Father Adam and a crew of volunteers help to repair a local home in Gassaway, West Virginia.

Divine Stories

Fr. Adam MacDonald, SVD (left) and a crew of volunteers help repair a local home in Gassaway, West Virginia.

There are two questions that donors never tire of asking charities such as ours. How did you use my donation? Did it make a difference in anyone’s life? We are posting these stories to answer these questions. We think you will like them. They are short and personal. The settings range from the South Side of Chicago to the “hollers” of West Virginia to the poor neighborhoods of Kingston, Jamaica. In every case, your generous support enabled our missionaries to touch the lives of people with the love of God. Thank you!

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Parish Language Program Helps a Man Discover He Is Being Cheated at Work
Lakewood, New Jersey - Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Community

This story is about three people: a teacher, a student, and a pastor who is an SVD missionary. It is set at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Community in Lakewood, New Jersey, which has one of the largest Hispanic communities in the Diocese of Trenton.
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Bringing the Love of God to Trauma Victims
Chicago, Illinois - Our Lady of Africa Parish

Many of our missionaries are privileged to work alongside some extraordinarily talented members of the parish staff. One such missionary is Fr. Bob Kelly, SVD, who serves as the pastor of Our Lady of Africa Parish in Chicago. He works closely with staff member, Ladell Johnson, whose gifts for serving others in challenging and painful circumstances are seemingly limitless.
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A Mother’s Grief Finds Peace
Chicago, Illinois - Our Lady of Africa Parish

Very few of us have to cope with the challenge of living in a neighborhood with a high crime rate. Beyond that, very few of us will ever have to cope with the loss of a child. Genoria had to cope with both. When her daughter was killed in the crossfire between two gangs, our SVD priests came to her aid. Read more about her story and how your support helped.
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Our Response to COVID-19 in West Virginia
Maysel, Clay County, West Virginia - Risen Lord Church Food Pantry

The food pantry at Risen Lord Church in Maysel, Clay County, West Virginia is just one example of how we are responding. It used to provide food for 105 children a week through its backpack program at an elementary school in Clay County. When the local schools closed at the beginning of the pandemic, it served 1,167 students during the first week.
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A Story of Hope and Change
Chicago, Illinois - Our Lady of Africa Parish

Our missionaries often work with those who are economically disadvantaged. All too often, regular employment is a challenge. For that reason, many missionaries have become adept at partnering with organizations who are equipped to provide job training. Fr. Bob Kelly, SVD at the former St. Elizabeth Church, now part of Our Lady of Africa, on the South Side of Chicago, is one such example.
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Job Training Can Make a Difference
Chicago, Illinois - Our Lady of Africa Parish

Rodrigo Gomez grew up without a father. “Everything for me was kind of hard because I had to figure out stuff on my own.”
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Feeding Hunger in West Virginia
Gassaway, West Virginia - St. Thomas Catholic Church

The food pantry is open every Thursday at St. Thomas Catholic Church in West Virginia and on this particular Thursday, there is a long line. The need is especially acute.
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