St. John/Holy Angels Parish History

In 1866, Father William Blake, pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Elkton, Maryland, established a mission for local Catholics residing in Newark, Delaware. One Sunday a month, Father Blake traveled to Newark and offered Mass in different residents' homes.

In 1868, the original Old Village Presbyterian Church, located on the corner of Main and Chapel Streets, was vacated. It was then purchased by Charles A. Murphey and donated to the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington. The church became the established church for Newark's Catholics and was named St. Patrick's.

On the morning of December 25, 1880, the floor of the church collapsed. Following the collapse, it was decided to raze the building and construct a new church at the same location. Upon completion, the church was renamed St. John The Baptist, in honor of the patron saint of one of the church's benefactors, Father John A. Lyons.

The mission of St. John The Baptist was elevated to the status of parish in 1891.

During the 1950s, it was determined that a Catholic School and an additional Catholic Church were needed to serve the increasing number of Catholics who were moving into the Greater Newark Area. In 1955, construction began and in September 1956, Holy Angels School opened. It was decided to postpone building a new church and to use the school's gymnasium-auditorium as a worship space until the monies could be raised to build a new church. The first Mass in Holy Angels Church was celebrated on December 25, 1956. In 1957, the parish was renamed St. John/Holy Angels Parish.