth and Liberty streets, will sponsor a card party at 5 p. m. on Sunday.

Mrs. Helen Zawitkowski heads the committee in charge. Assisting her are Mrs. Cecilia Podosek, Mrs. Elizabeth Harcziuski, Mrs. Mary Busey, Mrs. Mary Stepkowski, Mrs. Frances Borucka, Mrs. Theresa Meksa and Mrs. Helen Dworanczyk.

Victory Gives 'Soupmen' Deadlock for Sunberth

St. Joe's Routs Polish, 13–1 as Walker Robins Trounce Sacred Heart

Lincoln Also Triumphs

Outslugging Twelfth Ward, Campbell's Soup went into a tie for first place in the American Division of the Kobus Twilight League when it defeated the “Warders” 12 to 8 at Dudley Grange Park in one of four games played last night.

In another American Division tussle, St. Joseph's Polish soundly trounced the Polish American Citizens Club, 13 to 1 at Broadway and Everett street.

In a pair of National Division tussles, the Walker Robins gained a firmer grip on second place when it whipped Sacred Heart at the Fairview Ball Park, 13 to 1 and Lincoln took the measure of St. Joan of Arc at Seventh and Jefferson by the score of 5 to 1.

Pitchers in the Campbell's-Twelfth Ward fracas took a beating with the “Soupmen” collecting 13 blows off Mike Huggard and Martin, while the “Warders” slapped Norm Young for 11 safeties.

Campbell's lost no time in putting the game away, tallying seven runs in the first inning and then added one in the third and two in the fourth to clinch the verdict. The “Warders” tried hard to overcome the lead and in the sixth session put on a rally which netted five runs.

Gresk was the hitting star for Campell's, rapping a pair of singles and a home run, while Herb Dunn sparkled at the plate for the Warders with three for four.

The polish-americans were no match for St. Joe's Polish, Jim Stubbs setting down the former outfit without much trouble, giving up but six hits. St. Joe's on the other hand rapped T. Martin and Huston for 19 wallops with Stubbs and Gray pacing the offense, each getting four hits. Walt Nowak also hit hard, getting three for four. Galecki was the only polish-american who could solve Stubb's offerings, smacking three singles.

The Walker Robins also had little difficulty with Sacred Heart, scoring in each of the six innings with the exception of the fourth. Carpenter worked on the hill for the Robins and set down his foe with only two hits, while his mates clubbed Phillips, Rudolph and Savich for 11 bingles. Warren, Jones and Carpenter led the attack with two hits apiece. Sacred Heart's lone run came on a homer by Cianfrani in the second inning.

Two runs in the first and three in the eighth spelled victory for Lincoln over St. Joan of Arc. Schoekolf went the route for Lincoln and spaced out eight hits, the Saints' lone run coming in the third on a homer by Gondolf. Lincoln collected eight hits off Franks and Collins with Lyback and J. Schramm each getting two.

Tickets are still available for the St. Joseph's parish New Year's Eve party under the sponsorship of the Holy Name Society in the grade school lower hall, 10th and Liberty streets, Camden.

Chairman Alex Dombrowski announced over the weekend that most of the tickets have been sold the past two weeks in preparations for a limit crowd of 300 guests. He said only the main entertainment area of the hall will be used for the celebration. No one will be seated in the adjoining kitchen area.

Unless the few remaining tickets are sold before the event there will not be a sale of admissions at the door. Only if there are any left-overs from the original 300 those who call first will be serviced.

The bargain New Year entertainment package comes at $8.50 per person and includes set-ups, beer, a variety of noisemakers, hats, etc. to make the event hilariously happy, plus buffet style food servings.

Dombrowski added, there will be plenty of food with rapid services which will be provided by ladies of the Holy Rosary Society. Two identical table settings will speed up the service which should keep the waiting lines at a minimum.

The Melodty Kings will furnish the music for dancing from 9:30 p.m. until 1 p.m.

Leftover tickets will be sold first come, first served until they are all gone. Dombrowski (365-4813) may be reached at his home, 1226 Everett Street, and Edward Kanaszka (963-2558), 1008 Mechanic Street. Proceeds will aid the parish's school and buildings maintenance fund.

On April 4, 2008 Bishop Galante announced the following changes which affected churches in Camden and Pennsauken:

• Merge the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Camden), Holy Name (Camden) and Our Lady of Mount Carmel & Fatima (Camden), with the primary worship site at the Cathedral and a secondary worship site at Our Lady of Mount Carmel & Fatima.
• Merge St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral (Camden), St. Cecilia (Pennsauken) and St. Veronica (Delair), with the worship site at St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral.
• Merge St. Joan of Arc (Camden) and St. Bartholomew (Camden) with the worship site at St. Joan of Arc.
• Cluster the new parish at St. Joan of Arc (Camden) with Sacred Heart (Camden).
• St. Anthony of Padua (Camden) and St. Joseph Polish (Camden) will remain as stand-alone parishes.

Saint Joseph's Parish began in 1891 when a group of Polish immigrants won the battle to organize and establish a Polish Roman Catholic church and parish. On October 24, 1892, Saint Joseph's Church was officially incorporated and a one-story structure was rented on Broadway near Kaighn Avenue for use as a temporary church.

A tract of land was purchased at 10th and Liberty Streets and by 1895 a combination church-school building was completed. Philadelphia architect George I. Lovatt designed a Baroque-style church which was constructed in 1913 at 10th and Mechanic Streets (the present site). In May 1914, the new church was consecrated.

The exterior of the church is composed of metallic gray New Hampshire granite. A Romanesque entrance follows the traditional styling popular in the 16th and 17th centuries.

The interior of the Church has a 63 foot-high arched ceiling nave, separating two arcades that arc supported by pillar. The apse is crowned by a lofty half-rounded cupola above the center altar.

Two other altars stand in niches to either side of the main altar. Facing the three altars is the choir gallery or organ loft from where a panoramic view of the interior resembles a cross.

The church can seat 1,000 people and cost $100,000.00 to build. An additional outlay of $15,000 for interior painting was made in 1923. In later years, the stained-glass windows were donated as memorials.

The three bells in the loft, dedicated December 2, 1917, have been restored. The quarter-ton bell is named Mary; the half-ton bell is named John, and the one-ton bell is Adalbert.

Because of its unique architecture and strong Polish ethnic community for over a century, Saint Joseph's Church is on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Sites.

The restoration of the church continues to progress, thanks to the extraordinary generosity of many dedicated benefactors.

This is the Scout Troop #25 (Boy Scouts and Explorers) that stayed for a week at the Iroquois campsite on the Camden County Scout reservation in Pine Hill NJ in the summer of 1956. I was 12 years old. Names that I can remember—all these guys grew up in Whitman Park…

Frank Kitchmire, September, 2009

• The Polish-American Citizens Club
• St. Joseph's Polish Athletic Association
• Camden County Polish American Republican Club
• The Casimir Pulaski Monument
• A Camden Story: Reflections and memories of Rich Brodowicz
• A Polish Camden Kitchen
• Polish Heroes War Memorial at Cooper River Park