To the Editor:
The Cluster Soup Kitchen, which is sponsored by three Catholic parishes – St. Andrew’s, St. Mary’s and Assumption Church, will celebrate the second anniversary of service to the community on Feb. 6, announced by Msgr. Lawrence Miller.
After a meeting at the Archdiocese regarding projects to consider for the Bayonne community, the core groups (of which Msgr. Lawrence Miller of St. Mary’s was the primary mover), decided to have a Cluster Soup Kitchen. The first meal was served in St. Mary’s School cafeteria (now All Saints Academy) and this continued for almost a year. It was then decided to move the program to Assumption (23rd Street) to make the program more centrally located.
The preparation of food, services and clean up is rotated monthly through each of the churches and their societies. In February, St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen Core Group will prepare the first meal on Feb 6. St. Mary’s Rosary will prepare the second week on Feb. 13; the third day by the Red Hatters on Feb. 20; and Feb. 27, the fourth week, by the Boy Scouts. If St. Mary’s month has a fifth Saturday, the Core Committee or other parish volunteers prepare the meal.
Young people from our Youth Ministry play a very important part of our program from St. Mary’s, as well as Boy Scouts and young people who perform their community services from both public and parochial schools.
We are always grateful to the many local businesses who have continued to support this program – bakers Vincent’s, Paulanto, Judicke’s, Altamura and until they closed, Pride provided rolls and other items, as well as The Little Food Café, who each week since our inception provided some treats.
As we at St. Mary’s celebrate this second anniversary, we would like to thank Msg. Lawrence Miller and the Core Committee, Sally Shevler, Barbara Roth, Gloria Tooman, Irma Wepner, Chris Ann Weening, as well as our sister churches and their committees for helping to make this need in our community become a reality. Thanks to all of you.
ELEANOR TIEFENWERTH
St. Mary’s Parish Council