St. Francis of Hoboken

The history of St. Francis parish can be traced back, in a sense, even further than 100 years, when Italian-Americans of Hoboken, New Jersey worshipped at the old St. Joseph's Church on Ferry Street (now Observer Highway). Many of these people, mostly of Genoese extraction, had been in this country only a short time, and the language barrier was a genuine problem for them at English-speaking St. Joseph's. They wanted their own Italian Catholic Church with instructions, services, and confessions in their own tongue to unite them more fully with their holy faith. Their common backgrounds and goals helped establish St. Francis and build the spiritual presence that it is today.