The first Mass was said in the home of Lawrence W. Cogley, located on Bellevue Avenue. Attendance began to increase rapidly and the need for larger quarters was evident. Bellevue Hall located in the 400 block of Bellevue Avenue was rented by Father Esser and weekly Mass was held there. This hall presented many inconveniences and Father Esser and the people of Hammonton decided to build a church on their own.

A lot on Third Street was presented to the Catholics by Judge Byrnes, and with the consent o the Most Rev. Michael Joseph O'Farrel. 1st Bishop of Trenton, the construction of Hammonton's first Catholic Church began in 1884. Mr. George Bowers and his son Louis donated the necessary labor to this undertaking. The untimely death of Father Esser on April 5, 1885, halted the construction

The Reverend Anthony Van Riel was appointed pastor of St. Nicholas Church in Egg Harbor on June 12. 1885, and work was once again resumed on St. Joseph Church. The contract to complete the church was given to Mr. William Bernshouse. Judge Byrnes and Mrs. Cogley gave a donation of $100 and in November of 1886, the cornerstone, a gift of Mr. Bernshouse was laid. The pews for the church and a large painting of the Crucifixion came from St. Mary Church in Pleasant Mills, which had been closed. Mr. Henry Schultz, an artist from Germany, gave the new church fourteen large pictures entitled the "Way of the Cross' painted by him from the paintings of Klein, a leading Austrian painter of the day.

The first Church of St. Joseph costing $3.000, was finished. It was dedicated by the Rev, Gerard Huggens, of Stanhope, N. J. and the first Mass was said on March 27, 1887, Passion Sunday.

In October 1890, Hammonton was made into a separate parish and the Rev. Father C. Ramot became the first pastor. He records the first baptism in the new parish on October 25. 1890. The infant daughter Maria Cristiana Coccoli born on September 11, 1890, to Pasquale and Angela DiFeo Coccoli was sponsored at baptism by Joseph Esposito and Teresa DiFeo.

On December 28, 1890, Father Ramot was succeeded by the Rev. B. Grom, but ill health forced him to leave the parish on November 16, 1891, and the church was re-united with Egg Harbor City under Father Anthony Van Riel.

St. Joseph Church was given to the Missionary Fathers of the Sacred Heart to administer in December 1891, and Father P. M. Barral was assigned here. He experimented for several years trying to make Hammonton a missionary center, and he planned to erect an Apostolic College, but the extreme poverty of the parishioners forced the cancellation of his plans and the Sacred Heart Fathers left. St. Joseph was united once again with Egg Harbor City under Father Van Riel from November 1893, to June 1895.

The church was again separated from Egg Harbor and for the next six rears many pastors labored in trying to make St. Joseph a permanent parish. Rev. Caesar Spigardi came in June 1895, and remained until October 1897. In 1896, he purchased a bell for the church from the McShane Bell Foundry of Baltimore, Maryland. This bell was transferred to the tower of the church built in 1919 and continued in use until the demolition of that church. Father Spigardi witnessed the first marriage at St. Joseph when Vincent Riviello took for his wife Carmela Ambona on August 12. 1895.

The Rev. Nicholas Cerruti was assigned here from October 1897 until October 1899, when he was replaced by the Rev. Frassenotti, who remained here from October 1899 until June 1900. During his administration, twenty-five boys and fifty-nine girls were administered the Sacrament of Confirmation by Bishop James A. McFauI, second Bishop of Trenton. Theodore Baker was the sponsor for the boys and Anna Cogley was the sponsor for the girls. Thus is recorded the first Confirmation service held in Hammonton.

Rev. Nicholas Coscia was pastor from July 1900 until November 1900, when he was replaced by the Rev. P. T. Hendrick who remained until June 1901. Father Hendrick said the first funeral mass in Hammonton when Stella Delziet was buried.

In June 1901. at the request of the Most Rev. James A. McFauI, the Fathers of the Pious Society of Missions took charge and the Rev. John Rohleder. P.S.M. was sent to represent them. The first entry in the minutes of the Board of Trustees of St. Joseph Church. Hammonton. N. J., lists the by-laws of the church and states that at a meeting held at the Episcopal Residence in Trenton, N. J. the Rev. John P. Rohleder was elected secretary and treasurer of the corporation, and that Mr. Michael Fitzpatrick and Mr. Domenico DeFeo were elected lay trustees. The minutes further record that the corporation owned property measuring 144 feet on Third Street and 150 feet deep on French Street in Hammonton, N. J.