Outreach & Pastoral Care

St. Joseph Community BeFrienders provide pastoral care for people in all kinds of difficult and transitional situations. They listen with compassion, accept people as they are, respects another’s spiritual journey, and embodies the caring presence of God. BeFrienders are trained volunteers who extend the care of the St. Joseph Community.

If you are interested in learning more about or becoming a BeFriender, contact us at BeFrienders@StJosephCommunity.org or 651-423-4402.

The St. Joseph Community Card Ministry expresses the love of God to those St. Joseph Community members (or their loved ones) that are facing difficult times, health issues, incapacity, home bound, aloneness, as well as special events or joyous times. The Card Ministry conveys the St. Joseph Community message of prayer, connection and care.

To learn more about volunteering with the Card Ministry contact us at volunteer@StJosephCommunity.org or contact the Parish Office at 651-423-4402.

The Coats for Kids program has been keeping Twin Cities children warm for over 30 years. In that time, donors have provided roughly 334,000 coats and winter accessories to local families in need. The annual coat drive is held in September/October and coats can be dropped off by the Kiosk. St. Joseph Community then distributes these items to our local food shelf, Community Action Partnership (CAP).

To learn more about volunteering with the coat drive contact us at volunteer@StJosephCommunity.org or contact the Parish Office at 651-423-4402.

St. Joseph Community believes in assisting those who need extra help, especially with the basic need for food. During the first weekend of the month, you are invited to bring non-perishable food items to the church and drop them off by the kiosk. St. Joseph Community then distributes these food items to our local food shelf, Community Action Partnership (CAP).

To learn more about volunteering with the Food Drive contact us at volunteer@StJosephCommunity.org or contact the Parish Office at 651-423-4402.

St. Joseph Community funeral hospitality ministry offers a luncheon after a funeral. The luncheon provides a time for family and friends to gather, share stories and be in fellowship with one another. Volunteers with this ministry can help set-up, serve, clean-up, or provide desserts upon request. If helping during the actual funeral luncheon time doesn’t fit in your schedule (typically between 9am-1pm), consider volunteering your baking talents and provide a dessert. To learn more about volunteering with the funeral luncheon ministry or being able to help provide a dessert when needed, contact us at volunteer@StJosephCommunity.org or call the Parish Office at 651-423-4402.

The Giving Tree event is a St. Joseph Community project in conjunction with local agencies including CAP, Angel Tree (families of those imprisoned), Pregnancy Choices, Lewis House and parishioners from the St. Joseph Community. The Giving Tree gift drive provides Christmas presents for about 50 families who are in need during the Christmas season. The Giving Tree drive typically occurs in the early part of December and everyone is invited to help donate items. Additional volunteers are needed to help with sorting, organizing, and wrapping gifts.

To learn more about volunteering for the Giving Tree contact us at volunteer@StJosephCommunity.org or contact the Parish Office at 651-423-4402.

St. Joseph Community supports the Growing Through Loss program which has been offering an inter-denominational ministry since 1994 and provides support to grieving individuals and families. Each year the organization offers two 4-week series (fall and spring) hosted by various supporting churches. The evening begins with a professional speaker, followed by support groups for various types of loss, including death, divorce, loss of job, loss of health, mid-life changes, etc.

To learn more about the Growing Through Loss program and current dates, contact the Parish Office at 651-423-4402 or info@StJosephCommunity.org.

Haiti

St. Joseph Community partners with the organization Mission of Hope and travels to Haiti during the summer (typically end of June or early July). The adult mission team works with children through VBS, interacts with local villagers to help create a census, as well as work on various projects supported by St. Joseph Community parishioners. In the past, the group has been able to build a home, re-roof a house, provide water filters and goats to families in need, build latrines, plant trees, and donate various supplies.

To learn more about supporting the Haiti mission team or to go on a Haiti mission trip, contact us at Haiti@StJosephCommunity.org or contact the Parish Office at 651-423-4402.

2019 Trip Update - Due to political strife in Haiti and safety concerns for the St. Joseph Community Adult Mission Team, we will now be serving in the Dominic Republic for the Summer of 2019. We will still be going through "Mission of Hope" and all funds raised will go towards those in need in the Dominic Republic. Please keep the people of Haiti in your prayers and we hope to return to Haiti in 2020.

Check out the Haiti Mission Team Blog!

To learn more about our Prayer Chain Ministry, click here.

Hand knit and crocheted prayer shawls are made by St. Joseph Community volunteers and then distributed to parishioners, and those in the community, suffering from illness, loss or in need of healing or consolation. The prayer shawls bring physical warmth and spiritual comfort to those in need. Each prayer shawl is blessed and prayed over before being distributed by the St. Joseph Community Pastoral Care team.

If you are interested in created shawls to be distributed, please do so and drop them off at the parish office once complete. If you would like more direction on sizing or other information about volunteering with this ministry, please contact us at volunteer@StJosephCommunity.org or the Parish Office at 651-423-4402.

Do you, or do you know someone who would benefit from receiving a prayer shawl? Contact us at PastoralCare@StJosephCommunity.org or 651-423-4402.

The St. Joseph Community Prison Ministry provides an active and meaningful Catholic presence to those in prison and their families. Volunteers participate not to judge, but to be the face of Jesus Christ, and let the insiders know that they are not forgotten or alone. The Prison Ministry also seeks to build a consortium of churches in the Archdiocese to increase lay participation. The Prison Ministry meets on the 2nd and 3rd Thursday of the month.

To learn more about the Prison Ministry or to inquire about volunteering, contact us at volunteer@StJosephCommunity.org or contact the Parish Office at 651-423-4402.

The St. Joseph Community Respect Life Group provides catechesis and evangelizes about issues regarding the sanctity of life. Topics include: abortion, euthanasia, suicide prevention, end of life issues, capital punishment, human trafficking, amnesty international, and Catholic social teaching. The Respect Life group meets on the 1st Monday of the month at 9am (following the 8:30am Mass).

To learn more about the Respect Life group contact us at info@StJosephCommunity.org or contact the Parish Office at 651-423-4402.

The fall school supply drive is designed to provide basic school supplies for children whose parents cannot afford the items necessary for their children to succeed in school. St. Joseph Community conducts the drive at the end of July and early August, and then distributes these items to our local food shelf, Community Action Partnership (CAP).

To learn more about volunteering with the school supply drive contact us at volunteer@StJosephCommunity.org or contact the Parish Office at 651-423-4402.

The Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis (as well as St. Joseph Community) is committed to assisting those who are victims and/or survivors of abuse. Click here to view the Archdiocesan Victim/Survivor Assistance brochure. You can also call the Archdiocese's Victim Assistance Program at 651-291-4475.