HOUSTON — KHOU 11 viewers first met Father Clint Ressler in early April. Viewers loved his story about how he bike rides to parishioners homes to pray with them on their porch. He took to his 10-speed, because churches were closed then, in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
He shared then faith will help us go the distance during this pandemic.
Since then, he's visited more than 500 families. While he's still cycling to lead prayers, Houston's heat is slowing down that outreach.
"I’m doing fewer in number, and part of that is because there’s a small window between it’s cool enough to bike and it’s not dark. So maybe one or two or three a day," he said.
The Catholic priest is now comforting families in a new way.
This St. Vincent DePaul pantry is his church's biggest ministry right now. Monetary donations from neighbors and food drives help feed about 100 Texas City families every Saturday. Volunteers work to give families the power to choose their own meals. Extra clothes and shoes are ready for people who might need a little boost.
The whole thing is organized by volunteers: heroes next door.
"People are feeling uplifted by hearing the positive story, and they want to know that good people are doing good things. And they want to be those good people," Ressler said. "So to the extent that we can give them an opportunity to be a part of that, and not just feel powerless sitting at home, then I think we start to see how the body of Christ comes alive."
What we may lack without physical connection, we fill with faith and wisdom.
"Maybe just because I’ve seen God work in so many ways, I have to believe. I do. I readily believe that He is at work in all of us," Ressler said. "And we will probably only see it when we look back. When we come through our own 40 days in the desert, or whatever image that you want to talk about, that we will see that God was at work through us. Not just in some miraculous way, but through us."
To get help or make a donation:
St. Mary of the Miraculous Medal Catholic Church
1604 9th Ave N, Texas City, TX 77590
(409) 948-8448 phone (409) 945-8662 fax