“Lord, may we be your hands, your feet and your voice today,” said Deacon Matt Lawler as he offered the opening prayer at Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity’s wall-building event for Cleveland’s Pope Leo XIV Village.
More than 100 volunteers representing about a dozen parishes in the Diocese of Cleveland and three Catholic high schools, plus people from other churches and schools, gathered on June 6 in the Benedictine High School parking lot. Volunteers received light blue T-shirts and nametags as they signed in. After opening prayer, announcements and posing for a group photo, they got down to work.
(See photo gallery above.)
The goal was to build 84 walls – enough for one new home in Pope Leo Village. A similar event drew about the same number of people last month.
“Just a few blocks from here, Pope Leo Village is rising,” said John Litten, Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity CEO.
Litten, who formerly led the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in the Diocese of Cleveland and the West Side Catholic Center, joined Habitat for Humanity about three years ago. He said thanks to an anonymous donor, 235 affordable new homes will be built in Pope Leo Villages across the country. Fifteen will be on Elwell Avenue in Cleveland’s Buckeye-Woodhill neighborhood, with 11 slated for completion this year. Pope Leo Village was named after the pontiff to honor his commitment to service.
Volunteers split into work groups and fanned out across the parking lot. They received detailed instructions and were guided by group leaders and construction supervisors as they built their walls.
“Remember, arrows (marked on the pre-cut lumber) face up. And use gray nails on green wood,” one supervisor told the group.
An inspirational or Scripture verse was written on each completed wall. As the walls were finished, they were loaded into a truck. Habitat staffers said they will be stored until construction begins on the new home.
Among the volunteers was Father Dominic Gideon, parochial vicar at St. Albert the Great Parish in North Royalton, who said he was happy to be able to help with the project.
Carren Woods, a parishioner at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, helped distribute snacks and she cheered on the workers. She even tried her hand at hammering a few nails.
As the lumber supply dwindled and the truck filled up with completed walls, volunteers wrapped up their work for the day and headed to the cafeteria for lunch and fellowship.
Kim Pride and Krissy Kerns from Habitat presented bronze, silver and gold bent-nail awards to three teams in recognition of their efforts. All participants were invited to take a bent nail to remind them of their service.
“Thanks for answering the call and for starting the summer with a purpose,” said Amy Zucca, outreach coordinator for Church of the Gesu in University Heights, which brought a large volunteer contingent.
Other participating parishes included St. Joseph, Strongsville; St. Mary of the Falls, Olmsted Falls; Church of the Resurrection, Solon; St. Raphael, Bay Village; St. Dominic, Shaker Heights; St. Albert the Great; St. Bernadette, Westlake; St. Mark, Cleveland; St. Mary, Berea and the cathedral. Benedictine, Saint Ignatius and St. Edward high schools also were represented.
Click here to learn more about Habitat for Humanity and Pope Leo XIV Village.