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2026 marks the 150th Anniversary Year of St. Joseph Parish!

Our web designers Sussman Consultants have created the anniversary logo that you see in this blog post, home page, and soon everywhere where our logo appears.

One celebratory event has already been established: the St. Joseph Feast Day Mass on Thursday, March 19 at 7pm, and featuring Fr. Edwin Leahy, OSB, head master of St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, and a member of the same order and location of Benedictine monks at Newark Abbey who established our parish back in 1876!

Our parish Pastoral Council is serving as the de facto planning committee.  At their first meeting, a number of preliminary ideas emerged, the first being to have a number of events throughout the year, starting with the March 19 Mass. Other ideas:

-Potluck dinner or Local restaurant – members throw in money to pay for other members who could not cover the cost on their own.

-Prayer Service including clergy from around Bound Brook

-Invite Fr. Charlie O’Connor to speak (only living past pastor)

-Give out bread and St. Joseph prayer cards

-Pictures over the years on our website/TV in the Narthex

-“Sell” tall glass candles with labels with 150-year logo throughout the year. Jacek will check out what we can get and at what cost.

-Parish T-shirts with 150-year logo (maybe pre-order for sizes)

-Summer BBQ (Fundraiser?)

Ways to involve students:

-Have students engaged in “150” acts of service. Keep a service log.

-Make something that could be displayed (artwork, banners?)

Also: Read out names of deceased members from over the years

Invite Fr. John, Fr. Marco, past Parish Staff, Parish Groups.

Thoughts from all parishioners are welcome as the planning starts to kick in.  Just contact any parish staff member with your ideas and they will be put in the mix.