Polish immigrants began settling in the Carteret area around the year 1900. They were drawn here by the opportunities for work in the copper factories and in other local businesses. At first, these Polish immigrants traveled to St. Stephen’s Parish in Perth Amboy to have their spiritual needs fulfilled. Soon, they were able to obtain permission for Fr. Antoni Klijanowicz, the associate at St. Stephen’s, to come to Carteret in order to celebrate Mass for the people on Sundays. Through Father’s efforts and the persistence of the Carteret Poles, Holy Family Parish was established on May 21, 1907. By December of that same year a small church had been erected and the people celebrated the Lord’s Nativity in their new Church of the Holy Family. Father Stephen Wierzynski was appointed the first Pastor and provided pastoral care for the people of Holy Family Parish from 1907 until 1912, when he was named Pastor of St. Joseph’s Parish in Camden, New Jersey.
In 1912, Father Joseph Dziadosz was sent to minister to the people of the growing parish community. His pastorate continued until his death in 1944. Father Dziadosz took great interest in the spiritual and educational needs of the children of the parish. First, by himself, and then with the help of people from the parish, he started teaching classes in the parish rectory. By the year 1923, the number of children under instruction had grown to 210 and the Bernardine Sisters were received into the parish to help with the educational needs of the children. The construction of the school was begun in that year and completed by the fall of 1924. By 1929, almost 400 students were enrolled in Holy Family School. At the time there were about 500 families in the parish. Societies such as the Altar Rosary Society and the Holy Name Society were also established and began to grow.
After 32 years of dedicated service to the people of Holy Family Parish, Father Dziadosz died on February 11, 1944. Bishop Griffin then appointed Father Mieczyslaw Konopka as Pastor. During his time of pastoral service, the present church and rectory were erected in 1953. The old rectory became the convent for the Bernardine Sisters, who previously had lived in the front part of the old church building. The old church was demolished upon the completion of the new one. Father Konopka served as Pastor until his death in 1969. He was followed by Father Walter Radziwon whose short pastorate extended from 1969 to 1971.
In 1971, Father Raymond Szulecki, who had been an associate in the parish under Father Konopka, returned to become the fifth Pastor. During his pastorate the Parish Center was built and solemnly dedicated by Bishop George Ahr in 1976. The Center served both the educational needs of the school and the recreational and social needs of the parish community and its Societies. In December of 1982, following Father Szulecki’s transfer to the pastorate of St. Edward’s Parish in Milford, Father Leon Kasprzyk was named the sixth Pastor of the parish.
Father Leon worked hard to strengthen the life and vitality of Holy Family School. Through his efforts the enrollment rose from around 90 in 1982 to around 180 in the fall of 1983. Father Leon also added to the liturgical and spiritual life of the parish through the purchase of a new organ. He was instrumental in furthering the cause of Respect for Life in both the parish and in the Carteret community. He oversaw the annual CROP Walk which helped raise funds for he needy in both the local community and worldwide. In January of 1987, Father Leon was named the Pastor of St. Stephen’s Parish in Perth Amboy. He was succeeded by Father Edmund Shallow who became the seventh and final Pastor of Holy Family Parish.
Due to declining enrollment in the late 90s, Holy Family School closed its doors in the year 2002. Soon after the closure, the school was rented to Newmark High School which provided educational service to challenged students. During Father Ed’s pastorate a Pastoral Council was established and the Council for Financial Affairs was expanded. The Pastoral Council embarked upon a greater role of service within the parish, challenging their fellow parishioners to give more of themselves for the building up of the parish community. From 1997 to 1999, the exterior of Holy Family Church underwent extensive repair and repointing. Once this work was completed plans were made for the interior renovation of the church. This project began in the summer of 2002. In December of 2004, the church was rededicated and consecrated by Bishop Paul Bootkoski. On May 21, 2007, Holy Family Parish joyfully celebrated its 100th Anniversary with a special Mass of Thanksgiving and a lovely dinner dance at the Forge in Woodbridge.
Under the direction of Bishop Bootkoski, a study was undertaken in 2009 of the four Western Rite Catholic Churches in Carteret. This ultimately led to the consolidation of the three ethnic parishes of Holy Family (Polish), Sacred Heart of Jesus (Slovak) and St. Elizabeth of Hungary (Hungarian) into one new parish. By the agreement of representatives from all three parishes the name Divine Mercy Parish was chosen. Thus, on May 13, 2010, the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, Bishop Paul Bootkoski formally established Divine Mercy Parish with worship continuing to take place in all three churches. The Bishop appointed Father Edmund Shallow, who was already serving as pastor of both Holy Family and Sacred Heart of Jesus Parishes and as Temporary Administrator of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish as the first Pastor of Divine Mercy Parish. He was installed on July 1, 2010 by Msgr. Robert J. Zamorski, the Episcopal Vicar for Middlesex County. After the closures of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church and St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church, Holy Family Church became the central place of worship for Divine Mercy Parish. Sacred Heart of Jesus Church was sold to an Eastern Catholic community in May of 2018 and St. Elizabeth of Hungry Church was sold in September of the same year to the Borough of Carteret. In May of 2017, the old Holy Family School and Convent, along with the Parish Center, were sold to the Borough of Carteret for purposes of educational use.