In 1832, Irish immigrants James and Fannie Laverty settled on a farm in Fellowship (land now occupied by Exit 4 of the NJ Turnpike). The Lavertys’ home soon became a regular stop for the itinerant missionary priests who served scattered Catholic families in the West Jersey area. Gatherings of the faithful soon outgrew the Laverty home. An out-building became “The Chapel of Our Lady and St. Patrick” and was ministered by priests from Immaculate Conception Parish in Camden (now the Cathedral).
The Catholic community grew rapidly. In 1852, Saint John Neumann (bishop of the Philadelphia Diocese, which included all of West Jersey) directed that Mass be said at The Chapel once a month. In 1866, a fire destroyed The Chapel and the community acquired land on the main street of Moorestown for a new church. Due to strong antipathy toward Catholics, Peter Verga of Camden helped broker the transaction. Asked what use he had for the land, Verga responded that he was an agent for one who would open a business of repairing souls. Thinking only a shoe repair shop was planned, the seller readily signed over the deed. And so in the summer of 1867, a brick church was built in the heart of the village of Moorestown.
On February 27, 1879, Bishop Michael A. Corrigan of the Newark Diocese elevated the status of The Church of Our Lady and Saint Patrick from that of a mission-church to a parish with a resident priest. In the early 1890s, the building was damaged during a wind storm, and a new, larger church was planned. The corner stone was laid on July 14, 1895.
Our church today.
Sixteen months later, the new church was dedicated “Our Lady of Good Counsel.” The same imposing edifice built of Stockton gray stone graces Main Street, Moorestown, today. But the parish has grown beyond all the dreams of those early settlers.
Today, Good Counsel Parish, which includes most of Moorestown and a portion of Mount Laurel, consists of more than 2800 Catholic families. The parish maintains a school with an enrollment of about 460 students from Nursery to Eighth Grade.
A Religious Education program is also provided for more than 1,5oo students in public schools.
True to the spirit of the early settlers of Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, the parishioners of Good Counsel today are imbued with a sense of ministry and service that nurtures the growth of the Catholic Church for future generations.
Learn about the artwork and stained glass windows in Our Lady of Good Counsel Church and the meaning of the symbols throughout the church. Click here for a virtual tour of the church.