Featuring the History of Holy Eucharist Church, Tabernacle

1. The Catholic Community of Burlington County Featuring the History of Holy Eucharist Church, Tabernacle By Joseph M. Laufer, Burlington County Historian

2. “Because noe people can be truly happy though under the Greatest Enjoyments of Civil Liberties if Abridged of the Freedom of theire Consciences as to theire Religious Profession and Worship.” from William Penn's Charter of Privileges for Pennsylvanians 1701

3. The Quaker influence on the origins, colonization and development of Burlington County goes back to the arrival from England of the Kent at Burlington City in 1677 and the Shield in 1678 and the involvement of William Penn in the establishing of West Jersey in 1680. The philosophy upon which Burlington County was formed was derived from the Concessions and Agreements of 1677. The Concessions, written by William Penn (1644-1718) and other Quakers, guaranteed representative government, fair treatment of Native Americans and civil rights and religious freedom and protection for all inhabitants. William Penn “The Shield” in Burlington – 1678 … and current monument on banks of Delaware

4. Even before the arrival of the Kent and Shield, the Quakers had a stake in Burlington County. George Fox himself (the founder of the Society of Friends) had crossed and re-crossed New Jersey during his religious visit to America in 1672. In fact, there is a record of Fox being in the Burlington City area on July 12, 1672. Fox visits New Jersey including Burlington in 1672 Later, William Penn was chosen by Fox to arbitrate a dispute between John Fenwick and Edward Byllynge over land in West Jersey in 1674 (Penn was 30 years old). "The purchase of 1674 is an event of the greatest historical significance for it marks the beginning of the first great Quaker experiment in American Colonization" says Edwin P. Tanner. As a result of his involvement, Penn helped establish the Province of West Jersey in 1680. Subsequently, in 1681, East Jersey was purchased. George Fox Founder of Quakerism

5. The Quaker colonists went right to work to establish schools, meeting houses and cemeteries throughout Burlington County, starting first in Burlington City. By 1681 there were 1,400 Quakers in Burlington County. Records show that in 1699 the "Friends" were more numerous in Burlington County than all other counties in the Delaware Valley. Artist’s rendering of Mount Laurel Friends Meeting

6. Rancocas Meeting, Westampton and Arney’s Mount Meeting, Springfield Quaker beliefs are manifested in “The four testimonies”: EQUALITY PEACE SIMPLICITY COMMUNITY

7. Burlington County Quaker Meeting Houses • Active Meetings: • Mount Holly • Moorestown • Mount Laurel • Medford (Union St.) • Westfield • Cropwell • Crosswicks • Rancocas • Arney’s Mount Today there are 21 Quaker Meeting Houses in Burlington County -- some active, and some "laid down" (the Quaker term for being abandoned and turned over for other uses). Some communities have two meeting houses, as a result of the "Hicksite Separation" in 1827 -- a reform movement which created a splinter group which separated "Orthodox" from "Hicksite" believers. Fortunately, in 1952, the 300th Anniversary of the founding of Quakerism by George Fox in England, there was a reunification of all Quakers into one body of believers. • “Laid Down” • Bordentown • Burlington (Conf.Ctr) • Mansfield • Copany • Upper Springfield • Vincentown • Medford (Main St.) • Crosswicks (2) • Coopertown • Easton • Moorestown (School) • Colemantown

8. There were few Catholics in New Jersey (they settled in Philadelphia and New York) Quakers were predominant – they held political office on several levels The Church of England was “virtually” the established religion in New Jersey Catholics were excluded from holding office in NJ’s first constitution (1776) Anti-Catholic sentiment was strong throughout this period, despite Quaker tolerance John Tatham – 1685-1700 Prominent Catholic citizen of city of Burlington Home: “Stately Palace” William Penn knew him as “John Gray” in Bucks Co. Former Benedictine Monk, married. Escaped England due to persecution of priests First Catholic to perform duties of governor of West Jersey Priests offered Mass in his home THE PROVINCE OF WEST JERSEY1665-1776

9. (Old) St. Mary’s Episcopal Church NW corner of Wood & Broad Streets The oldest Episcopal Church in New Jersey is Old St. Mary’s. The founding was accomplished by Rev. George Keith and Rev. John Talbot, with the aid of the board of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. The architecture and landscaping of St. Mary’s Church displays the sensitive work of the early adherents to the Church of England in Burlington. A silver communion service was a gift from Queen Anne, before 1713. During the American Revolution, this church served as the focal point of the activities of the American Loyalists. Reverend Jonathan O’Dell, of St. Mary’s, worked diligently from the pulpit to convince people that King George III was the rightful ruler of America, until his own expulsion. Bishop Doane helped found Columbia University, as well as the local St. Mary’s Hall School once known as Doane Academy.

