More Than Pies: Building The Hearth at St. Theresa Parish
By Warren Kirilenko
Evelyn and Irene helped turn a simple idea—and fruit donated from parishioners' gardens—into 100 homemade pies in support of our rectory renovation.
Sometimes building a stronger parish begins with something surprisingly simple: sour cherries, Saskatoon berries, apples and rhubarb from parishioners' gardens, willing hands, and an idea.
Irene joined Evelyn in spearheading the project, and soon Pam Classen, Marj Biccum, Lori Burechailo, and several other volunteers were lending their hands as well. Together they prepared fruit, made pastry, filled pies, packaged orders, and did all the little things necessary to turn an idea into reality.
And our parish responded: Seventy-five pies were pre-ordered.
Then Sunday arrived, and apparently those pies looked a little too good!
During pickup after Mass, another 25 pies were purchased by parishioners who hadn't pre-ordered, not realizing that those pies had already been spoken for. By the time everything was sorted out, there were 25 pre-orders still waiting for their pies.
So what did Evelyn and Irene do?
They came back to the church the next day and made 25 more.
That brought the final total to an incredible 100 homemade pies!
There is something both humorous and deeply touching about the whole story. Evelyn and Irene, could certainly have decided that 75 pies were enough. Instead, when they discovered that more were needed, they returned the following day, rolled up their sleeves, and finished the job.
That is dedication to your parish community.
And perhaps the unexpected demand tells us something else: when people in a parish step forward with a good idea, sometimes the community responds even more enthusiastically than anyone anticipated.
What makes this fundraiser especially meaningful is that the fruit itself came from within our own community. Parishioners shared sour cherries, Saskatoon berries, apples and rhubarb from their gardens. Some offered what they had grown. Others offered their time and talents. Still others supported the project by purchasing the finished pies.
Everyone brought something, but something more than pies was being made... Community was being built.
It Started With an Idea
Evelyn had an idea, Irene helped make it happen and then others joined them.
That is often how community grows.
Making a difference in a parish does not always begin with a committee or a large program. Sometimes it begins when someone sees an opportunity to serve and simply says: "I have an idea."
There are many people in our parish with gifts, skills, interests and passions that could bless our community. Not everyone is called to do the same thing, but everyone has something to offer.
One hope behind The Hearth at St. Theresa Parish is to create a parish culture where those gifts have room to grow.
What Is The Hearth? Building a Place to Belong
The work taking place in our parish hall is about much more than renovating a room.
Our hope is to create a warm and welcoming gathering place where relationships can grow, faith can deepen, and people can experience something every human being needs: A place to belong.
We envision The Hearth as a place for parish meetings, faith formation, guest speakers, prayer groups, retreats, men's and women's groups, pastoral care, games, bingo nights, movie studies and documentaries, meals, fellowship, community fundraisers, and perhaps activities and ministries we haven't even imagined yet.
As that vision grows, we also hope to equip the space to serve these gatherings well.
One dream is to purchase a large projection screen and laser projector so that an entire room, not simply those sitting closest to a television can comfortably participate in presentations, faith studies, retreats, documentaries, movie nights, bingo and other activities.
But these things are not ends in themselves.
A coffee bar isn't ultimately about coffee. Comfortable seating isn't simply about furniture. A projector isn't really about technology. They are tools for bringing people together.
The Hearth isn't ultimately about creating a beautiful room downstairs.
It is about creating opportunities for people to know one another, care for one another, grow in faith together, and discover that they have a place within our parish community.
One Body, Many Gifts
St. Paul gives us a beautiful image of the Church when he describes us as the Body of Christ:
"Now you are the body of Christ and individual members of it"
— 1 Corinthians 12:27
A healthy parish grows when people recognize that they belong to something larger than themselves and that the gifts God has given them can be offered in service to others.
One individual might cook, another might construct, someone else might teach, another might organize, one might pray, someone might visit a lonely person, and another might come up with a completely new idea. This is precisely what occurred with the pies. Evelyn introduced an idea, Irene took the lead, parishioners contributed fruit from their gardens, and Pam, Marj, Lori, along with others, offered their willing hands. Many people supported them by buying pies.
Different people. Different gifts. One Body.
This is part of what it means to become disciples of Christ, which is not simply attending church, but learning to be the Church for one another and for the people God places in our lives.
And when we build a parish where people are welcomed, known, needed and loved, we also create a community that others will want to become part of.
A Heartfelt Thank You
Thank you to Evelyn and Irene for having the courage and determination to take an idea and make it happen, and especially for coming back and making those unexpected extra 25 pies!
Thank you to Pam Classen, Marj Biccum, Lori Burechailo, and everyone who helped prepare and make the pies.
Thank you to the parishioners who generously shared sour cherries, Saskatoon berries, apples and rhubarb from their gardens.
And thank you to everyone who purchased a pie and supported the renovation of our parish rectory.
You raised funds for an important parish project, but you also showed us what is possible when members of a parish bring what they have, offer what they can, and work together.
Perhaps that is the most important part of this story.
If you have an idea that could bring people together, deepen our faith, serve someone in need, raise funds for a worthwhile project, create fellowship, or simply bring a little more joy into our parish community, we would love to hear it. You don't need to have everything figured out.
Sometimes it starts with an idea and a few people willing to say:
"I'll help."
Because the next beautiful thing that happens at St. Theresa Parish might begin with someone saying:
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