Schenectady ecumenical effort celebrating three decades of improving inner-city life

Judy DePasquale, a parishioner of Our Lady of Fatima Church in Schenectady, has found a way close to home to live out the Gospel message " as her parish's representative to Schenectady Inner City Ministry (SICM), which is marking its 30th anniversary this month.

"Someone just asked me to go," she explained. "It was one meeting a month."

But Mrs. DePasquale soon found her commitment to SICM was more than monthly. Now co-vice president with her husband Jim, the fourth grade public school teacher has found herself very involved in the ecumenical partnership of churches. She coordinates SICM activities in her parish, including the CROP Walk, Thanksgiving food drive and dinner for the Damien Center (a drop-in center for those infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS). She also teaches a course on social justice to parish middle schoolers.

Ecumenical effort

Founded 30 years ago out of the spirit of ecumenism born from the Second Vatican Council and the spirit of activism inspired by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the organization in a partnership of 53 congregations in Schenectady County, including 12 Catholic churches.

SICM serves more than 25,000 people a year through 10 programs and hundreds of volunteers. It has the largest emergency food pantry in Schenectady County, a nutrition outreach program, a food buying co-op, a housing task force, Damien Center and Bethesda House, a hospitality center in downtown.

Many other social service programs in the county were started by SICM, nurtured and then spun off into separate programs. These include a program that provides transportation to low-income individuals and the elderly, a housing program for the elderly, a dispute mediation program, and Project Safe and Safe House, two programs designed to eliminate street-level prostitution and to provide shelter to runaway and throwaway youth.

Living faith

"This is truly living out the Gospel message of service," said Mrs. DePasquale. "These are people who live out their faith. It's the absolute most wonderful group. I'm uplifted. There is so much goodness happening."

She is not alone in her fondness for SICM. Sister Stella Dillon, RSM, a parishioner of St. Helen's Church in Niskayuna, has been a member of SICM since 1984. She has served as a parish delegate and president, and is now co-chair of the anniversary celebration committee.

"It's very energizing for me," said Sister Stella of her involvement in SICM. "It makes the Church alive in Schenectady."

According to Sister Stella, SICM is willing to take on any project.

"There's always a `yes' response," she said. "Nothing is impossible. They look at the needs of the inner city and tackle them. We fight for the inner city."

It's common, she added, to find SICM members going to Schenectady City Council meetings to represent the concerns of the inner city. Letter-writing, postcard campaigns and phone calls to elected officials are also familiar activities for SICM members.

Sister Stella has been so impressed by SICM's work that when she meets people from parishes or congregations that aren't involved, she tries to get them to join. She tells them: "You really should be a SICM church. You are living out what you profess as a Christian; you feel the spirit. If you really want to live out your faith, join SICM."

Social justice

SICM treasurer Joe Polsinelli, a parishioner of St. Anthony's Church in Schenectady, has found SICM to be an outlet for his hunger for social justice activities.

An active volunteer since high school, he searched for a way to continue to be active once he graduated from college. A priest suggested he join SICM and he has been a member since 1991.

"I've always been active in volunteering," he said. "In college, I was on the social justice committee and made more of a commitment. After graduation, I was longing for involvement. SICM did it for me."

Mr. Polsinelli spoke of the regular dinners hosted by SICM congregations at the Damien Center. Members provide everything from food to linens for the meal. "It's so humbling," he said. "People don't know there's such a large AIDS population in the Capital District. SICM is doing something about it."

Affecting all

While many of the congregations involved in SICM aren't located in the inner city, SICM members insist everyone in the community should be concerned about life in the inner city.

"You can't live in the suburbs and say it doesn't affect me," said Mrs. DePasquale. "It doesn't matter where you live when you hear the Gospel."

(SICM will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a picnic in Schenectady's Central Park on June 7, 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Bishop Howard J. Hubbard will be the featured speaker. For more information on SICM, call 382-1871.)

(06-05-97) [[In-content Ad]]