Faithful Citizenship Newsletter

Project Serve is collecting winter boots (men’s sizes 10-12 and women’s sizes 8-10) at all Masses on January 4 & 5. These winter boots will be donated to the over 1,500 individuals who will attend the 2020 Homeless Stand Down. For more information, please contact parishioner and Homeless Stand Down event chair Bill Scanlon at WJScanlon@me.com

All are invited to the next "Friends of Immigrants" Meeting taking place on Tuesday, January 7th at 7:00pm in St. Dominic's Large Meeting Room. "Friends of Immigrants" supports migrants and refugees locally in Northern, Ohio as well as at the US-Mexico Border. Join us to learn about this important issue and how you can support our sisters and brothers. Meetings are held on the first Tuesday evening of each month in rotation at St. Dominic, Forest Hill, and St. Pascal Baylon.

If you have questions about "Friends of Immigrants," please contact our Faithful Citizenship Immigration co-chairs, Anne Durette (Anne.Durette@gmail.com) or Peggy Murphy (MLMurphy0901@sbcglobal.net)

Let us be a welcoming community, making room for all God's children, in 2020!

Project Serve just launched another new ministry with Seeds of Literacy. 66% of Cleveland residents are functionally illiterate meaning this population has trouble reading a medicine bottle, bus schedule, or job application. Functional illiteracy is defined as having math, language, or reading skills below a 4th grade level. Seeds of Literacy seeks to make all residents literate via one-on-one tutoring and GED test preparation.

Volunteers are needed to accompany, tutor, and encourage scholars. Join us on Wednesday, January 8, 9:00-11:00am for a Seeds of Literacy Open House to learn more about this ministry. Interested? Please contact Ed Round, parishioner, EdRound@roadrunner.com

Project SAVE, founded by Carl Cook, serves families in Cleveland's Midtown neighborhood. Project SAVE is situated between three housing projects assisting the working poor with food and resources. Each Wednesday, Project SAVE serves a community meal. St. Dominic has been invited to serve dinner on the 4th Wednesday of each month. More importantly, we have been invited to share hospitality and table fellowship with our neighbors.

The first Project SAVE meal is Wednesday, January 22nd at 3:30pm-6:00pm. We are looking for six volunteers to serve the hot meal, engage in conversation, and to affirm our friends. To register, please contact Project SAVE ministry leader Charlotte Osborne at FCOsborne@att.net

Storytellers is a St. Dominic ministry featuring civic, political, business, and religious leaders from our community offering stories of faith, family, work, and life. These stories weave hope, humor, and triumph together to inspire listeners.

St. Dominic is pleased to welcome Mr. Chris Knestrick as our next Storyteller on Wednesday, January 29th at 7:00pm in the Large Meeting Room. Chris is the Executive Director of the Northeastern Ohio Coalition for the Homeless. Chris's talk is entitled, “Homelessness & Hope."

To learn more about Chris's work with NEOCH, visit www.neoch.org

As always, beer & wine will be provided.

2019-2020 Storytellers Schedule

September 25 - Chris Kerr presents, "Seeking a Culture of Hospitality: Reflections from the US Mexico Border."

October 30 - Ron Schmidt presents, "This Field Looks Green to Me."

November 20 - St. Dominic Medical Missionaries present, "Heal and Be Healed."

January 29 - Chris Knestrick presents, "Homelessness & Hope."

March 25 - Steve Wargo presents, "Swimming in the Sea of Galilee - Pilgrimage to the Holy Land."

Project Serve is St. Dominic's service organization! In this New Year, we offer a variety of service-based programming and volunteer opportunities for parishioners of all ages! Get involved to serve a hot meal, sort donations, tutor a child, visit an elderly neighbor, or break bread with our sisters and brothers in need. Make service part of your family's activities in 2020!

Registration required for these activities!

