By Armando Machado | Correspondent

Coming together to celebrate culture, faith and community was the motivation for the more than 1,000 men, women and children who attended the second annual Great Festival of Mother of Mercy Parish, Asbury Park.

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“This gives us an opportunity to come together from different backgrounds, to celebrate together – and get to know each other,” said Divine Word Father Miguel Virella, pastor, explaining that the event actually began 20 years ago and was known as the Hispanic-American Festival. However, two years ago, the event became the Great Festival of Mother of Mercy Parish and was designed to reflect the various cultures of parishioners who comprise the parish community. Mother of Mercy Parish was created from the joining together of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Holy Spirit, St. Peter Claver Parish and Our Lady of Providence Parishes, and includes faithful from European, Haitian, African American and Latino descent.

Main highlights of the Great Festival of Mother of Mercy Parish held July 18-19, of which the proceeds would benefit Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, included an remarks by Father Virella, who spoke on the significance of the gathering and the importance of celebrating the parish community. He also blessed a life-sized statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary holding the Infant Jesus and surrounding them are several children representing various races and cultures of the world. The statue is newly made and recently arrived to the Asbury Park parish from Ecuador.

The festival also featured 10 music groups, mostly Latino, from the Monmouth County area as well as an English-language, singing duo, Sibling Rivalry, featuring Justin and Alina Zimmerman, also from Monmouth County. Another Catholic group to perform was Uncion de Cristo which hailed from Trenton. Attendees also enjoyed dining on a variation of ethnic foods and dishes.

Parishioners Marie Aurelien and Magalie Jenn Baptiste, both Haitian born, Enrique Cortes, who is Mexican-born, and June Carrington, a school PTA member who hails from Grenada, offered prayerful insights on the meaning of their parish festival.

Aurelien said, “This celebration brings us together, and the fundraising for the school is very important.”

 While Cortes added that “we are here to share with one another, with unity -- and to give good examples to the children,” Carrington asserted how the parish is “multi-cultural” and emphasized how important it is “that we come together as a community and help out.”

“We are here united as a community, sharing our cultures with food and music,” said Mother of Mercy parishioner Maria De los Santos, who volunteered for the event with her husband, Celestino.

 “We all form one body, the Body of Christ.”