NEWS RELEASE


CONTACT:    Kenneth Wagner, SVP Investor Relations
            Provident Financial Services, Inc.
            (201) 915-5344

FOR  RELEASE 5:00 P.M. Eastern Time: January 26, 2005

                       PROVIDENT FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.
                          ANNOUNCES ANNUAL MEETING DATE


JERSEY  CITY,  N.J.,  Jan 26  /PRNewswire-First  Call/  --  Provident  Financial
Services,   Inc.  (NYSE:  PFS)  announced  today  that  its  Annual  Meeting  of
Stockholders  will be held on  Wednesday,  April 27, 2005,  at 10:00 a.m.  local
time, at the Hilton Newark Airport, 1170 Spring Street, Elizabeth, New Jersey.

     The  Annual  Meeting of  Stockholders  is being  held for the  purposes  of
considering and voting on the election of three  directors and the  ratification
of the appointment of its independent auditors.  The record date for determining
stockholders  of record  entitled to notice of the Annual Meeting and to vote is
the close of business on March 4, 2005.

     Provident  Financial  Services,  Inc. is the bank  holding  company for The
Provident Bank,  which currently  operates 78 full service  branches  throughout
northern and central New Jersey.