---

The 13 parishes of the Schenectady deanery are teaming up to provide pastoral care to more than 10,000 area Catholics, and to minister to the poor and vulnerable of the community.

The deanery seeks $60,000 to support a project coordinator and other expenses for what they call the "Works of Mercy" initiative. Already, parishes have raised more than $10,000.

The initiative is expected to launch next summer. Leaders say the project will plug gaps in visitation ministries left by the recent closings of two parishes and the merger of two others in the deanery.

"No one will be left behind," explained Annette Brooks, parish life director for St. Gabriel's in Rotterdam.

A project coordinator will direct the effort, making it easier to keep track of Catholics who have been admitted to a hospital or nursing home or who have become homebound, even if they're not registered at a parish. A network of volunteers will ensure that everyone receives a visit.

This, in turn, fulfills the corporal work of mercy of visiting the sick and the spiritual work of mercy of comforting the sorrowful.

"If we could keep them connected to Christ, even though they might not be going to Mass, then their needs will be taken care of," said Rev. Dominic Isopo, pastor of St. Luke's parish in Schenectady.

Another goal of the project is to coordinate social outreach ministries. That involves dealing with issues of social justice and advocacy, ministering to the Schenectady County Jail and serving the poor.

For instance, St. Luke's parish provides furniture, food and clothing to fire victims in the community about once a year. Those parishes whose strengths lie in collecting items can also pitch in the next time tragedy strikes a local family.

As another example, St. Luke's food pantry served more than 76,000 packages of food to hundreds of clients in 2009, Father Isopo said. Nearly 30 volunteers staff the food pantry five days a week.

A year ago, the pantry's busiest time was the end of the month, when clients' food stamps ran out. Today, with the clientele having grown by 30 percent, the whole month hums with activity.

Other parishes, like St. Gabriel's, will contribute some of their surpluses to bigger pantries through the new initiative.

Father Isopo also wants to ensure that every parish offers help with applications for public assistance. And if the need arises for hot meal service in communities, the deanery parishes will consider opening a soup kitchen.

"No one will be turned away because there was no one to help them," said Rev. Robert Longobucco, pastor of St. Helen's parish in Niskayuna. "We have a lot of small parishes that are really overburdened. That's just not right."

Many of Father Longobucco's parishioners volunteer at a soup kitchen, but he'd like to deepen their understanding of the connection between social outreach and Catholic social teaching.

One idea is to invite volunteers to talk about people they met and how the experience changed them.

"It's the only way to make it a relationship - if we're aware of how blessed we are through going" to volunteer, Father Longobucco explained.

He noted that the project will benefit both those being helped and the volunteers.

"Our salvation is tied up in how we help each other out. We encounter Christ when we're in service to one another," the pastor said. "In this Advent season, Jesus shows up one act of mercy at a time. The most 'Catholic thing' you can say is, 'We're all in this together.'"

(12/16/10) [[In-content Ad]]

---