1. Matt Talbot Potluck: Saturday, January 4. Contact Kate Gill: K8Gill@icloud.com
2. Warrensville Developmental Center: Tuesday, January 7. Contact Tim Sokal: TSokal@stdominincschool.net
3. Seeds of Literacy Open House: Wednesday, January 8. Contact Ed Round: EdRound@roadrunner.com
4. Kids Book Bank: Thursday, January 9. Contact Chris Cook: CCook@stdominicschool.net
5. Thea Bowman Center: Saturday, January 11. Contact Natalie Norris: natnorris@sbcglobal.net
6. Ronald McDonald House: Saturday, January 11. Contact Susan Walters: Chagal65@gmail.com
7. St. Al's Meal Ministry: Tuesday, January 14. Contact Tim Sokal: TSokal@stdominicschool.net
8. Cleveland Food Bank: Thursday, January 16. Contact Mia Ruffing: MiaRuffing@hotmail.com
9. St. Herman's House: Saturday, January 18. Contact Greg Kuta: Greg@westlinecapital.com
10. Joseph's Home Dinner: Saturday, January 18. Contact P.J. Reindel: PJPServe@gmail.com
11. Project Save Dinner: Wednesday, January 22. Contact Charlotte Osborne: FCOsborne@att.net
12. West Side Catholic Center: Saturday, January 25. Contact Toni LoPresti (Breakfast): ToniLoPresti@gmail.com or Adele Keim (dinner): AdeleKeim4013@gmail.com

The Obras de Caridad (St. Vincent DePaul) Ministry of our sister parish, Santo Domingo, in El Salvador seeks to meet the material and spiritual needs of people living in Chiltiupan. Each month, this group delivers food baskets, medicines, and basic essentials to the poorest families in each community. Through these holy encounters, they have discovered that families do not have home necessities needed for a dignified life.

The “Sagradas Familias” (Holy Families) El Salvador Christmas Project seeks to provide food, beds, new roofing, and wash basins for the poorest members living in Santo Domingo Parish. This Christmas, we celebrate Jesus, Mary, and Joseph dwelling among the Holy Families of El Salvador.

$300 – Food Baskets for one-year

$150 – Pila Wash Basin for drinking, cooking, and laundry

$100 – Lamina Metal Roofing (10 Sheets)

$75 – Mattress & Bed

$25 – Food Basket for one-month

St. Dominic will be leading two delegations to El Salvador this June. Fr. Tom and youth minister Spencer Weidig will be leading the June 7-12, 2020 Youth Group trip. Priority registration begins January 1, 2020 on a first come, first serve basis for St. Dominic Youth Group Members / Parishioners. Please note, this trip is offered exclusively for first-time El Salvador travelers.

The second trip, led by staff members Jodie Bowers and Suzie Mayer, is a Salvadoran Eco-Adventure taking place on June 16-21, 2020. This trip is for El Salvador Youth Group Alumni and college students from our parish. Priority registration opens January 1, 2020 on a first come, first serve basis.

Cost of each experience is $1,300 including airfare, hotel, meals, ground transportation, translators, and programming fee. Due to the popularity of our El Salvador mission program, we expect both delegations to fill quickly.

Youth Group Registration Link:

Click Here for Youth Trip Registration

Alumni Eco-Adventure Registration Link:

Click Here for Alumni Eco-Adventure Trip Registration

Lord, When I am hungry, send me someone to feed;

When I am thirsty, send me someone who needs a drink;

When I am cold, Lord, send me someone to warm;

And When I am sad, send me someone to cheer.

Lord, When I need understanding,

send me someone who needs my understanding;

When I need to be looked after,

send me someone for whom to care;

And when I think only of myself,

Lord, draw my thoughts to another.

Lord, Bless our time together at __________.

Help us to recognize that it is in giving that we receive.

Open our eyes to your presence through our shared time

with our sisters and brothers at Project Serve.

Finally, Lord, Grant me the grace to pray

as though everything depends on You;

And to serve as though

everything depends on me.

Amen.

Email: JBowers@stdominicchurch.net
Website: www.stdominicchurch.net
Location: 3450 Norwood Road, Shaker Heights, OH, USA
Phone: 216-991-1444