“Mercy is the Very Foundation of the Church’s Life” – Pope Francis

By word and by example, Pope Francis reminds us that showing mercy to our brothers and sisters in need is “the very foundation of the Church’s life.” Many have been moved by the Pope’s U.S. visit and his call to serve the poor. Right here in our parish and in our community at large we have a number of opportunities to live out our faith in service to others:

The Society of St. Vincent De Paul

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is a worldwide organization dedicated to providing short-term assistance for the needy. The St. Theresa chapter members work in pairs visiting families in need and assisting them with prayer, food debit cards or financial help to prevent eviction or the cutoff of utilities or to help with other emergencies. Ministers also direct people to other providers of assistance.  The SVDP chapter has a furniture request page to link those wanting to donate furniture with current requests for furniture.   Funds for this ministry come almost entirely from the St. Theresa parish monthly black bag collection.

Time Commitment: Members meet every Wednesday evening for 45 minutes and then provide additional volunteer time of about one hour a week. To volunteer contact Gil Koss, gkoss@austin.rr.com
 

The St Theresa Early Bird Taco Ministry

The Early Bird Taco Ministry serves the day laborers who gather at a job site in downtown Austin each morning looking for work. The parish team takes tacos, orange juice and vitamins to the day laborers and serves them outside of the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless. Parishioners shop, cook, or serve the tacos, and volunteers include moms and dads, teachers, teenagers, families, grandmas, granddads, middle and high school students. Contact Jeff Gordon at jeffgordonlawfirm@gmail.com
 

Grief’s Courageous Journey

If you have lost a loved one or a dear friend, please consider joining Grief’s Courageous Journey. The group meets for a series of 8 weekly sessions four times per year. The next series is Thursday, April 13 through Thursday, June 1, 1:15 – 2:15 p.m. in Bldg. E, Rm. 101. For more information contact Sr. Ann Pennington at (512) 451 – 5121, ext. 1017 or at ann@sttaustin.org.  
 

Nursing Home Visitation

"They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green." -- Psalm 92:14

The nursing home ministry helps Catholics in Assisted Living and nursing facilities stay connected to their faith and the Sacraments. The ministry provides a Communion Service on Fridays at Brookdale NorthWest Hills, and supports a Communion outreach weekly at Brookdale Spicewood Springs Assisted Living, Skilled Nursing, and Rehab, as well as a monthly mass on the second Wednesday of each month. Nursing home ministers also lead a Rosary once a month at the Atria retirement home and spend time visiting with residents after the service.

The Minister of Senior Adults visits senior adult parishioners in assisted living and nursing homes as requested. Contact ann@sttaustin.org.
 

Social Justice

The Social Outreach Ministry of St. Theresa Catholic Church seeks to promote the Catholic Social Teachings on building a just society in our parish and community through education, advocacy, and outreach to our less fortunate brothers and sisters. The committee meets the first Tuesday evening of every other month at 7:30 p.m. in Bldg. E, Rm. 102.  

Pope Francis in Laudato Si' calls on the Church and the world to acknowledge the urgency of our environmental challenges and to join him in embarking on a new path. This encyclical is written with both hope and resolve, looking to our common future with candor and humility. The Holy Father's Encyclical on Care of our Common Home.

In response to Laudato Si, our parish has formed a Creation Care Team to drive three initiatives:

1. Represent Catholic Climate Covenant here at St Theresa  and
     Sign the Climate Change Petition
2. Work with the Faith and Energy Action Team to learn from other congregations in our city 
3. Assess waste reduction options in our parish

Educate parishioners through ideas for being better stewards of God’s creation. See more information on the Paris Climate Agreement and the Ignatius Carbon Challenge.

1. Take the Saint Francis Pledge to care for creation and the poor now!

2. Contact Sr. Ann Pennington, leader of our Social Outreach ministry ann@sttaustin.org to join this ministry or request more information.

3. Join our Creation Care Team by contacting one of our Care team members:Joan Quenan -jmquenan@gmail.com, Susan White - susanjerewhite@earthlink.com, or Selma D’Mello - sdmello_2000@yahoo.com
    

Caritas Food Collections

This ministry performs seasonal and Sunday food collections for the hungry in Austin. Drivers for deliveries are needed.
 

Other Volunteer Opportunities

The Austin Clubhouse Ambassador Program is in need of passionate individuals who believe in the Austin Clubhouse mission to represent Austin Clubhouse and raise awareness in the community. The mission of Austin Clubhouse is to provide acceptance and empowerment so adults living with mental health diagnoses can pursue personal goals and play meaningful roles as co-workers, colleagues, family members, and friends. The Austin Clubhouse Ambassador Program is a special group of people who are willing to help host an Open House by inviting new individuals to tour the Clubhouse and to assist with fundraising and community events. For more information please contact Emily Edwards, Community Outreach Director, at emily@austinclubhouse.org or (512) 787-8794. Their website is www.austinclubhouse.org

Catholic Charities of Central Texas
Allison Cavazos, Director of Social Services
Allison-cavazos@ccctx.org
 
Foundations Communities of Austin
Donna Williams, Community Outreach Manager
donna.williams@foundcom.org
 
Mary House Catholic Worker of Austin, Inc.
Lynn Goodman-Strauss, Founder and Director
theegglady@sbcglobal.net
 
Austin Clubhouse:  Working for Wellness
Emily Edwards, Community Outreach Director
info@austinclubhouse.org