Parish plans to get glimpse of its past as part of anniversary in 2021

OLD BRIDGE — St. Thomas the Apostle Parish began its 100th anniversary celebration Oct. 13 when a 20-gallon tank with a time capsule inside was unearthed.

Father Jerome Johnson, pastor, was joined by parishioners, students and staff at St. Thomas the Apostle School, and Old Bridge Mayor Owen Henry to watch the tank get uncovered.

The time capsule was buried Nov. 3, 1996, when Msgr. John B. Szymanski was the pastor and Bishop Edward T. Hughes was shepherd of the diocese. They directed it to be opened in November 2021.

Father Johnson said once the tank with the time capsule is removed from the ground, it will be cleaned and displayed in the vestibule of St. Thomas the Apostle Church. The parish will also have historical displays, church tours and a gala for its 100th anniversary celebration.

The time capsule will be opened at the end of the parish’s 100th anniversary celebration in November 2021, Father Johnson said. After that, new items will be placed inside the time capsule, which will be reburied and opened again in 25 years.

According to its website, St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, which now serves about 4,700 registered families, began as a mission church of Our Lady of Victories parish, Sayreville. The first St. Thomas Church was built on Old Bridge Turnpike and dedicated in 1921. The church was canonically established Nov. 21, 1932, but remained a misison of Our Lady of Victories. In 1941, Bishop William Griffin, the sixth shepherd of the Diocese of Trenton, established St. Thomas the Apostle as an independent parish. Father James Stephen Foley was appointed as its first pastor.

Msgr. Szymanski, who became administrator of the parish in 1969 and pastor in 1973, wrote about its history in his book, “Towards New Horizons.” He described how Charlotte Elizabeth Hurtzig donated three acres of land for the building of the first St. Thomas the Apostle Parish. She was raised Protestant, but converted to Catholicism in 1917. The land was located at the entrance to the district of Old Bridge, where for generations, Catholics were not known or welcome, Msgr. Szymanski wrote. He noted that the parish was also adjacent to the Chestnut Hill Cemetery, where Catholic burials were not permitted.   

Writing about the parish’s first pastor, Msgr. Szymanski said in his book that Father Foley’s exceptional pastoral leadership at the crucial beginnings of the parish’s life set a standard for all his successors to emulate… He left a legacy of parish unity, pride, and purpose.

By 1951, the parish served about 200 registered families. Middlesex County was experiencing a steep growth in population and the parish had a growing number of members. Most of the new families had young children whose parents wanted to enroll them in a parochial school.

In 1957, Father Walter Aloysius French, pastor, bought 11.7 acres of land on Route 18 in what was then Madison Township. On that site, a new parish church, school, auditorium, and rectory were built. It is the current location of St. Thomas, which now serves about 4,700 registered families.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, no large-scale plans have been made for the 100th anniversary, Father Johnson said. However, he plans to lead a walk from St. Thomas’ previous location to its current site as part of the celebration.