History

altarFounded in 1886, St. Michael's Church owes its origin to the expressed  needs of the times.  Its presence offered a spiritual oasis for the ever  increasing number of  largely Irish Catholic female servants working in  local non-Catholic households, as well as in the nearby hotels, casinos,  and race tracks  that once dotted the landscape of Long Branch's West End and Elberon.   At the time of the church's construction, there was a road, estimated to be approximately one New York City block long, extending out from the church to the Atlantic Ocean.

At first, St. Michael's Church was a "mission church," simply an extension of Star of the Sea Church, Long Branch.  However, in 1892, due to the  growth of its community, St. Michael's Church relinguished that status  and became an independent church.  

Rev. James Augustine McFaul, the second Bishop of Trenton, used St. Michael Church as his summer cathedral.  The Bishop's throne could be found in the sanctuary of the church where he conferred the Sacrament of Confirmation.  To this day, one may notice, engraved in stone on the church steeple, a mitre, the hat worn by a Bishop, in memory of this historic  time.

For much of its history, St. Michael's Church was predominantly an Irish Catholic church, serving West End, a basically Irish community.  Today,  the parish reflects the ethnic population of most of New Jersey in its service to the Italian population. At the same time, the congregation  continues to increase in ethnic variety.  St. Michael's is often referred to  as a metropolitan church, a most appropriate title due to the fact that  the average parishioner travels three to fifteen miles to St. Michael's,  a church that serves people from over twenty zip codes.

Historically noteworthy,  St. Michael's main altar was given in memory of  Mr. Francis Anthony Drexel, banker and great philanthropist of Philadelphia. Mr. Drexel and his family summered at West End.  His daughter, Mother  Katherine Drexel, the founder of the Sisters of the Blessed  Sacrament.  She was canonized a saint of the church on October 1, 2000. She decided to enter the Religious Life while residing in parish territory, and the mosaic in her honor can be found in the vestibule of our Church.

Very notable are the stained glass windows in St. Michael's Church. Of very high quality, they stand as a testimony of the generosity of the Irish servant ladies who made them possible. 

The first pastor, Rev. Richard Crean, served St. Michael's from 1892 to 1928. Father attended to his obligations as pastor by means of his horse, Duffy.  Eventually, he purchased a Ford car.  Father Crean has been succeeded by the following pastors:  Msgr. John J. Sweeney (1929-1942), Rev. Charles J. Farran (1942-1951), Rev. Lewis A. Hayes (1951-1969), Msgr. Paul F. Bradley (1969-1989),  Rev. Charles B. Weiser (1989-2014), Rev. Daniel Gowen, (2014 - 2015), Rev. John K. Butler (2016-present).

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A PRO-LIFE MESSAGE AND REQUEST FROM OUR BISHOP DAVID M. O’CONNELL

As Bishop of the Diocese of Trenton, I encourage all our Catholic clergy, religious and lay faithful to sign a petition to protect congressional legislative provisions in support of life: Click Here. Please access the New Jersey Catholic Conference website and also read the Action Alerts posted on the NJCC website: https://njcatholic.org.

Please consider writing letters in strong support of pro-life protections to our New Jersey senators and congressmen and congresswomen. Thank you and may God bless and protect you all, born and unborn.

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Healing After Abortion: 

Do you know someone who is carrying the grief of a past abortion?  There is always hope.  The pain and sorrow of abortion does not need to endure for a lifetime. A “Day of Prayer and  Healing” offers the opportunity to experience the love and mercy of God and to respond to His invitation to begin the journey of healing the wound of abortion. For upcoming dates, locations, and confidential registration, or just to talk to a Sister, please call the Sisters of Life at (866)-575-0075 (toll free) orThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..


 

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Know someone needing assistance with food, housing, drug addiction, mental health, domestic violence or immigration? Contact Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton.



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Instruction Regarding the Burial of the Deceased
and the Conservation of the Ashes in the Case of Cremation

("Ad Resurgendum cum Christo"...."To Rise with Christ") 

Helpful and instructive information on the proper care for and treatment of cremated remains consistent with the teachings of the Catholic Church has been provided in an informative and reliable document issued by the Holy See's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and approved by Pope Francis in 2016.  This Instruction document ("Ad Resurgendum cum Christo"...."To Rise with Christ") is recommended reading for all the Catholic faithful and for funeral directors who assist their clients with Catholic funerals.  The Instruction's information and guidance are recommended to be part of the planning for funeral arrangements and cemetery arrangements.  

Please pray for the souls of all the faithful departed.  May they rest in peace.   

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For Information About the Parish's and Parishioners' Efforts to Provide Aid to our Brothers and Sisters in Ukraine 

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 U.S. Bishops' Statement on Moral Concerns with
Using the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 Vaccine


The U.S. Conference of Catholice Bishops (USCCB) issued a Statement on Tuesday, March 2, 2021 regarding moral concerns with using the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine. The Statement may be accessed by clicking below. The Statement says in part, "if one has the ability to choose a vaccine, Pfizer or Moderna’s vaccines should be chosen over Johnson & Johnson’s." The moral concern arises because the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was developed and tested and is produced with abortion-derived cell lines. The USCCB Statement also quotes the judgment of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican that "when ethically irreproachable Covid-19 vaccines are not available... it is morally acceptable to receive Covid19 vaccines that have used cell lines from aborted fetuses in their research and production process."


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