Our parish has a strong tradition of working for Justice both in action and in charity.

On the first weekend of the month we have a second collection called Dorcas. In FY2008 we collected $24,740.58. This collection goes to support NCEON, our local emergency food bank (which we co-founded,) our sister parish St. Gregory and My Brother’s Keeper in Baltimore. Our poor box supports parishioners in need as well.

On the 4th Sunday of every month our second collection is for our Sharing Fund. In Fy2008 we collected $28,312.99 in this collection and with $2,000 from the parish budget donated $30,312.99. This fund supports a different outside group monthly. Each month there is an educational insert is in the bulletin helping people to learn about that charity. This has included groups such as P. Francis Murphy Interfaith Housing, The Joseph Richey Hospice, Mercy Ships, Mary’s Pence, Sisters Academy, St. Ignatius Loyola, Catholic Relief Services. The groups are selected by the Justice and Peace committee of the parish on a quarterly basis.

In addition our parish has a commitment of money and volunteers to Arundel Habitat for Humanity and the Fouse Center (a transitional center for homeless men, which we partnered in establishing.) Through a second collection on the fifth Sunday of the month, we have co-sponsored homes, creating an on going relationship of money and talent with Habitat. We have an annual commitment of $5,000 to the Arundel House of Hope.

We additionally have a sister relationship with Our Lady of Visitation Parish in Haiti. This relationship has been well established and we send money that we fund raise and money that we collect through donations for adult education offerings and a second collection on Holy Thursday.

All of these financial outreaches are in addition to many of the projects that have been established in the parish. Projects include, sponsoring over 100 families from Baltimore city for Christmas through our Adopt-a-Family program, providing school supplies for Sarah’s House, monthly casserole donations, and monthly food drives for the food bank. On our property is a bin for clothing for St. Vincent De Paul and we have several bundle Sundays through out the year filling trucks for St. Vincent de Paul. We also participate in a winter relief shelter that houses 30+ homeless men and women here at the parish for a week every year. We also provide meals and support to homeless people in the area.

Our young people take part in learning charity through out their education process starting in the 3 year old program. They collect money for Habitat, make sandwiches for Happy Helpers, make Christmas stockings and Easter Baskets for children, provide napkin rings for Meals on Wheels, participate in the toy collections for the children of NCEON, collect underwear and socks for Sarah’s House at Christmas, provide lunch materials for winter shelter.