Saint Cecilia's Church Englewood NJ, 150th Year Celebration

***Excerpted from "Saint Cecilia's Parish 1866 - 1966"***

The history of Saint Cecilia's Church in Englewood NJ has its roots in the development of Englewood as a city and the migration of the Irish in the decade of 1840 to 1850. Although not a certainty, there is every reason to believe that Fr. Patrick Corrigan, one of three priest from one family, (Reverend M.A. Corrigan who became Archbishop of New York, and Reverend James Corrigan who became the President of Seton Hall College), was the first to celebrate mass in a house on Waldo Place near Slocum Avenue near the present day Saint Cecilia's Church. The faith and devotion of Englewood's Catholics was further rewarded by the appearance of the Right Reverend Dr. Henry A Brann who succeeded Fr. Corrigan in May 1865. Fr. Brann was born in Parkstown, County Meath, Ireland on August 15th, 1837 and came to the United States at age twelve as part of the Irish migration in the decade 1840 to 1850. Fr. Brann received his early education in Wilmington Delaware and completed his studies at St. Francis Xavier College in New York in June 1857. He then studied for two years in Saint Sulpice in Paris and finished his course for the priesthood at the North American College in Rome, a college partly founded by Bishop Bayley and intended to train priest for work in the United States. Fr. Brann was the first to be ordained a priest from that college. Bishop Bayley on his return to the United States appointed Fr. Brann Vice President of of Seton Hall College and professor of dogmatic theology in the seminary connected with the college. Fr. Brann was then assigned to Fort Lee where he gathered the Catholics of Englewood to discuss ways and means to build a church. Although less than fifty people were present at the first gathering in Englewood, they were able to gather enough money to begin to look for a piece of land upon which the church could be built. The name St. Cecilia was the choice of Fr. Brann. His well know love of music plus his education in Rome influenced his selection. Saint Cecilia was one of the Church's early martyrs. Her bloody execution in the 4th century because of her firm profession of faith, followed that of her convert husband Valerianus. Fr. Brann thus identified the first Catholic Church in Englewood with a rich tradition - rich in culture and in heroism that only the humble can display. With sufficient money on hand for a start, John Duffy acting on behalf of the church purchased a piece of land 124' by 100' at the corner of Waldo Place and Division Street from Henry West , paying eight hundred and fifty dollars. Designed by Jeremiah O'Rourke of Newark and built by Andrew Bogert of Englewood, the first Saint Cecilia's was small and unpretentious except for its high steeple topped by a cross that could be seen from near and far. Saint Cecilia's was dedicated on November 11, 1866 with Bishop Bayley presiding and Fr. Brann saying the first mass.