3rd Sunday Calvary Suppers Hospitality at its Finest!

Falling leaves and plummeting temperatures signal the resumption of many activities here in the Northland. For over 10 years now, one of these activities for the St. Joan of Arc community has been serving dinner for the homeless at Calvary Baptist Church.

On the third Sunday of each month from October through April, a group from our parish volunteers to prepare and serve a meal to anywhere from 60 to 90 people. Currently coordinating the Calvary program for St. Joans is Ed Surko(right). This is a great ministry, and it needs about 15 volunteers to fix food, serve, and clean up. Each month there is a different group - some are extended families, or small Christian Communities, or just individuals who have signed up through the volunteer sheets we get every year.

If you would like to join in the fun, contact Ed at 952-953-9455 or by e-mail at tracyrdsurko@usfamily.net. Other contacts for this program are Anna Vagle at St. Joan's or Julie Madden. The latter two can be reached at the parish, at 612-823-8205.

Jean Jachman is a consummate volunteer. Jean pitches in at the parish office, waits tables at Cabaret, and contacts and schedules the readers for masses. All that and a career as a nurse that included time in a refugee camp on the Thailand-Cambodia border.

Bill Cameron was a pilot at Northwest Airlines for 32 years until his retirement in June of 2001. Also an attorney, Bill now practices law about half-time. The rest of his time is spent taking pictures (... a serious photography habit), playing tennis, and working on volunteer projects. Bill's wife Connie is an educational consultant and they have three adult sons.

There are many ways to reach out to the larger community, but I can say with enthusiasm that the Third Sunday Calvary meals is one of the favorite ways for a great many people. Working with a great group from church, sharing a meal with welcoming and warm diners, and carrying on a cherished tradition all combine to make this a rich and satisfying experience.