Holy Trinity shows its generosity

By Patricia O’Connell
CFP Correspondent

LEOMINSTER – Some people gave $1. Others gave $5.
But it all added up.
In the end, Holy Trinity Evangelization Center contributed $6,425 to the annual Partners in Charity drive.
The small chapel on Lincoln Terrace is now 257 percent over its target goal, an amount set by the diocese, once again taking first place in relative amount of money collected.
“Some of the elderly people, they’re lucky they can eat,” said campaign co-chair Richard Boudreau. “That’s why I find it fascinating we’re able to do this.”
Mr. Boudreau noted that the campaign at Holy Trinity got off to a slow start.
“I started wondering if we’re going to be able to do it this year,” he admitted.
Yet the money trickled in.
“This community continues to surprise us,” he said.
Mr. Boudreau said that even though some members struggle financially, they, nonetheless, made sacrifices. He said this is because people know Partners in Charity supports dozens of essential programs.
‘’I believe that at this point the people from this Catholic community have matured a long way in their understanding of commitment to the needs of the diocese,” said outgoing chaplain Father Miguel Pagan.
“They have truly developed a great sense of mission,” he added. “In essence, that has been the name of the chapel: an evangelization center in honor of the Holy Trinity, the core of the Christian faith. And they’ve done it as they’ve been evangelized themselves, little by little through the years.”
Newly assigned chaplain Father Jose Andres Rodriguez, who was greeting his flock last weekend, said Holy Trinity is not a large community, and it doesn’t have unlimited resources.
“They’re not rich, but they have kindness and generosity,” he said of the chapel members. “It’s a different kind of wealth.”
Michael Gillespie, director of the Diocesan Office for Stewardship and Development, was very pleased with the results.
“They’ve been wonderful,” he said of Holy Trinity’s members. “They’ve been very faithful people there.”
Holy Trinity is not a parish. It’s an evangelization center for Hispanic Catholics. Nearly all events are in Spanish and Spanish is spoken by everyone, Mr. Boudreau included.
“Even though I’m not Spanish I’m very happy to be part of the Spanish community,” said Mr. Boudreau, whose wife, Moraima, is from Puerto Rico.
He said Holy Trinity is an active place. There are prayer meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday nights and a Holy Hour of Adoration on Thursdays. Weekend Masses are Saturday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
He hopes even more events will be added to the schedule in the near future. “We’re looking forward to going even further,” he said.
Earlier this year, the center hosted a retreat for English and Spanish-speaking youth from several area parishes.
Mr. Boudreau said the goal is to continue to evangelize to the wider community in order to draw more people to Mass. He noted that he fervently hopes to keep the chapel open, a sentiment shared by the rest of the community.
“Everybody ... is praying, which our prayers continue to be answered,” he said.

Partners closes in on $4.5M

The annual Partners in Charity Appeal has received gifts and pledges equalling 90 percent of the $5 million goal, according to Michael P. Gillespie, director of the diocesan Office of Stewardship and Development.
Because of the holiday week, Mr. Gillespie reported last Friday that the appeal had raised $4,477,188, leaving $522,812 to go to reach the goal. The appeal will end Aug. 31, the end of the fiscal year.
There have been 17,940 donors so far this year, 1,543 of them new donors. Mr. Gillespie said that by the end of the fund drive last year, 19,491 people had made gifts or pledges.
The annual Partners in Charity Appeal  helps to support charitable, educational and ministerial organizations in the diocese. They include:
Charity: Catholic Charities, Clergy Retirement, Retired Priests Health Ministry, Haitian Apostolate, McAuley Nazareth Home for Boys, Pernet Family Health Service, Seminarian Health Insurance, St. John’s Diocesan Cemetery System, Diocesan Development, Stewardship.
Education: Catholic Campus Ministry, Catholic Schools Department, The Office of Religious Education, Ongoing Priestly Formation, Diocesan Youth Ministry, Grants-in-Aid for Catholic School Students, Seminarian Education, Central Catholic Schools Subsidy, Advanced Studies for Clergy and Laity.
Ministry: African Ministry, Hispanic Ministry, Office of Marriage and Family, Ministry to Priests, Office of the Diaconate, Respect Life Office, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Vocations Office, Office for Divine Worship.