Search
-
Special to Horizons
BRECKSVILLE, Ohio — The Acts of Kindness Club at St. Joseph Parish has set out to promote National Random Acts of Kindness Week, Feb. 17-23.
“We are really talking about ‘acts of Jesus’ here,” said pastor Father Bruce Riebe. “Be sure and take part.”
Father Riebe said the club was inspired by a parishioner at his former parish, St. Mary Assumption Parish in Joliet, Illinois, now closed.
“One Lent, she said she was going to try and accomplish a random act of kindness every day. I decided to do the same thing,” he recounted. “Once I felt the benefits of this exercise of Christian charity, I decided to see if there would be interest at St. Joseph in what I termed an Acts of Kindness Club or A-OK Club, for short.”
That was 25 years ago.
Over that time, the club has performed countless acts of kindness at the parish, including creating welcome cards for new parishioners; providing grapes for blessing on the feast of the Transfiguration, giving newlyweds a book on marriage and small gifts for Eastern Christian Formation teachers at year’s end, organizing Octogenarian Sunday, providing small gifts for high school and college graduates, and seizing a variety of other opportunities that present themselves.
“The group is simply a ‘think tank’ for kindness, in and outside of the parish,” he explained.
However, during National Random Acts of Kindness Week, the group tries to involve the entire parish.
Parish-wide activities have included involving the parish children in making cookies for the local police and fire departments, doing a “Kindness Flash Mob” at a local mall, and giving parishioners $5 each with which to perform an act of kindness.
This year, the club decided to give the initiative a higher profile and promote National Random Acts of Kindness Week in schools, social media, and through church bulletins.
“We felt that word was not getting out about this particular week until after the fact, if at all,” said Father Riebe.
From a Christian point of view, one of the objectives is “realizing that in doing acts of kindness we are truly fulfilling Jesus’ Great Commandment to love God and love our neighbor,” he said.
Pat Lesnick has been the group president for almost 25 years.
Lesnick also heads the parish ministry to the homeless, which delivers sandwiches to Cleveland’s homeless every Sunday morning.
Bishop Milan Lach, SJ, of Parma joined the group for its weekly sandwich distribution Dec. 16.
He told Horizons it was a very gratifying experience and would like to see more parishes engage in such charitable works for the golden jubilee this year.
For information on the A-OK Club or National Random Acts of Kindness Week, call Pat Lesnick at (216) 973-1430.
Caption: L. to r.: Rich Evans, Barbara Zaborowski, Tom Katrenich, Bishop Milan Lach, SJ, Cathi Kovach, Debbie Cifranic and Pat Lesnick, pose for a photo before heading out Dec. 16 to deliver sandwiches to the homeless in downtown Cleveland. Bishop Lach would like other parishes to consider charity projects for the jubilee year. (Photo courtesy of St. Joseph Parish)
As published in Horizons, Feb. 10, 2019.
Sign up for the Horizons’ digital newsletter.
