Service to the Poor
We find so much joy in our service to the poor. The many works that we carry out to take care of those who are poor include:
Food and Clothing Pantries
Community Dinners and Lunches
Senior Program
Bible Camps
Special Events
Why serve the poor?
“Whatever you did for the least of my brothers and sisters, you did it for Me (Matt 25:4),” “…the poor have the Gospel preached to then (Matt 11:5).” These words of Jesus underlie why St. Francis of Assisi was motivated to serve the poor, and why over 800 years later we continue to follow Jesus in the footsteps of St. Francis. Pope Francis is fond of saying how the Church must not only be for the poor, but must be poor. The very first friary (religious house) that St. Francis and the early Franciscans was adjacent to the leper community: they literally lived among the poor they served. We also choose to live among the poor we are called to serve. Our goal is not only to provide for their bodily needs, but also for their souls, so that they may know in their own lives the meaning of Jesus’ words, “I came that they might have life, and have it to the full (Jn 10:10).”
Food Pantries
Each Tuesday, we serve up to 700 families at our weekly food pantry. We are encouraged by the incredible partnerships we have with the Greater Chicago Food Depository as well as many other businesses in the food supply chain that enable us to distribute a full grocery cart of fresh food to the families that come to us each week. We are also edified by the many volunteers who come to assist us in this critical work.
On the first Saturday of every month, we host a special pantry that offers food, clothing, and household goods to the 200-300 families. The First Saturday pantry also typically offers health screenings through our partnerships with local hospitals and medical schools and an evangelization table staffed by Franciscans. At this table, we receive prayer intentions from our neighbors, pray with people in the moment, and provide evangelization resources including Bibles, rosaries, prayer cards, and other religious goods that have been donated to us.
SeniorS Program
We are also able to care for the seniors in our neighborhood. These men and women have worked hard throughout their lives and now in their golden years can share friendship and faith with one another through our weekly Senior Program, which is now hosted in our beautiful Outreach Center. Each Wednesday, we welcome 25-45 seniors for exercise class, Bible Study, and a delicious home-cooked lunch. We also look forward to taking our seniors on several “field trips” throughout the year. Some favorites include visiting Mundelein Seminary, Navy Pier, the DuSable Art Museum, and the shrine of Christ's Passion. For the past several years, we have been privileged to serve as an apostolate site for Mundelein Seminary seminarians completing their propaedeutic year. Throughout the academic year, every Wednesday, the propaedeutic men join us for a manual labor work period and to help us serve our seniors. The friendships that are formed and the stories that are exchanged between the seniors and the seminarians has been a highlight for which both parties express deep gratitude. To learn more click here.
Kelly Hall
Our partnerships with the Greater Chicago Food Depository and the Metro Chicago YMCA enable us to facilitate Kelly Hall, a beautiful community center and YMCA that provides much needed after school, sports and other youth programing to help keep our kids and teens off the streets and assist them to succeed in school. College spring break groups and college students, seminarians, or young adults participating in our summer volunteer program all spend time working with the neighborhood children at Kelly Hall's after school program and summer camp. To learn more click here.
Community Dinners and Lunches
From September to May, we host community dinners and lunches for our neighbors in the beautiful Our Lady of the Angels church and church dining hall on the basement level. We begin with a simple prayer service and provide a healthy meal for the families and individuals who attend. Since many of our neighbors do not have access to dining out, we strive to bring a beautiful, dignified restaurant experience to them, inviting families in to pray as a community, get to know one another, and enjoy being served by our community and the wonderful volunteers who sponsor the meals. This is also an opportunity for us to share a meal with our neighbors and get to know families on a more intimate basis than we are able to at our larger events. As with everything we do, we strive to foster a spirit of community and Gospel values among the men, women and children who come. Parishes and other organizations sponsor the meals and come in to help prepare, serve and clean up. To learn more click here.
Block Parties
From June to August, we host Block Parties. Food, games, an Evangelization Table and so much more make these wonderful summer gatherings. In August, our block party includes a back to school backpack give way, helping over 600 kids be ready for a successful school year. Inspired by the Eucharistic Revival, we began offering Eucharistic Adoration in the church during these block parties a few years ago. During this time, neighbors and volunteers alike are invited to spend some time before Jesus in the Eucharist in the beautiful church building. Franciscans and volunteers are on hand to pray with people, answer questions, and help visitors light candles to place before the altar as a sign of bringing their needs and intentions to the Lord.
Special Events
Throughout the year we hold special events including a Thanksgiving Prayer Brunch and Christmas Party. In 2022, we provided Thanksgiving dinner to over 1,500 families and over 10,000 gifts to needy children and their families. To learn more click here.
We currently offer all of our services to the poor out of our main site at the Mission of Our Lady of the Angels. You can find many more details and view current needs and volunteer opportunities at by visiting the Mission OLA website.
We look forward to all the ways the Lord will continue to grow our service to the poor. It is our honor to live in this neighborhood and experience the tragedies and joys which our neighbors know each day. We strive to provide a sense of hope for the future, through the grace and mercy of God, which is the source and strength of all we do.
