Parishes grow, deliver food for people in need

By Christina Galeone | CFP Correspondent

According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2019, 15.7 percent of Fitchburg residents lived in poverty. The city is counted among the top 10 poorest cities in Massachusetts. And with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of its residents continue to struggle.
Thankfully, people in that area also receive support, encouragement and nourishment. It’s as if the earthly hands of the Blessed Mother and her beloved husband, St. Joseph,  have been giving them an abundance of healthy and hearty food. Through their robust ministries serving those in need of food, the parishes of Our Lady of the Lake in Leominster and St. Joseph in Fitchburg continue to provide much-needed food to many.     
At Our Lady of the Lake Parish, feeding the hungry of the area is a priority. It has a food pantry that distributes food twice a week, and it provides Thanksgiving baskets for families in need.  Even though the church is in Leominster, it serves Fitchburg’s homeless in a special way. Its Brown Bag ministry volunteers prepare, deliver, and help serve one meal a month at Our Father’s House homeless shelter.
Father C. Michael Broderick, the church’s pastor, said that it was a blessing to become pastor there in 2017 and witness how parishioners became empowered in serving others through the ministry that had been ardently driven by Father Dennis J. O’Brien, who was pastor from 2012 to 2017. The pastor was also happy to see the approximately 24 volunteers keep the ministry going throughout the pandemic. Even though they can no longer prepare the meal together in the parish center or serve it, parishioners sign up for different parts of the meal and cook/bake the items in their homes before dropping them off to be delivered to the shelter.
“It’s watching the Gospel in action,” Father Broderick said. He later added, “It’s just a wonderful, wonderful ministry to watch take place. It’s God’s work, no question.”
Feeding the hungry is a priority at St. Joseph Parish as well. In partnership with the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, it runs a food pantry. It also delivers food to those who are homebound, provides Thanksgiving baskets, and it just launched a mobile vegetable market. Additionally, it gives members of the local community access to something that many low-income people in a city don’t have – a garden. People are offered the chance to grow their own vegetables in a four foot by eight foot plot of land in the church’s Community Garden.  
Roger Boisvert, the parishioner who coordinates the ministry, said it started around eight years ago when he contacted Growing Places, a nonprofit that promotes access to healthy food in North Central Massachusetts. The nonprofit initially helped the church establish a teaching garden for the community.
Funding from Catholic Campaign for Human Development grants helped the church to purchase picnic tables as well as water tanks that collect water from the rectory roof. Since then, the Community Garden has flourished. There are now 14 plots being used  by parishioners and non-parishioners.
“It provides an opportunity to grow and eat healthy vegetables, engage in physical activity, and, most importantly, provide community interaction and outreach,” Mr. Boisvert said. He added, “In the spring, we have a strawberry shortcake party. Later in the summer, we all go blueberry picking … in addition to several potluck gatherings in the church hall. Father Mark Rainville, our pastor, is also a member, and all enjoy conversations with him at the garden.”
With the enthusiasm that both churches have for their ministries, it’s easy to see how they embody the entire Holy Family’s love and compassion for those who are struggling.  
“As a pastor, it’s very edifying to see,” Father Broderick shared. “It’s continuing Jesus’ command to serve the poor.”