Over the year 2004 & 2005, several necessary improvements were made to the church and rectory. In July, a new Climate System was installed in the Church. The plaster in the church was repaired and painted. The new heat was installed on the first floor of the rectory. The garages on 6th street were repaired. A new flat roof installed under air condition in church. Renovations began in the church Parish Center, where a new heating and cooling system was installed in the main meeting space... The once abandoned convent on Brunswick Street has been leased to the Jersey City Board of Education. The income will go to parish improvements and debt payments. Nearly $100,000 thousand dollars was spent on necessary repairs over the year.

 

Sadness struck Holy Rosary on the morning of August 28th, 2005. Msgr Gerard M. Santora, Holy Rosary’s longest-serving pastor, passed away at the age of 93. Msgr. Santora pastoral tenure ranged from 1939 – 1968. During his reign, a countless number of improvements were made to the parish. Some of the most noteworthy, was the extension of the school building, new convent, new Rectory, and remodeling of the exterior and interior of the church. Holy Rosary’s’ parish life was at its peak during the pastorate of the “Priest of Priests” tenure. In October of 2005 new flooring and fresh coats of paint were installed in the rectory. On October 2nd, 2005 Holy Rosary celebrated its 120th anniversary of serving the downtown Jersey City Community. 18 members of Holy Rosary Church both, living and deceased were inducted into the newly established “Holy Rosary Hall of Fame”. Each year on the parish anniversary more people will be added.

 

On October 26th, 2005 Holy Rosary received joyous news. The Archdiocese Taskforce Committee agreed to the recommendations Holy Rosary and St. Anthony’s Parish submitted. The Parishes will remain open and are asked to “Partner” together. In 2 years both parishes will be re-evaluated to see if they should continue the “partnership” or merger together. For the time being, Holy Rosary and St. Anthony’s will remain open and independent.

Cum Pietro Ad Jesum per Mariam

 

Special thanks to Nicholas Grillo for the compilation of our history!