SAINT PETER PARISH HISTORY - Then and Now

St. Peter's Church in Belleville, New Jersey stands on the crest of what was once called "Irish Hill." "Belleville" means beautiful village, a name given by the early settlers in 1777 who were inspired by the beauty of the area so close to Branch Brook Park and the city of Newark. The English Gothic Church, bordered on two sides by the parish cemetery, dominates the skyline in this part of Belleville. The parish, founded in 1838, is the fourth oldest in the Archdiocese of Newark. We are proud and honored to have celebrated our 165th anniversary in 2003.

The parish community of St. Peter's is truly Catholic; its diverse ethnic backgrounds reflect the universality of the church worldwide. The earliest parishioners, who came from Ireland, built the original church in 1838 and later greatly contributed to the construction of the present Gothic church completed in 1914. Irish and Irish-Americans continue to make up a large portion of the worshiping community. Later on, large numbers of Italian immigrants moved into the Belleville area, and they continue to be a vibrant part of our parish. The most recent immigrants hail largely from the Latin American nations of Ecuador and Peru. They join the already established Puerto Rican and Cuban communities at the 1:00PM Spanish Mass on Sundays, making up arguably the most well attended Sunday Mass. Large numbers of Filipinos have joined our parish recently, and people from Vietnam, India, and Africa are also part of our parish family.

St. Peter's seeks to call and challenge each parishioner to hear the universal call to holiness and to serve the Church. Inspired by the Word of God, we pledge our Time, Talent and Treasure to further the mission of Jesus Christ through teaching, serving, forgiving, comforting and challenging one another. Our Pastoral Council approaches mission and ministry by uniting our God-given energy and talents around the pastoral areas of Word, Worship, Service and Community Building. All parishioners are called to Stewardship and are given the commission to evangelize at home, at work, and in their neighborhoods.

The Spanish Community has a parallel body of leaders called the "Presencia Latina" group, which meets regularly to discuss and implement outreach and ministry to the large number of Hispanics in the area. A representative from the Spanish leadership reports to the parish Pastoral Council every month.

Our parish school, accredited by the Middle States Association of Schools, is thriving, embracing more than 300 children from Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 8. The majority of our children are Hispanic or of Hispanic origin; the rest of our children are Afro-American, Asian, and of European origin making our parish school wonderfully diversified and a model of cooperation, respect and creativity of spirit. Our school children are also called to the practice of Stewardship and to put God before all else.

The Religious Education Department of St. Peter Parish is staffed by dedicated teachers who offer formal religious education classes to children from Kindergarten to Grade 8. Our Religious Education Office assists parents and guardians in delivering the message of Jesus: "I have called you by name. Come and walk with me. Know my love and how much I care for you. You are mine and I want to have you close to me."

St. Peter Parish is proud and honored to be the fourth oldest Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Newark; older, in fact, than the Archdiocese of Newark which celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2003. We pledge our continued prayers and efforts not only for our own parish but also for the wider church that we love, the Archdiocese of Newark.