Archeparchy of Philadelphia helps the community and less fortunate with Parish Social Service Projects!
Parishes in the Archeparchy of Philadelphia overwhelmingly responded to Bishop Andriy Rabiy’s appeal for parishes to choose social service projects that would benefit less fortunate in their own parish and local community as we prepared to celebrate the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ!
Thank you to all the parishioners and volunteers throughout the Archeparchy of Philadelphia who generously responded during St. Philips Fast, a time of deeper prayer, stricter fasting and generous almsgiving. Prayer renews our faith in Lord, fasting strengthens our will and self-control, and almsgiving turns our attention to our neighbor especially those who are in need, lonely and alone.
The next few pages of “The Way” are devoted to the Parish Social Projects in the Archeparchy.
Your efforts and generosity to spread Christmas Cheer is graciously appreciated!
May God Bless You!
*44 out of 65 parishes participated in the “Parish Christmas Social Project”
| СITY | Parish | Service project description |
| Berwick | Ss. Cyril & Methodius | collected non-perishable food items to be donated to the local food pantry |
| Bethlehem | St. Josaphat | High School Students: prepare and deliver Thanksgiving meals; parish children collect toys for St. Nicholas in Ukraine and TOYS FOR TOTS; at Great Lent – offerings for St. Vincent DePaul Society and food drive; Ladies Auxiliary visit shut ins and help to collect money and food for soup kitchen; parish children with Ukrainian American veterans decorate wreaths and place them on graves of the veterans on December 15. |
| Bridgeport | Sts. Peter & Paul | food drive (for local needy people); clothing (for local elementary school students); $1,000 in gift cards are given out to local families in need |
| Bristol | Patronage | food drive (for local food bank) |
| Chesapeake City | St. Basil | collecting toys for children in Chesapeake City area to be distributed before Christmas |
| Edwardsville | St. Volodymyr | food drive for Holy Family Roman Catholic Food Pantry in Luzerne |
| Elizabeth | St. Volodymyr | Christmas presents for homebound parishioners |
| Frackville | St. Michael | collecting new or gently used items for a homeless shelter in Pottsville, PA |
| Front Royal | Sts. Joachim & Anna | baby items for Front Royal Pregnancy Center |
| Great Meadows | St. Nicholas | Our main project was The St. Nicholas Feast Day Dinner which was held on Sunday, December 2nd, attended by parishioners, extended family members and visitors from the surrounding communities; food drive collecting non-perishable food, dry and canned grocery items which were distributed before Christmas to Ms. Colleen Wolters and Catholic Charities; Money was collected for the needy and orphan children in the Ukraine; Money was also collected for St. Mary’s Parish Fire Fund, Carteret, NJ |
| Hazleton | St. Michael | food drive |
| Hillsborough | St Michael | Parishes in Hillsborough and New Brunswick had a food drive donating 428 pounds of food items to Franklin Township Food Bank |
| Manville | St Michael | food drive |
| Marion Heights | Patronage | sponsoring a meal for the poor |
| McAdoo | St. Mary’s | food drive |
| Melrose Park | Annunciation | food drive & money for food gift cards |
| Middleport | Nativity of BVM | food drive for Minersville Food Bank |
| Milville | St. Nicholas | food drive for St. Vincent DePaul Society Community Food Bank |
| Minersville | St. Nicholas | Ladies Sodality: Thanksgiving Meals and Christmas Eve meals for homebound and infirm; St. Nicholas school: TOYS for TOTS for poor and needy children; parish: food drive (for Minersville Food Bank) |
| Mount Carmel | Sts. Peter & Paul | baby items for Birthright organization in Shamokin, PA; collection of socks, gloves, scarves, hats and blankets; Soup & Sandwich project (once a month); preparation and delivery of Thanksgiving and Christmas meals to parishioners and non-parishioners. |
| New Brunswick | Nativity of BVM | Parishes in Hillsborough and New Brunswick had a food drive donating 428 pounds of food items to Franklin Township Food Bank |
| Newark | St. John the Baptist | collect money for “Let’s Feed the Hungry” campaign in Ukraine; St. Nicholas presents for shut-ins and infirm of the parish; food drive for St. John Roman Catholic parish soup kitchen |
| Northampton | St. John the Baptist | food drive for Northamption Food Bank |
| Olyphant | Sts. Cyril & Methodius | food and clothing drives |
| Palmerton | St. Volodymyr | socks & underwear drive |
| Passaic | St. Nicholas | money for food gifts cards; clothing drive for adults & children in Ukraine; Christmas Giving Tree for orphans and handicapped in Ukraine |
| Perth Amboy | Assumption | Thanksgiving Dinner for students, parishioners and non-parishioners; backpack, clothing and sweets drive for children in Eastern Ukraine (in association with SUM in Carteret, NJ; food drive for the needy in community (given to Mercy House); donated $400 to Hope Center of Pastoral Care for the Deaf Persons of the UGCC (via Fr. Oleh Lazurkevych). |
| Philadelphia | Christ the King | candy, cookies & toys for children of Svitlychka; money collection for ZUDAK (Philadelphia) |
| Phoenixville | Sts. Peter & Paul | food drive for Phoenixville Area Community Services |
| Pottstown | St. Michael | food drive for Salvation Army of Pottstown |
| Reading | Nativity of BVM | baby & ladies items for Women in Crisis (Reading, PA) |
| Scranton | St. Volodymyr | Christmas presents for orphans in Ukraine |
| Shamokin | Transfiguration | sponsoring a meal at Shepherd’s Table; “Adopt a Grandparent” – Christmas gifts for elderly $10 |
| Shenandoah | St. Michael | food & money for food gift cards for the needy; money for children in Ukraine |
| Smarthmore | Holy Myrrh-Bearers | food drive for food pantry in Clifton Heights & clothing drive for the homeless in Philadelphia |
| St. Clair | St. Nicholas | food & money for food gift cards for the needy; money for children in Ukraine |
| Toms River | St. Stephen | food drive for local food banks |
| Trenton | St. Josaphat | food drive |
| Warrington | St. Anne | food drive (for local food bank) |
| Washington DC | Holy Family | baby items for Front Royal Pregnancy Center |
| Whippany | St. John the Baptist | parish youth group learns about “The Cheshire Home”, a rehabilitation center for people of all ages who are in wheel chairs due to accidents or medical conditions |
| Wilkes Barre | Sts. Peter & Paul | food drive for Sts. Peter & Paul Roman Catholic Pantry in Plains, PA |
| Wilmington | St. Nicholas | bake sales to raise money for widows and orphans of the fallen soldiers in Eastern Ukraine; food drive and distribution of traditional foods to homebound parishioners for Christmas; CYM members visit elderly at Christmas with Caroling and cheer; gifts for parish children at St. Nicholas visit; 9 packages of clothing, blankets, food, school supplies and accessories for Christmas and shipped them to an orphanage; single moms with children home and senior home for women run by Sisters of St. Basil in Ivano-Frankivsk region; collection of funds for the newly arrived families from Ukraine who became parishioners. |
| West Easton | Holy Ghost | donated good items to two local food banks … canned and dry goods, turkeys, clothing and toiletries (500lbs); The Youth group and adults went caroling to the shut in and nursing homes day after Christmas with gifts and song. |
