Continuing Our Fifth Year of Mission Services

    

August 2012  

Once again, our community will reach out with our support to Sister Johnice and all who provide so many services to the people-in-need on the East Side.   The Response to Love Center continues to provide a hot meal every day at noon for the clients, access to the food pantry and thrift store and educational programs.   There are computer classes, GED classes, and skills training for veterans.   Also, Sister's Health Care provides one-on-one counselling for people to make good health choices and follow their prescribed medical treatment.    We will help stock the center with back-to-school supplies for the young clients who receive assistance from the Center.     Our end-of-month donation reached $2,600 plus a healthy supply of back-to-school items for distribution to the children on the East Side. 

Sister Joanne's Update from Timau Mission in Kenya
During a visit to the USA this month, Sister Joanne and Sister Fran celebrated mass with us under the tent.  At that time, Sister Joanne provided updates on the children that our community have adopted for the past two years.   We are committed to continue our support.    View the details here.

July 2012 -- Hispanic Migrant Workers Ministry

Our community is supporting the good works done by the people who minister directly to the 3,000 migrant workers who labor in WNY to provide fresh fruit and vegetables from our local farms.  Doris Valentin is the director, and she told us how the ministry supports the workers in their basic needs, as well as their spiritual needs.   The workers will receive welcome kits from our community and from a handful of parishes that also support this ministry.     More information can be found on the website, which is under the Diocese of Buffalo, Office of Cultural Diversity.
Our community donated a large quantity of personal items for the welcome kits and our financial donation was $2,025, all to help the many facets of the ministry.


Newman Summer Picnic
We enjoyed a beautiful Sunday afternoon at our annual picnic on July 15, thanks to the great coordination work by Diane and Ralph Mercuri, the artful face painting by Peg Riexinger and the crafty childrens' activities offered by Mike Mercuri.   A wonderful meal topped off the day!

Click on either collage to get a larger image.

June 2012 --  Wings of Love

Our community will once again sponsor this tender organization, which provides personal support and financial aid to families who have lost newborn children.   Father "Duke" Zajac brought the sensitive work of this group of parents and healthcare professionals to our attention two years ago, and our community has responded to their on-going needs once again.  Mrs. Christine Scott spoke to us at mass about the network, which works closely with all 13 labor and delivery hospital bereavement programs across eight counties.  The Wings of Love Memorial Fund provides financial assistance for burial and other unexpected expenses incurred due to the loss of an infant.  More information about support groups, programs, and events can be found at their website:     www.wnypbn.org.   Our community donation was $2,100.

Ride for Roswell 2012
Our community supported the Ride for Roswell again this year.  On a perfect day for riding, our team of 19 riders were joined by six riders from the McLaughlin family who rode in memory of Bill.  Riders took the the road in 20 mile, 30 mile and 100 mile efforts (Nathan and Bruce Riexinger ... awesome!).  In total the riders on the team and their sponsors raised over $8,000 for cancer research at Roswell Park.     A portion of the team is pictured below.  The captain was Melissa Brady (not pictured).   We thank Melissa and all the community sponsors for the ride.

Front Row:  Jack Leo, Steve Hanley, John Roba and Al Naish

Standing:  Linda SantaMaria, Luanne Leo, Joanne Montante, Mary Lazickas

Sister Carol Morgan, SSJ

Our dear friend and advocate from the Sisters of St. Joseph, Sister Carol Morgan entered into eternal rest in June after battling several medical problems.  Sister Carol helped us over the past several years in arranging for our tent to be set up on the beautiful property in Clarence.   Sister Carol was a supporter of our mission community behind the scenes and loved to worship with our community.  She and Sister Monica helped plan and tend to the Memorial Garden for Flight 3407.  

Rest in peace Sister Carol.

May 2012: MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE PROJECT

Once again, we are supporting the Massachusetts Avenue Project (MAP) during the month of May.  Diane Picard, the executive director, shared with us their many successes. For nearly a decade, they have been farming vacant lots on the west side of Buffalo and working to attain equity and justice in our local and global food systems.  In 2011, MAP provided jobs for 49 low-income youth, ranging in age from 14-20.  Through their Growing Green program, they build confidence, self-awareness, and leadership and involve the students in all aspects of business which includes opportunities to influence public policy.  For the fourth year in a row, 100% of their high school seniors graduated and went on to college; the graduation rate in the Buffalo Public Schools is 47%.  They grew 6,000 pounds of organic food on their urban farm, increasing production by nearly 50% over last year!  Through their farm stand and mobile market, they provided affordable produce to 1,244 people.  With their new Aquaponics system, they are raising 25,000 fish which they sell to local restaurants.  MAP has been recognized nationally, and they plan to acquire more land, expand their food production and composting activities, and start a small scale CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), a "growing" trend that involves selling shares to consumers.   
Our Sunday collections resulted in a cumulative donation of $3,050 to assist the good works being done by MAP.

