GARY – Last year, the Diocese of Gary held a Day of Service as part of the National Eucharistic Revival. Sean Martin, director of catechesis and faith formation, said that the event went so well that it generated interest in organizing more service opportunities within the diocese. The 2025 Year of Jubilee provided a fitting opportunity to engage the community in service once again.
A “Day of Service: Neighborhood Cookout” is scheduled for May 31 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., starting inside the gymnasium and moving outside the Cathedral of the Holy Angels, 640 Tyler Street.
For several years, the Diocese of Gary has partnered with Christ in the City to minister to vulnerable populations, especially the homeless. Missionaries from the program, traditionally 12 to 14, come to the diocese in the summer to work with the poor and the lonely.
“Their main focus is a one-on-one ministry,” Martin explained. “And so we wanted to kind of connect all these things together.”
Christ in the City is a young adult formation program. Each summer, it has various locations around the country where teams of missionaries go on a "mission trip" for three weeks. The missionaries live in a community where they pray, receive formation and serve the poor together.
“When our missionaries go to the streets, we aim to model the example of Mother Teresa and encounter all those we meet,” said Blake Brouillette, managing director for Christ in the City. “The work we do is only possible due to the infrastructure of the resources in the diocese, which allows our missionaries to be relationship-focused in their ministry.”
Brouillette stated that Christ in the City has enjoyed strong support and buy-in from Bishop Robert J. McClory, the clergy and the diocesan staff. He shared his appreciation, describing it as “no small thing and is evident in the support and welcome they receive from everyone.”
“One overwhelmingly positive thing is the dedication and commitment we have seen from everyone to take care of the poor in the diocese,” Brouillette said. “The realities facing the poor are real, but those we work with are dedicated to change and make our work in Gary possible.
He added, “The individuals we have met in Gary have left a lasting and powerful impact on our missionary volunteers. Each year, the missionaries return on fire from their service to the poor and with a desire to return.”
The Day of Service will start off with a short training session. The representatives will explain their mission and how they go about doing their work and interacting with the poor, lonely and homeless. Afterwards, they will begin preparation jobs, such as setting up tables, helping with food and setting up games. At 1 p.m., the service will officially start and last until 3 p.m.
“The act of service or charity is the interaction with those who come,” Martin said. “It goes beyond serving a meal to someone who's hungry, but actually engaging them as a person and interacting with them and really fostering a rapport and relationship, ultimately bringing Christ to that person.”
Brouillette said the message of the day is simple – community. He referred to an event the ministry hosts in Denver called Lunch in the Park, and said they are hoping to mirror that in Gary. Described as a "family picnic,” Lunch in the Park, or in this case, “Lunch in a Parking Lot,” creates a unique space where volunteers, missionaries and attendees sit and eat together.
“To sit and eat with someone is a very humanizing experience for both parties,” Brouillette said. “We shall be serving food yes, but we are also there to serve with our presence, in a sense. ‘It is not good for man to be alone’ (Gen 2:18). The community and friendship, hopefully cultivated on that day, are our main focus. It is a lesson you can take with you for the rest of your life, and in any situation you find yourself in. The Lord works through communion, and we may find Him in the communion we have with others.”
Members of the Order of Friars Minor residing at the cathedral will also play an important part in organizing the meal and volunteering. They are assisting with advertising the event and inviting all those in the area to join them for the free barbecue. For more information and to RSVP, visit dcgary.org/2025-day-service.
Caption: Following Mass celebrating the Solemnity of the Guardian Angels, members of the diocese marked the feast day on Oct. 2, 2022 with a picnic set up between the rectory and school on the grounds of the Cathedral of the Holy Angels in Gary. (NWIC file photo/Erin Ciszczon)
