Walking with the Excluded

This Universal Apostolic Preference challenges us to reach out to those who are struggling; be it food or financial insecurity, homelessness, refugee status, or suffering in another way. Over the past year Saint Raphael parishioners have actively responded to God’s call to serve others, especially the vulnerable members of our community, through a variety of ministries and activities. 

• We supported vulnerable individuals and families served by Catholic Parish Outreach (CPO) food programs:
  • Through our offertory, we gave $14,400 ($1,200 per month) to help provide food for vulnerable families.
  • Parishioners donated more than 2,800 pounds of food and over $9,000 to CPO food drives. 
  • Many parishioners also share their time to volunteer at CPO and/or drop off bags of food in the CPO collection bins outside the shed across the parking lot from Ignatius Hall.
• Through our offertory, we provided $12,900 to help the Hispanic Family Center connect low income Hispanic families to community resources and to provide educational and developmental programs for their children.
• The Angel Tree Ministry provided 132 children in need at our parish with gifts and grocery gift cards for their families; provided gifts to teens in Wake County Foster Care; provided care packages to our homebound parishioners; and collected hats, diapers, wipes, and infant/toddler clothing for CPO.
• The Caring Ministry  partnered with local organizations to offer opportunities for parishioners to help people in need, including:
  • The US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants: parishioners donated 100 emergency food boxes to provide food for recently arrived refugees.
  • Oak City Cares: monthly opportunities to partner with volunteers from the Cathedral to serve meals to homeless individuals.
  • Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC: family-friendly volunteer days 
• In October the Respect Life Committee collected diapers, formula, new infant clothing, and other items to support new mothers. 
• The Habitat for Humanity Team helped build two safe affordable homes for local families. 
• Read and Feed helped 31 under-served elementary school children strengthen their literacy skills while also providing meals for them in a nurturing neighborhood environment.
• During Lent, children in our Faith Formation program participated in Catholic Relief Services’ Rice Bowl program, supporting efforts to alleviate hunger and poverty alleviation in our Diocese and beyond.
• Each month the Compassionate Care Ministry mailed approximately 40 - 60 packages with spiritual and practical information to comfort people who are mourning the recent death of a loved one.
• Saint Raphael Catholic School students and their families participated in activities to support those in need in their local community, including collecting 1,936 pounds of canned goods for the CPO food pantry, collecting more than 230 boxes of crayons and other art supplies for children in Wake Med Hospital, and creating Blessing Bags with snacks, socks, and hand sanitizer to give to people in need in the Raleigh community.
• Saint Raphael Catholic Preschool students and their families helped build baffles to go into the attic of the house that the parish’s Habitat for Humanity team built, collected more than 260 canned goods for the CPO food pantry, collected coats, gloves, and hats for clients of Oak City Care’s homeless shelter, decorated “heart” cards and delivered them to a local nursing home, and helped make quilts for seriously ill children with Project Linus. 
• The Mothers in Faith Ministry built a partnership with Walking with Moms in Need, an initiative to support pregnant and parenting mothers in need.
• The Prayer Shawl Ministry made over 175 children’s hats for Angel Tree recipients as well as hundreds of prayer shawls to comfort sick and grieving members of our parish and local community.
• Lily of the Valley Catholic Ministry, one of our partner organizations, hosted monthly prayer meetings and provided prayer care packages to families experiencing infertility, difficult prenatal diagnosis, postnatal medical challenges, and those who have had a pregnancy or infant loss.
• We hosted Saint Joseph Primary Care for a flu shot clinic for low income and uninsured people.