Pastoral visit to Clifton parish

CLIFTON  Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to St. Philip the Apostle Parish here Dec. 16 where he celebrated Mass for the Third Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday. To mark Gaudete Sunday, rose-colored vestments are worn to celebrate the joy that Christmas will soon be here. Gaudete translates to “rejoice” in Latin.

The history of St. Philip’s began when development in the western section of Clifton prompted Bishop McLaughlin to extend his “apostolic chain” of churches by erecting St. Philip’s mission in 1943. Masses were first celebrated in the clubhouse of the Acquackanonk Gardens Defense Housing Project on June 6, 1943. The following year the mission was advanced to parish status. By 1946, a small church was built on 597 Valley Road, which later became the home of The Beacon for a number of years, after a new church and school were built further down Valley Road in 1954. After a devastating fire, the church was rebuilt in 1964.