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The soup kitchen at the old St. Patrick's School in Albany will soon get a new name and a new home in a former church building.

The 34-year-old kitchen, most recently run by Blessed Sacrament parish in Albany, Catholic Charities of the Albany Diocese and Temple Beth Emeth in Albany, will move to the former St. George's Church on Livingston Avenue next winter.

Ground will be broken Oct. 26 for renovations to the lime-green structure, which once housed the Black Catholic Apostolate for more than a decade.

The soup kitchen will take full advantage of the larger space, expanding its offerings to include medical screenings, clothing assistance and possible legal, dental and social services assistance, as well.

"We see it becoming even more of a community center once it's open," said Rev. John Bradley, program coordinator and pastor at Blessed Sacrament parish.

The center will be named in memory of Sister Maureen Joyce, RSM, former executive director of diocesan Catholic Charities, who died last year.

Father Bradley said that Sister Maureen aided in the long search for the soup kitchen's new location: "We just thought it would be a good idea to honor her. We thought it would be a great inspiration to all of us to keep going."

The feeding center currently serves 150 people a day, three days a week at lunchtime. Catholic Charities manages it on weekdays; Temple Beth Emeth takes over on Sundays. About 50 volunteers staff it every week.

"It's not really a soup kitchen; it's a restaurant," Father Bradley explained. "It serves a full, substantial meal."

The former St. Patrick's School was used as a parish center for Holy Family parish until the parish closed last year. The school building will soon be sold.

But "we just could not abandon" the soup kitchen, Father Bradley said. "It would be a terrible loss to the people."

The new location will still be in walking distance for the soup kitchen's guests.

The building does need interior demolition, as well as new kitchens, storerooms, bathrooms, heating and plumbing. Father Bradley intends to raise $400,000 to support the project.

The current building will stay open as long as needed, he noted: "We're not going to miss a beat. We're prepared to do it seamlessly for the clients."

Blessed Sacrament also supports a food pantry and community center in the former convent of St. Casimir's parish in Albany; and the Shrine Church of Our Lady of the Americas, created when Holy Family parish closed, is a mission church of Blessed Sacrament.

"We're trying to keep this 'presence of Church' with all these churches closing," Father Bradley explained.

He said the three buildings will cover a "nice triangle" of Albany's inner city. In addition, he said, "This is not a parish effort. This is really a community-wide effort for the city of Albany."

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