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OUR HISTORY
In the Beginning
We don't know who the first Catholics to come to New Jersey were.
But we do know that Catholics have been deeply involved in the
history of our country from its very beginnings.
The first Roman Catholic diocese was formed in Baltimore in 1789.
It encompassed the entire country! A second diocese was formed in
Philadelphia shortly after the start of the 19th Century. In 1853,
the Diocese of Newark was formed from the Philadelphia diocese. The
Diocese of Newark would be further subdivided as time went on. First
Paterson and then Trenton would be split away and become dioceses.
Trenton would also be divided twice; first Camden would become a
diocese and then Metuchen.
Early European settlers in this area were predominantly English
and Dutch. Early records as far back as 1700 tell of Mass being said
in some private homes by Father Theodore Schneider, a Jesuit (even in
the earliest days, we were associated with the Society of Jesus, but
that's getting ahead of our story). Father Schneider and his
successor, Father Ferdinand Steinmeyer, SJ, nicknamed "Father
Farmer," visited Catholics throughout what is now Somerset County.
Father Farmer covered this territory in addition to ministering to
Catholics in the mining regions in northern New Jersey. Between these
two priests, they found almost every Catholic living or working in
New Jersey in those early days.
In 1858, Bishop James Bayley, the first Bishop of Newark, placed
the people in Bound Brook and South Bound Brook under the care of the
Benedictine Fathers of St. Mary's Church in Newark. These fathers
traveled to the area at least once a month to offer Mass.
On other occasions, Catholics would walk from this area to New
Brunswick to attend Mass at St. Peter's Church. Bad weather,
according to some reports, did not stop them. Easton Avenue wasn't
paved in those days; it was a dirt road (when the weather was dry).
By 1863, both Bound Brook and South Bound Brook were made missions of
St. Bernard's Church in Raritan. Father Maurtius Kalder was the
Pastor. Mass was celebrated in a room over a shoe store and
occasionally in private homes. In 1866, a wooden frame church was
built in Bound Brook. Father Martin Bogaard was named the first
resident pastor in 1876.
Father B.T. O'Connell became pastor in Bound Brook in 1883, just
two years after the founding of the Trenton Diocese. The stone church
named St. Joseph's and which now serves as its Parish Center replaced
the wooden church. Men and women of South Bound Brook played an
important part in both the building of and early life in St. Joseph's
Church.
In 1944, Bishop William A. Griffin made South Bound Brook a
mission church of Our Lady of Mount Virgin in Middlesex, under the
pastorate of Father Emanuel Gauci. The first order of business was to
find a place to hold regular Mass. The South Bound Brook Board of
Education was petitioned to allow the use of the school auditorium
for Mass, but the request was turned down. It would not be the last
source of conflict between our Church and the Board of Education. The
Fire Department came to the rescue and offered the use of the fire
house on the corner of Main St. and Clinton St. (most recently, the
home of the Garden State Academy of Beauty Culture). With people
sitting on folding chairs or kneeling on the cement floor, Father
Gauci said the first Mass on September 25, 1944, the feast day of Our
Lady of Mercy.
Our Lady of Mercy, Misericordia in Latin, is another name
for Our Lady of Ransom. On August 1, 1218, Mary appeared in a vision
to St. Peter Nolasco, requesting that he form a society to ransom
Christians held in captivity. St. Raymond of Peņafort and King
James of Aragon (part of present-day Spain) joined him. The society
they formed was called the Order of Merciderians. When the ransom of
Christians held captive ceased being an issue, the society began an
active mission program. Today, they concentrate on Latin America.
Merced, part of the full Spanish name of the order, means mercy.
Never far from the minds of those parishioners, however, was the
need for a suitable church of their own.
The Church is Built
Fund raising began almost immediately after that first Mass. The
land on High Street was acquired and ground was broken for the new
church on March 25, 1949. Construction proceeded rapidly. Father
Francis X. McGuiness was appointed as the first resident pastor on
April 29, 1949. Auxiliary Bishop of Trenton George W. Ahr, laid the
cornerstone later that spring. In the cornerstone were placed, a
document of Church incorporation, coins of 1949, a newspaper, a
fireman's badge and the names and signatures of town officials.
