Young adult group prays the stations then serves over 100 homeless at Penn Station 

After praying the stations of the cross, a group of 20- to 30-year-olds headed to the train station in Newark to hand out care packages and coffee to the homeless on a Friday night. 

During the event called “Stations to Station,” 25 men and women from the Essex County Young Adults distributed over 80 care packages, gift cards, and hot coffee to the unhoused at Penn Station in Newark after first praying at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in South Orange on Friday, March 8 

The event was sponsored by Our Lady of Sorrows, The Church of Saint Philomena in Livingston, and St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Church in Caldwell.  

The leadership team of Essex County Young Adults, a regional young adult Catholic group in Essex County, assembled the care packages ahead of the event. Based on feedback from a similar event hosted by the group during November, they stocked each package with the most requested items, such as snacks, warm weather attire, including socks, gloves, hats, hand warmers, and personal hygiene items, said Stephanie Sonnick, a Ministry Associate at Our Lady of Sorrows Church.  

As the group quickly ran out of care packages, the volunteers used their own money to buy additional gift cards and hot coffee for those in need at the station, Sonnick said. 

Father Andrew Lee, Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, said that the ethos guiding the Lenten initiative was “encountering Jesus through service to others.” 

The volunteers also spent time talking with people who found refuge at the station.  Following initial introductions, discussions ranged from general topics to the volunteers’ ministry, as well as the daily challenges for the unhoused, said Sonnick. 

Father Lee met Chip, who was so inspired by the group’s community service that he asked the volunteers to take him to Dunkin Donuts where he requested two dozen donuts. Chip then distributed them among his friends at the station and to strangers who were also resting there. Chip told Father Lee that forming connections at the station was easy, as everyone there was grappling with similar burdens. 

Sonnick said the event brought the young people closer to God during Lent. 

“It can be hard to find ways to serve the vulnerable in our society directly, especially as a busy young professional,” Sonnick said. “We wanted to offer people the opportunity to do that, serving in a faith context during the season of Lent, where Jesus asks us to give alms to help our hearts become more like His.” 

Participating in the event was both rewarding and eye-opening for the volunteers. 

“It was… a real blessing to encounter the diversity of needs in those we met,” Sonnick said. ” It was a gift to provide some material items, but it was most meaningful to be able to give people the gift of our time and a listening ear to hear anything they wanted to share.”  

She admitted how frequently she overlooks the homeless when she is “too busy,” recognizing that as selfish and un-Christian.  

“If what Jesus says is true in the Gospel, when I walk past that person, I walk past Christ Himself,” she said. 

The face-to-face engagement with the people she was serving moved volunteer Maureen Nealon. 

“For me, the part that I liked the most was the personal contact – smiling, receiving a hello, and recognizing the dignity of each person,” Nealon said. 

She stressed the significance of acknowledging that no individual holds superiority over another solely based on their housing or financial status. “We receive from each other,” she said.  

Nealon also noted a positive ripple effect of their presence at the station. As they left, she saw more converse, sharing the contents of their care packages, and engaging in the community.  

According to the archdiocesan Synod report released in the summer of 2022, Young Catholics who participated in the Synod said they are yearning for a Church they can actively engage in. While worship is important, they seek more activities, particularly in ways to give back to those less fortunate.

For those interested in getting involved with the Essex County Young Adults, contact Stephanie Sonnick at stephaniesonnick@gmail.com, or visit the group’s Instagram page for updates on upcoming events. 

Featured image: Young adukt group assembles care packages for the homeless. (Essex County Young Adults)