Titusville, with its picturesque setting on the Delaware River was a popular resort after the First World War.   Since many of the vacationers were Catholic and there was no church in the area, the George Washington Hotel became the site of Sunday mass during the summer months. In the winter, the local resident Catholics had to travel by train to either Trenton or Lambertville to go to church.

Eight families were the first members of St. George's Mission Church and Rev. Joseph Mahoney was placed in charge.   Masses were still celebrated only in the summer.   Later Rev. James J. Kucker, the Pastor of St. James Parish in Pennington, was assigned the responsibility of St. George.  This was in addition to responsibility for Morris Hall in Lawrenceville. He was succeeded by Rev. John J. Leonard in 1933.

From the inception of the church until the mid-1930's, the congregation remained small. In the early days the Ku Klux Klan was very active in Titusville. Although no one was ever seriously injured, cross burnings and verbal threats kept the Catholic families watchful.

The congregation began to grow.  Rev. Michael McCorristin was assigned to St. George in 1934.  In 1938 under his direction, year-round masses began. In those days, the old church was heated by a pot-bellied stove that was fueled by corn cobs supplied by Josef Specker. The congregation gathered in the northwest end of the building where in more recent years the altar stood.

In 1940, Rev. Edward A McAndrews succeeded Rev. McCorristin. He was replaced in 1943 by Rev. James G. Harding. That same year, Rev. Frank Zqliczynski succeeded him.

St. George became a mission church of Our Lady of Good Counsel in West Trenton in 1947. The annual picnic was instituted in the summer of 1948 by Rev. Bernard DeCoste. It was held in the grove by Witzman's Rainbow View Farm. In 1951, Rev. Joseph M. McLaughlin was appointed to St. George. The Altar and Rosary Society began in 1956.

The mission church was canonically raised to the status of St. George's Church on May 31, 1972, by Most Rev. George W. Ahr, Bishop of Trenton. The first resident pastor of St. George was Rev. Nicholas Murphy. Although the new pastor first lived at the rectory of Our Lady of Good Counsel, he soon moved into a house on Park Avenue in Titusville. Later a rectory was built alongside the church. In 1979, Father Murphy retired.

On November 23, 1979, Rev. George A. Ardos became pastor of St. George in addition to his full-time position with the Diocese of Trenton. To help him manage this responsibility, Sister Dorothy Jancola, a Sister of Mercy, become the first religious assigned to St. George parish. In 1980, James Toolan became the first permanent deacon of the parish, joined by Thomas Daily.  Jack Allen became permanent deacon in 1982.

As the parish had continued to grow, the assistance of several weekend priests helped the pastor meet the needs of the parish. Rev. Stanley L. Jaki assisted in the late 1970's. He was followed by Reverends Timothy Burkauskas, Dennis O'Brien, John Mazzitello, Ronald Geimza, John Czahur, Walter Joyce, James Coley, Walter Nolan, Ernest Siska and Robert Stefanotti. In addition retired Bishop of Trenton John C. Reiss, successor to Bishop Ahr, assisted.  

In 1982, the first parish council was formed to advise the pastor. This council brought together leaders of the parish's committees:  recreation, rosary, social, education, youth, senior citizens, maintenance, liturgy, religious education, and pastoral council.

On June 3, 1986, with Msgr. Ardos' guidance, the parish council began discussion over the long-range needs of the St. George parish community. A significant event occurred that summer when air conditioning was donated to cool the old church.

Discussions over the need for a new church or a parish center continued until December 1987, when a building committee was formed to study the options. Following much more soul-searching discussions, the parish council voted unanimously to build a new church at its meeting on September 14, 1988. The building campaign began in earnest in June 1989, and ground breaking took place on December 2, 1990. The parish community dedicated the new church on May 17, 1992.

In 1999 the parish celebrated 25 years as a parish while simultaneously recognizing Msgr. George Ardos’ 40th anniversary as a priest. Also that year he and Sr. Dorothy Jancola were commended for 20 years of service as Pastor and Pastoral Associate respectively.

As the new century dawned, the three deacons who had served faithfully for almost 20 years retired or moved away. These deacons and their wives Shirley Allen, Agnes Toolan, and Terry Dailey contributed much to enhance the spiritual life of the parish growing from 350 families to nearly 800 families during their service.

Additional part-time weekend assistance since 2004 was provided primarily by Rev. Stephen Schuler from Divine Word Seminary.  Rev. Edward Dougherty frequently assisted weekdays and Sundays when needed.

Msgr. George Ardos retired as pastor on November 30, 2003, and for a brief period Rev. Jim McConnell filled in as administrator. Rev. Sam Sirianni became pastor in January, 2004.

After having no deacons for a brief period, two new deacons were ordained to serve St. George in 2006 and 2007 respectively. They are Larry Gallagher and Mike Riley. On July 1, 2005, Msgr. James G. Innocenzi was assigned by Bishop Smith to lead the parish. 

In 2015, Msgr. Innocenzi was assigned to the Pastoral Center as Vicar General for the Diocese of Trenton.  Rev. Msgr. Michael Walsh was assigned as pastor of St. George. During this same time period, a diocesan model of linking parishes due to the high rate of clergy retirements was instituted.  Msgr. Walsh is the current pastor of a newly linked model known as The Catholic Community of Hopewell Valley, which encompasses St. Alphonsus, St. George and St. James.   

