Our Lady of the Lake, Verona NJ - Roman Catholic Churches on Waymarking.com

In the late 1800’s and early 1900's, the Catholic residents of Verona had to travel to Orange and Belleville and later to Caldwell and Montclair to attend Mass and other services. As the need for a local church became increasingly apparent, the Catholics in Verona submitted a petition to the Bishop in Newark in 1914. The request was denied.

However, nine years later, with the cooperation of Reverend Thomas J. McEnery, pastor of St. Aloysius, the possibility of a church in Verona was again explored. On July 14, 1923, the Most Rev. John J O'Connor, Bishop of Newark, gave the initial sanction and official approval was granted by the Vicar General of the Diocese, Rt. Rev. Msgr. John A. Sheppard, for the establishment of a church with a resident pastor for Verona’s 150 Catholic families.

On September 16, 1923, the first Mass was offered in Verona at a temporary location in the high school auditorium. Four months later, on January 20, 1924, Rev. James J. Kelly, Our Lady of the Lake’s first pastor, broke ground on Lakeside Avenue proclaiming, “this Church will become a power for good in the community.” A successful building campaign, with a goal of $50,000, led to the laying of the first cornerstone in April 1924. On June 15th of that year, the first Mass was celebrated in the new church of Our Lady of the Lake.Father Kelly served as a pastor for 19 years.

Type of Church: Church Status of Building: Actively in use for worship Date of organization: 06/24/1923 Date of building construction: 01/09/1965 Archdiocese: Newark Diocese: Newark Address/Location: 32 Lakeside Ave Verona, nj usa 07944 Relvant Web Site: [Web Link] Dominant Architectural Style: Not listed Associated Shrines, Art, etc.: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   09/17/2012 79scouts visited it