10. St. Mary's Parish is blessed with an abundance of history, landmark buildings and grounds.       Founded in 1702 as the first mission of the Society for the Propagation for the Gospel in Foreign Parts (SPG), the missionary body of Church of England.   The Old Church, still standing on the corner of Wood and West Broad Streets, was built in 1703 and served the parish as its principal place of worship until 1854, when New St. Mary's was completed.  The interior of New St. Mary's was destroyed by disastrous fire during Holy Week 1976 but was restored and re-consecrated in 1979.         The churchyard or burying ground dates back to 1695 when the lot was purchased by several individuals "for the conveniency of a burying place for themselves and also free for all other Christian people".    The oldest legible headstones date back to 1706.  Over the years, many prominent persons have been laid to rest there.  

11. NEW ST. MARY’S CHURCH – 1854 W. Broad Street , Burlington New St. Marys was designed by Richard Upjohn, a noted American architect, at the direction of Bishop Doane. It is the earliest and one of the foremost examples of the Gothic revival style in this country. • St. Mary’s churchyard is the resting place of prominent citizens including • NJ Governor Joseph Bloomfield • President of the Continental Congress Elias Boudinot • Representative John Howard Pugh • Senator James Kinsey • Senator Garret Dorset Wall • Mayor James Walter Wall • Joshua M. Wallace, a delegate to the New Jersey • Convention that ratified the U.S. Constitution in 1787.

12. Bishop George WashingtonDoane 1799-1859 New St. Mary’s, Burlington Bishop Doane’s Tombstone in the Church Graveyard

13. St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Mount Holly In 1742, St. Andrew’s Church was started as a mission by St. Mary’s Church, Burlington, which was founded in 1702 by the Society of the Propagation of the Gospel. Saint Andrew's is remarkable because it is one of the earliest examples of the Gothic Revival style in the state, not just a traditional Wren-Gibbs church with a few Gothic details. It was built in 1844.

14. The first building of St. Andrew’s Parish was located in the graveyard on Pine Street. The site is marked by the stone of Alexander Shiras who requested to be buried on that spot. The site was also the scene of an important Revolutionary skirmish in December, 1776 between the American and Hessian forces. Rev. Colin Campbell served as minister from 1743-1766. The parish was incorporated in 1765, the charter being granted by King George III, but the Holy Eucharist was administered only at St. Mary's until 1768. Several ministers served the congregation between 1766 and 1799. From 1799 until 1809, supply ministers served the parish. The appointment of Rev. Daniel Higbee as priest-in-charge commenced the regular succession of rectors. The second church of St. Andrew's  was erected on Church Street. It was begun in 1786 , but not completed until 1813. The present church on High Street was built in 1844, the corner stone being laid by Bishop George Washington Doane.

15. St. Andrew’s graveyard was dedicated in the same year as the first church (1742). The stone chapel there, a gift from the Dobbins family, was consecrated in 1879 with Bishop Scarborough officiating.

16. St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Beverly St. Stephen's Church is a historic institution that reflects the most successful period in Beverly's history. While a small community established itself along he Delaware River, it was not until the Camden-Amboy railroad and steamboat landing were created in the mid-1800s that Beverly became an attractive site for industry, farming and "country" homes and farms for wealthy urban-dwellers. A local builder constructed the first part of the church in 1855, influenced by the high-style Gothic designs of John Notman and Richard Upjohn. The complex features a 1869 addition by the firm of Frazer, Furness & Hewitt, and five stained glass windows designed by Lamb Studios in 1901.

17. Trinity [Episcopal] ChurchVincentown, Burlington County Trinity's congregation was organized in 1867 and built this charming small church in 1872. The style is board-and-batten (now aluminum) and the apse is quite an unusual feature in a church this size. It certainly provides the well-articulated chancel that Ecclesiology precepts call for.*     The church has obviously been painted because it was originally known as "the little brown church in the vale." Ed. Note:The apse is actually an addition to the original structure and was donated by the Drexel Family of Philadelphia on the occasion of the marriage of Mary Irick of Vincentown to Philadelphia mogul George W. Childs Drexel on November 18, 1891.

