St. Joseph High School (Metuchen, New Jersey)

St. Joseph High School is an independent Roman Catholic college preparatory school located on a 70 acre tract in Metuchen and Edison, New Jersey. It draws students from a wide geographic area encompassing over forty school districts and over seventy grammar schools in Middlesex, Somerset, and Union Counties, as well as other outlying areas. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen.

St. Joseph is conducted by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, who have been active in American education since their arrival from Lyon, France in 1847. From 1901 to 1961, St. Joseph’s served as a center for training and educating Brothers prior to their apostolate in Catholic education. The current faculty includes both lay and religious educators.

The main school building was dedicated in the spring of 1963.

History of St. Joseph High School

The Early Years

In the summer of 1902, Brothers Stanislaus Florent and Louis Fabian took up residence in a three-story roadhouse owned by Mr. Thomas Allen in order to see that the hotel was made suitable for occupation and outfitted as a training center for novices. As the guests of Thomas and his wife, Louise Allen, the Brothers found the inn comfortable, but when the former proprietor left, the hardships began. They took with them all the tools, furniture, utensils and provisions, leaving the Brothers without the bare necessities. Due to the cost of property maintenance, the Brothers had little to spend on outfitting the house.

As Brother Stanislaus tried to make the home hospitable, Brother Fabian worked at making it presentable. He graded the land to the right of the inn and turned it into a recreation yard for the novices. He planted the large pine and elm trees that border the grassy plain and the small vineyard.

The community had purchased the property in hopes of opening a novitiate; however, finding willing recruits proved to be difficult. Few people had heard of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart and despite Brother Stanislaus’s best efforts, the response was less than enthusiastic. However, by the start of the first session, the Brothers had managed to gather ten postulants. In November 1902, Saint Joseph’s tenure as a training center began. The arrival of the additional personnel fueled the already growing support for the construction of a new building that could serve as both a dormitory and classroom.

The Brothers, eager to expand, set aside a large plot of land for the project. However, in June 1903, a fire destroyed Saint Stanislaus College and with it the hopes for the new building. With a new financial strain on the Province, the Brothers were forced to make do with what they had and could afford to make only patchwork repairs. This not only meant that plans for new buildings be terminated but also that the old farm equipment be cared for. The financial burdens of the time forced the Brothers to assume the roles of blacksmiths and carpenters in order to repair damaged equipment.

Frugality forced the Brothers to adopt several cost-cutting measures, one of which involved the heating of the various buildings. In order to conserve coal, only the furnace in the main building would use the ore, the stoves in the carriage house and other buildings were fueled by railroad ties that had been obtained from the Reading and Lehigh Valley railroads. However, it was the task of the novices to transport and cut the ties into usable lengths during their precious leisure time. Using simple simple handsaws, they cut timber which in many cases reached bridge length. The greatest asset to the novitiate was the farm. The community could afford only things such as meat, bread, coffee and sugar. The rest had to be grown. The novices and postulants worked on the farm both on their free time and scheduled work rotations. A common recreational activity of the residents was fishing on nearby Woodburn Pond.

The arrival of the sixteen novices from France created a problem that plagued the novitiate. Overcrowding became a fact of life at Saint Joseph’s with more and more novices and postulants. It had long been the desire of the Brothers living here to construct a building that would suit the place. Due to the community's budget restraints, they were forced to improve on their facilities in piecemeal fashion. Living quarters would be remodeled and other buildings pressed into service.

The first true expansion of the novitiate occurred in 1907 when the main house was renovated. It was determined that a new chapel was needed in order to handle the ever-growing number of inhabitants. Since the community could not afford to construct a separate building, it was decided that a new wing be added instead. Three years later, the main house underwent another refurbishment. The top floor was refitted as a dormitory, while dining and recreation rooms were added to the lower level. Outside, the carriage house that held the novices was moved and a small cottage was placed adjacent to the main building.

Not all the changes, however, were strictly practical. The community was always concerned about the way the grounds looked. After the addition of the new wing in 1907, a large marble statue of Saint Joseph was hoisted into place in front of the mansion. The . figure was a tremendous source of pride for all those who attended the novitiate, who saw it as adding to the dignity of the facilities. Despite the renovations, the community still longed for a building that would suit the place. During the early 1920’s, various fund-drives provided the necessary capital to begin construction of a proper chapel. Building began on October 1921 and continued into May of the following year. A month later on June 28th, the chapel was formally dedicated. Inside, marble statues from Italy stood in solitude.

At the dedication ceremony, the Bishop of Trenton, Thomas J. Walsh, made a startling announcement. He requested that the Brothers of the Sacred Heart assume control of the Cathedral High School in Trenton, their first high school in the Diocese of Trenton. Inside the small chapel, applause filled the air! While the addition of the chapel may have served as a source of pride for the community, it did little to solve the question of overcrowding but an answer was on the horizon.

In July 1923, construction on what is now known as O’Neil Hall began. The Annex, designed by the same architect who had created the chapel, was intended to provide both classrooms and living space for the ever-growing number of postulants.

