St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church
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
Photos
St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, 10th & Mechanic Streets, Camden, NJ. Postcard and exterior photograph.
Parish Photographs
St. Joseph's Parish photographs.
Miss Wyzykowski Wed to Albert J. Gawronski
Camden Courier-Post —
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.
South Camden P.T.A. to Hold Card Party
Camden Courier-Post —
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.
Campbell's Soup Wins Slugfest from 12th Ward, 12 to 8
Camden Courier-Post —
Victory Gives 'Soupmen' Deadlock for Sunberth
St. Joe's Routs Polish, 13–1 as Walker Robins Trounce Sacred Heart
Lincoln Also Triumphs
| Kobus Twilight League — American Division | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | P.C. | |
| Collegians | 5 | 1 | .833 |
| Campbell's Soup | 5 | 1 | .833 |
| St. Joseph's Polish | 4 | 2 | .667 |
| Victor | 3 | 3 | .500 |
| Twelfth Ward | 2 | 5 | .286 |
| Polish A.C.C. | 0 | 6 | .000 |
| National Division | |||
| Defiance | 6 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Walker Robins | 4 | 2 | .667 |
| Lincoln | 3 | 3 | .500 |
| St. Joan of Arc | 2 | 4 | .333 |
| Sacred Heart | 2 | 5 | .286 |
| Eleventh Ward | 0 | 6 | .000 |
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.
St. Joseph Church — December 2003
St. Joseph Church, 10th & Mechanic Streets, Camden, NJ. December 2003.
Man Is Killed Here When Keg of Beer Explodes in Club
Camden Courier-Post —
Gay Holiday Party Ends in Tragedy; Bar Damaged
A Christmas party at a city Republican club ended in tragedy Thursday night when a member was injured fatally as a beer keg exploded.
John W. Kmicic, 56, of 912 North Thirty-first street, a machinist of the Pennsylvania Railroad for more than 25 years, died shortly after 1 a. m. in Cooper hospital from injuries received when the barrel exploded. Part of the interior of the first floor barroom at the Ninth Ward Republican club, 536 Broadway, was damaged.
According to Hobart Corson, chief clerk of the city fire department and president of the club, the accident occurred while more than 100 were making merry at a Christmas party on the first and second floors of the clubhouse.
Peculiar Noise
Standing beside Kmicic at the time was his son, Theodore Kmicic, of 105 Park avenue, Gloucester, and H. Allen Wolfe, acting chief of the city electrical bureau.
Wolfe said Kmicic, known by all his acquaintances as a jovial type of person, came to the end of the bar at the rear of the first floor to inspect the keg, which was making a peculiar noise.
Wolfe said Kmicic leaned over the barrel as the blast ripped the barrel open from the bottom, caused a hole to be made in the flooring and tore a piece off the end of the bar. Kmicic, Wolfe said, fell to the floor beside the keg, his face severely battered. A police ambulance removed him to the Cooper hospital, where he died two hours later.
Skull Fractured
Corson, who was on the second floor at the time of the explosion, said the party was ended immediately.
Although many were showered with beer and flying glasses, no one else was injured.
Coroner Healey was summoned and said County Physician R. Dean Cavalli would perform an autopsy on the body today. When admitted to the hospital the victim was listed as suffering a possible fracture of the skull, fractures of both arms, loss of the left eye and numerous cuts and bruises.
Kmicic lived in an apartment at the Thirty-first street address with Mr. and Mrs. Walter Wychowanec. They formerly lived at Thirteenth street and Keswick avenue in Haddon Heights.
Leaves Widow
A resident of Camden for 35 years, Kmicic was also a member of the Pennsylvania Railroad YMCA.
Also surviving are his widow, Catherine; a daughter, Mrs. Irene Curtis Gerard, New York City; a grandson; his mother, Anna, in Poland; three sisters, Mrs. Helen Polnar, Camden, and Valeria and Mary, both in Poland, and a brother, Michael, in Poland.
Requiem high Mass will be celebrated Wednesday at 9 a. m. in St. Joseph’s R. C. Church, Tenth and Mechanic streets. Relatives and friends will meet at 8 a. m. in the funeral home at 1458 Mt. Ephraim avenue, where friends may call Tuesday night. Burial will be in St. Joseph’s cemetery, Chews Landing.
Polish Girl Scouts
Camden Courier-Post —
Girl Scout Troop 419, St. Joseph’s School, South Camden, had a commendable idea at their meeting the other night. Then they carried it through.