18. Trinity Episcopal Church, Mill St., Vincentown

19. John Brainerd (1720-1781) John Brainerd was a contemporary of John Woolman, the Quaker defender of faith and of the down-trodden and the abolitionist who descried slavery in a book publish posthumously. • the Reservation at Indian Mills, where he lived for several years as missionary to the Indians • various Presbyterian missions across lower Jersey, founded largely through his influence • and the break with Britain, brought on in some degree by his own patriot preaching. Brainerd, who lived in Mount Holly for a time, founded the Presbyterian Church there, and was widely interested in education. Unlike Woolman, he lived to see several of his visions materialize:

20. Tabernacle Methodist Episcopal ChurchTabernacle, Burlington County The simple lines of this wood frame building, erected in 1880, have not been obscured by the aluminum siding. The congregation dates to 1778. There is no record where they met in the intervening century, but presumably in private homes or in a local schoolhouse. At one time, according to Marilyn Schmidt's book, Churches and Graveyards of the Pine Barrens, before the automobile the services were held in the afternoon.      Also in Tabernacle is the site of a log church erected by itinerant preacher John Brainerd about 1778 to service the Delaware Indians of the region. There is a substantial burial ground near the marker commemorating the site.

21. Batsto-Pleasant Mills Methodist Episcopal Church adjacent to Batsto Village, Burlington County Batsto was a mining and manufacturing village in the eighteenth century. Bog iron was mined and the Batsto furnaces were the major supplier of cannons, munitions and tools for the Continental army. The restored village contains a sawmill, general store, carriage house, blacksmithy, and some thirty other period buildings.     The original congregation was formed by Scottish exiles, according to Derry, in 1707 at the forks of the Mullica and Batsto rivers. The fabled Presbyterian minister John Brainerd preached here in 1762 and recorded a substantial description of the second meetinghouse in his diary. This meetinghouse was erected in 1808, supposedly on the foundation of that second church, and was dedicated by Methodist Bishop Asbury, although it was then a non-denominational church and available to any passing Protestant preacher. The building was remodeled later, but it is not a part of the Batsto Village operation (It is immediately adjacent, though.) Derry disputes that the church was built by the proprietor of the industrial works, but acknowledges that has been the prevailing view.

22. Lower Bank Meetinghouse Lower Bank, Washington Township, Burlington County This small frame building on Old Church Road is apparently the oldest religious structure in the immediate area. The land was deeded to the Methodist Episcopal church in 1835 (or 1842) by a Negro Quaker. It is a simple frame building that has not been much altered since it was erected about 1842. The congregation was organized in 1780. According to Marilyn Schmidt in her book, Churches & Graveyards of the New Jersey Pine Barrens, the graveyard was used by the early 1700s, but the oldest grave markers date to 1815 and 1817.       There is also a Lower Bank Methodist church located a short distance away on River Road, erected in 1879, which is used regularly; services are held in this building only occasionally.

23. Bethlehem African Methodist Episcopal Church   213 Pearl Blvd. Burlington’s oldest African American institution was founded in 1830. It is one of the oldest African American churches in the state. Originally constructed in 1836, the building was replaced in 1855, remodeled in 1873 and again in the 1980s. Beside it are but a few of the 212,000 graves of African American Union Army and Navy Civil War soldiers. In 1833 Pastor Rev. Jeremiah H. Pierce legally challenged forced segregation of his four children into Burlington’s all-black elementary school— and won this landmark case.

24. CATHOLICS IN NEW JERSEY AND BURLINGTON COUNTY

25. The Society of Jesus, the "Jesuits", begun in 1540 by St. Ignatius Loyola, has historically been a teaching and missionary Order. The Jesuits arrived in Maryland in 1634. The first Catholic Mass in Philadelphia was celebrated on the present site of Old St. Joseph's in 1732. Old St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church is Philadelphia’s oldest Catholic community. It was founded by Jesuits in 1733 and is still staffed by Jesuits and their lay colleagues. The community has been in continuous existence since 1733.

