100 Years of Saint Joachim's Catholic Church

100 Years of Saint Joachims Catholic Church
From the local Trenton Newspaper

For the people of Chambersburg, maintaining the ways of their
forefathers, many of whom came from Italy, is a very important
part of who they are. And,for the past 100 years,St. Joachim's
Church has been helping them do just that.
"Here at St. Joachim's," said Father Jeff Lee, the pastor of
the parish tucked away in the northwest corner of the 'Burg ,
"we're fostering not just worship, but a sense of community
and tradition." That sense of community and tradition will
be put on display today when St. Joachim's celebrates its
Centennial Gala honoring the 100th Anniversary of the
founding of the parish. Today's Centennial Mass and gala
reception will be the highlight of a year's worth of
activities that include, among other things, the Bacio del
Bambino in January, the Festa de la Madonna di Casandrino
in September and the singing of "Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle"
during the Christmas season. For St. Joachim's, that legacy
started in 1901 when Bishop James McFaul established the
parish and named Father Aloysius Pozzi to serve as pastor.
Services originally were held in Centennial Hall on the
corner of Hudson and Genesee streets. Through the efforts
of Pozzi, property was purchased on Butler Street and two
years later, on Aug. 15, 1903, the cornerstone for a new
church was laid. The first Mass was celebrated there on
July 16, 1904. The parish was founded to serve the needs of
the thousands of Italian immigrants who settled here and
worked in the city's steel mills, rubber and pottery
factories but who were treated like outsiders because of
their inability to speak English and their steadfast
adherence to the traditions of the "old country."
And it was at St. Joachim's where they continued those
traditions."To Italians and Italian-Americans," said
Mercer County Executive Bob Prunetti who grew up a St.
Joachim's parishioner, "traditions are very important.
"It's a way for us to connect with our past. To remember
who we are and where we came from."
Which, in the case of St. Joachim's, is from all over Italy.
At it's height, there were about 3,500 families in the
parish. Currently there are about 1,500 families in the
parish which, according to Lee, extends far beyond the
boundaries of the Burg . "We have the third, fourth and
even the fifth generations of families who still come to
church here. It gives a sense of continuity to their lives."
Lee is the perfect example. Although he was born and raised
in Hamilton Township, Lee was baptized at St. Joachim's,
went to school at St. Joachim's and was confirmed at
St. Joachim's. He is one of 20 men from St. Joachim's who
were ordained priests, the most influential of whom was
Monsignor Emilio Cardelia. "Monsignor Cardelia," Lee said,
"may have been the most significant person in the history
of our parish. And it has been a part of the lives of
literally hundreds of thousands of people in this area
for 100 years. "I can't imagine what my life would be like
without St. Joachim's," said Mercer County Clerk Cathy
DiCostanzo.