St. Virgil Roman Catholic Parish

Service & Outreach

St. Virgil parish is a community of caring people...
...who live the Gospel message of caring and compassion. Join us in the following service and outreach programs: the Thanksgiving Food Drive, Star of Bethlehem Tree, the Appalachian Outreach program, Interfaith Food Pantry, Community Soup Kitchen, Interfaith Council for Homeless Families, Respect for Life Ministry, Quilting Circle, County Jail Ministry, Highs School Financial Aid Fund, Monthly Collection for Parishes in Need, and the Parish Carnival. (Scroll down to read about these service programs and for contact information.)

Thanksgiving Food Drive
The parish works in conjunction with the Interfaith Food Pantry to provide hundreds of dinners for those in need. The drive is held to collect food needs the week prior to Thanksgiving so that Food Baskets can be prepared for Thanksgiving.

Star of Bethlehem Tree
A project in December each year to provide clothing and Christmas gifts to hundred of Morris area families.

Appalachian Outreach
Parish teens and adults working one week in Kentucky each summer to rebuild housing for the poor.
Contact: John Fitzpatrick, 973-984-5501 or e-mail adultministries@stvirgil.org
For more information on the Appalachian Outreach program, please see the Appalachian Outreach article on the Youth page.

Interfaith Food Pantry
A weekly project (year round) to provide non-perishable food for the poor through our participation in the ecumenical effort of the Morris County Interfaith Food Pantry.
Contact: Joanne Calafiore, 973-538-1418 x 222
Or Carolyn Lake, 973-538-8049
Email: adultministries@stvirgil.org

Community Soup Kitchen
An ecumenical effort of 29 religious congregations to serve a hot lunch every day 363 days a year. Saint Virgil Parish assists by supplying cooked casseroles and staples. Also, every other 1st Tuesday a team assists serving the meal at the Community Soup Kitchen at the Church of the Redeemer in Morristown.
Contact: Claire Benz, 973-538-0766

Interfaith Council for Homeless Families
The parish participates on a rotating basis with other churches to staff facility for homeless. Volunteers from our parish about five families stay at the United Methodist Church in Chatham about four times a year for a week’s time. St. Virgil assists on Tuesday or Thursday evening to provide the evening meal and to supply support by staying overnight.
Contact: Margaret Flory, 973-267-7165

Annual Haiti Food Drive
St. Virgil Church, along with 3 other parishes, collects actual food items that are shipped directly to Missionaries of the Poor in Cap-Haitian, Haiti in the Fall. The 3-month food supply generated by this drive is the single source of food for the hundreds of destitute and poor people fed daily by this Catholic order of priests and brothers. For information about helping with the many aspects of this drive, contact Mary Beth Brennan (973) 328-3780 or Danielle Capuzzi (973) 540-9644.

Right to Life Ministry
To promote the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death. Activities include: the annual March for Life in Washington D.C. on January 22; Respect Life Sunday, the New Jersey Right to Life raffle; Bulletin Announcements related to other diocesan and state-wide pro-life activities. For more information, please contact Johanna Webber at (973) 539-3796. See Links and click Legislators Contact list to download a list of our legislators.

Quilting Circle
A group of women who prepare quilts for Aids victims meet on Tuesday evenings at 7:30 each week.
Contact: Jean Kosakowski, 973-267-5310
Or Helene Havers, 973-895-8802

County Jail Ministry
The Diocese provides a Catholic Ministry at Morris County Jail. For information, call Saint Vincent de Paul Parish, Stirling (908.647.0118)

High School Financial Aid Fund
Provides financial assistance to parish families with students in Diocesan Catholic High Schools who demonstrate financial need. Application forms are available from the parish office and must be completed by May 15th.
Parish Bookkeeper: 973.538.1418 x210

Monthly Collection for Needy Parishes
A monthly collection is received to assist our sister in the inner-city of Paterson, St. Joseph Parish. Also, ongoing assistance is provided for St. Alphonsus Parish, Ocean Springs, Miss. to rebuild after the damage from Hurricane Katrina.

Parish Carnival
This event takes place the second week of May to raise funds for children and youth programs, as well as for service programs.
Contact: The Parish Office

Links to Other Ministry pages:
Ministries main page, Worship, Spirituality, Pastoral Care, Service & Outreach, and Adult Programs.

Questions or comments? Contact webmaster@stvirgil.org