Dudley parish supporting Colombian soup kitchen

BY BILL DOYLE | CFP CORRESPONDENT

DUDLEY - St. Anthony of Padua Parish has a social justice ministry that is powerful in more ways than one.
The ministry, Deus Caritas Est, which is Latin for “God is love,” has joined the pastor, Father Daniel Moreno, to raise $25,000 for 28 solar panels to provide power for a soup kitchen and convent run by the Conventual Franciscan Brothers at St. Clare of Assisi in Corozal, Colombia.
A combination of prolonged power outages and the skyrocketing cost of food has plagued the poor, rural region, according to Father Moreno. The soup kitchen, which feeds about 260 families, has been forced to throw out food that has spoiled during those outages.
Father Moreno is from Colombia and after he learned about the need for solar panels from his friend, Friar Fabian Martinez of Bogata, he received permission from Bishop McManus to conduct this fundraiser.
“It was very moving,” Father Moreno said, “because knowing the difficulties that many of the people from the coast of Colombia face every day - the power outages, the lack of income, the lack of opportunities - there is no good quality of food or housing or anything there. That is why we wanted to undertake the entire project.”
The parish collected donations at its Masses last weekend and requested permission from other parishes in the Worcester Diocese to speak at their Masses and seek donations.
Father Moreno believes the solar panels will be the first to be installed in the region. The panels will help the Franciscans provide higher quality food and help the people in need to cope with the challenges of daily life and to take better advantage of the education offered by the Franciscans and other teachers.
Deus Caritas Est is committed to the universal message of the Catholic Church - to assist the most vulnerable in their spiritual, educational, nutritional, and physical needs, starting within their own parish and extending to local, national and international levels.
In addition to donating to those in need in Haiti, Ukraine and Africa, the ministry supports the Conventual Friars of Bogota.
Chairman Ernest Hillier said Deus Caritas Est also assists local food pantries, homeless people and the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
“I think it’s what we’re supposed to do,” Mr. Hillier said.
Mr. Hillier pointed out that people in the Worcester Diocese know what an inconvenience it is to lose power for a few hours or a few days because of a blizzard or hurricane. But power outages can last much longer in Colombia because that country lacks a reliable electric grid.
With shortages in energy reserves, the Colombian government is also expected to implement planned power outages, he said.
The solar panels are expected to provide constant power and an 80 percent savings in energy costs for the soup kitchen and convent, which houses the Franciscans, as well as a higher quality of life and a reduction in pollution.
The Franciscans provide meals, eucharistic ministering and education to the families.
“The work that the Franciscans have done is absolutely incredible,” Mr. Hillier said.
Thanks to donations, St. Clare of Assisi is far better off than much of the surrounding area. The soup kitchen is open weekdays and some Saturdays.
Mr. Hillier described Father Moreno as an inspiring pastor and he hopes the parish takes pride in helping others.
“We’re looking for two things,” Mr. Hillier said. “How do we increase our parish family and how do we bring our parish family closer together?”
Father Moreno hasn’t been to the St. Clare of Assisi soup kitchen, but he is familiar with the underprivileged areas of his native country.
“It’s a very rural, poor area,” he said. “There are many refugees, not only from mountains who have been escaping from bad situations with guerillas in that part of Colombia, but also now the Venezuelan people escaping from Venezuela looking for refuge and food and education. So it’s very hard for them. Sometimes they (the Franciscans) don’t have enough money or food to support the people there or themselves because everything they have they receive from donations.”
The ministry explained that many of the families at the soup kitchen migrated to the region to escape violence. Many suffer from poverty, hunger and malnutrition.  Many made their homes on the banks of the Arroyo Grande of Corozal, a stream in which sanitary waste from surrounding neighborhoods is dumped. Homes are made of palm branches, mud and straw. Temperatures usually range from 85-102 degrees with high humidity, making working conditions difficult. Flooding is frequent.
To donate, visit stanthony-dudley.org/deus-caritas-est-ministry or gofund.me/1edb2487, or send a check in the name of St. Anthony of Padua, to the parish at 22 Dudley Hill Road, Dudley, MA, 01571. In the memo, specify “Deus Caritas Est - Solar Panels.”
Mr. Hillier said the engineering and installation companies in Colombia are ready to start the project.
The parish is also asking for prayers for this project. For more information, email deuscaritasest838@gmail.com.