With a ‘servant’s heart,’ teen campers help the needy across the Diocese

NORTH HALEDON  The outside of the second-floor windows in a group home of the diocesan De­part­ment for Persons with Disa­bilities (DPD) was in need of a cleaning. Last week, some of the teens, who volunteered as part of Catholic Heart Workcamp (CHWC), came to the rescue. They took turns leaping up on each other’s shoulders to give those hard-to-reach windows a thorough washing.

They were among 177 Catholic teens and adult chaperones from around the United States who took a “leap of faith” to bring their love of Christ and service to the poor in northern New Jersey, from July 18 to 22. These young people, including 22 from the Diocese, braved a 90+-degree heatwave to volunteer at agencies of diocesan Catholic Charities, including DPD, and in parishes, schools, religious communities, and agencies in other local Roman Catholic dioceses.

For a third year, volunteers of CHWC’s New Jersey camp stayed at Mary Help of Christians Novi­tiate and Academy here, run by the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, also known as the Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco. The campers visited sites in nor­thern New Jersey, including the Newark Archdiocese, to give help to Catholic outreaches. Volun­teers from the Diocese hailed from St. Lawrence the Martyr Parish in Chester and St. Luke the Evangelist Parish in Long Valley.

“Some campers started out nervous, for never having experienced CHWC before. But they trusted the Lord and saw how much of a difference they could make by being the hands and feet of Christ in this world,” said Allison Furnald, St. Lawrence’s youth minister, who led the group from St. Lawrence and St. Luke’s. She is married to Quinn Furnald, director of youth ministry and contemporary music at Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Parish in Cedar Knolls, who served as the musician for CHWC spiritual events at Mary Help. Years ago, the Furnalds met at a CHWC experience. “It was eye-opening for campers this summer,” she said.

Teams of campers visited several of DPD’s 12 group homes, which house and care for mentally disabled adults. They cleaned the inside and outside of the facilities, including sheds and garages and gardening. The teens worked at Calabrese House, Parsippany; Barnett and Fitzpatrick Houses in Pompton Lakes; and Columbus and Finnegan Houses in Oak Ridge. They also engaged with many group home residents, said Lori Flynn, DPD’s pastoral care director.

“The volunteers worked in the pouring rain and heat without complaint or frowns — in fact, with smiles and joy. They came to make our group homes beautiful. They were faith-filled, polite, and grateful for the chance to serve our people,” Flynn said.

At Straight and Narrow (S&N), Catholic Charities’ substance-abuse facility in Paterson, campers landscaped the outside of three buildings that house treatment programs, residences for clients, and administrative offices. Michael Rettagliata, head of the agency’s operations department, coordinated their efforts.

Campers also volunteered at sites of Catholic Family and Community Services (CFCS). They cleaned and reorganized items in the food pantries of Father English Community Center in Paterson, Hope House in Dover, and the Partner­ship for Social Services in Frank­lin. At Father English, they also reorganized clothing in its Thrift Shop and weeded the property, said Sister of Charity Maureen Sullivan, CFCS’s director of ministry services and volunteers.

For CFCS, campers also spruced up Friendship Corner Two daycare center in Paterson and played with the children there. They also spoke to and exercised with adults at the Paterson Adult Day Center, Sister Maureen said.

“At lunch, the teens prayed and reflected on what they were doing and why: carrying out the message of the Gospel by serving the poor in the name of Christ,” Sister Maureen said. “It was an engaging week with the young people,” she said.

At Mary Help, the Florida-based CHWC provided Quinn Furnald as the musician and coordinated with priests for a Mass to start each day. At night, they took part in worship and praise, followed by games and fellowship. Tuesday night featured Adoration. Wednesday night featured prayer and reconciliation, attended by several Catholic Charities’ staffers, Flynn said.

“The volunteers knelt on the grass or cement for outdoor Adoration and the lines for confession were long and reverent. Seeing this restored my faith to new levels in our young Catholics, who will keep the faith alive and thriving,” said Flynn, who attended the evening Adora­tion and reconciliation. “These young people could have been on vacation or on a beach. They all said they will be back next year,” she said.

Campers hailed from more than a dozen states and included a few teams of adults, 18–20. Volunteers were lodged in Mary Help Academy and ate meals prepared by CHWC cooks. Before it moved to Mary Help, the New Jersey base camp was located in North Arlington in the Newark Archdiocese. During the summer, a few parishes in the Diocese also send groups of teens and adults to volunteer at other CHWC sites around the U.S., said Elise Rossbach, a Catholic in the Diocese and manager of the New Jersey camp.

“It was a totally Catholic experience for the campers. They received the Eucharist every morning and took it out to their work sites to the poor,” Rossbach said. “They shared laughter and smiles. They left with a servant’s heart, if they didn’t have one already. Teens from our Diocese served locally. It reminded them that there are people in need close by,” she said.

Scott Milliken, CEO of Catholic Charities, said CHWC has “provided support for people, organizations, and communities in need for nearly 30 years.” It started with a camp in 1993 and “has grown into a global force,” he said.

“We are thankful to CHWC for three decades of service to Catholic Charities,” Milliken said. “Its support, spanning all three counties of the Diocese, will help us create hope for those most in need,” he said.