To return to the beginning of the history of our community in 2007 - click here.

April 2012 --   Family Promise

Our Newman Community supported this agency, which provides temporary shelter in many churches around Western New York for families who stay together until a new residence can be established. They bring together existing community resources, especially faith congregations to assist them with their mission.

Family Promise of WNY is committed to keeping families together during their time of homelessness. Most emergency shelters separate men and women, which increases the stress of their situation. Family Promise is one of only three emergency shelter providers in Erie County that solely focuses on keeping families together during the crisis of homelessness.  Our community donated $2,025 to support their mission. 


Holy Week -- The community gathered often during this blessed time of our liturgical year.   Following the Palm Sunday mass, we met again on Holy Thursday for the Seder Meal and Eucharist.   Thanks to Mary and Mike Lazicas for chairing the gathering of over 70 members and for Father Paul for leading us in prayer and liturgy.   Good Friday was remembered with the Stations of the Cross -- from the Eyes of Mary our Mother.   Father Duke Zajac conducted the Liturgy and Sarah Mischler coordinated the solemn reflections on the Stations of the Cross.   The jubilant Easter Vigil Liturgy was celebrated by Father Jim Croglio with magnificent singing by Mary DeWald and her family.   Easter Sunday morning attracted the full church in celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord, again with Father Jim leading us in prayers, blessings and the Eucharist.   Thanks go to all community members who contributed to these gatherings.

March 2012 --
 We will be supporting the many needs of Harvest House again as we acknowlege the good work of Gary and Linda Tatu. Harvest House consists of four ministries serving thousands of people in western New York and beyond:  The Retreat and Spirituality Center;  The Baby and Children's Ministry;  The New Hope Education Center; and Good Neighbors Health Care.  Read more about Harvest House on the web site:  www.harvesthouse.ws
Our community visited Harvest House for a tour of the Jefferson Ave. facility and saw the site of the expanded education center.   At the end of the month, our community donations from the Sunday collection amounted to $4,075.


Lenten Gathering:   A group of sixteen members of the community gathered at the Lighthouse on March 31, 2012 to view one episode of "Catholocism", the PBS documentary.   We learned much from the video and from the open faith sharing with each other.  The evening culminated with a dinner at the Red Mill Restaurant.      (Norm and Jean Brady were unable to attend the dinner)

February 2012 -- Hearts for the Homeless  
Our community is supporting this mission in the Riverside district with our donations and our time on Tuesday mornings. The Hearts for the Homeless facility includes a thrift store on Tonawanda Street and a mobile soup kitchen that feeds the hungry and homeless in downtown Buffalo five nights per week.   Ron Calandra visited us during the month and explained how he cannot do this work, day in and day out all alone.  He has a group of volunteers and he is thankful for the financial support from communities like ours.   All the funding he receives is from private donations.  Our month-end donation was $3,075 to help this worthy mission.
Our Tuesday morning activity requires us to prepare snack-packs for the mobile soup kitchen and sometimes to make sandwiches.   We have been helping them since December and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.    


January 2012 -- Child and Family Services.
Our community will once again donate funds for special needs for special families who are supporting foster children.    Our January collections will be directed to the Foster/ Adoptive Program to help many foster families, who are themselves at or below the poverty line.  While the basic services are provided by governmental agencies, the foster care/adoptive program depends on donations to provide many aspects of healing care for the children.


Nicaragua Mission Update!   Pastoral Center is Dedicated in Rivas, Nicaragua.
Thanks to countless supporters including the John Newman Mission Community, a beautiful, new pastoral center is now open to enrich the lives of the needy people in Nicaragua.  Read more


Helping Hands at Harvest House:
A group of volunteers helped the Baby and Children's Ministry by sorting and hanging children's clothing for a few hours in late January.  Once the guys were able to tell the difference between six months and size six, we had it made!   Thanks for all who helped this worthy ministry, now serving over 5,600 children in Western New York.

