This is the first article posted on the St. Martin de Porres Website. The hope is to have many voices represented and contributing to these posts to communicate the work that is being done by the community. These updates will hopefully also explain why such actions are being done. The Gospels should be what is guiding those explanations. In addition to the Gospels, we will also be leaning on the rich tradition of the Catholic Worker movement, including the writings of the founders, Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin.
For example, a recent development at the Worker this winter has been the restoration of the community vegetable garden (official name to be decided soon). In November, a generous group of mostly St. Therese parishioners removed roughly fifty cubic yards of trash, brush, and debris that had accumulated over the past few neglected years. Recently, that same group had the fence surrounding the garden completely redone.
Peter Maurin emphasized that one of the three main aspects to the Catholic Worker Movement (along with round table discussions, and houses of hospitality) would be agronomic universities. These are supposed to be places where the “scholars can become workers and the workers become scholars”. Places where food can be grown to help alleviate the food insecurity that urban development can create. Feeding the hungry is one of the works of mercy.
In Allison Hill, the garden will attempt to satisfy Peter’s original vision by using a garden bed for our Saturday lunches served at the house. Another bed will produce food for the Church’s soup kitchen across the street. A few beds will be usable by the educational non-profit’s (Joshua Group) summer program. The remaining beds will be divided up amongst the households surrounding the garden.
The community looks forward to what the garden has to offer this spring. If you would like to contribute to the garden please consider donating money for beds, soil, and seeds, or reaching out to volunteer in the garden once the weather gets a bit warmer. Please keep returning to the website to see future updates and reflections.
