Outreach

One Family Knitters

This lively group meets on Thursday morning in St. Edward lower rectory at 9:30.am. We welcome new knitters or crocheters to visit and see if you would like to help with making warm, wearable items for those in need. No time commitment is necessary, just drop in. For those who prefer to work at home, kits are available in the St Edward's library.

Donations of leftover yarn are always gratefully accepted and can be left in the church library.  Be assured that it will be put to good use and loving crafted into a wearable items for children and adults.  Finished items are donated to shelters, hospitals, urban schools, and other social service organizations.

Please return finished kits, to the church library.  For any questions, please call Mary at 508-505-7858 ofknitters@gmail.com or Hannah at 508-359-5776.

Prayer Shawls

Prayers shawls are meant to provide comfort and prayers for those seriously ill or for those who have recently experienced a death of a loved one. If you would like to receive a prayer shawl for you or another, please contact Hannah @ 508-359-5776.

Haley House Ministry

The first Sunday of every month, St. Edward volunteers team up to provide a meal for 75-100 people at Haley House in their South End soup kitchen.  Haley House provides meals to homeless men, as well as to men and women in need who are 55 and older.  Each volunteer from our parish takes on a fixed assignment, cooking a main dish, a salad or dessert to feed approximately 15.  They deliver their portion of the meal to the Medfield home of a driver who brings the donations to Boston.  There are 3 groups of volunteers, so each individual cooks four times each year.  Haley House provides a number of other servies to "society's forgotten people" in Boston (see their website www.haleyhouse.org for more information).  St. Edward has been working to help Haley House provide meals for over a decade.  If you would like to get involved, please call Martha Festa at (508) 359-5991.

Thanksgiving Food Collection

Each year, St. Edward Parish collects nonperishable foodstuffs for distribution at our sister parishes in Roxbury and Dorchester.  During the week of Thanksgiving, beginning on Sunday and ending with the Thanksgiving Day liturgy, food items are brought to the Church and left in the lobby.  At the end of the week, the food is sorted and packaged and transported to St. Mary of the Angels in Roxbury and St. Matthew's in Dorchester.  This food is used to stock their free pantries and is distributed throughout the winter to the people in these communities.

Christmas Gift Collection

During Advent, the parish sets up a Jesse Tree in the Church lobby.  The tree is decorated with paper cutouts, on which suggested gifts are written.  Parishioners are encouraged to select a cutout, purchase the gift and bring it to Church on the Fourth Sunday of Advent.  The gifts are then transported, before Christmas Day, to St. Mary of the Angels in Roxbury.  There, they are distributed to parishioners, hospitals, nursing homes, drug rehabilitation centers, etc.

Respect Life Committee

Because life is so uniquely precious to God that he gave his only Son for our salvation, all human life--from the moment of conception to the point of natural death--deserves the greatest care and respect.
Jesus said simply, "I have come that they may have life and have it to the full"  (John 10:10).  The Church's repeated affirmations on the dignity of the human person are firmly grounded in tradition and in history.  Any issue which diminishes or negates life, from abortion and euthanasia to homelessness and poverty, are considered an affront to God who has created us all.
The Respect Life Committee strives, through prayer, education and service, to labor for the "full life" promised everyone by Christ.
 We work to educate parishioners about the Church's position on various moral issues by utilizing speakers, newsletters and bulletin inserts.  We also share information about programs for people in need within the Archdiocese and elsewhere.
We sponsor prayer activities including the blessing of new and expectant parents, Holy Hour and the Rosary.
We invite the community to service by sponsoring baby showers, responding to the needs of area shelters, encouraging contact with our legislators through write-in and phone-in campaigns, participating in walks and more.