A group of Catholic churches in Mercer County is inviting others to visit churches and celebrate evening Mass during Lent.
A group of Catholic churches in Mercer County is inviting others to visit churches and celebrate evening Mass during Lent.
The program modeled on the Station Churches of Rome, is “The Station Churches of Mercer County.” It is designed to provide an opportunity for Catholics to visit churches, celebrate a Lenten evening Mass, get a little history of the various churches in the county and have the opportunity for a tour of the church.
The story of the Station Churches traces its roots as far back as the late second and early third century. During Lent the faithful of Rome were invited to visit a different church each day and celebrate Mass. It provides for a Lenten pilgrimage and many people walk to the different churches. The Station Churches of Mercer County is designed as a part of the Lenten Journey 2014. Visitors to the participating churches will be greeted and given a brief history of the parish, and then Mass will be celebrated.
Following Mass there will be an optional tour of the church providing an opportunity to see some of the treasures art and architecture unique to each parish.
The Masses will begin at Sacred Heart Church (343 S. Broad St., Trenton), the oldest parish in the Diocese on March 6 at 7 p.m. , and end with the Chrism Mass at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption on April 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Msgr. Michael Walsh, pastor of Saint James Church, Pennington, commented that “the idea of visiting different churches to celebrate with the community will serve to strengthen the Catholic identity of the county and encourage more working together.”
Msgr. Vincent Gartland of Saint Ann Church, Lawrenceville, added: “Lent is a time a pilgrimage and the Station Churches provide an opportunity to move as a pilgrim throughout the county, visiting and praying with others.”
A list of the dates and times of the Station Church visits follows (or can be found on the website, www.churchofsaintann.net or by calling The Church of Saint Ann, 609- 882 6491).
Dates include:
March 11 — St. Paul, Princeton, 7:30 p.m., 214 Nassau Street.
March 13 — Our Lady of Sorrows/Saint Anthony at OLS, 7 p.m., 3816 E. State St. Ext, Hamilton.
March 18 — St. Raphael/Holy Angels at St. Raphael, 7 p.m., 3500 S. Broad St., Hamilton.
March 19 — Our Lady of Angels at St. Joachim Church, 7 p.m., 21-23 Bayard St., Trenton.
March 20 — Blessed Sacrament/Our Lady of Divine Shepherd, 7:30 p.m., 716 Bellevue Ave., Trenton.
March 25 —St. Michael, Trenton, 7 p.m., 1106 Brunswick Ave., Trenton.
March 26 — St. Hedwig Church, 7 p.m., 872 Brunswick Ave., Trenton.
March 27 — St. James Church, 7:30 p.m., 115 E. Delaware Ave., Pennington.
March 31 — St. David the King, 7 p.m., 1 New Village Road, Princeton Junction.
April 1 — St. George Church, 6:30 p.m., 1370 River Road, Titusville.
April 3 — St. Anthony of Padua, 7:30 p.m., 251 Franklin St., Hightstown.
April 7 — St. Vincent de Paul, 7 p.m., 555 Allentown Road, Yardville.
April 8 — St. Ann, Lawrenceville, 7:30 p.m., 1253 Lawrence Road (Route 206 South) Lawrenceville.
April 9 — St. Alphonsus Church, 7:30 p.m., 54 E. Prospect St., Hopewell.
April 10 — Divine Mercy Parish, 7 p.m., 201 Adeline St., Trenton.
April 14 — Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption. 7:30 p.m., Chrism Mass (http://catholicexchange.com/the-chrism-mass), 151 N. Warren St., Trenton.

