SAVE THE CHURCH OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT - OUR LADY OF THE DIVINE SHEPHERD CHURCH - TRENTON, NJ

The Catholic Diocese of Trenton is once again targeting the African American Catholics of the City of Trenton. In 2005, Our Lady of the Divine Shepherd Church was forced to close it doors on Pennington Avenue, Trenton, NJ where it had been located since the early 1940's, near the Battle of Monument. The closing of the church in 2005 led to some of the parishioners moving on as they were forced to join The Church of the Blessed Sacrament. During this merger, many of the parishioners of The Church of the Blessed Sacrament move on as they were uncomfortable with the merger forced on them by the Diocese. Yet, those that remained, came together to create a family that is now known as The Church of the Blessed Sacrament - Our Lady of the Divine Shepherd.

Here we are again, 2017, 12 years later facing the same thing all over again. What is that about being African American people that makes us targets for disenfranchisement? Out of all the catholic churches in the Mercer County Dioceses, the Most Rev. Bishop David M. O'Connell C.M., felt it necessary to once again move the only historic African American Catholic congregation to solve financial disparities in the organization. The NAACP Trenton Branch feels that the Catholic Diocese should work with The Church of Blessed Sacrament - Our Lady of the Divine Shepherd to offer a way to help and not close the facility. If this closure is allowed to happen in 2018 we will no longer have the title "OUR LADY OF THE DIVINE SHEPHERD CHURCH" in Trenton, NJ ever again! Nor that of "The Church of the Blessed Sacrament" and no longer the combined names The Church of the Blessed Sacrament - Our Lady of the Divine Shepherd".

In a letter to the Clergy and Parishioners of the church, the Bishop stated this should have been done a few years ago. If that were the case, then the blame is on the Diocese for allowing the financial debt to get to the point of closure. So now, the people of this parish have to suffer, and to use the words of the Bishop "although the church will be missed --- parishioners can continue to strengthen their faith 'in a new land' so to speak, like the people of ancient Israel."

However, the people of ancient Israel were not led by a Diocese that did not aid them in their time of need and then turn on them dissolving them from history forever. The congregants of The Church of the Blessed Sacrament - Our Lady of the Divine Shepherd are intent on keeping their church.

In closing, if you agree and would like the oldest historic and only known Catholic church with largest African American congregation in Trenton, NJ - The Church of the Blessed Sacrament - Our Lady of the Divine Shepherd to remain open please sign this petition and flood the Diocese of Trenton 701 Lawrenceville Road, Post Office Box 5147, Trenton, NJ 08638-0147 with letters of support.

NAACP Trenton Branch

Jonette C. Smart, President