Completed in the Spring of 1924, the Annex provided the space the Brothers had long wanted. The basement housed recreation rooms, lockers, and furnace rooms. Upstairs, the first floor was home to kitchens and dining rooms. On the second floor were science labs and several classrooms. Above was a large dormitory capable of handling the increasing number of members in the community.

In 1951, a proposal was made to move the novitiate to Blairstown. This plan was rejected, however, when proper funding could not be obtained. Yet the initiative to relocate wasn’t completely laid to rest. Ten years later, the idea to move the novitiate to another locale resurfaced when a large estate in Belvidere was purchased by the community. There were two advantages of this plan. First, the move would solve the problem of overcrowding. Second, the novitiate that the Province had originally wanted could be established. In Metuchen, both the novice and postulant programs had coexisted, which was not the original intent of the Province. So, in 1961 the novitiate was fficially moved to Belvidere.

Founding of the High School

With the newfound space, the Brothers decided to establish a high school and in the fall of 1961 admitted 150 ninth grade students — St. Joseph’s first class. A high school grew out of the old postulant program, which had existed for some time at Saint Joseph’s. Essentially, it was a regular high school program for those considering a vocation. The curriculum consisted of six subjects a year, though these varied between classes. All four grades adhered to a core curriculum of Religion, Mathematics, and English. To this base, Freshmen added French, Civics, and Speech. Sophomores continued with French and Speech, but added American History to their schedules. Third-year students were required to take Chemistry, World History and Typewriting, while seniors took Physics, Typewriting, and either Latin or Spanish. Construction on the main school building began in 1962, built on the land occupied by Brother Fabian’s vineyard that had been planted some sixty years before. Construction was completed in 1963 at the cost of one million dollars. The school started developing high academic standards for itself shortly after its founding. The class of 1965 had two national merit semi-finalists and the school has had students in this elite group ever since. In 1964, the debate team represented the Diocese of Trenton in a national debate in Colorado. In 1972, four students represented Saint Joseph High School on It's Academic, a television game show similar to Jeopardy that aired on NBC. The school won, securing a set of encyclopedias for the library.

In 1963, Saint Joseph’s established the first varsity teams — track, basketball and baseball — followed by varsity soccer a year later. These teams have since won many titles in their respective sports throughout their histories and are competitors on both the state and local levels. The swim team was added in 1968 by Brother Aldric and has since gone on to dominate in state competition.

In 1963, the school paper, The Falcon, had a literary contest and published their winners in a special edition. This contest continued to be held under the auspices of the newspaper until it grew into the current school literary magazine, The Vignette, which has established quite a reputation for itself and the school by winning various awards and receiving national recognition. Another outgrowth of the arts program was the Drama Club, established in 1963 by Thomas Ryan, who served as the group’s director. Since their first production of Stalag 17, the Drama Club has continued to produce plays and musicals every fall and spring for the school community.

Athletics

The St. Joseph High School Falcons compete in the Greater Middlesex Conference, comprising 32 public and private high schools located in the greater Middlesex County area. In all sports, St. Joe's teams are in the Red Division of this conference. The Red Division is the top division in the GMC made up of larger schools with excellent athletic programs. The league operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.

St. Joseph High School fields teams on the freshmen through varsity levels in various sports including cross country, soccer, basketball, bowling, ice hockey, swimming, winter track, baseball, golf, lacrosse, spring track, tennis and volleyball.

St. Joseph is a perennial powerhouse in swimming, winning state championships in 1980-91, 1993-97, 1999, 2002-04 and 2006, as well as winning every county championship in the sport since its inception, 29 in total. While St. Joe's has had great success in swimming in particular, the school has also enjoyed success in its other sports. St. Joe's has won state titles in cross country, soccer, track, tennis, and most recently in 2008 volleyball.

Although no longer offered, St. Joe's once had a competitive gymnastics program, winning state championships in 1992 and 1993. Along with gymnastics, the school once offered teams in water polo and wrestling, but all three programs ended due to a lack of student interest.

Baseball

• Current Head Coach: Paul Esposito
• 2007 Record: 16-13, Non-Public A South Sectional Champions
• Levels: Freshmen, JV, Varsity
• Membership: NJSIAA (Non-Public South A), GMC (Red Division)
• Sectional Championships: 1989, 2007
• County Championships: 1968, 2004, 2006, 2008
• Home: On campus

Basketball

• Current Head Coach: Dave Turco
• 2006-07 Record: 20-9, 2nd place in GMC tournament
• Levels: Freshmen (2 teams), JV, Varsity
• Membership: NJSIAA (Non-Public South A), GMC (Red Division)
• Sectional Championships: 1992, 98, 99
• County Championships: 1993, 98, 99
• Home: Vincent Maglio Gymnasium on campus

Bowling

• Current Head Coach: Wayne Fischer
• 2006-07 Record: 13-9
• Levels: Varsity
• Membership: NJSIAA (Group III), GMC (Red Division)
• Sectional Championships: 1991, 99
• County Championships: 1991, 2001, 04
• Home: Brunswick Zone (North Brunswick)

