In the presence of parishioners, both former and current, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving on the Third Sunday of Advent to mark the 100th anniversary of the consecration of St. Michael Church. 

“Anniversaries are a time for ‘going home,’ for reaching back through the years and remembering the good things and the times that were part of our lives,” Bishop O’Connell said in his homily. “Today, we celebrate a homecoming of 100 years when St. Michael Church was built and consecrated by my predecessor, Bishop Thomas Walsh, a century ago.” The anniversary was actually celebrated the day before on Dec. 11. 

View the photo gallery for the 100th anniversary celebration

Bishop O’Connell reviewed significant moments in the history of St. Michael Church, noting that the parish was first established in 1921 to serve the pastoral needs of the growing Slovak Catholic community in Mercer County. Although initially there was no Slovak parish priest assigned to the church and parish, a full-time pastor was assigned in 1926.  

“Over the years, the community grew in size and spirit,” Bishop O’Connell said. Today, St. Michael Church is part of St. Ann Parish, Lawrenceville, following a merger in 2005. Soon after the merger, St. Michael Church became the worship site to three communities when the Korean Catholics arrived and joined their brethren from the Anglo and Slovak populations.

“St. Michael became and remains a diverse parish community of Americans, Slovaks and Korean Catholic members,” the Bishop said.

While Father Leandro Dela Cruz, serves as pastor of St. Ann Parish and oversees St. Michael Church, Father Peter Bujdos, a priest from New York serves the Slovak community, and Father Ki Hyun Moise Kim ministers to the Korean community.

More to come on this story.