Fall 2020, Winter and Spring 2021

April 2021

Easter Celebration

Father Jim celebrates the Easter Vigil

  

Father Paul celebrates the Morning of Easter Mass 

Our special feast day celebrations are always beautiful, thanks to the generosity of Frank Mischler, who provides seasonal flowers around the altar.   The lilies this year were especially beautiful ... and community members were invited to keep the flowers fresh during the week.  You can see that Frank was happy with the care given to this pot of lilies.  

April Mission Support:  Buffalo Peace House

Home for Asylum Seekers in Hamburg

Our generous donation to this mission was $3,350.

Thank you to Mary Calahan, the Director of BPH for visiting us during a mass in the month of April.   We're hoping the residents may soon have their court hearings scheduled, in order to be granted asylum and to become contributing members of Western New York.

March 2021

Mission Support:  Friends of Night People

Our community support this month as been dedicated to Friends of Night People.  Since the restrictions caused by the pandemic, their dining room has been closed.   However, the organization has continued to supply meals to the needy in various locations around the City of Buffalo.   For many years, Paul and Ro Sugg were dedicated volunteers.  Ro Sugg gave us an update as to how the mission has evolved this year to meet the needs of the homeless and others who require assistance.

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February 2021

Our mission this month is 

Hearts for the Homeless

Individuals served in 2020 were 4X the number served in 2019.   During our Sunday mass one week, we heard directly from Nick Calandra, the Director of "Hearts".  He thanked us for our support over the years and explained how their outreach has grown, by necessity, during the pandemic.   Our community donation for the month was very generous, and we sent a check for $4,250 to support this mission.   We will also continue our direct, hands-on support in helping prepare the meals for the mobile soup kitchen.  Thank you, Renie Stevens and Perry Figliotti for organizing this voluntary, community support effort.

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January 2021

The new year began as we cheerfully said "good-bye" to 2020 and began our mission support with Family Promise, our mission for January.

Family Promise is a shelter for homeless families in Buffalo.  Located adjacent to Ss Columba-Brigid parish, they house six families and provide guidance on attaining permanent housing, and other essential life skills.  The average stay for families over the past year has been less than forty days.   This year, the cost of food has increased because donated meals from individuals has been deemed unacceptable by the State of NY Health Department.  Our donation of $3,250 will help them keep the families fed with balanced meals.  They are working to train the residence to prepare their meals safely on site.   We welcomed Luanne Firestone, the director, via a Zoom connection during one of the Sunday masses.

December 2020

Our year concluded with a number of donations to organizations and some individuals who had a pressing need for help for food and shelter.   Over the past year, income from contributions has been very generous, and our Missions of the Month have received significant support.  The organizations who received support in December  include:

Friends of Night People - in honor of Paul Sugg -- funds for food for the homeless

Hearts for the Homeless  -- funds for food supplies for the pantry and mobile soup kitchen

Harvest House  -- funds to support the Baby and Children's Ministry

St. Mary of the Assumption  -- funds to help families-in-need in the parish

Buffalo Peace House -- funds for food for asylum seekers in residence

Family Promise -- funds for food for families in residence

Harvest House - Adult Ed -- funds for a refrigerator for an adult student - single mom with child

Harvest House - Adult Ed and Clinic -- funds for food (gift cards)

South Buffalo Community Table  -- funds for food supplies for the homeless at the end of the year

The Outreach Committee has allocated funds to each organization according their need at the present time.

Christmas Eve mass was celebrated by Father "Duke" Zajac at the American Legion, Lamm Post.  Precautions were made to keep the attendance safe and manageable.  Thanks to the facilities committee for all the preparations to allow the facility to be used for this celebration of the holiday and holy day.

Blessed Virgin Mary and St Joseph - by Elizabeth and Michael

Throughout the month, individuals also donated more than forty gift cards for food from Tops and Aldi.  The cards were given to Harvest House, so they could be given to clients of the clinic and adult students in the school, and families coming to the Baby and Children's Ministry.   

Our Christmas support for The Response to Love Center was focused on food this year.  The food gift instead of toys and clothing was at the specific request of Sister Johnice  Between thirty and forty super-sized food bags were donated to Sister Johnice, where they could be given to clients they know to be in need.

November 2020

Correction -- Jack Jansen was listed in error.

We apologize for this mistake.

Our community marks the passing of Hank Backes, who died on November 23 from complications following a COVID-19 infection.  Prayers are extended to his daughter Melissa and other family members. May he rest in peace, in the heavenly, eternal embrace.