26. Jesuits, Augustinians, Sulpicians and Franciscans were among the early missionary priests who came to serve the Catholics of New Jersey. The earliest were four Jesuit priests who year after year traveled throughout the state on foot, on horseback, or by carriage. They tried to administer the Sacraments to the few, scattered Catholics who existed in the early years. • The following priests were based in Philadelphia but ministered to West Jersey: • Fr. Theodore Schneider, S.J. – 1734-64 – “First Missionary in New Jersey” • Fr. Ferdinand Steinmeyer, S.J. “Father Farmer” – 1752-86 • Fr. Lawrence Grassl, S.J. -1787-1793 • Fr. Leonard Neale, S.J. – 1793-98 • Other priests who ministered to New Jersey Catholics: • John Ury - 1739 - taught school in Burlington. He went to NY where he was indicted as a Catholic • priest and tried in 1741 in the case of the “Negro Plot”. He was hanged in 1741 because he was a • priest. • Fr. George Staunton, OSA - 1795 - (Burlington) • Fr. Pierre Babad, Early 1800s - a Sulpician from Baltimore (Burlington) • Fr. Peter Jachetti, OFM Conv. – Mid to late 1800s – ministered to Catholics and founded • churches throughout South Jersey.

27. Isaac Collins House, Burlington Isaac Collins lived in the city of Burlington during his later years, and had an office in Trenton, where Mass was often celebrated by itinerant priests. Burlington City: NE corner Broad and York Streets Isaac Collins was appointed as His Majesty’s Royal Printer in 1770 and proceeded to furnish the colony with three-pound notes (colonial currency). He started the first newspaper in New Jersey which he entitled The New Jersey Gazette. In 1777, the Gazette was published in Burlington and after several editions, Collins moved his printing press to Trenton. Many of his editorials criticized local leaders and his reputation for honesty made him an influential force. Collins is also credited with the printing of the first quarto Bible in America. He is said to have been so stringent with his proofreading that he offered a sizable sum to anyone finding an error.

28. The Evolution of the Five Dioceses of New Jersey • In 1853, The Diocese of Newark was established, encompassing all 21 counties of New Jersey. • In 1881, The Diocese of Trenton was established, encompassing the 14 southernmost counties of New Jersey; the remaining 7 northern counties (with a more concentrated population) remained the Diocese of Newark. • In 1937, Newark became an Archdiocese, and 3 counties formed the Diocese of Patterson (Sussex, Passaic and Morris), with the remaining 4 (Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Union) continuing as the Archdiocese of Newark. • Also in 1937, the Diocese of Trenton was divided, with 6 counties becoming the Diocese of Camden, and the remaining 8 counties continuing as the Diocese of Trenton. • The final division came in 1981 when the four northernmost counties of the Diocese of Trenton became the new Diocese of Metuchen. The Diocese of Trenton today consists of the remaining four counties: Mercer, Monmouth, Burlington and Ocean.

29. The Five Dioceses of the State of New Jersey PATTERSON - 1937 Sussex Passaic Morris NEWARK - 1853 (1937 = Archdiocese) Bergen Essex Hudson Union Patterson Diocese Newark Archdiocese Metuchen Diocese METUCHEN - 1981 Warren Hunterdon Somerset Middlesex Trenton Diocese TRENTON - 1881 Mercer Monmouth Burlington Ocean CAMDEN - 1937 Camden Gloucester Salem Cumberland Atlantic Cape May Camden Diocese 14 – 8 - 4

30. BURLINGTON COUNTY – 24 Parishes 4. Bishop McMahon - 1928-1932 5. Bishop Kiley – 1934-1940 6. BISHOP GRIFFIN – 1940-50 1943 – St. Mary of the Lakes, Medford (1931) 1944 – O Lady Queen of Peace, Hainesport 7. BISHOP AHR – 1950-79 1959 – Corpus Christi, Wboro. 1961 – St. Charles Borromeo, Cinnaminston 1961 - St. Joan of Arc, Marlton 1972 – Holy Name, Delran 1977 – Christ the Redeemer, Mt. Holly 1978 – St. John Neumann, Mt. Laurel 8. BISHOP REISS – 1980-1997 1982 – Holy Eucharist, Tabernacle 1996 – St. Isaac Jogues, Marlton 9. BISHOP SMITH – 1997 - AS DIOC. OF NEWARK 1845 – St. Paul, Burlington 1848 – Sacred Heart, Mt. Holly 1853 – St. Peter, Riverside 1854 – St. Mary, Bordentown 1879 – Our Lady of Good Counsel Moorestown 1879 – Sacred Heart, Riverton 1880 – St. Andrew, Jobstown AS DIOCESE OF TRENTON 1. Bishop O’Farrell – 1881-94 1883 – St. Joseph, Beverly 2. Bishop McFaul – 1894-1917 1886 – St. Clare, Florence 1905 – St. Ann, Browns Mills 1910 – All Saints, Burlington 1913 – St. Casimir, Riverside 1914 – Holy Assumption, Roebling 3. Bishop Walsh – 1918-1928 1919 – Our Lady of Perpetual Help Maple Shade

