December 2020 Newsletter

December 2020
Merry Christmas
As we prepare for the birth of our Lord, the Ladies of Charity at St. John’s University wish you the gift of HOPE for Christmas.
We have been blessed by the guidance of our Spiritual Advisor, Fr. Patrick J. Griffin, C.M., who led us in a virtual Advent Retreat to discover the meaning of HOPE in these challenging times. As he taught us, “hope gives strength to the present … it summons us to use our resources well …it is a commitment to life. Hope orients us to the future.” HOPE is a special gift from God.

2020 challenged us in so many ways — our lives revolved around remote learning, zoom meetings, social distancing and hand sanitizer. We mourned the loss of loved ones and prayed for the speedy recovery of others. We learned how to pivot (the buzz word of 2020) and engaged in outreach projects that redefined service.
The Ladies of Charity at St. John’s University wish you and your loved ones, a Merry Christmas and New Year filled with Peace, HOPE and Love.
Our Service Projects
Since 2009 we have cheerfully celebrated the spirit of giving with the School Sisters of Notre Dame Educational Center (Woodhaven, Queens) at an annual Christmas Party. This year we were not able to host our traditional Christmas breakfast but we were able to continue our tradition of offering gifts to each of their students. Practicing social distancing we put gift bags together for 50 women and took a moment to reflect on the spirit of Christmas.
Working together at Our Lady of Fatima Food Pantry
The Junior Ladies of Charity at St. John’s Prep in Astoria, Queens, learned how to make lap blankets by hand through a zoom tutorial lead by Anna Rocchio. These blankets will be distributed to residents at Ozanam Home in Queens. Since October the Ladies of Charity have lovingly knit more than 50 blankets for our brothers and sisters.
MOMMAS HOUSE
In 2019 we honored Patricia Shea, the Founder and Executive Director of Mommas House with the Spes Unica award at our Evening of Hope event. Mommas House began in 1986 with a home in Malverne, NY offering support to young mothers (ages 18-24) and their babies. Mommas House provides physical shelter and a stable environment to young mothers who are nurtured and taught to provide child care and parenting skills while encouraged to obtain schooling and job training.
The Ladies of Charity at St. John’s University celebrate Life and the joy of Christmas with Mommas House. This year we cheerfully and safely collected gifts for for new Moms and their babies.
Prayer & Spirituality
We pray for grace in performing all actions to help our neighbors with charity, humility, and simplicity. Our prayers focus on love and unity, so needed in our world and our country today.
Visit our website to download a copy of The Ladies of Charity Prayer
Join us, every Monday at 5 pm via Zoom. We continue to pray for our loved ones, neighbors, our country and our world. For more information on how to participate, email Pat Mulé