Essay: Lenten Week of Service
“To Walk Together With Those In Need” is a pillar of the St Ignatius Loyola Parish Mission Statement. The Lenten Week of Service gives us a way to live out this mission and honor St. Ignatius’ belief that love is shown more in deeds than in words. We kicked off our first annual Lenten Week of Service last year and look forward to once again bringing the parish together to participate in many services that show the love that God has for us and for all our brothers and sisters. This year, the Lenten Week of Service begins on Ash Wednesday, February 18th, and ends on Sunday, March 1st.
Do you wonder how we chose activities for the Week of Service? We were inspired by The Judgement of Nations in Matthew 25 – we have self-contained activities that feed the hungry, shelter the unhoused, and welcome the stranger. We even have a way to care for the sick.
FEED THE HUNGRY
You could pack food at the New York Common Pantry or prepare boxes of fresh vegetables at the Grassroot Grocery’s “Pantry Party”, contribute to the SVdP Lenten food drive, prepare a meal with SAGE for LGBT elders, or prepare a meal with other parishioners at God’s Love We Deliver, which caters to people with life altering illnesses.
SHELTER THE UNHOUSED
You could join NYC’s beloved Don’t Walk By outreach. It has spots for 400 volunteers! Here you would have an opportunity to canvass the neighborhood, recruiting unhoused people to join others at the Salvation Army where they can get a meal and access to services. Or you could be an onsite volunteer for the meal and services. Don’t Walk By is a meaningful way for you to become aware of the needs of our city and to share God’s love with the most unseen New Yorkers.
Our Homelessness Awareness for Children event is for elementary school age children to learn about unhoused people, pack toiletries for them, and write them a short handwritten card. If you are unable to attend (or even if you can attend), you can donate toiletries for this event.
You could wear comfortable shoes to walk the Dorothy Day Pilgrimage. During the Depression, Dorothy Day co-founded the Catholic Worker Movement. It still offers direct aid to the poor, feeds the hungry, shelters the homeless, and advocates for peace and non-violence. The current issue of the newspaper has the full statement of the USCCB Special Message on Immigration.
CARE FOR THE SICK
You could donate blood during the SVdP Blood Drive and save a life or pray the rosary for our vulnerable neighbors or follow the Laudato Si’ Weekly Lenten Action Calendar.
WELCOME THE STRANGER
Pope Leo XIV urged Catholic to heed the call of the USCCB Special Statement on Immigration and oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people.
You could join a Jericho Walk around Immigration Court at 26 Federal Plaza. The Hebrew Bible recounts when the Jews surrounded the walls of Jericho, marched around it seven times and shouted until the walls came down. We want the walls of injustice and hatred to immigrants to collapse and be replaced with fair and humane immigration laws. Bring your rosary beads to help you pray while being a public witness of your faith.
You could become trained to accompany someone to immigration court and witness events in courtrooms, waiting rooms, and hallways. The training is required for people who want to go to court with New Sanctuary Coalition. It is also recommended for people who want to know what is really happening in immigration court in NYC.
LOGISTICS
Each activity has a leader who will accompany the group to the event. Last year, we learned that group activities were impactful because they allowed us to appreciate each other and the vulnerable, the hungry, the unhoused, those lacking clothes; and to ache for justice and mercy.
Click here to see the list of services with dates and times.
If you would like to volunteer or have a question about any of the following activities, please email [email protected].
— Laura de Boisblanc, Christine Kearney O’Connell, and Marguerite Lucarelli