Mission Support -- 

Vets H.E.R.D will be the focus of our donations and our support during this month of November as we honor our military veterans, who are in need of a wide range of services.

Thanks to Jack Michel, a key contributor to Vets HERD, our community is connected to the veterans in need, and we are able to help fund the projects to make their lives more manageable.

We are also thankful to the American Legion, Lamm Post, for allowing us to hold our Sunday morning masses in their facility.

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October 2020

Mission Support -- Kathleen Mary House

Our community is reaching out to Kathleen Mary House in support of this safe haven for women victims of domestic violence and their children.   During the COVID-19 pandemic, reports of increased incidents of domestic violence are troubling.  The facility is dependent upon private donations to continue its mission.   The Kathleen Mary House is more than just a place to live -- it is a place of new beginnings.  Residents participate in parenting classes, support groups, on-site computer training, life skill workshops, and are assisted with job placement and obtaining permanent housing.

Rest in Peace -- Sandy Corbelli

Our dear friend, Sandy Corbelli passed from this life 

and entered eternity on September 24, 2020.   

Sandy was a "young" 89 years old

and was a good example of living life for all of us!

 September 2020  -- Beginning our 13th Year of Worship and Service

As we begin this new year as the John Newman Mission Community, we were pleased to welcome Sister Joanne Gangloff, OSF, under our tent for mass on September 7th.   Our mission this month is Timau Mission in Kenya.   Sister has just returned, permanently, to the US after more than 40 years of service at the school and clinic in Kenya.  She told us a story -- a good story -- about a young many named Martin, who was rescued because someone heard him crying while being locked inside a rented room.   He is now a lawyer, and is "paying it back" by adopting ten young children, giving each of them a chance to live and to succeed in this life. (see more details below)

Regarding the Timau Mission, Sr Joanne explained that the mission director is now Father Moses.  He is responsible for the continued support of the 300 children, who are sponsored for their education, nutrition and health are.   At the present time, the school is closed due to the pandemic.  It is scheduled to re-open in January, which is the traditional start of the new school year.   In the meantime, the mission will make it possible for the children to receive nutrition and healthcare.   The families living in the poorest of the poor dwellings, will be supported as they receive financial support for a better dwelling, equipped with a latrine.

Thanks to our generous community, the donation to support the Timau Mission was $3,200.  

Click on the link for an update on our three sponsored children, Duncan, Freddy and Wendy.   Also, scroll down in the linked pages to see the before - and - after photos of the housing improvement, which was made possible from our donation.

Link for Duncan, Freddy and Wendy Update

MARTIN - A BEAUTIFUL LIFE!!!

Martin was abandoned as a baby in a locked rented room along with his brothers. No one is sure how many days he was there but his crying attracted a neighbor who broke in and got the kids to a hospital. One brother was already dead and another unconscious, but he and that one survived. He finished high school and college through our sponsorship program, studying law and becoming a proficient lawyer who now has his own practice. He searched for his mother all his life and very happily, they were finally re-united in 2015.

Martin had tried to “pay it forward” even as a student by helping out with the Red Cross during the 2007-2008 post election violence, so it was no surprise when he turned up one day this past year on what I would term the most rewarding day of my ministry. He brought his beautiful wife and child in to my office and during the ensuing conversation, I learned that he and his wife have started their own sponsorship program, and are now sponsoring 10 children, putting them through grade school in the village where they live. Covid of course has interrupted everything, but they will continue seeing the children through their educations as soon as it again becomes possible.

Martin and his wife and child.

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During the month of September, we learned that the Meeting House, in Williamsville, would not be opened in 2020 due to continued NY State restrictions based on the the COVID-19 pandemic.   Thanks to the help of Jack Michael, our community moved our Sunday masses to the American Legion, George Lamm Post.  

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In Memoriam

Our dear friend, Paul Sugg, passed from this life into God's eternal embrace on September 25, 2020.  We have years and years of fond memories of Paul and his beloved wife, Ro.   We will always remember the dedicated couple, walking from their nearby home to mass at the Meeting House.   They were responsible for the altar set-up and dedicated to serving our community.   "Well done, good and faithful servant."

OUTREACH -- Response to Love Center

The community made a donation of $1,500 to Sr Johnice and the Response to Love Center, to assist their food ministry to an increasing number of clients in the Central City.   Due to COVID-19, they are now providing food-to-go for the clients, which also increases the cost.   Sr Johnice was grateful for our donation with the note she sent, found below.