Named for the well-known parable of the Good Samaritan in the Gospel of Luke, St. Robert of Newminster’s Samaritan Fund exists to extend Christ’s compassion to those facing real and often heartbreaking struggles – right here in our community. The parable of the Good Samaritan speaks especially of works of mercy, particularly toward the poor.

The story that follows here is a real example of the types of calls our parish receives on the emergency line as shared by Katie Mendenhall, our director of pastoral care:

It’s 10:00 p.m. on a Thursday and the St. Robert emergency line rings. On the other end of the call there’s sniffling and then silence. “Whenever you’re ready to talk, I’m here to listen,” I say, and I wait to see if he will have the courage to speak.

As he begins to share, I learn he’s 22 years old, a fallen away Catholic, and feeling lost. He was recently informed that, due to his grades, he is losing his full-ride scholarship. He has felt so depressed that he stopped attending classes, has been going out and partying to numb the pain, and admits to feeling suicidal. “I just … I don’t really have anyone I feel I can talk to. I think I need to go to confession, so I went online to find a Catholic church and St. Robert was the first church that came up.”

We talk for a long time and he decides to come to the church to pray in the chapel. He calls later when he is leaving and says he feels so much better. I ask Father Tony do a follow up call the next morning, and he comes in to chat with Father. After further conversations, this young man agrees to see a counselor and to get help for his depression, and also agrees to talk to his parents.

The stigma of mental illness often keeps individuals from reaching out for help. Some individuals may even stop coming to church because of the stigma. In the case of this young man, we rejoice that he thought to reach out to a Catholic church in his time of need and that we have on staff someone who recognizes the signs of mental illness and has the training and experience to offer help and accompaniment. 

As part of that accompaniment, our Samaritan Fund enables us to provide counseling sessions for those struggling with mental illness when insurance doesn’t offer coverage, or coverage is not available. Your Giving Tuesday gift at the link below will enable this important outreach to continue:

If you have any questions, please contact the parish office, ParishOffice@strobertchurch.org or (616) 676-9111.

St. Robert of Newminster Parish’s Samaritan Fund exists to extend Christ’s compassion to those facing real and often heartbreaking struggles—right here in our community. With your generous support, this fund quietly but powerfully helps individuals and families in times of profound need:

• A young mother choosing life in the midst of an unexpected pregnancy
• A woman fleeing domestic violence with her children and nowhere to turn
• A neighbor in need of counseling to find light in the darkness (See story above)
• An impoverished individual whose last wish was to receive a traditional funeral Mass and burial instead of being cremated. (Read Keith’s story in our Nov. 25 email)

These are not just stories—they are the experiences of real people.

Five Giving Challenges to amplify our fundraising on Dec. 2

This year, we’re asking parishioners and the broader community to support our parish’s new Samaritan Fund. We’ve set a challenging goal to raise $20,000 this Giving Tuesday – will you rise with us to meet the challenge?

The Catholic Foundation of West Michigan is generously sponsoring this year’s #GiveCatholicWM campaign with Giving Challenges offering grants totaling $10,000!

The five challenges are intended to encourage participation, inspire the sharing of faithful, joyous stories, and spark good-natured competition. Your donations on Dec. 2 during 24-hours of giving can help us compete to receive additional monies that will amplify our fundraising that day! We’ll remind you about them ahead of and on Dec. 2!

To qualify for the challenge grants, all donations must be received through the diocesan giving website linked below. Credit card fees are covered by the Diocese of Grand Rapids for all donations made through the diocesan giving page linked below which means 100% of your gift goes to our SRN Samaritan Fund. 

Ways to Give

Please consider a Giving Tuesday donation to the SRN Samaritan Fund. Donations can be made now through 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 2. Visit the link below to donate online. Cash or checks (made payable to St. Robert of Newminster with “Giving Tuesday” in the memo line) can also be dropped off at the parish office between now and Dec. 2 during regular business hours, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (except this Thursday and Friday when the office will be closed for Thanksgiving).

© 2025

St. Robert of Newminster Catholic Church
6477 Ada Drive Southeast, Ada, MI 49301
https://strobertchurch.org
(616) 676-9111