Workers in the Vineyard Seek to Understand Christ’s Call to Service

      Matthew Piscitelli, Graduate Student (Archeology)

            As this Lenten season draws to a close we may reflect upon what we have done as followers of Christ to revive or strengthen our relationship with God.  Frequently, we are encouraged to perform some sort of community service in addition to praying, fasting, and almsgiving.  The UIC Newman Center provides numerous opportunities to do the Lord’s work, such as comforting the homeless at the Our House of Mary and Joseph Shelter or mentoring a child as part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.  Nevertheless, as members of the Catholic community we are challenged to do more. 

            This past academic year I have devoted a Saturday per month to service at the Our Lady of Fatima food pantry.  Volunteering an occasional morning is a generous and rewarding experience; however, packing a grocery bag and offering a casual conversation, although beneficial, provide only temporary relief.  There are deeper economic, cultural, and sociopolitical issues in our society that create the need for us to serve those less fortunate.  As part of Workers in the Vineyard we explore these underlying problems in order to obtain a more comprehensive understanding and hopefully more effective solutions.

            Workers in the Vineyard is a group that meets each Wednesday at 6 pm in the Newman Center to discuss a topic of interest to its members.  Each week volunteers select a specific subject to research and present upon.  The diversity of topics, from homelessness and poverty to human trafficking and abortion, allows us to tackle a wide range of issues in order to develop constructive plans of social justice.  Heated debates, emotional personal experiences, and tragic real-life stories are punctuated by occasional discussions such as the criticism of a former U.S. President or praise of Jack Bauer’s undeniable manliness as star of Fox’s 24.  Ultimately, Workers in the Vineyard has provided me and its members deeper insight into the reasons for why there is a need to perform community service in the first place.  Our productive sessions have only strengthened our commitment to our brothers and sisters and hardened our resolve to persevere no matter how overwhelming or complicated a social issue may seem.  We hope that Workers in the Vineyard will continue to grow and inspire others to follow in Christ’s footsteps.