Month: June 2018

Congratulations to the twenty-three Our Lady of the Desert Redemptorist associates and friends who assembled more than 500 sandwiches Thursday evening.  Because of your efforts, 250 people went home Friday from Tucson’s Tucson’s Casa Maria Soup Kitchen with a bag lunch which included two of the sandwiches you made!

Thanks, also, to those who donated not only their time, but also cash or food.  A special thank you goes to Lee Morrison and Fr. Paul Coury for opening the project to our Redemptorist Circle and to the Redemptorist Renewal Center for providing use of the Alphonsus kitchen as well as a delicious dinner for twenty-three hungry sandwich-makers.

Finally, thanks to Angela Schneider and Diana Davenport for organizing the effort.  Based on Thursday’s generous and enthusiastic response, Angela and Diana anticipate making sandwiches for Casa Mara on a monthly basis. Food costs amounted to about $150 to make 506 sandwiches. They have already received $50 in donations towards the next session!  When donations reach $150, Angela and Diana will announce timing for the next session. 

Donations are tax deductible and may be made either by cash or check  (made out to Our Lady of the Desert Church with “Sandwich Ministry” written in the memo line).  “In-kind” food donations are also welcome. Please coordinate them with Diana (email: diana@davenport.net; cell: 520-612-9873). Diana/OLD Church can provide receipts for cash, check or in-kind donations.

 

Redemptorist Associates are partners with professed Redemptorists in the mission of proclaiming plentiful redemption to the most abandoned, particularly the materially poor who live out their commitments within the context of their daily lives.

After leading the group in the prayer that was used to open each session of Vatican II, Fr Paul showed a video (# 13 “Associates” from the Partners in Mission Retreat in Oconomowoc in October 2017) in which Anne Walsh, Chair of the General Commission for Partners in Mission, leads a group discussion about the Redemptorist charism and what it means to be a Redemptorist Associate.

Encouraging lay participation in the Redemptorist Mission and Spirituality is a priory for Redemptorists worldwide, Fr Paul pointed out as he providing both a summary of the video as well as a draft copy of the Redemptorist Associate Guidelines to the group for further discussion.

John Davenport announced both the creation of a an associates website at oldassociates.net as well as the creation of a joint Dropbox account for associates’ use.