"How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Hosts!" (Psalm 84:1)

On October 17, 1941 the Archdiocese of Newark decided to erect, in the Borough of Wallington, New Jersey, a new separate and distinct parish, to be dedicated under the title of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.  

It was no accident that the initial boundaries of this new parish were in the shape of a heart. 

The tract of land was purchased by Archbishop Thomas J. Walsh and he appointed Rev. Alexander W. Fronczak to organize the new parish.  

The new pastor read his letter of appointment, together with a description of the territorial limits of the new canonical parish, on June 21, 1942, in the "house" at 194 Maple Avenue.  The "house" served as a temporary week-day church as well as the rectory.  The "house" on Maple Avenue has the honor of being the "mustard seed" from which the Parish of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus became what it is today - a thriving complex of church, school, rectory and convent with over 2,200 families. 

During planning and construction, the second story of the Borough Municipal Building was used for Sunday and Holy Day services.  Rows of chairs and an altar had to be set up for Masses and removed afterward in order to leave the hall in its original condition.  The Municipal Center remained in use until December, 1947.  

Ground was broken for the building of the Church and School in September, 1946.  In April, 1947 construction began on the buildings.  The laying of the School cornerstone was officiated by Archbishop Thomas J. Walsh.  The Basement Church (the current auditorium) began to be used in December, 1947 and the School opened in September, 1948 with the second floor designated as a temporary convent.

In September, 1955 the upper Church was completed, cornerstone laid, and the Church blessed by Archbishop Thomas A. Boland.    

In June, 1979, the inner Church was totally renovated to comply with new Archdiocesan regulations after an initial sanctuary change in the mid sixties when the altar was moved so that the celebrant of the Mass would face the people.  

In its 60+ years of existence, the Parish has had four Pastors, numerous Priests serving, Felician Sisters in residence, and over twenty Church organizations and societies.  We now number 2,235 families.  A Parish is something which lives and has life.  Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish is a living, breathing and growing sign of God's love in our community and in our lives.  

Our Pastor, The Very Rev. Canon Felix R. Marciniak

When we think of the most important moments of our lives and the lives of our families, our thoughts immediately turn to Most Sacred Heart.  Many of our family members were founders and builders of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish.  They chartered the organizations to which we now belong.  Many of us attended and graduated Most Sacred Heart of Jesus School.  Family members are baptized here, and married here.  We mourn and bury our loved ones from here.   There are generations of family histories – all tied to Most Sacred Heart. 

On the flip side of that – those of you who are “newer” to MSH will appreciate this - each year we have the privilege of sharing our faith through RCIA classes.   RCIA is the Right of Christian Initiation for Adults.  Some are teens - some are adults.  They begin attending RCIA classes and exploring the possibility of joining our faith and more often than not, they find what they are looking for.  At the Easter Vigil each year, we have the honor of witnessing as they are Baptized, receive Eucharist for the first time and are Confirmed.   To see what we have through the eyes of someone else is truly amazing. 

For Polish Americans, Most Sacred Heart also offers the ability to keep the traditions of our heritage that are so dear to us alive – Pasterka, Kolenda, Swiensonka.  But that’s not all you can find here – where else can you hear the words of Consecration on Holy Thursday sung in Aramaic, the language of Jesus?  Where else can you literally take to the streets in procession on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, May Crowning?  Where else can you hear English, Polish, Italian, Spanish, Aramaic and Latin all in one service? 

But MSH is not just about Sunday Mass, Services, retreats and religious education classes.

MSH is about friends and community too.  As Fr. Felix is fond of saying, “ We pray hard, we work hard, and we play hard.”  People say that you are lucky if you have one or two great friends in your life.  Just when you don’t think it's possible, you find friends volunteering at social functions, or just meeting after services and Mass.   

And then there’s our School.  A seventh grader told this story several years ago – he said that a friend of his told him that they had a football field next to their school – he told his friend that he had something much more important next to his – a church.  What can be of greater value to us than a place where we can educate the next generations of Most Sacred Heart parishioners in the assurance of God’s love for them?

We have been blessed with the gift of what our founders have passed to us.  It is our responsibility to preserve it and pass on the gift to the next generation of parishioners.  Bricks and mortar only last a fixed number of years – a spiritual home lasts forever.  

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