Archdiocese of Newark to open new Mercy House location in Hackensack

Resource and Referral Center Will Provide Daily Essentials and Spiritual Assistance

The Archdiocese of Newark’s Respect Life Office will soon open a new Hackensack location for Mercy House, a resource and referral center that supports pregnant women, people struggling with addiction, those in abusive relationships, and others in need.

Mercy House Hackensack is expected to launch late this summer within Holy Trinity Convent after ongoing renovations are completed. Once it opens its doors, the center will provide a wide variety of assistance, including food, clothing, baby supplies, furniture, and help finding work and housing. Additionally, Mercy House will offer spiritual support and healing in a faith-filled environment.

“We’re like a beacon of light because people have somewhere to go if they need help,” said Cheryl Riley, director of the archdiocesan Respect Life Office. “We treat people with dignity and respect and provide them with basic essentials for daily living. We also serve to nurture them spiritually.”

The Hackensack location is the first in Bergen County and provides care and resources to extend care for those in need beyond the original Newark-based Mercy House. Newark’s Mercy House has benefited approximately 3,000 people since opening in the city’s Clinton Hill section in 2018. The Archdiocese also plans to open Mercy House locations in Hudson and Union counties to reach individuals in need in all four of the counties it serves.

For more than 20 years, the Respect Life Office of the Archdiocese of Newark has offered retreats to heal the emotional and spiritual wounds of abortion. To expand on its outreach efforts, the Archdiocese launched Mercy House in June 2018 to provide a welcoming space for individuals and families in need and to provide emotional support and healing in a comfortable, faith-filled environment for expecting mothers, individuals dealing with addiction, and those in abusive relationships. Mercy House distributes items and resources to anyone in need.

To learn more about Mercy House and to find out how to donate, visit www.rcan.org/respect-life/mercy-house or contact Cheryl Riley at 973-497-4350 or cheryl.riley@rcan.org. 

Photo: Father Paul J. Prevosto, pastor of Holy Trinity Church, hands Cheryl Riley the keys to the new Mercy House Hackensack location within Holy Trinity Convent. (Courtesy of the Respect Life Office of the Archdiocese of Newark)