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December 2011 -- Christmas Outreach to those in need.
Our community is reaching out to several organizations during Advent to help people in need.
Loaves and Fishes -- a donation of $500 is being sent to this organization in honor of Marion McLaughlin, who is a regular volunteer at this soup kitchen.
Heart, Love and Soul -- a donation of $500 is being sent to this soup kitchen in Niagara Falls to help their Christmas mission.
Family in Need -- St. Mary of the Assumption Parish.   Father Paul's parish identified a family who is struggling due to a serious medical condition of the father of four.   His wife cares for his daily needs and therefore cannot work to earn income for the family.   We are donating $1,000 to help this family.   The father worked for the parish until his illness.
Christmas Gifts for GED Students at Response to Love Center --   Our community is providing wrapped gifts for GED students at St. Johnice's mission for the needy on the East Side of Buffalo.   These folks are parents of little ones who are being cared for by other donors, and we hope to make these moms and dads a little happier and make their Christmas a little brighter as well.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning Services were wonderful celebrations of our faith as we shared our time together with extended families and friends from around the local area and the country.   The Meeting House was brightly decorated thanks to Sarah and Frank Mischler.   Shown here at Christmas Eve mass is Father Paul and our young community, preparing the nativity display and the soft wheat for the manger for the infant Jesus.






  November 2011 -- St. Luke's Mission of Mercy

During our Sunday liturgy on November 6, the Voices of Mercy were present with us to add to the celebration of Eucharist.  We will support St. Luke's Mission of Mercy this month, and our funds have been earmarked to supplement their Christmas drive, which will help 7,000 people this year.   Specifically, our funds will be used to help provide gifts for teenagers, who are typically not the first ones on people's lists.

       ...Annual Christmas Drive activity in photo.  
At the end of the month, our donation was finalized and our contribution was $3,275 to St. Luke's Mission of Mercy.  To read more about St. Luke's, go to their website http://www.stlukesmissionofmercy.org/

Confirmation - November 10

Ten young people from our community and the religious education program received the sacrament of Confirmation at a beautiful liturgy at St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Lancaster.  Bishop Kmiec was the celebrant and he made everyone present feel the comfort of God's love and acceptance.  We thank Father Paul for assisting our young people and inviting us to his parish's celebration. 

Our confirmandi:  Jenna Augenblick, Connor Beaudet, Harper Fischer, Jessica Fischer, Lily Fischer, Hannah Hammer, Michael Keller, Connor Mergler, Nathan Riexinger, Jackson Stocking.

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October 2011 -- NativityMiguel Middle School in Buffalo

Our community is once again supporting St. Monica and St. Augustine Middle Schools, now collectively know as NativityMiguel Middle School in Buffalo.  The school is committed to give the best education possible for those students who are selected from very poor families.   The students need to demonstrate good character and a willingness to work .... including eight-plus hours a day and many Saturdays.   The school has shown that families and support networks can make a positive change for these young people.   The graduation rate of the students, once they reach high school, is 84% compared to less than 50% in the Buffalo Public Schools.   Our community donation to the NativityMiguel Schools was $2,000, which will be used in the scholarship funds for a student.
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Pancake Breakfast -- In Support of Timau Mission in Kenya   ... October 23
Our community is supporting Sister Joanne Gangloff OSF and the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Community for all the good work they do in Kenya.   The Sisters of St. Francis have been working in some way or another in support of Timau since 1971, at which time Sister Joanne made her first mission trip.   The Timau Mission supports the people of Kenya in so many important ways:  St. Elizabeth's School for 200 children;   St. Clare Technical School for training youth with necessary hands-on skills;  a dispensary, a church and continuous support in so many forms to help the very young and the aged.   For more information about the Timau mission, please go their web site:   www.sosf.org and go to the tab "Our Work."   

Our community has renewed its support and "adoption" of three young people who are under the care of the Sisters of St. Francis.   We have recently heard from Evans, a high school student who continues to work diligently at his education under their guidance.   A young boy named Freddy, who is cared for by his grandmother is now age 7.   And a toddler, named Duncan, now age 2, also cared for by his grandmother.  
To see more information from Timau mission and the children, click on this link.

Our community donation was $2,450 from the pancake breakfast in addition to the funds needed to renew our "adoption" of Evans, Freddy and Duncan.
Sister Joanne's "Thank You" letter can been read on this link.

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September 2011 marked the beginning of our fifth year of worshiping together as community, growing in faith,  and supporting those organizations who are in greatest need.
 Our mission in September was to support the Franciscan Center, a supportive, transitional home for teens and young men located on Seneca Street in South Buffalo.  Father Joe Bayne, OFM visited our community in early September and explained how young men are given responsibility when they are in residence at the Center.   There is also have a relatively new "mentoring" home in the same neighborhood to give the young men who have shown the maturity, an opportunity to live on their own, while still making periodic contact with the Center.    Our community donated $2,825 to Father Joe after our collections for September were finalized.

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ARCHIVED ENTRIES  and QUICK LINKS


PHOTOS -- PHOTOS -- PHOTOS
Al Naish has added hundreds of photos to the John Newman Mission Web Site
Go to ..   jnmc.no-ip.org   ... click on Al's Photos tab ... the password is "welcome".
Thank you Al.
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