In the Beginning...

Holy Spirit Parish had its inception when it was canonically erected by Archbishop Thomas A. Boland S.T.D., on June 14, 1963.  The new parish was to be built on the Archdiocese-owned, four and a half acre tract of land at the intersection of Morris Avenue and Suburban Road.  It was, for the most part, to serve those Catholic families attending St. Michael’s Church in Union, Christ the King in Hillside, and St. Genevieve’s Church in Elizabeth, and living within the newly-defined boundaries.

 On June 28, 1963, Rev. George D. Drexler was appointed the first Pastor.  Father Drexler, a native of Newark, was graduated from the St. Michael’s Elementary School, in Newark, and Seton Hall Preparatory School, in South Orange, before completing his studies for the priesthood at Seton Hall College and Immaculate Conception Seminary in Darlington.  Ordained on June 3, 1939, Father Drexler spent one year as a curate in St. Venantius Parish, Orange, and a year at St. Mary’s Parish in Plainfield, before being assigned to St. Joseph’s Parish in Jersey City where he remained for twenty-two years.

 Once assigned to his new pastorate, Father Drexler immediately made arrangements to have Sunday Masses celebrated at nine and eleven o’clock, at Kawameeh Junior High School Auditorium, which had been rented for that purpose.  The first Sunday Masses were celebrated there on July 14, 1963, and by the end of the month, the number of Masses was doubled, with a total attendance of 1,500 persons.  The additional Masses now made it necessary to have assistance on Sunday.  Rev. David J. McCarthy, chaplin at St. Mary’s Hospital in Orange, and Rev. John M. Ballweg, a member of the faculty at Seton Hall University, were appointed.

 Daily Mass was celebrated at 7:30 each morning at the McCracken Funeral Home on Morris Avenue and Holyday Masses were celebrated at six and eight o’clock in the evening at Kawameeh Junior High School Auditorium.  The Confraternity of Christian Doctrine which was organized with the help of twelve volunteer teachers and three hundred-eighty pupils, was formed on October of 1963 and held classes after Mass on Sunday in the Jr. High School classrooms.