When Pope Francis declared that 2021 would be dedicated to St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Madisonville wanted to do something to celebrate.
Parish members decided to have a large baby shower to provide newborn items to the Good Shepherd Center in Madisonville, which will make the items available to any mother in the community who needs help with clothing and caring for her newborn baby.
“St. Joseph the Worker in Madisonville put out a large, portable playpen, and church members filled it with everything from blankets to booties to baby bottles,” said Margaret Cummings, president of Good Shepherd Center. “What better way to honor the earthly father of baby Jesus than to provide these items to other babies who are born into the neediest families in our county.”
“Our church members are very generous,” said Father Julius Abuh, pastor of St. Joseph the Worker. “They have a special place in their hearts for babies and children. It is a very pro-life parish. I am sincerely happy to be here. Since I came here, some members of our faith community do occasionally support our diocesan orphanage in my home country of Nigeria as well.”
“Our parish is one of the core churches that gives regularly to maintain the Good Shepherd Center,” Father Abuh continued. “We are called by Christ to feed the hungry and clothe the needy, and our partnership with Good Shepherd fulfills that beautifully. No better times than in this Year of St. Joseph and the year of the pandemic.”
Good Shepherd Center provides free food and clothing to people, families, and children in need in Monroe County, as well as a host of services such as help with heating bills, vouchers for doctor visits, and food kits for children when they are not in school.
