SAINT HERMAN HOUSE NEWSLETTER
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Dear Brothers and Sisters, Friends of the St. Herman House, Glory to Jesus Christ! I trust this newsletter finds you well as we continue our Lenten Journey towards the empty tomb, Christ’s glorious resurrection, the Great and Holy Pascha. For those of you among our supporters who have already celebrated Easter I say, Christ is risen! Oftentimes we hear in the prayers of our Bishops, Priests, and others the phrase “God-protected.” Usually, the one who is pray- ing is confessing our faith that God Himself does protect certain people and places. The prayer will go something like this, “O’ Lord, bless this God-protected Archdiocese,” or “this God-protect- ed Church.” Perhaps we will hear, “Look down O Lord and bless this God-protected people.” How do we know when something is God-protected? There could be many answers to this biblically, theologically, and practically. Speaking of His Body the Church, Jesus Christ said, “The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18). That sounds God-protected to me! And the Church of Jesus Christ is still pres- ent in this world quite literally, and mystically when we consider those who have gone before us to their rest. Shortly after my arrival at the St. Herman House in Cleveland, I began to marvel at its tenacity and endurance. In its thirty-fifth year, when I began to labor here, I was amazed at how God pro- vided, amazed at how all my worries about enough food to feed, enough resources to meet our financial obligations, and enough volunteers to do the work melted away. It was even more of a marvel as I began to realize how much of our ongoing work just kept going through many years of ups and downs. This was due in large part to the fact that the people we serve, particularly the men we shelter, will always pick up the banner, bear the torch, and make sure meals are served, clothing is distributed, and grocery sacks are given. They have done this many times and in the midst of great adversity. It also struck me that even if I fail, or fall, someone will carry-on, and this, I believe, is what it means to be God-protected. If God wants a good work to continue, it will, and nothing, including our own human weakness, will stop it. These thoughts gave birth to a tradition we have at the St. Herman House which is now approaching thirty-nine years in operation. We keep a ladle hanging on a podium in the front of our chapel. It is an icon, if you will, of the God-protected service we render to others. At the end of the Ninth Hour Prayers which we pray every Monday through Saturday at 4:00 PM, I lift up the ladle and ask, “If I should fall, who will feed the poor?” The Men of the House respond, “I will!” A small tradition expressing a big faith, faith in God and His protection over us. God bless you and your families in this beautiful season. Please keep us in your prayers, and as you are able, consider giving to our ongoing work. Your fellow servant in Christ, H. Paul Finley, Local Director SAINT HERMAN HOUSE NEWSLETTER FOCUS North America - Cleveland
Transcript of SAINT HERMAN HOUSE NEWSLETTER
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Friends of the St. Herman House,
Glory to Jesus Christ! I trust this newsletter finds you well as we continue our Lenten Journey towards the empty tomb, Christ’s glorious resurrection, the Great and Holy Pascha. For those of you among our supporters who have already celebrated Easter I say, Christ is risen!
Oftentimes we hear in the prayers of our Bishops, Priests, and others the phrase “God-protected.” Usually, the one who is pray-ing is confessing our faith that God Himself does protect certain people and places. The prayer will go something like this, “O’ Lord, bless this God-protected Archdiocese,” or “this God-protect-ed Church.” Perhaps we will hear, “Look down O Lord and bless this God-protected people.”
How do we know when something is God-protected? There could be many answers to this biblically, theologically, and practically. Speaking of His Body the Church, Jesus Christ said, “The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18). That sounds God-protected to me! And the Church of Jesus Christ is still pres-ent in this world quite literally, and mystically when we consider those who have gone before us to their rest.
Shortly after my arrival at the St. Herman House in Cleveland, I began to marvel at its tenacity and endurance. In its thirty-fifth year, when I began to labor here, I was amazed at how God pro-vided, amazed at how all my worries about enough food to feed, enough resources to meet our financial obligations, and enough volunteers to do the work melted away.
It was even more of a marvel as I began to realize how much of our ongoing work just kept going through many years of ups and downs. This was due in large part to the fact that the people we serve, particularly the men we shelter, will always pick up the banner, bear the torch, and make sure meals are served, clothing is distributed, and grocery sacks are given. They have done this many times and in the midst of great adversity.
It also struck me that even if I fail, or fall, someone will carry-on, and this, I believe, is what it means to be God-protected. If God wants a good work to continue, it will, and nothing, including our own human weakness, will stop it. These thoughts gave birth to a tradition we have at the St. Herman House which is now approaching thirty-nine years in operation. We keep a ladle hanging on a podium in the front of our chapel. It is an icon, if you will, of the God-protected service we render to others. At the end of the Ninth Hour Prayers which we pray every Monday through Saturday at 4:00 PM, I lift up the ladle and ask, “If I should fall, who will feed the poor?” The Men of the House respond, “I will!” A small tradition expressing a big faith, faith in God and His protection over us.
God bless you and your families in this beautiful season. Please keep us in your prayers, and as you are able, consider giving to our ongoing work.
Your fellow servant in Christ,
H. Paul Finley, Local Director
S A I N T H E R M A N H O U S E N E W S L E T T E R
FOCUS North America - Cleveland
During the week of March 14th through the 18th, we were blessed to be the benefactors of an OCF Real Break (Orthodox Christian Fellowship) at the St. Herman House FOCUS Cleveland. Four outstanding college students signed-up for a week of service to Cleveland’s inner city. What the group lacked in size it made up for with enthusiasm.