The troop “adopted” an elderly woman living in St. Mary’s Home, Haddonfield, as their “Grandmother.”
On her birthday the girls, ranging in age from 11 to 13 years, went to the home and gave her a party. They entertained her, gave her a gift and a real birthday party to remember always.
Tickets Available for Parish New Year's Eve Party
Camden County Record —
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.
Diocesan Restructuring — April 4, 2008
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.
The Founding Years of Saint Joseph's Church
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.
Self-guided tour photographs of Saint Joseph's Polish Church, 2008.
St. Joseph's Church Boy Scout Troop 25 — Summer 1956
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
Front Row (l to r): Chester Emerle, ?, Paul Swierczynski, Robert Schultz, Joseph Lubrant, Robert Nowinski, Frank Kitchmire. Second Row: ?, ?, Thomas Clark, “Sonny” Urbanowicz, Joseph Migliaccio, James Moses, ?. Third Row: Stanley Praiss, David Skand, ?, ?, Frank Chrzanowski, John Schultz, John Smugeresky, ?, William Uecker, the Scout Master. Last Row: John Higgins, Edward Lipinski, John Bish.
More Polish Community in Camden
Paul P. Zachary, Man of the Year
Camden County Record —
A community news reporter for many years, Paul Zachary will share in the Man and Woman of the Year honors tendered by the Polish American Congress at a testimonial dinner and dance Saturday, November 11, at the Polish American Citizens’ Club, South Camden.
Writing for weekly and metropolitan newspapers about people and what they do to help others has been Paul Zachary’s life-long contribution to advance human kindness and promote social welfare awareness.
Newspaper work began for the 1978 Man of the Year in Philadelphia, where as a 7-year-old his family moved from Camden after his father’s death. He was news editor of a weekly that folded during the Depression when he married the former Anne Smolka and returned here to raise a daughter and two sons.
War work in the 40s was found at New York Shipyard where he served as a union officer, editor of the “Shipyard Worker,” a supplement to the national edition, and a public relations staff member for Labor-Management.
Paul Zachary’s journalistic talents came to the attention of Msgr. Strenski in 1951 when the South Camden pastor asked him to let others know about the accomplishments of St. Joseph’s parishioners. He has been on the job for 27 years with the Camden County Record, the Camden diocesan Catholic Star Herald, and other news media.
An organizational man, he has served in many leadership roles as well as president of the Parish Council, Holy Name Society, and past navigator and historian of Bishop Eustace Assembly, 4th Degree Knights of Columbus. He has written numerous biographical sketches of prominent people in religious and political life, including two career assessments of Msgr. Strenski’s 73-year priesthood.
A jewel in his library collection is the book he wrote and produced as St. Joseph’s historian for the 75th anniversary observance in 1967. He is presently involved with housing for the Department of Community Affairs in Trenton.
While living in Philadelphia he was active with sporting groups and is one of the organizers of the Polish American Association String Band in 1934. He was also the organizer of the Whitman Park Fishing Clubs Association, still functioning since 1958.
The public-spirited honoree counts his family blessings with daughter Annette, spouse of Joe Canal of Imperial Travel, Agency in Camden, and mother of grandsons Mario and Paul, students at Bishop Eustace Preparatory School.
Elder son Paul is married to the former Mary Ann DelSordo of Philadelphia. He is a professional diagnostic and pharmaceutical representative of American Hoechst Corp. Martin lives with his widowed father and is a financial consultant to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Catholic Social Services.
Two sisters and a brother Mary, Frances Mitchell, and John reside in Philadelphia, and brother Michael in Bellmawr.
Rites Slated Tuesday for Train Victims
Camden Courier-Post —
Solemn requiem high Mass for John Wawrzyniak Jr., 14, and his sister, Karen, 9, will be sung Tuesday at 9 a. m. in St. Joseph’s Church, 10th and Mechanic sts.
The children were killed Thursday by a Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines train on a trestle over Louis and Mechanic sts., less than four blocks from their home at 1121 Orchard st.
Preceding the Mass, friends will meet at 8.30 a. m. in the Ciechanowski Funeral Home, 1309 S. 10th st., where they may call Monday night. Burial will be in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Chews Landing.
The boy was an honor student at Hatch Junior High School, and his sister, a fourth-grade pupil at Lincoln School.
Surviving them are their parents, John and Florence; paternal grandparents, Casimir and Stefania Wawrzyniak, of Camden, and maternal grandparents, Francis and Laura Pierzynski, of Camden.