Clifton parish welcomes Bishop

CLIFTON  Bishop Sweeney made a pastoral visit to St. Philip the Apostle Parish here Feb. 7 where he celebrated Mass marking the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

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 that year. The following year the mission was advanced to parish status. By 1946, a small church was built at 597 Valley Road, which later became the home of The Beacon for a number of years. As the parish grew in numbers, a new church and school were built after property was acquired at 797 Valley Road. After a devastating fire, the church was rebuilt in 1964.