Parish enrollments have been stable at around 600 families.  Parish social events include successful picnics and some covered-dish suppers. With the support of the Hopewell Knights of Columbus and the parish Social Concerns committee, several corporal works of mercy continue to draw strong support from a generous parish community.

 SIGN AND SYMBOL OF A FAITH COMMUNITY

SIGN AND SYMBOL

Erected on this historic site that was a part of the birth of our nation, may this Church of Saint George also stand as a sign and symbol of the faith we profess as a God-given freedom in this land we love.

May it stand as a symbol of ourselves, "living stones," built together in a faith community proclaiming to all who pass by, our belief and love of God.

May it stand as a sign and symbol of welcome to all who wish to share these spiritual gifts for many generations.

We the people of Saint George extend our heartfelt thanks to Monsignor George A. Ardos and Sister Dorothy Jancola, RSM for their hard work and leadership in bringing this sign and symbol of our faith to completion.
 

A HISTORIC SITE

The site of the new church of Saint George is the ground fall where George Washington and his troops landed on the New Jersey side of the Delaware River on Christmas Eve in 1776.

This was a crucial moment in the history of our young nation.  Failing to prevent the British from landing troops on Long Island, (and after an humiliating retreat from New Jersey), Washington found himself encamped on the Pennsylvania site of the Delaware River at the site of McKonkey's Ferry.  With the onset of the harsh winter and thinning ranks (caused by troops returning home to provide for families), the very existence of our country and its new-found freedom were threatened.  It was at this time, prompted by the very desperateness of the hour, that Tom Paine wrote his now famous quote:   "These are the times that try men's souls."

In an effort to save the Revolution, Washington planned a surprise attack against the British and Hessian mercenaries encamped at Trenton.  Crossing the ice-clogged Delaware River at McKonkey's Ferry on Christmas Eve 1776, he and his troops marched on Trenton.  The surprise was successful and the engagement became a pivotal battle of the war.  Thus, our freedom came by way of water at the site of the St. George Church.

In the Scripture, water is mentioned as playing many important roles: from the story of creation in Genesis, through the Israelite journey in the desert as revealed in Exodus, through the Prophets and Psalms, into the New Testament where we find Jesus using water as a sacramental sign of salvation.

With this background information in mind, Monsignor George A. Ardos and a committee of parishioners chose water as the overall theme for the stain-glass windows of our new church.  With Gerhard Baut of the Baut Studios, the theme was incorporated with other interior details.

The visual arts of the interior are executed in a three-dimensional format of leaded painted and stained glass, etched glass, sculpted and carved woods, blown glass and precious metals.

As you travel through the nave of the Church of St. George to the sanctuary, all the windows carry a universal idea of saving waters, flowing from the entrance way through each of the successive windows  Each window exactly duplicates the sparkle and dappling surface of water, illuminating light around the Church.  Upon the committee's directive, the background glass used in the windows, even though colored and textured, were designed to allow the viewer to observe the trees and wooded areas outside.

The figures which occupy the watery frames are subjects selected by Monsignor Ardos and the committee to detail specific events which are water-focused and meaningful and faith-building in a Christian life.

Gerhard Bauts's figural renditions are done in classical fashion and closely resemble 16th century Venetian figurative painting.  The style is not unlike the works of Paolo Caliri or Titian, and the drawing of Michelangelo.

The veneration of Saint George began as early as the fourth century at Lydda in Palestine, where a church was built in his honor.  Tradition tells us that he was martyred in Palestine before AD 300, but no actual details of his life are known.

In a sermon, Saint Peter Damian, Bishop, tells us:

Saint George was a man who abandoned one army for another; he gave up the rank or Tribune (in the Roman Legions) to enlist as a soldier of Christ.  Eager to encounter the enemy, he first stripped away his worldly wealth by giving all he had to the poor.  Then, free and unencumbered, bearing the shield of faith, he plunged into the thick of battle, an ardent soldier of Christ.

Clearly what he did serves to teach us a valuable lesson; if we are afraid to strip ourselves of our worldly possessions, then we are unfit to make a strong defense of the faith.  As for Saint George, who was consumed by the fire of the Holy Spirit, armed with the invincible standard of the cross, he did battle with an evil king and acquitted himself so well that, in vanquishing the king, he overcame the prince of all wicked spirits (the dragon) and encouraged other soldiers of Christ to perform brave deeds in His cause.

The legend that Saint George saved a Libyan princess by killing a dragon arose in the 12th century.  It possibly grew from the myth of Andromeda and Perseus who slew a sea monster near the site of Saint George's martyrdom.

In addition to our church, Saint George is also the patron saint of Portugal, Aragon, Catalonia, and Lithuania.  In England his status as patron saint most likely originated with the foundation of the military "Order of the Garter" in his name in 1347.  His feast day is celebrated on April 23.

It is significant that in naming him the patron of the Catholic Church of Washington Crossing, New Jersey, the people of the parish along with the Most Reverent Thomas J. Walsh, Bishop of Trenton, connected the historical importance of the site, the role of George Washington, and the religious tradition of Saint George, soldier and martyr.