Social Ministry

Our Social Ministry team promotes information and an awareness of the Catholic Social Teachings of the Gospel. The committee enables parishioners to respond to the Gospel challenges of justice, peace, Consistent Life Ethics and compassion. This may take place through direct service, special events, consciousness-raising activities, or by providing information to advocate on contemporary issues when there is a need for a prophetic and active Christian response from the parish.

The mission of Social Ministry is “to care in love for the poor” and “to work for the elimination of violence and injustice in the world” as is highlighted by these two quotes:

• “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.” — Matthew 23:35-36
• “Action on behalf of justice and participation in the transformation of the world fully appear to us as a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the Gospel, or, in other words, of the Church’s mission for the redemption of the human race and its liberation from every oppressive situation.”
  — Second General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, on the theme, ‘Justice in the World’, November 1971

The role of the social ministry team is to be rooted in prayer, Sacred Scripture and the Tradition of the Church.

The Social Ministry team, seeks to enable our community to respond to the Gospel challenges of justice, peace, Consistent Life Ethics and compassion through our various outreach opportunities:

• Clothing & Shelter Ministries
• Habitat for Humanity work days
• Brighton Habitat Coalition of Churches fundraisers
• St. Pauly Clothing Collection (drop box in St. Ambrose parking lot)
• Healthcare & Respect Life Ministries
• Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk
• Daffodil Sunday to Support Breast Cancer Research
• Crib of Life donations of infant clothing collection
• Hunger & Harvest Ministries
• Monthly Food Collections for St. Andrews Food Cupboard, Blessed Sacrament Supper Program, Sr. Regis Food Cupboard, Dimitri House
• Neighborhood Ministries
• Peace of Christ Day of Caring
• Advent & Lenten Soup Suppers
• Back to School Supplies Collection
• Prison Ministries
• Residents Encounter Christ (REC) Retreat Committee
• Prison Ministry of Upstate New York (PMUNY)