By Mary Stadnyk | Associate Editor

It may have been a friendly wager between two parishes that led to the idea of a Mardi Gras celebration, but it was pure Cohort cooperation that brought it to a fun-filled fruition the afternoon of March 3.

“In our Cohort, we are working toward building a nice dynamic between the parishes,” Tricia Williams of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, West Trenton, said as she looked around the parish hall, which had tables covered with gold, green and purple tablecloths and decorated with strands of Mardi Gras beads and masks for people to wear. “We look forward to having more collaborative efforts socially.”

Photo Gallery: Cohort 9 Mardi Gras

The faithful of the West Trenton parish along with those in Incarnation-St. James Parish, Ewing – and their pastors – have been making an honest effort to build their relationship as a Cohort. The parishes decided to up the ante and create a little competition as they planned for their latest social event.

The competition, said Father Michael Hall, OLGC pastor, evolved when the two parishes began collaborating on a combined Cohort 9 parish directory. It was decided that the parish with the smaller number of parishioners participating in the directory had to host a social event.

With OLGC being the smaller of the two parishes, it was almost a given that “we would be the host,” Father Hall said, “and it was something we were happy to do.”

By all accounts, the Mardi Gras was a success, party-goers said.

Williams, who helped with the planning, estimated about 175 faithful from both parishes attended the catered dinner, which included chicken, pasta, fish and sides, followed by king cake and ice cream sundaes. Entertainment was provided by magician Eddy Ray, who went table to table performing magic tricks. After dinner, he took to the stage for a magic show, which involved a number of youngsters who enjoyed assisting with the tricks.

Gregory Chasar is an Incarnation-St. James member but frequently attends events in the West Trenton parish. He said that while working as a Cohort has involved the parishes coordinating logistics such as Mass schedules and religious education student gatherings, having a social event like the Mardi Gras is an opportunity for people from both communities to come together in a more relaxed setting. “That is key,” he said.

Having lived in New Orleans for five years, Trinitarian Father Thomas Morris, pastor of Incarnation-St. James, can certainly attest to Mardi Gras being the highlight of the year for the southern city. Though the West Trenton version was more scaled back, Father Morris described it as fun.

“Cohort 9 has been working very hard to bring three communities together,” he said of Our Lady of Good Counsel, Incarnation and St. James Parishes. “Each parish has its own personal history, and it’s a challenge to bring these personalities together and to have them work together for the enrichment of each other’s gifts and talents.

“We are trying to make it happen slowly and steadily,” he continued, citing ways in which the two parishes have collaborated. For example, the two parish religious education departments have consolidated their efforts to use one text, and next year the Confirmation classes will be combined and students will receive the Sacrament together. In addition, the social committee has held several activities including a parish picnic, a drive-in movie night, a seven-week Lenten program and participating in Loaves and Fishes in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton.

As Father Hall surveyed the gathering in his parish hall, he smiled when he said that the next Cohort social event would be hosted by the parish of the person who had the slice of king cake with the figurine of the baby inside. Little did parishioners know, that person would be The Monitor freelance photographer Deacon Joe Moore of St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square.

“I guess I have to tell Father Mike [McClane, pastor of St. Gregory the Great Parish] that we’re hosting the next event for Cohort 9,” Deacon Moore said wryly. “Won’t he be surprised?”

Father Morris regarded the Mardi Gras as being a hopeful vision for the future. “It was great being with people enjoying each other’s company,” he said. “Cohort 9 is a work in progress. We really do have a great team of people who want good things to happen.”