Cross Country

• Current Head Coach: Gary Trojanowski (Class of '72)
• 2007 Record: 4-3, 5th place in GMC championship
• Levels: Freshmen, JV, Varsity
• Membership: NJSIAA (Non-Public A), GMC (Red Division), NJCTC
• State Championships: 1973, 74
• County Championships: 1964-78, 86, 1996-98
• Home: On campus

Golf

• Current Head Coach: Ryan Lechner
• 2007 Record: 14-3
• Levels: Varsity
• Membership: NJSIAA (Non-Public South A), GMC (Red Division)
• Sectional Championships: 1999, 2000
• County Championships: 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002
• Home: Metuchen Golf & Country Club (Edison); Hyatt Hills Golf Course (Clark)

Gymnastics

• No longer in existence
• State Championships: 1992, 93

Hockey

• Current Head Coach: Ryan Carter (Class of '91)
• 2007-2008 Record: 16-5-4
• Levels: Freshmen, JV, Varsity
• Membership: NJSIAA (Non-Public), NJIHL (Red Division)
• State Championships: 1991
• Home: Woodbridge Community Center (Woodbridge)

Lacrosse

• Current Head Coach: Marc Moreau
• 2008 Record: 18-4
• Levels: Freshmen, JV, Varsity
• Membership: NJSIAA (Non-Public A), GMC
• County Championships: 2002, 03, 04, 08
• Home: On campus

Soccer

• Current Head Coach: Mike O'Boyle
• 2007 Record: 6-11-1
• Levels: Freshmen, JV, Varsity
• Membership: NJSIAA (Non-Public South A), GMC (Red Division)
• State Championships: 1971, 73, 76, 78, 88, 94, 95
• County Championships: 1983, 88, 89, 91, 2003
• Home: On campus

Spring Track

• Current Head Coach: Gary Trojanowski (Class of '72)
• 2007 Record: 5-3
• Levels: Freshmen, JV, Varsity
• Membership: NJSIAA (Non-Public A), GMC (Red Division), NJCTC
• State Championships: 1972, 76, 98
• County Championships: 1966, 67, 69, 70, 1972-78, 80, 81, 83, 84, 86, 91, 92, 97, 98
• Home: On campus

Swimming

• Current Head Coach: Steve Whittington (Class of '92)
• 2006-07 Record: 14-2
• Levels: JV, Varsity
• Membership: NJSIAA (Non-Public A), GMC (White Division)
• State Championships (NJ record for most in a single sport): 1980-97, 99, 2002-04, 06
• County Championships (longest streak of titles in a single sport in NJ): 1979-2008
• Home: Middlesex County College (Edison)

Tennis

• Current Head Coach: Jarrett Dewelde (Class of '96)
• 2007 Record: 3-15
• Levels: JV, Varsity
• Membership: NJSIAA (Non-Public South A), GMC (Red Division)
• State Championships: 1987
• Home: Middlesex County College (Edison)

Volleyball

• Current Head Coach: Miguel Cabrita (Class of '91)
• 2007 Record: 25-10
• Levels: Freshmen, JV, Varsity
• Membership: NJSIAA (North), GMC
• Sectional Championships: 2006
• State Championships: 2002, 06
• County Championships: 1999, 2002
• Home: Vincent Maglio Gymnasium on campus

Winter Track

• Current Head Coach: Gary Trojanowski (Class of '72)
• 2006-07 Record: 2-0
• Levels: Freshmen, JV, Varsity
• Membership: NJSIAA (Non-Public A), GMC (Red Division), NJCTC
• State Championships: 1972, 73, 77, 98
• County Championships: 1965-73, 1977-81, 84, 86, 1988-93, 97, 98
• Home: On campus

Wrestling

• No longer in existence
• 1977 12 - 1, 2nd Place Middlesex County, District 19 Champs
• 1977 team included:
• Undefeated Craig Belunes & Dickie Hone
• Jim Grabler, Jake Daneri, Peter Porcelli, Marty Martin,
• John (Savage) Antosiewicz, Rick Masterson, Bob Fordi,
• Ray Calvano, Glenn Nacion, Doug Staebler, Stu Santiago

Notable alumni

• James E. McGreevey - Class of 1975, former Governor of New Jersey
• Andrew Bynum - Class of 2005 basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers.
• Jon Bon Jovi, musician, actor and lead singer of the band, Bon Jovi. Attended for only two years
• Ed. Fern, Class of '72 - (Track and Field) - Summer Olympic Trials Qualifier, 1976, 1980, 5 Time Atlantic Coast Conference High Jump Champion (Clemson University), Author - Ed. Fern's Flight School (1989), Jumps Coach, New Zealand from 2002.
• Pat Lepore - politician, who has served on the Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders since 2004
• Scott Marino - Class of 2008 swimming 2008 Summer Olympics Trials Qualifier
• Bobby Savulich - swimming 2004 Summer Olympics Trials Qualifier.
• Jay Williams - Class of 1999, Duke University guard, two time All-American and 2002 NBA Draft #2 pick of the Chicago Bulls.

References

External links

• St. Joseph High School Website
• Brothers of the Sacred Heart Website
• St. Joe's Sports Blog on NJ.com
• St. Joe's HighSchoolSports.net Page