Saint Christopher Parish in Westfield, New Jersey, occupies a special place in the devotional landscape of the mid-Atlantic region as a centre of veneration for one of the most universally popular saints in the Catholic tradition — the giant martyr Christopher, whose very name means "Christ-bearer" and who, according to tradition, carried the Christ Child across a river, bearing the weight of the one who carries the weight of the world. The patron of travellers, motorists, sailors and all who make their way through the uncertainties of the road, Saint Christopher has been invoked for safety and protection by Catholics across centuries and continents. The parish serves the residential community of Westfield in Union County, one of the affluent commuter towns of northern New Jersey, where the daily movement of thousands of commuters into New York City and back has given the patronage of Saint Christopher a particularly immediate resonance. The church itself is a handsome mid-century building whose interior reflects the devotional priorities of the suburban Catholic community it serves, with particular prominence given to imagery and shrines relating to the parish patron. Saint Christopher was removed from the General Roman Calendar in 1969 as part of the calendar reform following the Second Vatican Council — a decision widely misunderstood as a "de-canonisation" of the saint (no such procedure exists in Catholic law). The Church acknowledged that the historical evidence was insufficient to justify universal calendar placement while affirming that local veneration remained entirely licit. If anything, the controversy strengthened popular devotion to him, and parishes dedicated to his name continue to be active centres of his cult.
A parish dedicated to Saint Christopher, one of the most universally beloved and invoked of all Catholic saints
Centre of the popular devotion to the patron of travellers and motorists in the New Jersey commuter heartland
The annual Blessing of Automobiles on the feast of Saint Christopher attracts hundreds of parishioners and visitors
Saint Christopher medals remain among the most widely carried Catholic devotional objects in the world
Despite removal from the universal calendar in 1969, the devotion to Saint Christopher endures with undiminished strength
The Legend of Saint Christopher
The story of Saint Christopher is one of the most memorable in all hagiographic literature, even though it belongs more to legend than to documented history. According to the Latin tradition, Christopher was a man of enormous stature — a giant — who sought to serve the greatest king in the world. Learning that no king was greater than Christ, he was instructed by a hermit to serve Christ by carrying travellers across a dangerous river.
One night he carried a small child across, finding the burden almost unbearably heavy. On the far bank the child revealed himself as Christ, explaining that Christopher had borne on his shoulders not only the sins of the world but its creator. The child baptised Christopher with water from the river. Christopher subsequently preached the faith, was arrested and was martyred, probably in Lycia (in modern Turkey) during the Decian or Diocletianic persecution of the third century. The name "Christopher" — Christophoros in Greek, "the one who carries Christ" — was given to him in recognition of this story.
The Parish of Westfield
Saint Christopher Parish in Westfield was established to serve the growing Catholic community of this suburban New Jersey town. The church building, with its spacious interior and good acoustics, serves as a gathering place for a large and active parish community. The devotion to the parish patron is woven into the life of the congregation — Saint Christopher medals, distributed to parishioners and visitors, are among the most widely carried Catholic devotional objects in the country, particularly by motorists who attach them to their dashboards.
The feast of Saint Christopher, traditionally observed on 25 July, is celebrated at the parish with particular solemnity. The Blessing of Automobiles, a popular devotional practice associated with the patronage of Saint Christopher, takes place in the parish grounds on or near the feast day, attracting not only parishioners but members of the broader community who seek the saint's protection for their vehicles and their journeys.
Saint Christopher and Modern Devotion
Few saints illustrate better than Christopher the persistence of popular Catholic devotion in the face of scholarly and official reassessment. Despite the removal of his feast from the universal calendar in 1969, Saint Christopher remains one of the most widely venerated saints in the world, his medals sold in Catholic shops from New York to Manila, his image displayed in taxis, trucks and private cars on every continent. The patron of travellers has found a particular home in the automobile age.
Visiting
Saint Christopher Parish in Westfield welcomes visitors and pilgrims throughout the year. The annual feast day celebrations in late July include the popular Blessing of Automobiles. Westfield is easily accessible by New Jersey Transit rail from New York Penn Station on the Raritan Valley Line.