St. Patrick welcomes Family Promise
Father Jack Batykefer of St. Patrick Parish in Canonsburg leads a blessing service for the house that accommodates homeless families through Family Promise. Also pictured are parishioner Lisa Krupa, left, and Georgine Batykefer, Batykefer’s mother.
Members of Knights of Columbus Council 3291 at St. Patrick Parish help prepare inflatable beds and bedding for the homeless families.
Father Jack Batykefer of St. Patrick Parish blesses and explains the image of the “Madonna of the Streets,” which depicts a homeless Virgin Mary and Jesus.
CANONSBURG – St. Patrick Parish is hosting homeless families this week through Family Promise of Southwestern Pennsylvania.
Family Promise is an interdenominational ministry that partners with local churches to provide temporary shelter and support to homeless families. The goal of Family Promise is to keep homeless families together, rather than to separate them into public-assistance shelters while they seek permanent housing.
A nearby house that was purchased by St. Patrick Parish for other purposes was renovated and equipped for the ministry with the help of a number of parishioners, volunteers and local businesses, including ServiceMasters; Humble Carpet & Decorating; PPG Paints; Frazier Plumbing, Heating & Air-Conditioning; Zap Electric; Scott Falcione Painting & Decorating; Liberty Lumber; Lowes; Tim Mavrich Builders; Cardello Lighting; PCPRO4U Computer Repair; and Walter A. Mark Insurance Agency.
St. Patrick hosted its first homeless families in December.
“I was extremely pleased and gratified by the outpouring of support shown by our parishioners and the local business community, who responded generously and worked tirelessly over several weeks,” said Father Jack Batykefer of St. Patrick. “From local tradesmen to parishioners who cleaned, painted, prepared meals and entertained our guests, it was a wonderful experience for all involved.
“Others in the parish gave materials, supplies, food items, bedding, furnishings or a monetary donation toward the effort. It was a tremendous, grace-filled effort.”
Family Promise was started nationally nearly 30 years ago and screens families before admittance into the program. Various faith communities then provide temporary overnight shelter and meals for several families, usually a maximum of 15 individuals for one-week periods. On average, churches host families about five weeks per year.
During the day, families are transported to either the Family Promise Day Center in Washington or Crafton. In December, the parish hosted two families composed of 12 people.
Planning for the Family Promise ministry at St. Patrick took more than a year, with various committees formed and volunteers from the many parish ministries becoming involved. In addition, Batykefer invoked the image of the “Madonna of the Streets” as patron for the ministry at St. Patrick.