This ministry helps extend the care of our parish community to our neighbors in need. Members collect and deliver food and other donated items from parish drives to local organizations, including the Roarke Center and CoNSERNS-U, helping ensure that the generosity of our parishioners reaches individuals and families throughout our community.

Interested in helping with collections or deliveries? Contact Bill Prendergast

Food for the Soul is an outreach of the St. Michael’s Women’s Guild that helps care for people experiencing homelessness in our community. Members prepare sandwiches and provide food and bottled water to Joseph’s House, where staff distribute them to those they serve.

Through this simple and practical act of generosity, parishioners help provide nourishment and care to some of our most vulnerable neighbors.

Interested in helping with Food for the Soul? Contact Margaret Willard

The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic fraternal organization for men committed to putting their faith into action through service to the Church, their families, and their communities. Founded in 1882 by Blessed Michael J. McGivney, the Knights are guided by four principles: Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism.

St. Jude the Apostle Council 12637 has served the Wynantskill community since 2000. The Knights support our parish and local community through charitable projects, family activities, youth programs, and plenty of hands-on service.

Throughout the year, you may find the Knights:

• providing Bibles and savings bonds for children baptized at St. Jude;
• supporting Coats for Kids, Thanksgiving food drives, and Christmas Adopt-a-Family efforts;
• sponsoring youth activities including local bowling, Little League, and the annual Basketball Free Throw Contest;
• hosting the monthly All-You-Can-Eat Breakfast and participating in the St. Jude International Food Festival;
• supporting parish events such as movie nights and other faith- and community-building activities;
• caring for the community through the Adopt-a-Road program;
• lending a hand to other St. Jude ministries with cooking, setup, cleanup, and whatever else needs to be done; and
• raising funds to assist local families and charitable organizations throughout the Capital District.

In other words, look for the guys in the green shirts! Whether they're serving breakfast, collecting coats, helping another parish ministry, or working somewhere in the community, there's a good chance you'll find the Knights lending a hand.

Catholic men who would like to grow in faith, build friendships with other Catholic men, and serve their parish and community are invited to learn more about the Knights.

Council 12637 meets on the first Monday of each month at St. Jude the Apostle School in Wynantskill. Meetings are approximately one hour, and members participate in activities as their schedules allow.

Interested in learning more or becoming a Knight? Contact Mike or Randy

The Outreach Ministry helps extend the generosity of our parish community to organizations serving people in need. Through financial assistance and support of local charitable efforts, the ministry helps parish resources reach organizations doing important work throughout our community.

Interested in learning more about Outreach? Contact Kathy Rosenbaum

The Social Justice Ministry puts our Catholic faith into action by responding to the needs of people in our local community. Rooted in Catholic social teaching and Christ's call to care for our neighbors, members organize projects throughout the year that support children and families, veterans, people experiencing poverty, older adults, and others in need.

Through partnerships with Catholic Charities agencies and other community organizations, parishioners have many practical opportunities to participate in works of mercy and service.

Some of our projects include:

• Christmas Giving Tree — providing gifts for families served by the Roarke Center and CoNSERNS-U.
• Easter Baskets & Back-to-School Drives — supporting children in Rensselaer through Circles of Mercy.
• Annual Baby Shower — collecting needed items for mothers and babies served by Catholic Charities' Community Maternity Services.
• Veterans' Collections — gathering personal care and hygiene items for veterans served by the Stratton VA Medical Center.
• Beet Hunger! — sharing excess produce from parishioners' gardens with local food pantries.
• Food Rescue — delivering donated Panera breads, bagels, and pastries to the City Mission of Albany.
• Thanksgiving Meals — providing complete holiday meals for local families in need.
• Community Service Projects — including planting and maintaining flowers and shrubs at Troy Center and respectfully cleaning the headstones of the Sisters of St. Joseph at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Troy.

Respect Life is part of the Social Justice Ministry and is rooted in the Catholic conviction that every human life possesses God-given dignity and must be respected and protected from conception to natural death.

The ministry helps parishioners learn about and respond to issues affecting human life and dignity, including abortion, assisted suicide, care for mothers and children, racism, poverty, the death penalty, and other concerns addressed by Catholic social teaching.

Our Respect Life efforts seek not only to affirm the dignity of human life in words, but also to put that belief into practice through prayer, education, service, and care for people at every stage of life.

Interested in participating in Social Justice or Respect Life? Contact Ellen Hotz