This article originally appeared in the June 2024 edition of the Western Province’s quarterly newsletter, The Vincentian.

Mary and Willy Miranda are devoted to feeding Patterson’s needy

After 11 a.m. Mass at Sacred Heart Church in Patterson, CA, Mary Miranda hands out flyers for a fundraiser to help feed the area’s poor. Treasurer of Patterson’s chapter of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, she and her husband, Willy, run the Trust in Jesus Cuisine Ministry for the homeless.

The couple, both “retired,” devote countless hours to the ministry, obtaining food from partner institutions, like restaurants and grocery stores, preparing meals, and serving them at the parish’s Fr. Connors Hall—practically a full-time job. Mary says she was inspired by her aunt and spiritual mentor, Sr. Rose St. Francis, a Little Sister of the Poor.

“When she passed in 2018, we knew we needed to do something,” Mary said. “We contacted Fr. Tino, and he said they needed help feeding the homeless.”

They serve hot meals three days a week and also prepare lunch bags, enlisting the help of their three children and members of the parish community. When the pandemic lockdowns came in 2020, they moved the operation to their home and focused on delivery.

“This is our calling,” Mary said. “But it’s not just us. This whole community is very generous. We never run out of food.”

Source: https://www.vincentian.org/