2000 Marietta (S.E. 25th) Avenue ~ Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316

(954) 524-9344 ~ Fax : (954) 524-9347

logo

October 16, 2016

fetscherEND HUNGER
Dear Family,
Hunger stalks more people than we know about. A couple of weeks ago there was an article in the Sun Sentinel noting that 15% of Broward County residents don’t know where their next meal is coming from. That percentage is the largest number of people in any South Florida county. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or food stamps) allows $4.50 a day per person. It helps, but as one person said, “That’s where food banks come in.”

Here at St. Sebastian, hunger has been a concern and efforts to deal with it have become part of our ongoing ministry. For example, during Lent we have Operation Rice Bowl and we fast for at least one meal a week and put the amount of money that meal would have cost into the fancy cardboard rice bowl. Last Lent the rice bowls gathered $1,032.50. Not bad at all...

More prominently, year-round we have our DRIVE OUT HUNGER grocery carts at the doors of the Church to collect all kinds of non-perishable food. Bi-weekly Mr. Steve Flood collects the food and takes it to the pantry at Blessed Sacrament Church. Steve is a remarkable man who took on the ministry full time as a volunteer at Blessed Sacrament. He and his team do wonderful work.
My heartfelt admiration goes out to those of you who faithfully week in and week out have brought something to those baskets. I’ve gotten in the habit of stopping at those two-for-one items on the way into Publix, at least when they are healthy. I usually remember, but not always, and I think about someone who might have been waiting for my small contribution, but didn’t get it because I forgot.

The article I referred to told of the work of one local foodbank, Feeding South Florida. When I went online to their site, I was delighted to see that the aforementioned Publix has contributed $200,000 to the local Food Bank as a part of a national commitment of $5,000,000 to the national group, Feeding America, of which our local group is a part.

The other thing I wanted to mention relates to the brochure you are receiving in today’s bulletin. It comes on a national observance of “Bread for the World Sunday.”

You have heard me speak of Bread for the World or BFW, as known by its members. Our parish is a member church along with many congregations throughout the United States. The purpose of BFW is to work to make sure that the legislation our Congress passes is informed legislation, seeking to help the hungry and the poor.

Over the years, since 1974, BFW has worked well with some congressional members to lobby for the hungry, both in the U.S. and overseas. It gives a special dimension to “foreign aid.” Much of their work is oriented to enabling people to pro¬vide for themselves in ways that can become self-sustaining.

Every Holy Thursday I take the collection we receive and send it to BFW as our “dues” for membership. What better way to celebrate the feast of the Holy Eucharist, the gift of Christ’s heavenly food to us, by sharing him through our outreach to others? It is truly the continuation of the Body of Christ.

I know so often we are overwhelmed by too much information to the point that we don’t really hear anything. I’d like to ask the special favor of you to pick up the brochure about Bread for the World, say a prayer and then simply scan it. See where the Holy Spirit leads you,
In Jesus,
sign frjim

Saturday 5 pm
(Sunday Vigil)
Sunday 8:30 & 11 am
Weekdays 8:30 am
(Mon. through Fri.)
Holy Days
(Schedule varies)

twitches

twitches

 


SAINT SEBASTIAN CHURCH

photo church

2000 Marietta (S.E. 25th) Avenue ~ Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
Parish Office : (954) 524-9344 ~Fax : (954) 524-9347
E-Mail : info@stsebastianfl.org 


DIRECTIONS TO OUR PARISH