Food Pantry Work Day -
Saturday, Sept 16, 2023
9:00-11:00 a.m.
Mark your calendars for our next work day at the NE Iowa Food Bank, Waterloo. Great opportunity to learn more about food banks & to help those in need in & around our communities. Click HERE to sign-up!
Volunteers Needed! When? Saturday, Sept 9, from 9 to 11am What? NE Iowa Food Bank group volunteer opportunity Where? NE Iowa Food Bank, Volunteer Entrance, 1605 Lafayette Street, Waterloo, IA 50703. Please park in the main parking lot unless directed otherwise. You may either carpool or meet there. |
Northeast Iowa Food Bank mission: To provide nutritious food and grocery products to nonprofit organizations and individuals in Northeast Iowa, while offering hunger education programs to the area and those in need.
This is a great opportunity to learn more about food banks and to help those in need in and around our community. Volunteer projects will be determined by the food bank’s needs and our group size. Examples of some likely volunteer projects this time of year include: sorting through food rescue from businesses and putting together food backpacks for schools so children have something to eat over the weekends. Please note: appropriate clothing must be worn when reporting to the food bank. This includes close-toed shoes and comfortable attire. Sign-up sheets also available in our hall. Registration is limited to 30 volunteers. We look forward to seeing you there. |
Season of Creation

The Season of Creation is an annual ecumenical period from September 1 through October 4 that invites all Christians to pray for creation and to work to better care for it. The theme this year is "Listen to the voice of creation." Pope Francis said that by putting that skill into practice "we can hear in the voice of creation a kind of dissonance." "On the one hand, we can hear a sweet song in praise of our beloved Creator," he said, and "on the other; an anguished plea, lamenting our mistreatment of this our common home."
The latter, per Pope Francis, is the cries from the earth itself, species facing extinction, economically poor peoples facing the impacts of climate change, indigenous communities lamenting the invasion and destruction of ancestral lands, and young people crying out for all to limit the collapse of our ecosystems. Pope Francis reiterates that it is the responsibility of all Christians and people of faith to care for creation.
Pope Francis included a plea to all nations to halt the further collapse of the "web of life" - biodiversity - with the following four principles:
1. Building a clear ethical basis for the transformation we need to save biodiversity;
2. Fight biodiversity loss, support its conservation and recovery, and meet people's needs in a sustainable way;
3. Promote global solidarity, taking into account that biodiversity is a global common good that requires a shared commitment;
4. Put people in vulnerable situations at the center, including those most affected by biodiversity loss, such a indigenous peoples, older people, and youth.
Pope Francis asks us to join him in prayer for the success of two upcoming conferences of leaders throughout the world. COP 27 on climate will be held in Egypt in November 2022 and COP 15 on biodiversity will be held in Canada in December 2022. Pope Francis calls the community of Catholics to pray "COP 27 and COP 15 may unite the human family to decisively address the double crisis of climate and biodiversity reduction."
To read Pope Francis' full message on The Season of Creation go to Laudato Si' Movement
The latter, per Pope Francis, is the cries from the earth itself, species facing extinction, economically poor peoples facing the impacts of climate change, indigenous communities lamenting the invasion and destruction of ancestral lands, and young people crying out for all to limit the collapse of our ecosystems. Pope Francis reiterates that it is the responsibility of all Christians and people of faith to care for creation.
Pope Francis included a plea to all nations to halt the further collapse of the "web of life" - biodiversity - with the following four principles:
1. Building a clear ethical basis for the transformation we need to save biodiversity;
2. Fight biodiversity loss, support its conservation and recovery, and meet people's needs in a sustainable way;
3. Promote global solidarity, taking into account that biodiversity is a global common good that requires a shared commitment;
4. Put people in vulnerable situations at the center, including those most affected by biodiversity loss, such a indigenous peoples, older people, and youth.
Pope Francis asks us to join him in prayer for the success of two upcoming conferences of leaders throughout the world. COP 27 on climate will be held in Egypt in November 2022 and COP 15 on biodiversity will be held in Canada in December 2022. Pope Francis calls the community of Catholics to pray "COP 27 and COP 15 may unite the human family to decisively address the double crisis of climate and biodiversity reduction."
