Here is the text of Cardinal George’s May 28 remarks to Pope John Paul II during the “ad limina” visit of bishops from Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.
Continue reading "Cardinal George’s Remarks to the Holy Father" »
 |
 |
 |
Masses
- Weekend Masses:
Saturday 5 PM
Sunday 8, 9:30, 11 AM,
and 12:30 PM (Spanish)
except Christmas 2011 - Weekday Masses:
Monday-Friday
8:30 AM
Saturday 9 AM
Confessions
- Saturday
9:30-10 AM and 4-4:30 PM
Parish School
How To:
About Us
Ministries
Search
- Archives By Date & Category
View site by month and see all categories
Recent Posts
- Vocations Awareness Week 2012
- Spread the Warmth This January
- On the Way to Winter Toast 2012
- Feeling Social?
- Announcements, Week of January 8, 2012
- Our Week’s Work and Prayers, January 8, 2012 Epiphany of the Lord
- Christmas 2011 / Navidad de 2011
- Winter Toast Coming in 2012
- Catholics Come Home 2011
- Festive Fundraisers Spread Holiday Cheer
« May 2004 | Main | July 2004 »
FAITH & FOOD—Combating Rural Poverty While Nourishing Ourselves and Those in Need
Wouldn’t it be great to support a struggling family farmer while receiving local, fresh produce and family farm-raised meat for your family? Well, you can. In cooperation with the Heifer Project, (773) 279-9696, Queen of Angels Parish is participating in an initiative to nourish ourselves and those in need while supporting local farmers who steward the earth around us.
With the “Faith and Food” initiative, the Heifer Project works with local congregations to develop markets for meat and produce from small, local family farms. Many of these family farmers have struggled to make a living from their land. Supported by education and grants from Heifer, some farmers have made a transition to sustainable, organic farming, raising food without harmful agricultural chemicals, synthetic growth hormones or antibiotics.
One group of such family farms supported by Heifer is the Pembroke Farming Family. This group of small landholders is in one of the most economically depressed townships in Illinois. Supported by Heifer, the Pembroke farm families are working to increase their household income and home consumption of healthy food through expansion and diversification of livestock on the family farm. Currently formed of 12 African-American families, this project seeks to add three new types of livestock per family and to increase their knowledge base in environmentally sound livestock care, nutrition and management. These families were unable to afford to maintain their land without selling direct to consumers. This allows them to farm as opposed to collect state money or leave their farms for jobs in town. Also among their goals are to develop a cooperative direct marketing venture for vegetables and meat and a federally-inspected licensed processing facility and to reach out to the youth with organic and sustainable farming trainings with the goal of reducing the flight of the youth to the city.
The Heifer Project and Queen of Angels Parish are participating in this initiative because it meets our goals of combating hunger and poverty by helping rural families support themselves through agriculture. Others supporting this initiative include the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, the Chicago Community Trust, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.
By participating in “Faith and Food” Queen of Angels parishioners and interested neighbors in Ravenswood can purchase meat in a monthly order or purchase weekly "shares" of locally grown seasonal produce for themselves and their families.
How does it work? The meat that is produced by these Heifer-sponsored farms is raised without hormones or antibiotics and the animals live a life outdoors in pastures, not in confinement facilities. The prices are comparable to store-bought meat, and the meat is frozen for shipment. If you are interested in purchasing meat from a Heifer-sponsored farm, you can choose what meat you and your family would like each month. A monthly shipment will then be delivered to the church.
If you are interested in produce, you or your family can purchase a 12-week share of organic produce for around $350. This covers the cost of one 3/4 bushel box of produce. This is equivalent to about 1-1/2 regular paper grocery sacks full, typically enough vegetables for the week for five people. Individuals and families who need smaller amounts can purchase half shares or split a box with another individual or family.
Beginning in early August the shares of produce will be delivered to our church once a week. Families then pick up their shares on the day of delivery.
Do you want to sign up or learn more? There are two ways you can learn more. First, contact Cliff McIntosh at 773-278-7625 to discuss participating in the Faith and Food initiative at Queen of Angels. Even better, Heifer-supported farmers in the Peoria area will host a tour from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 12. If you are interested in meeting farmers who are participating in this program, you can contact Gary Kuneen of Seven Generations Ahead at 708-660-9909. You can also contact Sundee Wislow at Heifer directly at (773) 279-9696.
An added benefit. Through the “Faith and Food” initiative, parishioners can also help nourish pregnant teens, low- income families, people infected with HIV and other Chicagoans in need by helping to purchase shares of food to be donated to organizations such as:
--New Moms, Inc. – a Chicago organization that provides education and opportunity for adolescent mothers and their children to gain self-confidence, dignity and hope essential to their self-sufficiency and family stability.
--The Inspiration Café – an Uptown not-for-profit organization that provides restaurant-style meals, housing, job-training, case management and other services to homeless men and women in a therapeutic community of dignity and respect.
To learn more about Faith and Food or to join other parishioners in supporting this simple approach to nourishing ourselves and those in need while supporting local farmers, contact Cliff McIntosh at 773-278-7625.
