“Unique” and “diverse” were the adjectives that Msgr. Edward Arnister used to describe the community in Divine Mercy Parish, Trenton.

“Divine Mercy is made up of English-speaking, Spanish, Polish and Slovak,” and it is a parish that has been “enriched with the gifts, the diversity and talents of these various ethnic groups,” said Msgr. Arnister.

“I am really humbled each day by the good faith of many people who love the Church, who are dedicated to the Church and who challenge us to be all that we can be,” he said.

Msgr. Arnister, founding pastor of Divine Mercy Parish, admitted that to shepherd a newly-merged parish community had presented its share of challenges.

There were times of “frustration and sadness,” he said, “but we have to remember that the neighborhood and the City of Trenton are changing and the Church needs to go where the people are. We have done our best to respond to their needs.”

Since the 2005 merger, Divine Mercy Parish has inaugurated a new Hispanic ministry to serve the spiritual needs of Trenton’s growing Hispanic Catholic community. To assist in carrying out the ministry and provide other sacramental and pastoral needs, Father Armando Vasquez and Carmen Bojorge have joined the parish staff. Father Vasquez celebrates two Masses in Spanish each weekend in St. Stanislaus Church, and Bojorge, who is a commissioned lay ecclesial minister, assists as a pastoral associate.

Also, the parish opened Mercy House on the grounds of the St. Stanislaus complex to serve as an outreach ministry to the less fortunate in the surrounding community.

Mercy House began when Divine Mercy parish partnered with TASK (Trenton Area Soup Kitchen) in 2007 to provide meals to persons in need. As the partnership evolved, parishioners Charles Cook Jr., who is now deceased, Ann Bordowski and Michael Knowles expressed a desire in wanting to begin a ministry to serve those individuals and others. Out of this idea, Mercy House was founded Jan. 5, 2008.

Mercy House provides food, clothing and household items as well as basic medical needs services and also works with other community and social concerns organizations to provide access to social services, immigration support and any other needs individuals may require. A reading library and tutoring service and help with homework are offered for school-aged children.

Like Msgr. Arnister, parishioners and parish staff expressed heartfelt sentiments on how Divine Mercy Parish has grown and evolved in its five-year history.

“It’s a beautiful parish,” said Millie Kosma, who was born and raised in Sts. Peter and Paul and attended the parish grammar school.

Although she was saddened when Sts. Peter and Paul closed, she was very familiar with neighboring Holy Cross and St. Stanislaus Parishes from her childhood and was pleased when the three parishes, “which were of similar ethnic backgrounds,” were brought together as the new Divine Mercy Parish.

“I hope we will continue to be as one group,” she said. “I think the three parishes have merged very comfortably and I think the majority of the people are happy.”

Franciscan Sister of St. Joseph Sister Karen Crawford, who arrived in St. Stanislaus Parish in 1994, said she regarded it as an “honor and privilege” to serve in the parish where her community was founded by Mother Colette Hilbert in 1897.

Looking back to five years ago, Sister Karen said that it would have been difficult then to imagine Divine Mercy Parish reaching its fifth anniversary.

“But here we are,” she said. “It was difficult, but I think now we’re slowly beginning to unite. People are beginning to accept that we’re all the body of Christ and that we belong to the one Church.”

Celeste Brennan, a lifelong member of Holy Cross, recalled that her paternal grandparents were among the founding members of the parish and that her father, who is now deceased, had taken early retirement from his job to take another job at Holy Cross, where he worked for 19 years.

“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” said Brennan, noting that she is currently a part-time staffer at Divine Mercy Parish where, among her responsibilities, she assists the bulletin editor, and also volunteers in various ministries.

“To see the parish celebrate its fifth anniversary was wonderful, and most especially to have Bishop O’Connell join in the celebration,” said Brennan.

“I think it was especially heartwarming in how the Mass of Thanksgiving reflected back over the years when we were individual parishes and then to see so many people come together to give thanks to God for the years he has given us to be a parish family,” she said.