31. # 1 -1845 St. Paul’s has been serving Burlington for over 164 years. The first Pastor, Rev. Daniel Margorien, performed his work in an old building that had once been a barracks used by the English during the Revolutionary War. In 1845, a building was purchased on East Broad street along the banks of the Assiscunk Creek. The building was originally constructed in 1759 for the purpose of house British Troops during the French and Indian Wars. The first Mass of St. Paul Church was held there in 1849. This building served as both the Church and Rectory.  In 1864, the church was remodeled after a building along side was purchased to house the rectory. This became the first year of our incorporation.  In 1870, the first catholic school in Burlington was opened in the basement of the church. 

32. In 1899, Rev. Henry Russi came to be named Rector of St. Paul Parish. He became known for ushering in what is now known as the greatest period of development the Parish has known.  In 1904, Rev. Russi purchased and remodeled a building on East Broad Street. This new building became the new rectory for the Church. He also built the first St. Paul Parochial School on East Broad Street.  The old St. Paul Church Building is now the residence of the Knights of Columbus. The old rectory is now a private residence and the first school was demolished in 1961 In 1914, Rev. Russi purchased a large house located on the corner of St. Mary Street  and East Union Street. This house became the Santa Maria Academy and taught seventh and eighth grade students. Several years later, the building was moved to Barclay Street to make way for the new St. Paul Church. In 1916, Rev. Russi continued purchasing buildings on the corner of St. Mary St. and East Union St. Included in this purchase was a building known as the Budd Mansion. This large home became the new rectory for the parish. Across the street, the Binney Homestead was purchased and became the new convent for the Sisters of Mercy. The corner of St. Mary and East Union St. became the site of a new magnificent building, the present St. Paul Church. In 1925, the new Church was completed and the first Mass was held. In 1959, Rev. Miller broke ground for the building of a new school on James St. The new school was completed and dedicated in 1960. In 1987, Rev. Miller built a new Convent for the Sisters of Mercy near the school on James Street. The old convent was converted to a Parish House.

33. # 2 -1848 Sacred Heart Church, Mount Holly Established 1848 as a Mission of St. Paul’s, Burlington; Independent Parish: 1881

34. Saint Peter's Roman Catholic ChurchRiverside, Burlington County #3 - 1853 German Catholics settled in Riverside (“Progress”) by the early 1850s, part of the wave of immigration following the upheavals in Europe in 1848. This red brick building was built in 1882. Conventual Franciscans from Trenton took responsibility for the parish in 1872 and, except for a period from 1897 through 1936, ministered to the faithful there until 2004. A new church replaced the 1882 building in 1955.

35. #4 - 1854 St. Mary's Roman Catholic ChurchBordentown, Burlington County Founded in 1837, it was, except for the Methodists, the last of the mainstream religions to organize in this town. By 1870, the parish had built this large church and a school.

36. #5 - 1879 Our Lady of Good Counsel, Moorestown - 1879 Catholics of Moorestown first worshiped in the village of Fellowship. This tiny hamlet was settled prior to 1800 by members of the Society of Friends and specifically the Roberts Family. The village was approximately five and one-half miles west of Mt. Laurel, and some three and one-half miles to the southeast from Maple Shade. The first Catholic services were held in a room over a wheelwright shop in Evesboro in 1849. A little later services were held in the home of James Laverty of Fellowship. Mr. Laverty, who arrived from Ireland in 1832, was the first Catholic to settle in the neighborhood of Moorestown. Mass was occasionally offered in his home until 1853 when a small church was erected in his yard. It was a mission of Immaculate Conception parish in Camden. After a fire destroyed the church, land was purchased on Main St. through an intermediary (because of strong antipathy toward Catholics at the time) and a new structure was constructed of brick in 1870, seating 350. It was a mission until 1879 when it was named an independent parish. Current structure built in 1895 Originally known as the Church of Our Lady and St. Patrick, serving mainly Irish immigrants, its name was changed to Our Lady of Good Counsel in 1896.

