Emulating St. Teresa of Kolkata’s love for neighbor, parishioners of St. Teresa of Calcutta Church in Fairdale, Ky., prepare and deliver meals to individuals in that community every third Sunday of the month.
“We’re living out St. Teresa’s motto of doing small things with great love,” said Sandy Moore, a parishioner who coordinates the effort.
On Aug. 17, parishioners prepared 185 meals of fried chicken tenders, salad, baked beans and cookies, said Moore. After young people from the parish packed the meals, other volunteers fanned out into the Fairdale and Highview area to deliver them.
Deacon Nick Dachille, who serves at the parish, started St. Teresa’s Kitchen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Deacon Nick came to the parish council with the idea. He said something was laying heavy on his heart and that God was calling him to do this,” Moore said.
On Aug. 8, 2020, Deacon Dachille and volunteers — their faces half hidden behind masks — handed out 150 turkey dinners in a drive-through line moving through the parish’s parking lot.
When health problems caused Deacon Dachille to step away from the ministry, Moore volunteered to coordinate the effort, she said.
“We didn’t want to see it end,” Moore said. “It’s like anything: You do what you need to do, and it doesn’t take that much time.”
For five years, a small group of volunteers has been supporting the ministry. The parish provides the funds to purchase groceries, and parishioners donate various dessert items, Moore said.
“We’re here to serve others. The parish is not just the congregation. Parish, in our understanding of the church, is the whole neighborhood, whether they are Catholic or not.”
— Deacon Lucio Caruso
They put great care into the ministry, she noted. On holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, they prepare traditional meals. During the summer, they prepare such foods as hot dogs, burgers, apple pie, coleslaw and potato salad. During the colder months, the volunteers like to prepare soups and chili.
Anyone can get a meal; there are no questions asked, said Moore. They just need to sign up on the parish’s website or call the office. Some individuals come to the parish to pick up the meal, but for the most part, volunteers deliver, Moore noted.
Volunteers are currently serving an average of 300 meals per month, she said, noting they hit a high point of 380 meals one month this year.
Deacon Lucio Caruso, who serves as the parish’s pastoral administrator, said it’s a big ministry for a small parish. St. Teresa has 223 registrations, according to the Archdiocese of Louisville.
“Even with the challenges, it’s the right thing to do. … We’re trying to be the parish Pope Francis spoke about,” said Deacon Caruso. We’re the only Catholic presence in the Fairdale and Hillview area. I think it’s important we’re not thinking only of ourselves but reaching out.”
Other good things have grown out of the ministry, Deacon Caruso said.
The youth are getting involved, including middle schoolers preparing for Confirmation, he said. They’ve been helpful, particularly in packaging the meals for delivery. Deacon Caruso said more volunteers are needed. He’d like to invite any youth needing to earn service hours to volunteer at St. Teresa’s Kitchen, he said.
Volunteers are also paying attention to the needs of those they’re delivering to.
This past winter, a volunteer delivering to an elderly woman noticed she was using multiple space heaters to warm her home and became concerned. The volunteer learned the woman’s furnace had stopped working. Deacon Caruso said he shared the woman’s need with parishioners at St. Teresa and at St. Ignatius Martyr Church, where he’s also pastoral administrator.
Parishioners donated enough funds to purchase a new furnace for the woman, he said. This is an example of how one small act can have a larger effect, he said.
“We’re here to serve others. The parish is not just the congregation. Parish — in our understanding of the church — is the whole neighborhood, whether they are Catholic or not,” said Deacon Caruso.
To learn more about St. Teresa’s Kitchen, call the parish office at 363-9929 or visit teresaofcalcuttafairdale.weebly.com/.
