St. Mary’s Parish of Pompton Lakes recently formed a new ministry called Holy Bones. The ministry's mission is to employ people with intellectual disabilities in baking and packaging all-natural dog biscuits.
Sept. 19 was the first baking date, and the launch happened on Oct. 8 at the Paws in the Park Festival in Hawthorne, where 170 Holy Bones packages were sold.
“The bakers came with me because I want them to see the whole cycle, how their baking and packaging is making a difference in the lives of some people and their doggies,” said Marie Cioletti, coordinator of the Special Needs Ministry at St. Mary’s for almost 40 years.
Cioletti learned of a like ministry out of Delaware and mentioned it to former St. Mary’s pastor, Father Frank Critch, O.F.M.
“I thought, ‘We’re a Franciscan parish; we can do this,” Cioletti said.
Father Critch agreed, and a forward motion was set. An advisory board of five persons was formed, which included Cioletti; a parent of a person with a disability; a kitchen aide who came from Delaware and knew a lot about what St. Mary’s had to do and what was needed to proceed; an owner of a local doggie daycare; and Julie Tatti, the former executive director of the Department for Persons with Disabilities (DPD) for the Diocese of Paterson. The board met initially in April, spent many months planning, and received a grant from a Franciscan province in New York.
“We used the grant to buy major appliances like a mixer and a (dough) sheeter. We had to work on a logo, a website, all of the things that go into a business, and we developed the name called ‘Holy Bones,’ ” said Cioletti.
About 20 volunteers and two kitchen managers help with the baking, which is done from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
“I have been volunteering with the special needs community for seven years,” said Joyce Dean. “These young women and men lead complicated lives due to their disabilities, yet they are an example of who we all should be. They are nonjudgmental, kind, and caring to each other. They appreciate even the small things you do for them and do not fail to say, ‘Thank you.’ When I work beside them at Holy Bones, I see they are proud of their work and feel productive. Why do I volunteer with them? It’s simple. They make me happy, and I truly receive more than I give.”
Fellow volunteer, Peggy Smolen, says, “Where can you find a more special group of friends? In the kitchen at St. Mary’s on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings. You will find a group of people with a challenge who are kind, considerate, and proud. They are proud of their work: making Holy Bones dog biscuits for your favorite pet. They are made with love and guidance from above as they laugh, help, and encourage each other. They mix the dough, roll the dough, cut each biscuit by hand, bake the biscuits, package the biscuits, and — the best part — sell those biscuits. As I witness God’s love through the hands and hearts of my special friends, I am grateful for the opportunity!”
“It’s a terrific, terrific ministry,” said Father John Aherne, O.F.M., current administrator of St. Mary’s Parish, which has a congregation of about 3,500 families. “Honoring this community and welcoming them and reminding them that they're not forgotten is key to who we are as Franciscans.”
He also mentioned that the Catholic Church has always taught about the value and dignity of work.
“Work is not something we are kind of cursed to do, but rather Adam and Eve worked before the fall, and there is something good and noble and dignified about work. Our Catholic social teaching tells us that everyone is entitled to work. It gives the person worth and self-respect. Too often, people with intellectual disabilities are not given the opportunity to work. They are not given the opportunity to show that they can contribute to society but also give themselves a sense of worth and dignity. That's very important, too.”
For more information, visit holy-bones.org