St. Isidore Center

Details: 27 September 2013

I am happy to announce that on Sept. 11, Bishop James Conley blessed our new St. Isidore Center, which includes a beautiful chapel (named after our patron St. Isidore) with the Blessed Sacrament, the St. Isidore Gift & Thrift Store, and a social service office where clients in need can meet with a social service case worker.

This is a realization of one of the four elements of our recent effort, the Expanding the Works of Mercy Campaign. Even though we had always helped individuals and families in the western portion of the Diocese of Lincoln, we now will be able to accomplish more because, in addition to the funds we previously spent in the area, the profits from the thrift store will be used for emergency services such as rent and utility assistance, and grants for clinical services for individuals who cannot afford counseling services for some reason. In other words, in addition to providing affordable furniture, appliances, kitchen wares and household goods and other countless items to those who come in to shop, the proceeds from the store will be spent in the area to help those in need.

We all need to be reminded that this is not just an Imperial project, in the same way our St. Francis Center is not just an Auburn project. The St. Isidore Center is meant to serve the entire western region like the St. Francis Center serves the southeastern section of the diocese. Therefore material donations are encouraged in the surrounding cities just as those living in the surrounding cities are eligible for assistance.

I would like to thank Bishop Conley for his support and for blessing our new center, Father Bernard Lorenz, the pastor of St. Patrick in Imperial and his parishioners for their support, our dedicated staff and volunteers and all those who supported us in this latest endeavor. A special word of thanks is needed for those who worked so hard in moving items and furniture from our old thrift store and into our new facility! All of you truly have helped us "Expand the Works of Mercy!"