St. Joe's 2nd Annual Rock-A-Thon

Imagine a little preschool child spending five years of his or her early childhood in a jail of 3,000 inmates but built for 400, with no bed and very little food. This happens often in some parts of the world. When a mother goes to jail in Tanzania, she takes her small child with her and cares for the child in the midst of her incarceration. Inmates are incarcerated for about five years before they even get to see the judge on the accusation! They are offered the same single meal every day: a bowl of porridge. There is no television, radio, newspapers, or law library. There are almost no visits either. This was the situation for 18 youngsters who were in jail with their mothers and are now being cared for by the Sisters of St. Gemma Galgani in Arusha, Tanzania. The name of the institution where they are cared for is St. Gabriel's Home.


For more than ten years now, Father Charles Keeney, the present vicar at St. Joseph's Co-Cathedral, has been organizing an annual fundraiser to help the Sisters of St. Gemma Galgani in Arusha, Tanzania. These programs for needy children are more important now than ever. On Sunday morning October 22nd, which is Mission Sunday in the Brooklyn Diocese, dozens of the young adults of the parish will rock for hours on the front steps of the cathedral in classic rocking chairs as parishioners enter and leave for the different Sunday liturgies.


All the funds collected will help the construction of a 20-bed volunteer center in Arusha, a key step in making St. Gabriel's Home for very needy children self sufficient. About $90,000 is still needed for the completion of the building. 100% of your donation will go directly to this project. Please considering making a one-time donation or sponsoring one of these young adults as they donate their time and energy as volunteer rockers. the suggested donation is $1.00 per minute, $50.00 per hour, or $400.00 per day for a rocker. Thank you in advance for your interest, support, and prayers!