Through works of service, local parishioners honor legacy of Dr. King
January 21, 2025 at 12:00 p.m.
UPDATED Jan. 21, 2025
Holy Eucharist Parish hall was buzzing the morning of Jan. 20 as parishioners and members of the wider community performed works of service to help people in need.
“People want to serve,” said Donna Remaley, catechetical leader in the Tabernacle parish, as she watched the hub of activity taking place before her. “If you give them the opportunities to do so, they’re excited to be able to help those who aren’t as fortunate.”
PHOTO GALLERY: Day of Service in Tabernacle Parish
PHOTO GALLERY: Day of Service in Medford School
Holy Eucharist was among parishes and Catholic schools in the Diocese of Trenton that honored the memory of slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by hosting a Day of Service and using their day off from work or school to aid others.
In Tabernacle, the annual Day of Service is organized by the parish’s LIFT (Living in Faith Together) religious education program. This year’s event drew about 60 local families who assembled utensil packets and created placemats and centerpieces for Cathedral Kitchen in Camden, which provides more than 300,000 meals each year to local residents in need.
Families from Holy Eucharist Parish's LIFT program engage in a day of service Jan. 20. Elizabeth Zimak photo A similar outreach effort occurred in Medford, where grade school and high school-aged youth, along with parents and adult chaperones, spent several hours in St. Mary of the Lakes School auditorium working in assembly line fashion to prepare 1,800 bag lunches for area soup kitchens and shelters.
Holy Eucharist parishioner Marie Hunter, who participated in the Day of Service with her husband and three children, said she felt it was important to show her children that the federal holiday honoring Dr. King isn’t just about having a day off from school.
“There’s meaning behind it,” Hunter said.
The Day of Service in Holy Eucharist Parish opened with prayer led by Father Michael McClane, pastor. Elizabeth Zimak photo
The Day of Service has become something that Colleen Neckelann, a member of Holy Eucharist Parish for 35 years, and her nine-year-old granddaughter, Nora, look forward to each year. Through their participation, Neckelmann said she and Nora have come to realize “how grateful we are for what we have and how we should help those who don’t have as much.”
Nora added, “It makes me feel good to help people in need.”
Amy Cajigas, a first-time participant in the Tabernacle event along with her son, Manny, expressed her appreciation that the Day of Service was community-driven. As a mother to seven children, three of whom are adopted, and Manny, who has Down syndrome, Cajigas noted that a big concern for her and her husband “is that all of our children are accepted and included.”
She said that her children have found a home in Holy Eucharist Parish, especially 13-year-old Manny.
“I carry the cross [at Mass],” Manny proudly shared, then added that helping the less fortunate at the Day of Service made him feel “great.”
Of the Day of Service, Father Michael McClane, Holy Eucharist pastor, said he felt the event truly reflected the mission of Dr. King and honored his legacy.
“I think that’s a great message to teach children – that each of us is a child of God,” he said.
Young parishioners of St. Mary of the Lakes Parish, Medford, work together to assemble bags of food for agencies that assist people in need. Courtesy photo
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UPDATED Jan. 21, 2025
Holy Eucharist Parish hall was buzzing the morning of Jan. 20 as parishioners and members of the wider community performed works of service to help people in need.
“People want to serve,” said Donna Remaley, catechetical leader in the Tabernacle parish, as she watched the hub of activity taking place before her. “If you give them the opportunities to do so, they’re excited to be able to help those who aren’t as fortunate.”
PHOTO GALLERY: Day of Service in Tabernacle Parish
PHOTO GALLERY: Day of Service in Medford School
Holy Eucharist was among parishes and Catholic schools in the Diocese of Trenton that honored the memory of slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by hosting a Day of Service and using their day off from work or school to aid others.
In Tabernacle, the annual Day of Service is organized by the parish’s LIFT (Living in Faith Together) religious education program. This year’s event drew about 60 local families who assembled utensil packets and created placemats and centerpieces for Cathedral Kitchen in Camden, which provides more than 300,000 meals each year to local residents in need.
Families from Holy Eucharist Parish's LIFT program engage in a day of service Jan. 20. Elizabeth Zimak photo A similar outreach effort occurred in Medford, where grade school and high school-aged youth, along with parents and adult chaperones, spent several hours in St. Mary of the Lakes School auditorium working in assembly line fashion to prepare 1,800 bag lunches for area soup kitchens and shelters.
Holy Eucharist parishioner Marie Hunter, who participated in the Day of Service with her husband and three children, said she felt it was important to show her children that the federal holiday honoring Dr. King isn’t just about having a day off from school.
“There’s meaning behind it,” Hunter said.
The Day of Service in Holy Eucharist Parish opened with prayer led by Father Michael McClane, pastor. Elizabeth Zimak photo
The Day of Service has become something that Colleen Neckelann, a member of Holy Eucharist Parish for 35 years, and her nine-year-old granddaughter, Nora, look forward to each year. Through their participation, Neckelmann said she and Nora have come to realize “how grateful we are for what we have and how we should help those who don’t have as much.”
Nora added, “It makes me feel good to help people in need.”
Amy Cajigas, a first-time participant in the Tabernacle event along with her son, Manny, expressed her appreciation that the Day of Service was community-driven. As a mother to seven children, three of whom are adopted, and Manny, who has Down syndrome, Cajigas noted that a big concern for her and her husband “is that all of our children are accepted and included.”
She said that her children have found a home in Holy Eucharist Parish, especially 13-year-old Manny.
“I carry the cross [at Mass],” Manny proudly shared, then added that helping the less fortunate at the Day of Service made him feel “great.”
Of the Day of Service, Father Michael McClane, Holy Eucharist pastor, said he felt the event truly reflected the mission of Dr. King and honored his legacy.
“I think that’s a great message to teach children – that each of us is a child of God,” he said.
Young parishioners of St. Mary of the Lakes Parish, Medford, work together to assemble bags of food for agencies that assist people in need. Courtesy photo