Chicago 2022 Headlights, Day 3, March 8

Today started similar to yesterday with Mass, then we quickly ate and headed to helping with the Food Pantry. 

The food pantry is where anyone who needs food can come on Tuesdays and get as much as they need for no cost to them. There was essentially 3 classrooms full of food and the neighbors (how the Sisters refer to those who they serve) go through with a cart assembly line style. We served 330 families today from 7:30 -10:30 am. 

I was assigned to handing out dates (the fruit) and navy beans. It was such a fun and joyful time. I really enjoyed handing out food as well as having conversations with them. The majority of the neighbors spoke Spanish which made it hard for me with little Spanish to communicate but my holding up the foods skills allowed me to hand out my whole stash of dates and beans. It was a great morning! -Riley Dowdy 

I was outside Our Lady of the Angels retreat center helping people pack up food. Members of the community brought the carts down the ramp to us and gave them a number, they were to take this number, go retrieve their car and drive it in front of the retreat center where we would load there cars with the food that we boxed up. It was lovely to see the kindness and warmth that they showed all of us, it was truly awe inspiring. -Connor Bawden 

Then tonight, we went to St. Barbra’s church for another Night of Mercy. This is a primarily Chinese Catholic community so we started with Chinese food for dinner and then went to our assigned positions for the evening. The Franciscan’s goal of these evenings is to bring awareness and exposure to the Eucharist to as many people as possible. People to walk around the neighborhood to invite, greet, hand out candles for people to light for an intention, organize confession lines, and hand out hot coco. It was a beautiful church and evening. We are really enjoying seeing many different churches and communities. 

Over and out – Riley and Conner