History... 1921 - 1962
"At a meeting of the trustees of St. Joseph Church held at St. Joseph's Rectory, Hammonton. N. J. on the third day of June in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and twenty-two, it was resolved and passed to build a parochial school on the new property purchased by the St. Joseph Corporation situated on the S.E. corner of Third and Pleasant Streets, Hammonton, N. J.

Second -It was resolved and passed the school to cost about fifty-five thousand dollars and these resolutions to be subject however to the approval of the Right Reverend Bishop". Approval was granted by Thomas J. Walsh, Bishop of Trenton on June 6, 1922. Thus, under the pastorship of Father Robert Sorgi, the advantages of a Catholic education were made available to the children of Hammonton.

Father Robert Sorgi was transferred in July 1924, and Father Joseph Transerici was again assigned to Hammonton.

The assistant was Father Guido Steccati. In September 1930, Father Transerici returned to Italy because of ill health, and Father Steccati was promoted to pastor and remained until 1934.

In October 1934. Father Lucien Abbate. P.S.M. was named pastor replacing Father Steccati, P.S.M. It was under the pastorship of Father Abbate that St. Joseph , High School had its beginnings. The high school was added in 1935.

Reverend Marco Martorelli, P.S.M., replaced Father Abbate as pastor in August 1941. In 1947, the Pious Society of Missions changed its name to the Society of the Catholic Apostolate, thereby changing the initials following the names of its priests from P.S.M. to S.A.C. Father Martorelli undertook the school building program which was completed in 1953. Phase one consisting of twelve classrooms was completed in 1949. Phase two consisting of a gymnasium and a kindergarten wing was completed in 1953. The lay trustees for this project were Mr. John L. Capelli and Mr. Anthony Bilazzo.

In April 1953, the Rev. Nicholas Rinaldi, S.A.C. replaced Father Martorelli as pastor. During his pastorship. the convent was remodeled and a new wing added. The rectory was enlarged so that a reception room and office were added on the main floor and two bedrooms and studies were added on the second floor. In 1957, a fourteen acre plot was purchased on Chew Road and Holy Sepulcher Cemetery was opened,

Rev. Pasquale Schimizzi, S.A.C. replaced Rev. Nicholas Rinaldi, S.A.C. as pastor in September 1959.


 

During his administration two lots have been purchased on Pleasant Street adding to the playground for the school. To extend the high school facilities, a nine acre athletic was acquired on north Third Street. Mr. John L. Capelli and Mr. Michael Ruberton were recorded as lay trustees at this time. December 1959 saw the purchase pf a property with a building on the corner of Third and Pleasant Streets.

During the summer of 1962, the Most Reverend Archbishop-bishop of Camden, announced that the new parish of St. Martin de Porres and the mission of St. Martin de Porres, were to be formed from part of the former parish of St. Joseph.

Father Schimizzi, S.A.C. announced in September that a new church was to be constructed for St. Joseph Parish. Services were to be held in the building purchased in 1959 during the construction of the new church, which would occupy the same location on the corner of Third and French Streets.

The last Mass was said in the 1919 church on Easter Sunday 1963, at 7:00 P.M. by Father Schimizzi. Upon the completion of this Mass, Father Schimizzi removed the Blessed Sacrament to the temporary church. Thus, St. Joseph was to be temporarily without a permanent church building for the first time since 1886.