St. Paul and St. Lawrence Fund De Mazenod Door BBQ
A Friday barbecue at St. Patrick Parish’s De Mazenod Door was made possible thanks to generous donations from both St. Paul and St. Lawrence Catholic Elementary Schools.
The church outreach was started by Father Tony O’Dell and Father Jarek Pachocki, Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI), soon after arriving in Hamilton in 2012 and setting up home at St. Patrick Church. Named De Mazenod Door after St. Eugene de Mazenod, the founder of the Oblates and the patron saint and intercessor for the poor, the church ministry was created to provide sustenance for anyone who comes knocking at the church office door.
“We had a paid civvies day here at St. Paul, and our Catholic School Council matched what we raised,” said Principal Peter Massina, noting $1,200 was collected.
Representatives from both schools met down at the De Mazenod Door on May 23 for a cheque presentation and to help prepare food for patrons.
The door ministry, which has been providing daily meals to the marginalized in Hamilton’s downtown core, feeds approximately 500 people a day, 365 days a year.
