St. James Cemetery (Bridgeport CT)

Recent work at St. Augustine Cemetery prompted research into the establishment of the Catholic Church in the city of Bridgeport. It didn't take long to learn that St. James Church and cemetery were the predecessors to St. Augustine and, as a result, served as the foundation for the Catholic faith in this area, dating to the 1830s.

A visit to St. James Cemetery on Grove Street — not far from the Klein Auditorium — confirmed what had been feared. This cemetery has nearly vanished from the landscape. The lone monument still standing is a large stone marker in memory of the Killian family. A closer inspection of the grounds reveal dozens of stones which lie just beneath the surface — possibly as many as one hundred in all. The 1934 Hale Collection of headstone inscriptions includes entries for 139 individuals whose stone markers were visible and legible at the time.

Nearly 50 years ago, the Bridgeport Sunday Post ran a story about St. James Cemetery. The 1958 article chronicled the deterioration of this historic cemetery and included valuable details about the birth of Catholicism in the greater Bridgeport region. According to the article written by reporter Tom Magner, the Rt. Rev. James F. Murphy, late rector of St. Augustine's cathedral and superintendent and treasurer of Diocesan cemeteries, ordered the stones removed and placed flat on the graves a year earlier "to prevent pranksters from pulling them from their upright position." Based on photos and other available documentation, this is believed to have taken place sometime between 1955-1956 at both St. James and St. Augustine Cemeteries.

It was reported that the first Catholic mass celebrated in Bridgeport was in 1830 at the home of James McCullough on Middle Street. McCullough was an immigrant and leader of the local Irish community. The mass was celebrated by Rev. James Fitton of Boston and among the 17 participating families were McLoughlins, McConnells, Kennedys, Careys, O'Sullivans, Delaneys, McCulloughs, Reillys, Gillicks, Wards, Coyles, and one German family, that of Jacob Lutz. According to the article, mass was celebrated regularly from 1832 to 1837 by Rev. James McDermott at the home of Mr. Farrell, also of Middle Street. To support a growing congregation, St. James was blessed by the Rev. James Smyth on July 24, 1843 and became the third Catholic church in the state of Connecticut. The church was located at the corner of Washington Avenue and Arch Street. St. James Cemetery had already been established a few years prior to the dedication of the new church building.

It is believed that Rose Ann Masterson was the first person buried in St. James Cemetery (February 1838). The first resident pastor of St. James was Rev. Michael Lynch who came from Waltham, Massachusetts in 1843. Father Lynch served as pastor until his retirement on Aug. 12, 1852, when he was succeeded by the Rev. Thomas J. Synnott who would serve the community for 32 years, first at St. James and then at St. Augustine. The cornerstone for St. Augustine was laid in August of 1865 and opened in June 1868.

Available information for St. James Cemetery:
   • Hale Headstone Inscriptions (Modified transcription)
   • Proper Techniques for Cleaning Headstones (Video - National Park Service, U.S. Dept. of Interior)