Events
Nearly 300 Backpacks Delivered for In-Need Families by Sisters of Saint Basil the Great
The drive was organized by Sister Teodora Kopyn, OSBM and the Sisters of Saint Basil the Great. Donations came from across the area, including Myrrh-Bearers Catholic Church in Swarthmore, Schuykill-Lehigh Valley Deanery, Gloria Dei Episocpal Church, William Ortlieb, Alexis Drolet and friends. Doors opened at 4 p.m. at the Basilian Spirituality Center at the Sisters of Saint Basil the Great Mother House, but lines began to form well in advance of the event.
How to Help
The back-to-school event is part of a larger outreach program run by the Sisters of Saint Basil the Great. The order runs the St. Basil Support Ministry in Jenkintown and the Good Samaritan Food Pantry in Philadelphia. Sr. Theodora, who leads both ministries, holds Bachelors and Masters degrees from Slovakia. She transferred from the Ukrainian Province of sisters to the United States a few years ago and started the food pantries three years ago. In addition, she visits the homeless on Kensington Avenue every week, delivering 250 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, bottled water and snacks.
The Sisters’ ministry helped earn the Order the Lumen Christi Award from the Catholic Extension Society. The award is the highest honor given by Catholic Extension to a person or institution who radiates and reveals the light of Christ present in the communities where they serve.
Currently, the ministry on Fox Chase Road is trying to raise money to renovate a small barn in order to have more space for food donations. They are also looking for drivers to help collect and distribute donations in the Philadelphia area. For more information, call Sr. Monica Lesnick, OSBM at (631) 432-9587 or Sr. Teodora Kopyn, OSBM at (215) 429-0560.
