In the Holy Year of Mercy, the entire student body at St. John’s Catholic School in Brunswick will stand side by side to provide help and comfort to many community members in need.

On Tuesday, May 17, at 8 a.m., the St. John students will form a line that will stretch from the school, located on 37 Pleasant Street, to the Mid Coast Prevention Program facility on 84 Union Street. The human chain will pass over 500 food and personal care items, donated by members of the St. John’s community, from the school to the facility. The MCHPP provides food for hundreds of local families through a food bank, food pantry, and soup kitchen.

“The human chain is a reflection of the students’ collective enthusiasm to give back to a community that has given them so much and to help our neighbors in need,” said Patricia Berthiaume, principal at St. John’s Catholic School. “Our students have grateful hearts and we are serving God when we serve one another.”

The Holy Year of Mercy (December 8, 2015, to November 20, 2016), declared by Pope Francis, is an invitation for all to live faith more fully by seeking ways to reflect God’s love and mercy, both received and given. Giving mercy is accomplished through living out the corporal works of mercy, including to feed the hungry.

A rain date has been set for Wednesday, May 18, at 8 a.m.

For more information, contact Dave Guthro, Communications Director at the Diocese of Portland by phone at (207) 321- 7810 or via email at dave.guthro@portlanddiocese.org.