By EmmaLee Italia | Correspondent

The community of St. Paul Parish and School, Princeton, witnessed a new chapter in the life of the parish March 24. To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the dedication of the current church building by then-Bishop George W. Ahr, parish and school families gathered to create a new memory for the historic date: the dedication of its new Mercy Chapel.

St. Paul pastor Msgr. Joseph N. Rosie began the morning celebrating 8:15 a.m. Mass, joined by parochial vicars Father Daniel Gowan and Father Miguel Valle, Deacon Frank Crivello, and the parish community and student body, faculty and staff of St. Paul School.

“We give thanks to God for all those who built our church building,” said Msgr. Rosie during his homily, describing the current St. Paul Church structure as the more formal worship space of the community. “We thank him for the gift of 60 years of being able to worship in this beautiful space ... and now we were able to build a bit of a ‘family room’ with the Mercy Chapel, more of an informal space where we can be with Jesus in the Eucharist there as well.”

The Sisters of Mercy, who helped begin St. Paul School more than 135 years ago, had their own chapel in the convent building – which has since been restored and enlarged as part of a large renovation of the entire structure between June 2016 and January 2017 for use by the school and parish.

“It’s such a tribute to [the sisters],” said Patricia Zinsser, St. Paul parishioner and public relations volunteer.

With a separate entrance close to Nassau Street, the chapel will be the designated space for Eucharistic Adoration on a weekday basis from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., said Msgr. Rosie. “It will also be available for small group prayer as well as for use by classes from the school and religious education program.”

Following Mass, a Eucharistic procession, led by the SPS second grade First Holy Communion classes holding votive candles, encircled the church before exiting the building and proceeding to the Mercy Chapel. The school’s choir and cantor club members led the community in song as Msgr. Rosie reposed the Eucharist in the tabernacle, relocated from the Blessed Sacrament Chapel in the main church, now residing in its new permanent home. Students, teachers and parishioners all had a chance to file through the Mercy Chapel for a brief moment of reverence.

Retired Mercy Sisters Jane Higgins and Terena Gentili came from their Watchung home for a small reception and to tour the new chapel and offices. Upon entering the chapel, Sister Jane stood transfixed before the tabernacle.

“How quickly it was done,” she remarked on the renovation. “It’s just amazing – I can’t get over it!”

Sister Terena agreed. “This is just marvelous!” she proclaimed with a huge smile.

The original stained glass windows from the convent were preserved and reframed in front of the new chapel windows; the stained glass from the convent entrance was repurposed as a back window between the chapel and entrance stairway.

Entering the reception in the St. Timothy Room above the chapel, the sisters were greeted with a rousing cheer and applause, hugs and bouquets of flowers. Overcome, Sister Terena said with a laugh, “Who can eat after this?!”

Msgr. Rosie hopes that the new chapel will “provide a more intimate setting for prayer – both individually and for small groups – than our large but very beautiful church.” The chapel is large enough to accommodate up to 50 people, allowing room for school class Masses or even small weddings and Baptisms.

“Just like we have a special classroom for science, art, music and other topics,” Msgr. Rosie continued, “it is important to also have a dedicated space and area, where the praxis and life of our faith can come alive in a meaning, prayerful and beneficial space.”

Ryan Killeen, SPS principal, was enthusiastic about the potential for the new chapel in school religious activities.

“The Mercy Chapel will provide a beautiful worship space for our school,” he said. “We plan on using the space for grade level masses, prayer service and retreats. We can have an additional space for religious instruction and to prepare liturgical music.”

The chapel, he maintained, would be an extension of the values imparted by years of education by the Sisters of Mercy.

“I always have said that our most important classroom is St. Paul Church,” Killeen continued. “We are so enthused to have another sacred worship space available and the flexibility that it will offer the school and parish community. Naming it the Mercy Chapel reminds us of our rich history and keeps the charism of the Sisters of Mercy at the core of our ministry.”