Originally published in 1939
Some of this information may no longer be current and in that case is presented for historical interest only.
Edited by GET NJ, COPYRIGHT 2002

The United States Religious Census of 1926 (the latest available) counted 101 denominations in New Jersey, of which 65 are named and the remainder listed as "all others." In that year there were 3,497 churches and 1,983,781 members. Church property was valued at $162,654,034 Sunday schools numbered 3,064, with 489,651 students and 49,980 teachers.

The Roman Catholic Church has the largest membership in the State with a total of 1,055,998. (U. S. Census of 1926.) A Papal decree of December 1937, creating the Archdiocese of Newark to include the entire State, attested official recognition of the size and importance of the Catholic Church in New Jersey. Archbishop Thomas J. Walsh was placed in charge. The Catholics' principal sectarian activity is an elaborate parochial school system augmented by Seton Hall College for men in South Orange, St. Elizabeth's College for women at Convent Station, and Georgian Court College, also for women, at Lakewood, as well as smaller institutions of higher learning.

Roman Catholics have perhaps the most spectacular public demonstrations of faith of any group in the State. Especially notable is the production of Veronica's Veil, a Passion Play staged annually since 1914 during Lent under the direction of Rev. Joseph N. Grieff at St. Joseph's Parish in Union City. The cast requires 300 members. The Holy Name Society of the Roman Catholic Church holds annual parades in all large communities. In Newark as many as 50,000 march.

Protestant membership totals about 900,000. More than two-thirds of this membership is divided among the denominations (figures from 1936 denominational reports):

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