Followers of St. Francis

By Patrick Carolan

The Long and Winding Road of Faith

Our spiritual paths are hardly straight lines. Rather, the many twists and turns along the way are evidence of our stumbling toward the life God is calling us to. Jim Hodska can attest to that. Jim grew up as part of the post-World War II generation in Stratford, Connecticut, a suburb of Bridgeport. His early life was typical of a White middle-class Catholic family. Going to church was more about fulfilling certain obligations, such as attending Mass every Sunday, going to confession, and receiving the sacraments.

As Jim got older, he began to feel an uneasiness about his faith. “I have always struggled with my place in the Catholic Church,” he says. “For years, I felt that my faith should be foundational to the way I live my life, yet I was not getting that from the Church.” The joys and challenges of raising a family and building a career put Jim’s spiritual struggles on the back burner for some time. But still, the yearnings were there.

DRAWN TO SERVICE

His career in sales and marketing took him to various parts of the country until he eventually came home and settled down in Stratford. Jim married the love of his life, Andrea, 56 years ago. They bought a house and raised four children in the Catholic faith. If Jim’s story ended there, he would have been described as a good Catholic family man who cared about others, someone who wouldn’t hesitate to reach out and help a friend in need. But the notion lingered in Jim’s mind that there was more to being a person of faith than attending church on Sunday and receiving the sacraments.

When Jim retired he could have chosen to live out his life in comfort, spending time with his growing family of grandchildren, traveling around the country with Andrea, and taking up golf. Instead, he began a period of self-reflection and study on Catholic social teaching. Jim has also always

Jim Hodska (foreground) leads a group of volunteers in prayer before going to the Bridge, an outreach ministry of St. James Parish in Stratford, Connecticut. been drawn to St. Francis and the Franciscan charism. “St. Francis showed that giving to the poor is not enough,” Jim says. “We must progress from sympathy to empathy and compassion, which will lead to transformation. We have to be with the poor.” He began to understand that the Church is not only in a building but also out in the world, especially where there is suffering.

Father Tom Lynch, a friend for over 60 years and Jim’s pastor for more than 30 years, describes Jim as “always having a passion for life and part of that was to continually deepen his faith. He was always committed to charitable giving, but through the years I watched him begin to build relationships with the poor and marginalized. Listening to their stories, Jim became a voice for social justice. He really strives to live the radical demands of the Gospel.”

BUILDING BRIDGES

At his parish, St. James in Stratford, Jim helped found a ministry called the Bridge. The idea is centered on the concept that on one side are people with resources and on the other are people with needs. Jim and his team of volunteers would go to nearby Bridgeport and bring food, clothing, and

At the Bridge, volunteers from St. James Parish bring food, clothing, and personal-care items to those in need in Bridgeport, Connecticut. What started as a small group now numbers around 50 volunteers.

The food pantry at St. James Parish is fully reliant on donations from the congregation. Every Wednesday morning, the parish opens its doors to those in need.

Jim Hodska with his wife, Andrea, and great-grandson, Connor

personal-care items to the poor and homeless who congregate under a highway overpass. “Like St. Francis, this is our opportunity to stand with the poor and to understand their lives at a deeper level,” Jim says. The Bridge started with a handful of people gathering and spending time with the poor and homeless. It evolved into a team of over 50 volunteers, including parents and children.

While it certainly helped those being served, it was also transformative for the parish and volunteers. Jim Travers, a volunteer with the Bridge, describes his experience: “Jim and our pastor, Father Tom Lynch, were among the first to get me out of my comfort zone and show me, by example, how to start walking instead of just talking about loving my neighbor. He’s a consistent and always zealous promoter of the beatitudes, and because of Jim and others like him (most notably his wife, Andrea), our parish exemplifies the spirit of Matthew 25:35–36 [‘For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me’].”

Another fellow parishioner, Janine Walsh, says about Jim: “When I would see Jim in conversation with homeless people, his eyes were always full of love. It is easy to see he is living his faith in an active, tangible way.” In addition to the Bridge, Jim helped start and run a food pantry, soup kitchen, and a community garden where all the vegetables grown go to the food pantry. He started discussion groups around the connection between justice and charity. His actions helped transform St. James from a place where people attended Mass on Sunday to a community where people came together to bring about change.

“For me, standing with the poor has transformed me,” says Jim. “I view the world and its politics through a different lens. I believe that a Church that does so much charity work for the poor must take the lead in social justice.”

ST. ANTHONY BREAD

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FRANK JASPER, OFM

The National Shrine of St. Anthony is located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Consecrated in 1889, it includes a first-class relic of St. Anthony and serves as a center for daily prayer and contemplation.

The Franciscan friars minister from the shrine. To help them in their work among the poor, you may send a monetary offering called St. Anthony Bread. Make checks or money orders payable to “Franciscans” and mail to the address below.

Every Tuesday, a Mass is offered for benefactors and petitioners at the shrine. To seek St. Anthony’s intercession, mail your petition to the address below. Petitions are taken to the shrine each week.

viSit our webSite to:

StAnthony.org s

mAil poStAl communicAtionS to: St. Anthony Bread 1615 Vine St. Cincinnati, OH 45202-6498 s