Baltimore Archdiocese parishes, agencies adjust outreach to realities of COVID-19

Kathy Schieck is one of the approximately 45 lay Vincentians from six Frederick County parishes who volunteer with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in its St. John Regional Conference, assisting those they describe as “neighbors in need.”

“We try to see God in each person,” Schieck said. “Now, we’re hearing it.”

Since the coronavirus pandemic arrived with full force in mid-March, Schieck and her team have responded to queries from clients seeking help with a rent payment or utility bill by phone and email, rather than in person at its regional office at St. John the Evangelist Parish in downtown Frederick.

Their challenge is familiar throughout the Archdiocese of Baltimore, as parishes and satellite agencies figure out how to continue their mission to serve those in need while COVID-19 cases surge throughout the region and much of the nation.

In addition to canceling or curtailing Christmas bazaars and Breakfast with Santa, parishes have had to adjust their outreach to those the Gospel of Matthew described as the “least of these.”

“We are encouraging parishes to develop plans and programs that address the need to ensure social distancing, masking, hand sanitization and limiting shared contact on high-touch items,” said Tom Alban, director of risk management for the archdiocese. “We are encouraging parishes to identify ways to implement both the collection and distribution of items while limiting person-to-person contact.”

At Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Essex, that meant canceling its Thanksgiving Day tradition of preparing and delivering hundreds of turkey dinners to homes in the community, and altering its Advent “Adopt a Family” program. In both areas, it’s asking parishioners to donate gift cards, to be distributed in the community.

Monsignor J. Bruce Jarboe, pastor of St. Ann in Hagerstown, reports that its parishioners will continue to donate specific gifts, but with a twist. Requests for assistance have shifted from a physical tag on Christmas trees in the church to tracking them on a Google doc.

At Holy Family Parish in Randallstown, its chapter of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul distributed Thanksgiving food to more than 70 households Nov. 20-21.

In Anne Arundel County, COVID-19 means no Winter Relief program at parishes such as Our Lady of the Chesapeake in Pasadena, Our Lady of the Fields in Millersville and Holy Family in Davidsonville, which have been mainstays in the rotating weekly shelter for those experiencing homelessness sponsored by the Arundel House of Hope (AHH).

According to Father Andy Aaron, pastor of Holy Family, the Glen Burnie-based agency alerted its partners last spring as to the need to plan for alternatives to staffing and funding the effort on their campuses. His parish raised funds with a 5K July 31, which included the option to make a donation using Faith Direct.

“I’m glad we took that tack, now that I see the (COVID-19) numbers,” Father Aaron said. “We raised awareness and funds for AHH, which will house the homeless in motels instead of at our place.”

The agency is renting hotel space in Annapolis for the duration of the mission.

Father Matt Himes, associate pastor of Our Lady of the Fields, noted that while the parish has also been unable to continue its “Friday Breaking Bread” program which serves meals at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Baltimore to those experiencing homelessness, several parishioners continue to distribute bagged meals, and Stephen Cleary is continuing his “Socks for Souls” outreach, which was featured in the April 2019 Catholic Review.

In Frederick County, meanwhile, at the regional Society of St. Vincent de Paul office, Schieck continues to marshal the goodwill of volunteers from St. John the Evangelist, her home parish; Holy Family Catholic Community in Middletown; St. Ignatius Loyola in Urbana; St. Joseph-on-Carrollton Manor in Buckeystown; St. Katharine Drexel in Frederick; and St. Peter the Apostle in Libertytown.

In fiscal year 2019 (October through September) it assisted 1,368 individuals. That dropped to 1,082 in FY 2020, but Schieck, president of the regional conference, said part of that is attributable to “record-keeping going awry.”

“We were concerned that donations would diminish,” she said. “That has not happened. Our parishes and people have maintained their support. It’s been wonderful.”

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