Divine Stories
Fr. Adam MacDonald, SVD (left) and a crew of volunteers help repair a local home in Gassaway, West Virginia.
There are two questions that donors never tire of asking charities such as ours. How did you use my donation? Did it make a difference in anyone’s life? We are posting these stories to answer these questions. We think you will like them. They are short and personal. The settings range from the South Side of Chicago to the “hollers” of West Virginia to the poor neighborhoods of Kingston, Jamaica. In every case, your generous support enabled our missionaries to touch the lives of people with the love of God. Thank you!
Diverse Pastoral Team Serves Multicultural Parish
Our missionaries strive to live in intercultural harmony both within the society and on mission with those from other cultures. We call it, “Prophetic Dialogue,” by what we mean interacting respectfully with people from other cultures and traditions. Welcoming, understanding and accepting the rich cultural diversity of its members and people we serve.
Planting Seeds and Reaping the Harvest
Fr. Adam is a member of the Tri-Province Vocation Team and writes about challenges of searching and accompanying candidates with missionary vacation.
Almost Heaven, West Virginia
We began our journey to West Virginia at daybreak the Saturday before Spring Break. We desired to feel God's presence and have His blessing for this new experience, so we began by praying the Liturgy of the Hours together.
He Did Small Things with Great Love
He had a gift for giving in the small ways that touch your heart, make you laugh or your job easier. His ministry was of small, everyday things—running an errand, fixing a machine, changing a watch battery, making a new staff member feel welcome, brushing snow off cars, helping ESL students with their English, showing them how to count change, writing a sympathy note to a friend or benefactor—so many missionary acts of kindness.
We Ordained Two Missionary Priests
Two men were ordained as Divine Word Missionary priests on May 28th in Chicago.
I Know I Will Never Be Adandoned
My experience of emigrating from Colombia to the United States was very good. I had a visa, so I did not have any problems entering the country. I have been a member of the parish for the past fourteen years and have been active in many areas.
Parish Language Program Helps a Man Discover He Is Being Cheated at Work
This story is about three people: a teacher, a student, and a pastor who is an SVD missionary. It is set at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Community in Lakewood, New Jersey, which has one of the largest Hispanic communities in the Diocese of Trenton.
Bringing the Love of God to Trauma Victims
Many of our missionaries are privileged to work alongside some extraordinarily talented members of the parish staff. One such missionary is Fr. Bob Kelly, SVD, who serves as the pastor of Our Lady of Africa Parish in Chicago. He works closely with staff member, Ladell Johnson, whose gifts for serving others in challenging and painful circumstances are seemingly limitless.
A Mother’s Grief Finds Peace
Very few of us have to cope with the challenge of living in a neighborhood with a high crime rate. Beyond that, very few of us will ever have to cope with the loss of a child. Genoria had to cope with both. When her daughter was killed in the crossfire between two gangs, our SVD priests came to her aid. Read more about her story and how your support helped.
Our Response to COVID-19 in West Virginia
The food pantry at Risen Lord Church in Maysel, Clay County, West Virginia is just one example of how we are responding. It used to provide food for 105 children a week through its backpack program at an elementary school in Clay County. When the local schools closed at the beginning of the pandemic, it served 1,167 students during the first week.
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