“After you touch the wounds of those in the city tonight, there’s no looking back. Cleveland will never look the same again.” – James Skerl ’74, theology teacher and co-founder of the Labre Ministry
A weekly ministry designed to share food, faith and friendship with the homeless poor of Cleveland. While Labre involves preparing and delivering food to people living on the streets of Cleveland, it also and more importantly is designed to develop transforming relationships with people in need. This activity meets each Sunday evening and goes throughout the year.
Labre preparation is the same every Sunday evening. Student volunteers bag dinners and stock blankets, socks, hygiene kits and batteries in the back of three school vans. Following established routes, they deliver food and comfort to nearly 90 people each week. Over the years thousands of students have traded their Sunday evenings to visit with the city’s homeless. These gestures imitate the Corporal Works of Mercy: sharing food with the hungry, offering drink to the thirsty and giving clothes to those in need. Quickly the students learn that food is an excuse for the visits.
To sign up for this ministry, come to the Christian Action Team meeting every Thursday at 3:05 p.m. in Loyola Hall, room 227. Seniors and Juniors are given priority sign-up. For more information on the Saint Benedict Joseph Labre Ministry to the Homeless contact Mr. James Skerl '74 at jskerl@ignatius.edu, or Mr. Ed Nolan at enolan@ignatius.edu.
Donations Needed
From week to week, the material needs for our friends on the street vary. Please click here for a current June 2013 list of items for which we welcome donations. Please drop off items at the Arrupe House (2071 W 30th Street) or in the Theology Department Office on any school day. For questions or to arrange for delivery, contact Ms. McOsker at mmcosker@ignatius.edu or Mr. Skerl at jskerl@ignatius.edu