An Inside Look at the We Care Society: Answering the Call to Discipleship

Throughout the Gospels, Christ emphasizes that helping those in need is essential to discipleship. Just as Jesus spent much of His earthly ministry comforting the poor and healing the sick, we are also called to do our part to help our neighbors in need. How we answer this call depends on our particular gifts of time, talents, and treasure. With this in mind, St. Anthony of Padua’s We Care Society helps unify and bring us all together in this common discipleship mission.

“The We Care ministries are essentially our social outreach as a parish,” says Deacon Harry Cramer. “It’s sort of the outreach hub, funded by the parishioners who donate either to the monthly envelope or spontaneously because they have benefitted from the ministry or feel a calling on their hearts.”

Thus, rather than one single ministry, the We Care Society consists of several ministries categorized under one umbrella. It includes the Nursing Home Ministry, which visits and sends Christmas and Easter flowers to parishioners living in local assisted living facilities; the Greeting Cards Ministry, which sends notes to parishioners for graduations, birthdays, and other special life events; the Meal Program, designed to support individuals on a shortterm basis, such as after surgeries or the birth of a child; the Welcoming Committee, which delivers fruit baskets to new parishioners; and much more.

“Typically, representatives of each of these smaller ministries come together on the fourth Thursday of the month and each person reports on their particular ministry,” Deacon Harry says. “The meetings actually go on for quite a while because there is so much going on. We also do an overall financial report, sharing how the money donated to us is being spent.”

Deacon Harry says that in addition to coordinating actual ministries, the We Care Society also helps fund several initiatives within the parish and outside in the larger community. For example, We Care provides emergency funding those in need, purchases the materials needed for the Prayer Shawl Ministry, helps fund the Grief Share program and Funeral Dinner Ministry, and collects food for both Catholic Charities and the Ladies of Charity.

“The food collections are something we coordinate every month, alternating which of the two organizations we benefit,” Deacon Harry says. “We get a list of what is needed, such as canned goods or toiletry items, and the parish is just really good about donating. Then, We Care members coordinate delivering the items where they are needed.”

Through these efforts, Deacon Harry says the We Care ministry helps continue the beautiful legacy of outreach which goes back to the very beginning of both St. Anthony of Padua and St. Dominic Parishes. It enables the church to truly become the hands and feet of Christ, spreading the Gospel message through action.

“It’s a way that folks can exercise stewardship, and exercise that charitable arm of Jesus that we are called to be,” Deacon Harry says. “Our people really do a great job and together we are able to provide all of these different services to support those in need.”

If you are interested in making a real difference in the lives of others while sharing in fellowship, then the We Care Society may be for you! To join, simply attend one of the ministry’s monthly meetings, or contact Deacon Harry Cramer at 217-224-1160 or drumerboy52@live.com.

St. Dominic students collaborating on service projects as part of the We Care initiative.