Social Outreach Ministries
St. Stephen of Hungary Parish is committed to serving both our parishioners and our neighborhood.
Why not consider participating in one of the following? Call 212-861-8500 or send us an email
AIDS/HIV+ Ministry
Help those suffering with AIDS or who are /HIV+. Once a week from mid-September through mid-June, 15 to 20 people diagnosed as HIV+ are served a home-cooked supper. Guests also receive take-home groceries and a Metro card. If you can volunteer once a week or once a month, from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m., you can bring warmth and nutrition into the lives of a special group of people. Volunteers greet and sign-in guests in the Friary's Francis Room, serving supper, distributing groceries and transit cards, and cleaning up afterwards.
Bereavement Ministry
The loss of a loved one is always painful. Our Bereavement Ministry offers support and grief services to individuals in the parish and community who have recently experienced the loss of a loved one through death or separation. If you have experience in bereavement counseling, please consider helping us facilitate group meetings.
Ceili
Love to dance? Why not join our Ceili Committee? Formed in 1977 to promote and enhance Irish culture and to raise funds for the parish, the committee sponsors an annual dinner dance. Members help with the dance by preparing food, setting up and cleaning up afterwards.
Dances for People with Disabilities
Can you set aside two Friday evenings a year to bring joy to people with disabilities? Then, consider volunteering to help at a parish-sponsored dance for 100 to 125 people with developmental disabilities. Our guests, who come from throughout New York City, enjoy music, dancing, soda, and snacks from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall. Volunteers help to set up the hall, coordinate parking, serve refreshments, and clean up after the dance.
Dewitt Nursing Home Ministry
Help bring Mass to elderly residents of Dewitt Nursing Home. Every Sunday morning throughout the year, the parish celebrates Mass for residents of the nursing home, which is located on 79th Street between Second and Third Avenues. In addition to assisting the friars in the distribution of the Eucharist, Eucharistic ministers set up for the liturgies and prepare the vessels for the next week's liturgy. Ministers work in pairs and generally serve once a month.
Emergency Response Team
Reach out to your fellow New Yorkers during an emergency. Join our Emergency Response Team. In the event of an emergency or natural disaster, volunteers will help facilitate the opening of our church to the neighborhood. Water, light, comfort/companionship, and a safe haven will be provided to those in need.
Ministry to the Homebound
The Homebound Ministry serves the physical, social and spiritual needs of people of all ages who have difficulty leaving their homes due to illness, disability or frailty. Services provided by volunteers include friendly visiting, telephone reassurance, shopping, accompaniment to medical appointments, and assistance with minor household chores. Volunteers also distribute the Eucharist and help to make arrangements for other sacraments that are requested, including Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick. Let our homebound parishioners know that they are not forgotten, by joining our Ministry to the Homebound.
Ronald McDonald House Ministry
Reach out to visitors to New York City whose children are seriously ill. The Ronald McDonald House, located at 405 East 73rd Street, provides a home away from home for families of children receiving treatment for serious illnesses. Once a month, the parish serves the residents supper to allow them an opportunity to relax and dine with other families. Volunteers prepare the food at home and bring it to the House for the meal. Frequency of participation is according to your preference.
Secular Franciscans
Founded by St. Francis of Assisi as one of the three Franciscan Orders, Secular Franciscans devote themselves to applying the Gospel in their lives after the manner of St. Francis and St. Clare. Members seek to make the world a better place for all through special concern for peace, justice, equality, and ecological responsibility. Meetings occur at the parish on a monthly basis, and consist of spiritual exercises, prayer meetings, and days of recollection.
Yorkville Common Pantry Ministry
Join St. Stephen's work in supporting the Yorkville Common Pantry (YCP). YCP is dedicated to reducing hunger while promoting dignity and self-sufficiency. It provides food and meal distribution, nutrition education, basic hygiene services, homeless support, and related services. St. Stephen's invites parishioners to donate food in announced monthly collections, to volunteer time in organizational programs, and to support YCP's fundraising efforts.
