Father Aloysius Gerdes was not expected to recover from surgery during St. John the Baptist Church’s construction, but he said he’d be back for another 20 years—and he was! Pastor for 46 years until his death in 1942, Father Gerdes presided over 488  marriages, 688 funerals and 2,080 baptisms.

1872

Archbishop John Purcell established a new parish in Middletown for German-speaking Catholics who had previously traveled to the Franciscan Holy Name Church in Trenton.

1874

Archbishop Purcell dedicated the new St. John the Baptist Church, built in a neoclassical style at a cost of $12,000, and about 3,000 people attended.

1880

Two Sisters of St. Francis from Oldenburg arrived to open the parish school.

1892

Father R.H. Bene became the first resident diocesan priest and bought the land next to the church, which was eventually used for the rectory, school and new church.

1896

Father Aloysius Gerdes became pastor.

1908

Ground broken for a new school.

1925

Cornerstone laid for the new church after four Masses and a parade.

1926

Father D.D. Buckley dedicated the bells for the new bell tower.

1927

Archbishop John McNicholas dedicated a Romanesque church by architect W.L. Jaeckle. It featured a bell tower, central barrel vault with massive columns, organ loft, ribbed apse and an ornate baldacchino.

1952

Fenwick High School opened in St. John’s “Old South School” after students, staff and parents renovated the building.

1962

New building completed for Fenwick High School.

1964-66

Renovations simplified the church interior and adapted the altar to the post-Vatican II changes.