By PAUL WIRTH Diocesan Communications Staff
In a time of family crisis, people in the Easton area can turn to St. Jane Frances de Chantal Parish, where dedicated parishioners are available to listen, and to provide financial help.
It might take the form of a bus pass for a month or two, so someone can get to a new job long enough to be able to afford transportation on his own.
Or it could be help with a utility bill to keep a family with children from having their power cut or their water turned off.
In one a recent case, a young father of two could not afford to pay funeral expenses after the unexpected death of his wife. He reached out for help, and the bill was paid.
Members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society at the parish operate a community help line for people who don’t know where else to turn. The society is a worldwide volunteer organization of Catholics.
The money is raised through donations from St. Jane’s parishioners, and through an annual “Friends of the Poor Walk.”
Every year the folks at St. Jane help about 100 families – people who receive aid even though most of them are not members of the parish, and even though many of them are not Catholic.
Dave Ostile, current president of the group, says their work fulfills a pressing human need in the area: providing an important strand in the community safety net. It’s just one more way that Catholics in the Diocese of Allentown are living their Catholic faith by bringing the light of Christ to the community.
“Because We Are Catholic” tells the stories of how the people of the Diocese of Allentown make a difference in the lives of others, bringing the Light of Christ to each other and to our community.
