250 WORKS OF MERCY
As the United States of America commemorates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. bishops invite us to do 250 Works of Mercy.
The seven Corporal Works of Mercy come to us directly from the Scriptures in the Gospel of Matthew. Rooted in our lives of faith, the actions that Jesus calls us to in feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, visiting the imprisoned, and burying the dead are central elements of our Catholic identity.
Our works of mercy draw from the deep well of our faith and prayer, constantly reminding us that in tending to our brothers and sisters, we tend to Christ Himself.
At Good Shepherd Parish, we are excited to participate in 250 Works of Mercy by focusing on a different Work of Mercy each week leading up to July 4.
Collection of items or activity will take place in the Parish Hall Lobby, as it serves as the narthex to our Summer Church.
Week One: May 17, 2026
FEED THE HUNGRY
We’re collecting 250 cans of tuna for New Hope Ministries.
We collected 425 cans!
Week Two: May 24, 2026
GIVE DRINK TO THE THIRSTY
We’re collecting 250 bottles of water for Market Square Presbyterian Homelessness Ministry.
We collected 595 bottles of water!
Week Three: May 31, 2026
SHELTER THE HOMELESS
We’re collecting 250 tubes of toothpaste and toothbrushes for Bethesda Mission.
Week Four: June 7, 2026
CLOTHE THE NAKED
We’re collecting 250 pairs of new socks for Mission Central.
Week Five: June 14, 2026
COMFORT THE SICK
We’re collecting 250 “Thinking of You” cards with notes for residents in the five nursing homes that Good Shepherd serves.
Week Six: June 21, 2026
VISIT THE IMPRISONED
We’re collecting funds to purchase 250 Catholic spiritual books for inmates at the State Correctional Institution at Camp Hill.
Week Seven: June 28, 2026
BURY THE DEAD
We’re collecting 250 commitments to pray for deceased members of Good Shepherd Parish
250 Hours of Adoration
All Catholics are encouraged to join the bishops in praying for the unity of our country. One opportunity for parishes and individuals to participate is by contributing to a collective 250 Hours of Adoration.
Good Shepherd Parish plans to record 250 hours of time spent in prayer for our country with Jesus (truly present) in the Blessed Sacrament.
We are looking for 250 people each to spend one hour with our Lord, praying for our country.
Here’s how you can be a part of this prayer initiative:
1. Spend one hour in prayer with Jesus present in the Most Blessed Sacrament either in the tabernacle or exposed on the altar between now and July 4, 2026.
2. Suggestions for prayer intentions include: Our Country, Life and Families, Religious Liberty, Vocations, Unity and Peace
3. Complete a card with your name and date to be credited toward 250 Hours of Adoration. Cards are available in the Summer Church Narthex (Parish Hall Lobby)
4. One card per person, please. We need 250 people for one hour each.
5. Participation in our Corpus Christi Procession on June 7, 2026, counts as an hour.
What a beautiful gift to give to our nation for its 250th birthday — PRAYER!