The Church

Timeline of St. Michael's History

Past Pastors from St. Michael's

Introduction

Beginings

1918 to 1949

1950 to 1963

1964 to 1987

1988 to present

1964 -1987

Mgsr. Stim understood that because of its new status as a Cathedral, St. Michael’s would have to undergo certain changes. He therefore initiated the process of renovating and remodeling the church interior and exterior. This project he undertook not only in jubilation of the parishes new status, but also in anticipation of the upcoming Diamond Jubilee of the parish.

Of primary concern were the massive church towers and domes which had been weakened by storms over the years, and, ironically, which had been plagued with problems ever since their erection in 1903. Msgr. Stim had the foresight to remove the old towers and have new ones erected. Having leapt this hurdle, he was now ready to focus his attention on the church interior. This, he signed contracts to begin the repainting and redecorating projects.

The zealous endeavors of Msgr. Stim were interrupted, however, by a transfer to St. Mary’s Church in Trenton, New Jersey. After a pastorate spanning 13 years at St. Michael’s the flock bid a tearful farewell to their former pastor, and greeted their new shepherd, Msgr. George Durisin, V.G. – Vicar General of the new diocese, and now, Rector of the new Cathedral.

Msgr. Durisin arrived in Passaic on August 4, 1964, and immediately saw through to completion all the projects initiated by Msgr. Stim. Then, driven by a vision of his own, Msgr. Durisin sought to prepare the parish for their 75 th Anniversary. This event was only a few short months away and would be the first major event in the life of the new Cathedral.

During the moths prior ro the Diamond Anniversary, the exterior of the church was “brick faced” while the interior of the church was beautified with new carpeting, a Bishop’s throne, new sanctuary paintings, and a 2 – section iconostas complete with 18 icons. Even with the tiring chores of renovation, time was still found to oversee construction and improvements at the parish Cemetery, to purchase new property adjacent to the former school playground, and to prepare the groundwork for the establishment of a CCD program, which would go into effect on May 8, 1966.

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Bishop Stephen Kocisko, the first Bishop of the ne Diocese, taking leave of his attendance at the Fourth Session of the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II), made a special trip from Rome in order to officiates at this Cathedral’s Diamond Jubilee on October 31, 1965. On this joyous occasion he also blessed and rededicated the newly renovated Cathedral.

The reward for Msgr. Durisin’s hard work and dedication was that he would be permitted to remain at Sr. Michael’s in order to lead the congregation into the celebration of their 90 th year. Coupled with this Anniversary Celebration there was, to be sure, another major renovation project – the second one during Msgr. Durisin’s tenure at St. Michael’s. In the meantime, however, the parish basked in their new status as a Cathedral which enabled them to witness countless ordinations to the priesthood and diaconate and to celebrate all major Holydays in the presence of their Bishop.

Being members of the Cathedral parish made each parishioner a part of the Bishop’s family. They rejoiced with Bishop Kocisko on September 9, 1966 as he celebrated his 25 th Anniversary as a priest, and 10 th Anniversary as a Bishop; And they welcomed a new Bishop into their hearts on September 19, 1969, when Bishop Michael Dudick was consecrated and installed as the Second Bishop of Passaic.

The preparation for St. Michael’s 90 th Anniversary began in January, 1978 with the renewal of the electrical system and the installation of new and additional light fixtures in the Cathedral. Completion of this costly but necessary project paved the way for further interior work. Beginning in May of 1978 the church was extensively scoured – a fresh coat of interior paint was applied, the ceiling murals were cleaned and retouched, and the pews, rails and doors were refinished.

Now, having been cleaned, painted and adequately illuminated, the Cathedral was ready for its next major improvement, the installation of the present Altar and Iconostas. This complete transformation of the Sanctuary (Altar area) together with the installation of new carpeting completed the interior phase of the Cathedral’s preparation for their 90 th Anniversary; work could now begin on the outside.

In May of 1980, just months before the November Anniversary, the exteriors of all the buildings on the parish grounds were given attention and repaired: the Cathedral itself was waterproofed, cleaned, and painted outside; the school received a new roof; all fences and fire escapes on the property were repainted; and all gutters were cleaned, repaired or replaced. With no detail having been overlooked, the parish joyfully celebrated the 90 th Anniversary of its founding on November 9, 1980. On this occasion, Bishop Dudick blessed the new Altar and Iconostas and again re-dedicated the Cathedral church.

In addition to being filled with full menu of renovation projects, the months immediately prior tro the 90 th Anniversary were seeping with much activities in other areas as well: In March of 1979, the “Byzantine Service Group” was formed as a confidential service organization where parishioners would be assisted in finding aid in such areas as Social Security, Medicare, food stamps and welfare. In May 1979 the parish Ladies Guild, though the dedication of Mrs. Irene Serafin, sponsored the first of their renowned fashion shows at the Wayne Manor; in June 1979 St. Michael’s hosted all former graduates of the Parochial School for a 25 th Anniversary reunion; in September of 1979, the “B.S.G.” sponsored the first of its Blood Drives; and earlier that same month, the parish welcomed its Cantor/Choirmaster, Professor John Kahanick who cantored the Divine Liturgy for the first time at St. Michael’s on Sunday, September 10, 1979.

The next milestone in the history of St. Michael’s also came during Msgr. Durisin’s tenure- the erection of a Chapel and Social Center in West Paterson. The decision to branch out into West Paterson came about as a result of a trend of changing circumstances which were indicative, yet typical, of progress: many younger families began relocating into distant suburbs and serious attention had to be given to reach out to them. Therefore, after much investigation and somber consideration it was decided, in August 1982 that 19 acres of wooded land on Lackawanna Avenue in West Paterson was to be purchased by the Diocese and Cathedral. This was to be the future site of the new Diocesan Center as the Cathedral Chapel Facility.

St. Michael’s Chapel Facility was to house not only the Chapel itself, a 250 seat capacity structure modeled after the old-style wooden churches of Eastern Europe, but also an adjacent two level Social Center, complete with kitchen, banquet hall. Catechetical ceremonies for both the Diocesan Center and Chapel Facility took place on April 28, 1985. Shortly afterward, on November 27, 1986 (Thanksgiving Day), Bishop Dudick, together with Msgr. Durisin and Rev. James Demko, Assistant Pastor, celebrated a Divine Liturgy of Thanksgiving and imparted a simple blessing to the construction site if the new Chapel. Finally, on the last Sunday of May 1987, the cornerstone was laid and the new Chapel of St. Michael the Archangel was solemnly blessed and dedicated.