St. Elizabeth Seton in Carmel, partners with St.

Paul in Marion, to provide school supplies

By: Laura Iunghuhn for The Catholic Moment

Throughout his ministry, Jesus demonstrated that faith is lived through the theological virtues:
faith, hope, and charity. He guided his disciples in faith, gave hope in his healing of the sick, and
multiplied the loaves and fish to feed the poor with the little he had. We, too, are called to spread
the Good News, living these virtues in simple acts every day. St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic
Church in Carmel has partnered with St. Paul Catholic School in Marion to live and teach these
virtues within their parish communities.

In 2020, Fr. Ted Rothrock, previously the pastor at St. Elizabeth Seton, was reassigned to St.
Paul Catholic Church and school. He quickly recognized a need for supplies within the school
and connected Principal Veronica Weimer with Susan McIntosh, a parishioner at Seton.
Discussions concerning charitable assistance began in Spring 2021, and in the fall, the Backpack
Ministry was born.

Traditionally, backpack ministry organizations provide non-perishable food to students who are
at risk for food insecurity. However, the ministry at St. Paul and St. Elizabeth focuses on
providing school supplies for the pre-school through seventh-grade students at St. Paul school.
“We learned last year that the school needed paper towels and napkins for the classrooms in
addition to the school supplies,” Susan says, “so we donated both.”

When Susan was asked to coordinate the backpack ministry, she didn’t hesitate before saying
yes. “I don’t have any family here in town, so my church is my family,” she says. “I’m involved
in a lot of things.” Though the backpack ministry adds to her busy schedule, she is devoted to its
success. “Outreach is a passion of mine,” she says. “I’ve always had an innate compassion for
people who are in need.” Charity is an important part of Susan’s faith and it helps her to see
Christ in those around her.

As the program’s coordinator, Susan is in charge of organizing and implementing the many
stages of the program. She’ll meet with principal Veronica Weimer, school secretary Amanda
Fafinski, and fellow parishioners at Seton to organize dates, finalize supply counts, and recruit
volunteers to shop for and deliver the school supplies. Susan has been impressed with Seton’s
involvement. “I think it was placed on everyone’s hearts very quickly,” she says. Parishioners
donated an abundance of supplies, saw that the filled backpacks were delivered, and many teens
helped load the truck that would transfer the school supplies from Carmel to Marion.

While Susan organizes the manpower and collects the supplies, Veronica, with help from
Amanda, makes sure each student at St. Paul will receive the necessary supplies both before and
after the donations have been delivered. “We’ve sent Susan a list of the total number of supplies
needed for each grade level,” Veronica explains. Each volunteer at Seton will purchase $25
worth of crayons, glue sticks, scissors, or other supplies until the total count is reached. This
year, Veronica estimates that families at Seton will be shopping for 140 students.

Veronica then organizes a back-to-school night – this year it’s on August 8 – during which the
supplies are distributed to the students. Last year, students collected a backpack that had already
been filled with their required supplies. This year, students will fill the backpacks themselves.
“We felt it would be important for the students to actually pick up the supplies and say thank you
to the families from Seton that will be at St. Paul that night,” Veronica says.

The opportunity for the St. Paul students and Seton parishioners to interact is an important
component of the ministry. It allows the volunteers to witness the impact of their work “One of
the moms works and has two children to care for, and she says this is a huge help to them,”
Susan shares. Veronica receives similar feedback from parents. “They’ve informed me how
blessed they feel to start the school year without the financial burden of buying supplies,” she
says.

Meeting the volunteers from Seton also helps the students learn how charity can be one of the
best ways to share God’s love with others. “The students make thank you cards and pray for the
families at Seton throughout the year,” Veronica says. “We use it to teach that the Catholic
Church is universal. Churches look out for one another, helping out in any way they can.”

The backpack ministry, though only in its second year, has done much to relieve the stress many
parents at St. Paul face at the beginning of the school year. However, it has also had a strong
impact on both Veronica and Susan as they have worked closely with the program. “I see the
happiness that comes from these families, and it makes me want to give back to my community
as much as I can,” Veronica says.

Susan has also become more aware of how she can fill other needs in the community while
working with the backpack ministry. “I realized that St. Paul has kids in the parish who don’t go
to the school but attend the religious education program, and I said, well, what are we doing for
them?” Susan shares. “My heart keeps opening!” Never one to stand by, Susan has already
contacted the head of the religious ed department at St. Paul and the Director of Religious
Education at Seton to put an idea into action. “During Vacation Bible School, we asked the kids
coming to donate items for the religious education students at St. Paul,” she says. The parish was
once again generous with its donations.

Both St. Paul and St. Elizabeth Seton have felt blessed by the partnership and community that
has developed as a result of the backpack ministry. “I think it’s great for parishes within our
communities to be looking out for each other,” Veronica says. In giving our time, talents, or
treasure to others in the community, we are practicing charity, one of the most fruitful ways to
live as Jesus taught: putting care and concern for others above our own. “I think we are all called
to be Christ to each other,” Susan says, “and I think that’s what we’re doing.”