Arriving on Clean-Monday, the first day of Great Lent in the Orthodox Church, the students decorated the chapel in purple for the season. After participation in the Ninth Hour Prayers, students assisted in serving dinner, and this was followed by the Canon of St. Andrew of Crete with the faithful of Cleveland’s historic St. Theodosius Orthodox Church (OCA).
Hosted in the home of Director Paul Finley and his wife Deborah, the student’s evenings were filled with discussions about service and fulfilling Christ’s mandate to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, comfort the sick, and visit the prisoner.
There is no way to fully exhaust everything that was done throughout the week, but activities included the following:
•Assisting with meal service•Assisting with the clothing pantry giveaway•Eating with those we serve and engaging with them personally•Participating in the prayer cycle of St. Herman House•Clearing out a storage area to make more room to shelter homeless men•Unloading donations of food and clothing•Delivering food to the outside population (those living under bridges in the area, and in make-shift shelters along the Cuyahoga River downtown)•Food Pick-up at Greater Cleveland Food Bank•Assembly of Hygiene Kits at St. Paul Community Church for St. Herman’s and Trials for Hope
Students were also privileged to celebrate the Presanctified Liturgy on Wednesday evening with the Faithful of St. Matthew Orthodox Church in North Royalton, Ohio. And on Thursday, these OCF students sorted about a dozen boxes of clothing at Cleveland’s ZOE for Life in Parma, Ohio where Executive Director, Kathy Kovalak, gave us a very informative tour of their new facility. ZOE for Life is a ministry to expectant mothers in crisis and provides many other related services
Finally, the week was not without some enjoyable moments. Inasmuch as it is Great Lent, we ate at almost every vegan/vegetarian restaurant in the area. For future tourist’s, the Westside’s Root Café in Lakewood, OH is awesome, and the Eastside’s Tommy Boy near University Circle in Coventry is amazing! The last full day ended with a tour of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and fine dining in the Warehouse District at Taza’s, an upscale Middle-Eastern Restaurant.
Many thanks to Spyridoula Fotinis (NJ), Larry Butros (KY), Felicia Juliano (TX), and Daniel Coffman (IN), for giving up a typical Spring Break for a “Real Break” at St. Herman’s!
OCF Real Break: Cleveland
St. Herman HouSe - FoCuS Cleveland3rd annual GolF ClaSSiC
All proceeds benefit St. Herman House - FOCUS Cleveland. St. Herman’s provides on average 230 hot meals a day to the community and houses
up to 40 men per night. Funds raised will also support the Transitional Housing Program and our Jobs Program that employed an average of 12 men per month.
Thank you in advance for your support of St. Herman House!
Hinckley Hills Golf Course300 State Road - Hinckley, OH
June 24, 2016 - 12:00 noon
FOCUS North America is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation.
SponSorShip opportunitieSGrand Benefactor- $5,000One Foursome, Signage at Registration/Dinner, Sign on Tee or Green, Reserved Table at Dinner, Event/Program Recognition, Invitation RecognitionGolfinG Benefactor- $1,400One Foursome Sign on Tee or Green Event/Program RecognitionBenefactor - $1,000Event/Program Recognition Sign on Tee or Green 4 Dinners dinner SponSor - $1,500Signage at Dinner Program Recognition 4 Dinners reGiStration/lunch SponSor - $1,000Sign at Registration Program Recognition 2 DinnersBeveraGe SponSor (2) - $750Sign on Beverage Cart Program Recognition hole SponSor - $250Sign on Tee or Greenad SponSorShipS◊ Full Page Ad in Program - $200◊ 1/2 Page Ad in Program - $100◊ 1/3 Page Ad in Program - $50
dinner ticket only - $50
4-Person Scramble Includes:18 Holes of Golf w/Cart, Lunch, Beverages, Dinner
SinGle Golfer: $150 - Regular Registration
(Save $25/golfer by registering a full foursome)fourSome:
$500 - Early Bird - Prior to May 28th$600 - Regular Registration
Prizes For:1st, 2nd & 3rd Place Teams
Special Events:Hole in OneMulligans
SkinsOn-Course Contests
Raffle/Auction
For More InformationEmail: [email protected]
Call: Kirk at 216-973-9391
FacebookSt. Herman’s House of Hospitality - FOCUS Cleveland
www.sainthermans.com
Hole in One Sponsor See Bill Klonaris or Bill Anton for all your
Automobile needs!(440) 439-2323
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St. Herman’s Quotable Moment Returning to print out some resumes saved on our computer in the main office, a sharply dressed, broadly smiling former shelter resident said:“I am working full-time as head of maintenance at an apartment complex, they are giving me a place to live, and it is going great! I never could have done it without St. Herman’s and all that you guys did for me.” -Ronald Wilson
SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY - 2015 TOTAL-Meals served: 82,913 -Men receiving clothing: 522-Grocery bags distributed: 1,378-Total Number of men receiving shelter in 2015: 69-Total Number of men receiving transitional housing in 2015: 14-Current number of men in Shelter and Transitional House as of March 31st, 2016: 36
