The Catholic history of Newark, New Jersey:
The Diocese of Newark was first established in 1853 through a Papal Brief of Pope Pius IX to include all of New Jersey. Prior to this, northern New Jersey had been a part of the Archdiocese of New York and southern New Jersey was a part of the Diocese of Philadelphia.
The Diocese was divided in 1881, when the Diocese of Trenton was created to serve the 14 counties of South and Central New Jersey. A second division came in 1937 with the creation of the Diocese of Paterson incorporating Passic, Morris, and Sussex. This established the current territory of the Archdiocese of Newark, which includes Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union counties.
On Dec. 10, 1937 the Diocese of Newark was elevated to the rank of Archdiocese. Archbishop Thomas J. Walsh, who had become Bishop of Newark in 1928, was installed in his new rank on April 27, 1938.
When the Diocese was founded in 1853, its seat was established at Saint Patrick’s Pro-Cathedral in Newark. Construction on this site did not begin until 1899 under the third Bishop of Newark Winand M. Wigger. The Cathedral was completed in 1954 as the Archdiocese was celebrating its centennial year, and was elevated to the status of a basilica by Pope John Paul II when he visited there in 1995.
Catholic places of interest in Newark, New Jersey:
Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart
National Shrine of Saint Gerard