Photo Gallery from "A Christmas Carole" 2005

This summer's main special event was the...

....Godwalk Service and Pilgrimage

August 8-12

Oakland to San Francisco

Reports on Godwalk:

From August 8 through the 12, St. Martin's youth ministry participated in Godwalk VMY 2007. Our parishioners participated also in donating over $700 in contributions to make this event possible, and to donate to the St. Vincent de Paul Societies we visited. Some of this should also come back to our parish St. Vincent de Paul group.

The Godwalk began by preparing for the journey by foot through Oakland and San Francisco with a seder (passover) meal in Oakland's St. Vincent de Paul Administrative complex. Packed and ready for the journey, we celebrated much like the early Israelites. Then we were entertained by Nelson Gonzales and Friends of Jesus who led our worship music for the evening. It was a very lively and moving worship session, bonding our new pilgimage group in prayerful song.

The next day we served lunch in the St. Vincent de Paul dining room and visited and talked with clients. We then spent the afternoon cutting a LOT of carrots for the dining room!

That evening the St. Vincent de Paul staff fed us dinner then led a foot washing prayer service that was very beautifully done, and moving. This was followed by another lively music session with Friends of Jesus and a (sort of) early bedtime to get up and walk to the ferry to take us to San Francisco the next day.

Here is a reaction from one of our participants, Clara Maloney. Clara was confirmed this year and is putting her faith into action immediately by being part of this Godwalk. Clara also sings at the 8:30 AM mass on Sundays. Here is her reaction:

"The God walk was a very powerful experience for me. Before this experience it was difficult for me to look the poor and the homeless in the eye and see them as people. I realized however that they long for a connection with someone because they have been lost, so their ability to call me by name was great for them and me just smiling at them changed their day. I was able to really see was Jesus meant by blessed are the poor. I was really able to see it in some of the people that I ate lunch with. The fact [was] that these people were so nice and upbeat even though they did not know where they were going to sleep next or where they were going to eat. I had alot of fun on this God walk serving people but also building relationships with others which was also fun. I also feel closer to God through this for I understand his calling for me to serve the poor."

The second leg of our faith and service pilgrimage took us on a ferry across the bay to San Francisco. Walking to the ferry, then to our service events in SF, we split into 2 groups for service. One group painted a mural for Catholic Charities' St. Joseph Family Shelter while the other group served over a thousand meals, lunch and dinner, at GLIDE, a food service for the poor and homeless. This was a powerful event, giving the Godwalkers a real sense of the magnitude of poverty in just that area of the city.

The following day the same group served lunch, over 2000 meals, at St. Anthony's Foundation. The following is a response from one of our leaders, Andy Tower. Andy is a young adult studying at Mission College to be a fireman and EMT. He is a long time volunteer in our youth ministry program, and he was trained in advanced First Aid and CPR training to be the safety officer on the Godwalk. Andy says:

"The best part of our service on the Godwalk was our service at St. Anthony's. Although I had served at GLIDE four times previously, we didn't get down to their level, we just served food from behind a counter. At St. Anthony's we had an opportunity to talk with the clients, to find out their stories, and to experience how happy they were to get the food. We ate what they ate, we walked in like they did. We did it the way they do it. We especially enjoyed talking with one man who called himself "Indian Joe." He was a lot of fun. St. Anthony's really gave us a personal experience of poverty. Some others of my favorite parts of the Godwalk were sleeping on the floor and taking sink baths. "

For information on this Godwalk event

Please click here.