Mother Teresa Shelter receives food from disabled community

Catholic Charities Ministry and Life Enrichment for Persons with Disabilities presented 100 bags of non-perishable items to Mother Teresa Shelter after Mass in the Immaculate Conception Chapel at St. John Paul II High School on May 15.

Father Patrick Higgins, chaplain of the special needs community, presented Sister Rose Paul Madassery, SABS, Operations Supervisor of Mother Teresa Shelter, with the bags after celebrating Mass. Deacon Michael Rauen assisted.
 
Father Higgins said that In January he met with persons with disabilities to discuss ways in which they "as a community can live out the Spiritual and Corporal works of Mercy, especially during this Year of Mercy as proclaimed by Pope Francis." 
 
To fulfill the Corporal Works of Mercy "to feed the hungry" the special needs community agreed to collect non-perishable food and money donations after Mass on Sunday through the middle of May.
 
Sister Rose expressed her gratitude and mentioned that the shelter had been running low on pot noodles and how blessed they were to receive these items at this time.
 
Father Higgins praised the community for their generosity and said "something as little as collecting small amounts of food items over a period of time can make a huge impact in the community."
 
"The special needs community, many of whom have major disabilities and are on fixed incomes, wanted to fulfill the corporal work of mercy to “feed the hungry” and respond to the request of our holy father Pope Francis to be merciful in this Year of Mercy," Father Higgins said.
 
The bags were filled with various snacks, pot noodles, water, candy, a rosary and a spiritual card. The bags were a donation from the Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority (CCRTA) and $127 was collected from the church community to buy additional items. The goods will be distributed to area homeless who frequent the day shelter.