By September, the church building was complete. Father McGuiness
said the first Mass in the new building on October 2, 1949, just a
little over five years since the days in the firehouse. The original
church cost a total of $72,000 to build. The rectory located next to
the church cost $46,700.
Meanwhile, the Sisters of Victory-Noll were placed in charge of
the religious education of the youngsters of the parish. The
Victory-Noll Sisters had formed a Regional Catechetical Center in
Middlesex that eventually became a parochial school. When the school
was formed, the sisters transferred their work to South Bound Brook.
The sisters visited every home in the parish, beginning the education
process. At first, religious instruction was held in the home of Vi
Konz, not too far from the firehouse. Lay people helped the Sisters
in this effort as well as some high school students who acted as
assistants.
In 1954, a residence at 30 Cedar Street was purchased to be used
as a convent for the sisters. A small chapel was added to the
residence. In January, 1955, Sister Jeanette was appointed as the
first Superior. Sister M. Kathleen followed her in August, 1959. The
sisters would stay here until June, 1965. The convent would be sold
in 1970.
Many activities helped form an active, family-oriented parish, not
the least was a busy sports program. Boxing matches were held in the
church hall. Also, the church formed a basketball team. The sport
that really drew the crowds and support was baseball. In the late
40's and early 50's we had very little baseball on an organized basis
in South Bound Brook. To help fill this gap, an 8-team league was
formed by a number of churches in Somerset County. Our Lady of Mercy
fielded one of those teams. In 1953, the league began with a 16 game
schedule. Our Lady of Mercy fielded a strong team, resplendent in its
uniforms, blue jeans and a blue T-shirt with Our Lady of Mercy in
white letters on the back.
Another activity that drew crowds from miles around and instilled
a feeling of unity was a series of variety shows. The first was held
in the spring of 1952. Three shows ran on one weekend, featuring
talent not only from the church but also from surrounding
communities, and packed the church basement. The first shows were so
successful, that others were held in 1953 and 1954.
Standing-room-only audiences enjoyed themselves immensely. The idea
lay fallow for a few years, but in 1961, it was done again to the
cheers of the audiences.
In 1958, a major fund-raising project began aimed at reducing the
church debt. At that time the debt stood at $85,000. Mario Ferraro
and John Altiere were Co-Chairmen of the Steering Committee. The debt
was reduced substantially.
A plaque commemorating those people who made significant
contributions to Our Lady of Mercy Church in this first period of its
existence can be seen on the wall of the left transept.
The Church Expands and Grows
By 1960, the original church had began to show the signs of strain
caused by a rapidly increasing population. Between 1960-1963, South
Bound Brook's rise in population ranked first in Somerset County. At
the same time, the population of Franklin Township, part of which is
included in the parish, exploded at a rate of 56.6%!
An ambitious Master Plan for Parish Expansion was developed. A
building plan was approved to greatly expand the church building. A
minimum fund-raising goal of $150,000 was set. Revenues from Bingo
were counted on to supplement the costs of expansion and renovation.
Construction began in January, 1964 and was completed by September
of that year. In the nave of the church, the roof was raised five
feet. A new sanctuary with a steeple and carillon was constructed.
The seating capacity of the church was increased from 280 to
approximately 700. The outside of the church was covered with
aluminum paneling. The church hall was enlarged and most of the
original stained glass windows were moved to the basement. The
interior of the church was panelled in walnut. And the church was
air-conditioned (an innovation in 1964). Our Lady of Mercy would be
the first contemporary church in the Diocese at a time when classical
designs were the norm.
The final cost of the expansion and renovation was $407,400. A
plaque to remember those who made significant contributions to the
renovation of the church can be seen on the wall of the right
transept.
One of the major influences on every Church in the world was the
Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). Fundamental changes to the
liturgy were reflected in many different ways. The Mass, so familiar
in Latin up until this point, was changed. Now, the Mass would be in
the vernacular, the language most common to the majority of
parishioners. The position of the Altar was changed. Now the priest
would face the congregation.
