St. Bartholomew parish began as a mission of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, with Mass first celebrated with the Black community on March 25, 1940 on the first floor of a three-story building at 749 Kaighns Avenue. Fr. Hanley, who was assigned to this mission, purchased the building, a former Masonic lodge and converted it into a chapel. At the time of the organization of this mission in 1940, there were some 17,000 Blacks living in Camden of whom less than 100 were Catholics. On Sunday August 24, 1947, Bishop Eustace dedicated the new church, and the mission became a parish. St. Bartholomew is proud of their Afro-centric perspective, Christian in their daily lives and authentic in their Roman Catholic beliefs.