June 7, 2024

Creating care packages—and encounters

Criterion staff report

Parishes and groups throughout central and southern Indiana participated in a pre-National Eucharistic Congress service project sponsored by the archdiocesan Catholic Charities-Social Concerns ministry and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Indianapolis.
The project allowed members of the archdiocese—whether attending the congress or not—to help those in need throughout the country to receive both a package of hygiene items and an encounter with Christ.
Each Ziploc-bag package will contain a pair of socks, hygiene items, a Mylar blanket, a soft snack and a small card with Scripture or an encouraging message.
The care packages will be used during the
July 17-21 National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis in two ways. First, they will be given to homeless people in Indianapolis as members of the Christ in the City organization lead small groups through the downtown area for encounters with Christ in the faces of the poor.
The remaining packages will be available for congress attendees to take back to their home communities, thus helping those in need and creating “Christ encounters” throughout the country.
Parishes and groups have delivered about 650 care packages to the St. Vincent de Paul distribution center in Indianapolis so far, where the packages will be stored until the National Eucharistic Congress. The deadline to deliver packages is July 1. For more information, go to cutt.ly/nec-carepackages.

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Photos: Creating care packages—and encounters

 

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