School Sisters of St. Francis Feed the Hungry With Second Annual "Joseph Bowls Supper"

MILWAUKEE - Feb. 6, 2014 - PRLog -- As part of their annual Feast of St. Joseph celebration on Wednesday, March 19, the School Sisters of St. Francis are once again having a soup supper fundraiser following their 5:30 p.m. Mass in historic St. Joseph Chapel.

The “Joseph Bowls Supper” event will again be held in the St. Joseph Center dining room, and will include both the meal with a choice of soups, breads, and desserts; and a one-of–a-kind, hand-painted bowl.  The suggested minimum donation is $25, though all donations in any amount are appreciated.

This event pairs two aspects of mission and ministry that are at the heart of the School Sisters of St. Francis community, according to Catherine Alexander, Mission Appeals Administrator for the community’s International Office of Mission Advancement.

“The alleviation of hunger is universal in all of our missions. This is a key social justice issue,” Alexander said. “And creating artwork has always been part of the congregation’s tradition.”

The goal of the event is to increase hunger awareness and to raise funds for School Sisters of St. Francis missions. Beneficiaries will include:
•   St. Josaphat Parish food pantry in Milwaukee, serving 50 families weekly
•   Casa Alexia Mission in El Paso, Texas, and Juarez, Mexico, serving 55 families monthly
•   Guadalupe Homes Orphanage, Santa Apolonia, Guatemala, serving more than 60 orphaned and abandoned children and teens
•   Asha Bhavan Center, Bangalore, India, serving 25 destitute or abandoned women

The fundraiser is a collaborative effort, bringing together many generous and creative people and local organizations.  After the success of last year’s event, new partnerships have grown.

“Joseph Bowls is such a great cause that it easily spreads,” said Alexander.  “This year has been excellent for reconnecting with last year’s participants and building new partnerships. Local potters have provided unpainted bowls. Teachers and students from several sponsored ministries and partner schools are helping by making and donating bowls, and the retired members of our congregation at St. Joseph Convent in Campbellsport will be painting bowls, as well. Each bowl will be a unique work of art.”

This year’s bowl painting and supply partners include: Alverno College, Pius XI High School, St. Joseph Catholic Academy in Kenosha, Murray Hill Pottery, Empty Bowls, St. Josephat Parish School, St. Thomas More High School, My Good Mourning Place, Shorewood High School, The Potter’s Shop, Womanspace of Rockford, Illinois, and the Fine Line Gallery in St. Charles, Illinois.

St. Joseph Center is the international motherhouse of the School Sisters of St. Francis, located at 1501 S. Layton Blvd. (Greenfield Avenue at 27th Street), Milwaukee.  Ample free parking is available in the School Sisters of St. Francis lot at 29th Street and Orchard Street.

For more information about this special event, please contact Catherine Alexander at 414-385-5343 or by email at calexander@sssf.org.

About The School Sisters of St. Francis

The School Sisters of St. Francis are an international community of Catholic sisters who unite with others to build a just and peaceful world. Founded in 1874, they now have sisters, associates, staff, donors and volunteers actively working to address the needs of those who are poor and marginalized by society. Their mission is thriving throughout the United States, Europe, Latin America and India.  In the U.S., School Sisters live and minister in 19 states, addressing needs in education, holistic wellness and healing, pastoral ministry, spiritual growth, social justice, and the arts. For more information about the School Sisters of St. Francis, please visit www.sssf.org