In addition to the renovation of the church during this time
period, a small chapel was constructed behind the garage and rectory.
This structure would be used for Mass when only a few people could be
present. In addition, the building was used for small group meetings.
Later, it would be used as a classroom for Religious Instruction, a
rehearsal place for the Folk Choir and a meeting room for the Youth
Group.
The parish grew and prospered. The various organizations in church
expanded and held their functions. As the church was changing, so was
our parish community. Families moved in, others moved out. The
turmoil in society at large was also reflected in the parish. Several
times in the early 1970's, the church was damaged by vandalism. The
church had to be kept locked during the day, unthinkable even a few
years earlier.
Other changes within the church were also reflected in the parish.
The church has a world-wide shortage of priests. The role of
Extraordinary Lay Minister was created giving Lay people a more
active role in the church. The first of these Extraordinary Lay
Ministers were installed in our parish in 1977. Changes in the
liturgy resulting from the Vatican II conference were instituted.
Some of the sacraments went through some outward changes. The
Eucharist could be received in the hand and could be distributed by a
Lay person. In the fall of 1979, the confessionals in the church were
reconstructed to accommodate a major change in the Sacrament of
Reconciliation.
In late 1979 in another reflection of the times, a committee was
formed to sponsor a family of Vietnamese Boat People. These people
had been thrown out of their native land simply because of their
ethnic background. Many churches around the country helped sponsor
some of these families to let them build a new life in the United
States. On April 20, 1980, the eight-member family of Quan Luong
arrived. Our church helped provide them with a furnished, rented
house in Bound Brook. Parish members helped the family to get settled
in their new homeland. Today, the Quan family lives in their own
house in the Finderne section of Bridgewater.
The newly created Diocese of Metuchen began an innovative fund
raising program in 1983 called Forward in Faith. Not only were
funds raised on a diocesan level, they were shared with the local
churches. The Bishop's Annual Appeal continues this tradition.
By 1986, a Ministerial Association of Bound Brook-South Bound
Brook had been formed. It consisted of the pastors of St. Paul's
Episcopal Church, the Congregational Church, and the Presbyterian
Church (all from Bound Brook), and Our Lady of Mercy. The pastors
exchanged pulpits and preached in each others churches. Temple
Knesseth Israel joined in the Thanksgiving Eve Community Service.
Such events would have been unthinkable before Vatican II. It shows
how far the Ecumenical Movement, which can be traced to that historic
gathering, had come.
In mid-1989, an arsonist (still unknown) went on a rampage of
burning detached garages in town. Early one morning, the attacker set
fire to the garage and chapel next to the Rectory. Both structures
were completely destroyed, including Father Stephen Congdon's new
car. "It was just getting nicely broken in," he would muse later. The
rectory particularly in the kitchen, located nearest to the garage
was damaged. For all the damage, no one was injured.
50th Anniversary
On September 11, 1994, Our Lady of Mercy Church celebrated its
50th anniversary. Bishop Edward T. Hughes was the main celebrant at
the 12:00 Mass. This was the culmination of almost a year of
planning.
A committee co-chaired by Al Larangeira and Elfriede Crisafi began
work months earlier to plan a special, festive occasion. Committees
were formed to take care of decorations, write a history, plan the
liturgy and other activities, and to prepare a special luncheon.
Ads were sold to raise money for the event and to support an
historical booklet titled The First Fifty: A Journey in Faith.
The illustrated booklet was made available to anyone who wanted a
copy.
About 250 people attended the service and the buffet luncheon that
followed in the church hall. The tables in the hall were decorated
with pots of lemon-colored mums and a huge banner.
Bishop Hughes praised the parish. "It's a vibrant, lovely parish,"
he said. "I came here today to thank you for the inspiration that you
give."
The Mayor, two councilmen and the town clerk were among the
dignitaries who attended. Also present were parishioners who have
been affiliated with the church ever since its founding at a mission.
Fifty years is a good point to pause to stop and see where you are
and how you got there. This celebration was one of the great
successes in the continuing history of Our Lady of Mercy Church.
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