Photo Courtesy of Mary Mother of God Church  

JACKSON—It’s in the eyes of the young and the very old that members of St. Vincent de Paul at St. Mary Mother of God Church find inspiration.  

St. Mary is a rural parish, about 44 miles south of Atlanta, with about 300 families worshipping here. The St. Vincent de Paul conference at the church has been helping in the community for the past six years. The conference has only a handful of members but is generously supported by many.   

“We’ve learned to see Jesus in the eyes of the people we serve,” said conference president George Levins. Helping children and the elderly has “really kept us spiritually inspired,” he said.  

Father Jose Kochuparampil, pastor, said the ministry helps the parish embody the Gospel mandate to serve the poor that Pope Leo XIV urges Catholics to embrace.  

“Our Vincentians, though small in number, are doing a yeomen’s service reaching out to the needy and less privileged in our area,” he said.   

In Butts County, about 13 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, according to the U.S. Census. The per person annual income there is about $28,000, which is two-thirds of the average annual income in Georgia.   

The work with the poor has evolved over time, shifting from a drive-thru food pantry popular during COVID-19 to a targeted outreach. This change was prompted by a concern that the original pantry was not reaching the neediest in the community, particularly those without transportation.  

The turning point came when Levins and another Vincentian had unclaimed boxes of groceries. They took a ride in the community, coming across a senior citizen in dire need of groceries. Without a car she could never make it to the pantries. With that in mind, the church group made deeper connections to Jackson community leaders and identified the two primary groups to serve: children and seniors.   

The director of public housing now provides a list of 50 families most in need among the 100 residents. The Vincentians also focus on children who receive free meals during the school year but not during summer or school breaks. Homebound seniors who require food assistance also receive groceries.   

The Vincentians rotate the group they assist with their food drives four times a year. The volunteers deliver them to a host house, putting the food closer to people they serve instead of requiring them to come to the parish.   

On Friday, Nov. 14, volunteers used about $4,000 in donations from parish members. On Saturday, people packed the boxes with nutritious food, including chicken, tuna and soup. The packages also included kid-friendly favorites like fruit roll ups, apple sauce, peanut butter and jelly. The conference members distributed grocery packages to families with school-age children, nominated by the director of a summer lunch program. Some 36 boxes were given away.   

This quiet service leaves an impression on the parish.   

“What is going on in the hearts of all these volunteers is that they are doing it for Jesus,” said Father Kochuparampil, “his words come alive: ‘Whenever you do it, you do it for me.’ Hence, for sure, there takes place a spiritual transformation in the lives of parishioners.”   

What can you do?  

• Don’t get intimidated by what the most active ministries are doing. Your approach to the ministry doesn’t have to model theirs.   
• Start by offering to assist with things like food pantries. Express an interest in learning more about the needs of your community.  
• Recognize any level of participation is more than what many are willing to do and will be appreciated.