Francis House
Francis House is a resource and referral agency for impoverished and homeless individuals and families. Serving our community since 1971, the Francis House works to transform lives through emergency aid and personal attention. The Francis House ministry thrives on the volunteer assistance of counselors, financial donations from individuals and groups, and an active and dedicated staff and Board of Directors representing fourteen supporting congregations, which includes us, throughout the Sacramento area. Monthly requests for specific personal items needed by Francis House are listed in the Church Chatter and are collected on Giving Sunday.
Contact:
Julie Strahl
916.362.6076
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Gospel Justice
The Gospel Justice chairperson serves as a link to the Diocesan Gospel Justice Office and to other groups working for peace and justice, such as Grandmothers for Peace, Sacramento Area Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, Pax Christi, Fellowship of Reconciliation, Jubilee Partners, Haiti Project, Food First, CISPES, Nevada Desert Experience / Pace e Bene, and Catholic Worker. The committe person will try to publicize pertinent and timely Peace and Justice issues and events with a view to increasing awareness among SMOP members and the larger parish family, and eliciting response and support.
Contact:
Loretta Schmitz
916.456.6641

Health Ministry
Health Ministry provides monthly blood pressure screenings and will evolve into more services as the needs and volunteers come forward.
Contact:
Carol Santarosa
916.363.5457

Maryhouse Servants
Maryhouse, a program of Loaves & Fishes, is a daytime shelter for homeless women and children. The staff members and volunteers offer each guest a warm, non-judgemental welcome and a haven from the streets. Individual counseling to each woman is provided to help her identify and take her next step from homelessness into hope. Women typically come to Maryhouse in crisis, receive intensive, short-term help, and move on. Others, especially the mentally ill or chemically dependent, may be part of Maryhouse for longer time periods.
Each weekday a hot, home-cooked breakfast is served to over 100 women and children. They are then provided a friendly and safe place where they can attend to personal needs - to shower, launder their clothes, care for their babies, make phone calls, and attend classes.
The Maryhouse servants of St. Mary's Parish are the volunteers who help prepare, cook and serve breakfast at Maryhouse on the first and fifth Friday of each month. On the third Sunday of each month, donations from the parish, such as breakfast items, soaps and shampoos, diapers, baby food, women's socks, rain ponchos, children's clothing, and financial contributions are collected.
The heart of Maryhouse is the welcome, a welcome into a safe, caring place where a woman can reconnect with her own strength.
Contact:
Rose Ann Piacentini
916.489.0456
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Respect Life
The Respect Life Committee's goal is the care and protection of the most vulnerable in our society, the unborn and the elderly. It is aimed at opposing abortion and euthanasia, two manifestations of what Pope John Paul II called "The Culture of Death." To promote this goal, SMOP's support is given to local agencies liek the Bishop Gallegos Maternity Home and the Sacramento Life Center which addresses the needs of women facing crisis pregnancies.
The committee is also focused on educating parishioners on the grave, long term, and unrealized threats legalized abortion (which is killing one-third of our children before birth) and euthanasia pose to the well-being of America, and most importantly, to the society which the children who survive the American holocaust of abortion will inherit.
Contact:
Paul Laubacher
916.381.5222

St. Joseph’s Cupboard
St. Joseph's Cupboard is a storage facility used to keep food, such as canned and dry goods, and toiletries that are collected from boxes located near the doors of the church. Food items will be used for Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets and the remainder is gven to the Sacramento Food Bank for year round distribution. Other donated items are stored here as well for Maryhouse and Francis House. There are many people who transport the items from the boxes to the cupboard after weekday and weekend Masses. It is the chariperson's job to monitor this activity call the Food Bank when our donations are ready.
Contact:
Liz Horten
916.361.7464

These committees need a chairpersons:
Transportation
Prayer Network
Home Assistance
Addiction/Recovery