37. Holy Eucharist’s Family Tree St. Paul’s, Burlington 1845 Sacred Heart, Mt. Holly 1848 St. Mary of the Lakes, Medford 1943 Holy Eucharist, Tabernacle Created: October 1, 1982 Church Dedicated September 7, 1986

38. The Parish of Sacred Heart and Saint Andrew's, Mt. Holly Irish immigrant boat arrives in Burlington in 1843 – First called St. Mary’s Church of the Sacred Heart (original) Mount Holly, Burlington County Church of the Sacred Heart (newer)Mount Holly, Burlington County This small frame building is the second oldest Catholic church in the state, erected in 1849 or 1852. There were many earlier Catholic churches in New Jersey, of course, but only Saint Patrick's Pro-Cathedral in Newark has survived. This church was succeeded in 1872 by a red brick church next door. This building served as a school and parish hall for a number of years. Built in 1872, this large red brick Gothic Revival church was designed by architect Charles Keely. It served until 1965 when the parish built a larger church on High Street on the other side of town.

39. Old Sacred Heart Church dedicated Oct. 19, 1879. Replaced in 1965 by a new church on High Street. Earlier church built around 1850

41. Sacred Heart Church, Mount Holly

42. #15 - 1943 St. Mary of the Lakes - Medford As early as 1928, mass was celebrated in a 30’ x 60’ pavilion of the Medford Lakes Colony Club during the summer months only. In 1931, a small log cabin church was established on Mowhawk Trail on land donated by Leon Todd, Sr. The parish was a mission of Sacred Heart, Mt. Holly. Bishop Griffin established St. Mary of the Lakes as an independent parish in 1943, naming Rev. Paul A. Grieco as first pastor. In 1961, St. Joan of Arc, Marlton, was carved out of St. Mary’s. A new church was begun in 1965 and completed in 1966. The parish was split again, in 1982 with the establishment of Holy Eucharist Parish. 1931 Log Cabin Church

43. St. Mary of the Lakes Church, which began as a mission church to Sacred Heart Church in Mt. Holly, was established into a parish on June 18, 1943 by Bishop of Trenton Aloysius Griffin. Previous to that, in 1931 a cabin was built on Mohawk Trail in Medford Lakes for the purpose of holding Mass for the forty Catholic families who lived in the area. The original cabin still stands and now belongs to the Protestant Community Church.  Father Paul Grieco, remembered by those who knew him as a good administrator, spiritual helper and friend, was chosen as St. Mary of the Lakes’ first pastor. In his brief time as pastor, he built a rectory (with a parish hall in the basement) and made sure that children in the area had access to the local Catholic schools.

44.  In 1949 Father Grieco was replaced by Father Raymond Hurley. In 1953 it was decided that a Catholic school would be built for the children of the parish. So, in 1954, the new St. Joseph’s School was dedicated by Monsignor Michael McCorriston, representing then Bishop George Ahr. At the time, the school had an enrollment of only 180 students, and was staffed by four Sisters of St. Joseph from Newark and one lay teacher.  In 1959 Father William Campbell was appointed pastor of St. Mary of the Lakes. By that time, school enrollment had already jumped to 300 and parish registration was growing at an amazing rate. By 1965 the log cabin on Mohawk Trail could no longer accommodate the needs of such a large community and so it was resolved that a new church needed to be built. The cornerstone was laid in November of 1966 and the beautiful new worship space was dedicated for use.

45. Father John Campoli became pastor in 1981, replacing Father Campbell. That same year, Sister Justina Marie Miller became principal of the school, and St. Mary of the Lakes continued on its path of academic and spiritual growth. By the summer of 1981, St. Mary’s of the Lakes had become the largest geographical parish in New Jersey. It was during this summer that Fr. John Campoli began to furnish Mass for the parishioners from LeisureTowne. Steve Baron, a resident of LeisureTowne helped identify the Hampton Lakes Firehouse as a location for mass for LeisureTowne residents. Father Campoli asked a Pallotine priest who taught at Bishop Eustace High School, Father Walter Norris, if he would accept the task of staffing the Hampton Lakes “Mission” of St. Mary’s. The program started in September, 1981. Up to 200 residents a week attended the Hampton Lakes Mass. In the summer of 1982, the location was changed to Tabernacle Middle school and attendance soared to 500.   By 1982, St. Mary’s registration topped 4000 families, with the population of the area continuing to grow. Bishop John C. Reiss decided the time had come to divide St. Mary of the Lakes and form another parish which would become Holy Eucharist Parish in the Tabernacle area. The official notice came on September 17, 1982. Holy Eucharist began on October 1, 1982

46. Created: October 1, 1982 Church Dedication: September 7, 1986

48. The Pastors of Holy Eucharist Church 1982- June 1993 Fr. Andrew Jamieson Aug. 1993 Nov. 1998 November 1998 April 1999 April 1999 July 2002 July 2002 Present

50. Baptismal Font Main Worship Area