About
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Our Lady of Czestochowa Roman Catholic Church (OLC) is part of Jersey City’s Historic Paulus Hook District. The land on which our church is located was purchased by the Associates of the Jersey Company in 1804. In 1830, the company gave land to the congregation of St. Matthew’s Protestant Episcopal Church to build a church, which opened in 1831. It burned down in December 1869, but it was quickly rebuilt and open for services in 1870. As this area of Jersey City became more industrialized and welcomed more immigrants, the congregation of St. Matthew’s declined and the parish closed.
In 1905, St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, one mile away, bought the building to help serve their burgeoning Polish parish. St. Matthew’s became Our Lady of Czestochowa Roman Catholic Church, a name taken from a shrine in Poland which houses a beloved icon of the Virgin Mary. (A copy of that icon is displayed over our altar.) For many years both St. Anthony’s and OLC served the Polish-speaking Catholic population of downtown Jersey City.
In 1995, our mission evolved to reflect the dramatic changes taking place in the area. OLC is now a truly international parish, serving our diverse population and parishioners of all ages from the USA and around the world. We are a vital and active part of the neighborhood. Our doors are open to all who seek to grow in their relationship with God.
In addition to providing for the spiritual needs of its parishioners, OLC also sponsors the OLC School, a National Blue Ribbon Award Catholic elementary school, on Marin Boulevard.
Our Lady of Czestochowa reaches out to all people to join us in joyfully giving praise and glory to God and building a community which, with trust in God, embraces the future and is a beacon of faith, hope, and love.
Read more about our patroness, Our Lady of Czestochowa, here.
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AUGUST 26
Behind our altar hangs the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Infant Jesus. This is a copy of the precious icon from the monastery of Jasna Gora (Hill of Light) in Czestochowa, Poland. It has been revered for centuries as a priceless relic connected with the life of the Holy Family. It is said that the portrait was painted by St. Luke the Evangelist on a cypress wood tabletop made by the carpenter St. Joseph and used by the Holy Family.
In 1430, Bohemian Hussites overran the monastery and vandalized the painting, breaking it into three pieces. The painting was taken to Krakow, where it was restored. Unfortunately, the restorers were unable to cover the two gashes on the right cheek of the Virgin. The image of the Madonna is sometimes referred to as the Black Madonna. This darkening of the image comes from centuries of soot and smoke from candles lit in prayers near the icon. The icon is now covered with gold and jewels, gifts donated by the faithful in thanksgiving for their answered prayers.
Prayer to Our Lady
Holy Mother of Czestochowa, thou art full of grace, goodness and mercy. I consecrate to thee all my thoughts, words and actions, my soul and body. I beseech thy blessings and especially prayers for my salvation. Today, I consecrate myself to thee, Good Mother, totally with body and soul amid joy and sufferings to obtain, for myself and others, Thy blessings on this earth and eternal life in Heaven. Amen.
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