History of the Shrine of St. Joseph

No one ever thought of the Watchung Hills as being the "Poconos of Newark," but, back in the 1920's when Fr. Thomas Augustine Judge was searching for a center for missionary work, it was a fair appellation.

The Missionary Servants of the Blessed Trinity had already been here when Fr. Judge arrived, and these Sisters chose to move from Gillette to a site on Long Hill Road in Stirling "with an unparalleled view of the Great Swamp and its environs."

In 1924 the Brothers also moved from Gillette where they had been conducting retreats for boys. Devotion to St. Joseph sprang from the young men attending the retreats and students at an established Academy. Funds were raised to import a marble statue of St. Joseph from Italy, and, on Sunday, April 25, 1926, with about 400 people in attendance, the statue was blessed. Visitors immediately began coming to the Shrine on their spiritual journey.

To accommodate the pilgrims coming to the Shrine, two barns left on the property were converted into a chapel. Careful attention was paid to preserving the architectural integrity of the 100-year-old structure. For the next fifty years the simple post beam structure was home to the thousands of people praying at the Shrine. In 1975 it was replaced with the present modern stone chapel.

The Shrine has also sponsored a treatment center for priests suffering from alcoholism, "The Villa," which later became an inspirational place of formation for novices of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity. The Shrine continues as the center for Guilds supporting the works of the Missionary Servants in the Americas.

The Shrine offered its beautiful campus for lay as well as religious retreats and days of renewal. In 1970, the Shrine was the site for the formation of the "Christian Community," an intentional Eucharistic community. As an expression of their spirituality and worship, the Christian Community has made its mark for over 30 years through its deep commitment to social outreach. The religious of the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy and Blessed Trinity, the Sisters Servants of Jesus, the Shrine Associates, the lay staff and volunteers, the worshipping communities and committed pilgrims to the Shrine now constitute, as never before, "The Family of the Shrine of St. Joseph."

That Shrine Family is made up of a diverse group of Christians, including Saint Joseph's Early Christians, the 10:00 o'clock Christian Community, and the San José Community. Find out more about the Family by visiting us or by clicking on the link above.