Pastoral Visit to Ss. Cyril & Methodius Parish

Bishop celebrates Mass in Spanish at Ss. Cyril & Methodius Parish in Clifton

CLIFTON  Bishop Serratelli made a pastoral visit to Ss. Cyril and Methodius Parish here July 12 and celebrated the 12:30 p.m. Mass in Spanish for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

The history of the parish dates back to 1913 when Slovak Catholics in Clifton and Garfield organized a parish under Ss. Cyril & Methodius and purchased property on Acker­man Avenue in Clifton. Bishop O’Connor assigned a pastor in 1914. In 1921 the parish was entrusted to the Franciscan Commissariat of the Holy Cross and in 1930 to the Slovak Franciscan Fathers of the Custody of the Holy Savior. A new church was built in 1923. The present church was built in 1956. Ad­min­istration of the parish reverted to the Diocese in 1995 when the Fran­ciscans left. The parish, which now also serves the growing His­panic community in the area, celebrated its 100th anniver­sary in 2013