In a household with schoolchildren, life can be quite hectic — especially in the evenings with the dinner rush. Oftentimes, there are activities outside the home, on top of homework to be done and a meal to be eaten. And it is for this reason that our Wednesday Night Religious Education Suppers Ministry invites everyone to come eat!
“This ministry serves to make life simpler for our parish families,” says Christie Murphy, the coordinator of the Wednesday suppers. “This gives them one thing less to worry about on Wednesday evenings.”
Christie and a group of volunteers cook and serve a dinner for all parish families that want to join them between 6 p.m. Mass and 7 p.m. Religious Education classes.
“It is a ministry offered with the Religious Education families in mind,” Christie says. “We want them to be able to come to Mass and stay for Religious Ed, and serving them dinner makes that easier for many. It allows them not to have to worry about getting dinner ready beforehand amidst all of the hustle and bustle of getting out the door.”
What’s more, Christie says the dinners offer an opportunity for the families to eat together and to enjoy community with other parishioners.
“I have seen people in our parish build community with one another through this ministry,” Christie says. “People who wouldn’t know each other otherwise have built relationships because they sit together over dinner every Wednesday. It truly is a ministry of hospitality and welcoming. Who doesn’t need to eat? We welcome them, we feed them, and then we grow in faith together.”
Currently, the ministry welcomes about 60 families to dinner every week, and while Christie is quite pleased with the turnout, she says this ministry could use more help behind the scenes.
“We need more volunteers,” Christie says. “There are many different roles in which to serve. We need cooks, people to serve the food, people to set up, people to clean up — there is much to be done, and we would love to have more help.”
Christie believes that this is a wonderful way to serve fellow parishioners as it does not require a huge time commitment and the return on investment is tenfold.
“I have greatly enjoyed serving the parish in this way,” Christie says. “It has allowed me to get to know more people and to use my talent of cooking to help the parish. This is a great way to serve other people, especially if you like to cook. The meals are simple, but simple acts can mean a lot when serving others.”
The dinners take place every Wednesday during our Religious Education year, which runs from September through April. As we gear up to begin another year, we encourage you to consider serving with this ministry. Christie says this is a great way for groups of friends, families, or even for other ministries to come together and serve in a different way.
We hope to see you at the table!
If you are interested in serving as a part of the Religious Education Dinners, please contact Christie Murphy at 317-462-4240.
