We are especially called to put our time, talent and treasure in service of those in need and to be that presence of the merciful God in the world. A great way to respond to the many needs around us is to practice the Corporal Works of Mercy.
There are seven corporal works of mercy, taken from Matthew 25: 34-40 and the Book of Tobit:

1. To feed the hungry.
2. To give drink to the thirsty.
3. To clothe the naked.
4. To welcome the migrant and shelter the homeless
5. To visit the sick.
6. To visit the imprisoned.
7. To bury the dead.

Our parishes offer many opportunities to practice the Corporal Works of Mercy. If you would like to help one of these ministries with your time talent or treasure or simply learn more about the many opportunities please contact our Pastoral Associate Dawn Burdick. To learn more about the different opportunities please continue reading.

Tithing

All N.E.T. Catholic Parishes contribute 5% of their Regular Collections income to different local organizations that help the poor.

 Peace and Justice Ministry

This ministry intends to articulate our current ministries in service to the poor, to be able to respond to new needs and come up with new strategies and helps identify the best ways to allocate our tithing resources. Our many ministries to the poor should be an organized effort of the entire parish to serve those in need, to advocate for justice and peace and to work at changing societal structures that perpetuate injustices.  A balance between direct service and social change needs to be maintained.  True Christian faith requires both steps, grounded in a combination of direct service, advocacy, community organizing and solidarity. 




Blue Cabinet Food Sharing Cabinets

All N.E.T. Catholic Parishes collect food to share in our blue cabinets.

Supporting Different Initiatives of Catholic Charities of Tompkins County

All N.E.T. Catholic Parishes support different initiatives of Catholic Charities collecting clothing, food, etc and volunteering.

Supporting Birthright of Ithaca

All N.E.T. Catholic Parishes support Birthright of Ithaca, through the carnations sale for Mother's Day. All Saints parishioners also contribute baby clothes and blankets.

Backpack Program

Holy Cross Parish collects different items to contribute to the local Backpack Program.

Giving Tree

All N.E.T. Catholic Parishes collect gifts during the Christmas season to give to local families in need.

Thanksgiving Baskets

All N.E.T. Catholic Parishes collect food during the Thanksgiving season to support local families in need. 

Migrant Ministry

All N.E.T. Catholic Parishes support the Cayuga and Tompkins County Migrant Ministry with donations, sacramental ministry offered by Father Daniel, and events such as a breakfast and cookout offered by All Saints to the migrant workers in King Ferry. All Saints also has a transportation ministry that provides rides to migrant workers so they can attend Mass and Bible Study.

Guatemala Mission

Aware that our commitment to the poor goes beyond borders, All Saints has been involved with the San Lucas Toliman Mission in Guatemala for decades. Our teenagers and adults have the life changing opportunity to make mission trips along with congregants from the Lansing United Methodist Church during which they do different service projects to improve the quality of life of our brothers and sisters in Guatemala. If you are interested in this ministry please contact Andra Benson at andrabenson5@gmail.com.

Sewing Saints

Sewing Saints, is a group of people of all faiths or no faith and all ages that meet at All Saints a few times a year to work and support a wonderful international organization called Days for Girls (to learn more about the organization click here). If you are interested in this ministry please contact Andra Benson at andrabenson5@gmail.com.

Community Dinners at Dryden UMC

Holy Cross parishioners support and volunteer at the community dinners offers at the Dryden UMC every Wednesday.
 

A new Spiritual and Corporal Work of Mercy: Care for our common home

In his Message for the Celebration of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, on September 1, 2016, Pope Francis has added a new work of mercy to the two traditional sets of seven. 

This new work of mercy is: Care for our common home, see what the message says, below:

"The Christian life involves the practice of the traditional seven corporal and seven spiritual works of mercy. “We usually think of the works of mercy individually and in relation to a specific initiative: hospitals for the sick, soup kitchens for the hungry, shelters for the homeless, schools for those to be educated, the confessional and spiritual direction for those needing counsel and forgiveness… But if we look at the works of mercy as a whole, we see that the object of mercy is human life itself and everything it embraces.”

Obviously “human life itself and everything it embraces” includes care for our common home. So let me propose a complement to the two traditional sets of seven: may the works of mercy also include care for our common home.

As a spiritual work of mercy, care for our common home calls for a “grateful contemplation of God’s world” (Laudato Si’, 214) which “allows us to discover in each thing a teaching which God wishes to hand on to us” (ibid., 85). As a corporal work of mercy, care for our common home requires “simple daily gestures which break with the logic of violence, exploitation and selfishness” and “makes itself felt in every action that seeks to build a better world” (ibid., 230-31)."