To read Pope Francis' full message on The Season of Creation go to Laudato Si' Movement
***Charity Spotlight***
News and information about the Dubuque Franciscans' Sister Water Project - February 2021
The global pandemic has highlighted the critical need for access to clean water. To raise awareness of global water issues and to raise funds for the Sisters of St. Francis’ Sister Water Project (SWP), the SWP Committee invites you to “Walk for Sister Water” sometime between Mar 12-22, 2021, in honor of World Water Day on Mar 22. How the walk works:
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Read more at www.osfdbq.org/swpwalk
or contact Sister Maureen Leach at (563) 583-9786 or email leach@osfdbq.org. Donations to the Sister Water Project can be sent to: Sister Water Project 3390 Windsor Ave. Dubuque, IA 52001 Or click here to donate to the Sister Water Project online |
St. Mary Tithe Recipients:
Bartels Halloween Candy: Provide candy to Bartels Lutheran Retirement Community for distribution during Halloween.
Birthright : Provides support and resources for pregnant women. www.birthright.org Bread for the World: A collective Christian voice that educates opinion leaders, policy makers, and the public about hunger in the US and abroad. www.bread.org Butler County Food Pantry: Provide financial assistant for the pantry for purchase of food from the food bank. Butler County Visions of Well Being Christmas Outreach: Assembly of care packages for Butler County households in need. Camp Courageous: Provides year-round recreational and respite activities for individuals with disabilities as well as their families. https://campcourageous.org Caritas: A confederation of 162 Catholic relief, development, and social service organizations working to build a better world for the poor and oppressed. https://www.caritas.org Catholic Charities: Help people who are struggling with poverty and other complex issues. https://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org |
Catholic Legal Immigration Network: Provides legal expertise to a dedicated network of Catholic and community immigration programs.
https://cliniclegal.org Catholic Medical Mission Board: An international faith-based non-profit organization providing long-term medical and development aid to communities affected by poverty and healthcare issues. https://cmmb.org Catholic Relief Services: Work with local, national, and international Catholic institutions and other organizations, to assist people on the basis of need. https://www.crs.org Cedar Valley Friends of the Family: Works to provide safe shelter, confidential services, and housing assistance to individuals in crisis due to homelessness, domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. https://www.fofia.org Clara White Mission: Works to prevent and reduce homelessness through advocacy, housing, job training, and employment, working in partnership with businesses in the community. https://www.clarawhitemission.org Guiding Star: Provides natural, holistic, pro-woman, and pro-family healthcare. https://guidingstartcedarvalley.org Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity: Provides affordable homeownership and critical home repair in the Black Hawk, Butler, Bremer, and Buchanan area. https://www.webuildhabitat.org Mary’s Meals USA: Provide a nutritious daily meal to every child in places of education. https://www.marysmealsusa.org |
NAMI: Organization of families, friends, and individuals advocating to improve the life of individuals who have mental illness.
https://namiiowa.org Northeast Iowa Foodbank: Provide nutritious food and grocery products to nonprofit organizations and individuals in northeast Iowa. https://www.northeastiowafoodbank.org Retrieving Freedom: Train and place service dogs for disabled veterans and children with autism. https://www.retrievingfreedom.org Self Help International: Works to alleviate world hunger and poverty by assisting the rural poor, small scale farmers, and related enterprises in developing countries. https://www.selfhelpinternational.org Sister Water Project: Work to bring safe water to villages in Tanzania and Honduras. https://www.osfdbq.org/sister-water-project-main/sister-water-project Special Olympics of Iowa: Provides year-round sports training and competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. https://www.soiowa.org Waverly Shell Rock United Way: Improves lives and strengthens the education, income, and health of our communities by securing funds and promoting service for those in need. https://www.wsrunitedway.org |
Dates to Remember:
October - Respect Life Month |
Peace & Justice Committee Members:
Chuck Carlin Becky David Wayne Green Val King Jan Kriener Lindsey Kuhlmann Ted Mulert Mollie Muntefering Phil Paladino |