St. Hugh of Grenoble Church (Greenbelt, MD) LOC Host Walk-Up Covid-19 Vaccination Site

No grass has grown under the St. Hugh LOC members’ feet during the pandemic. Besides our ongoing programs like the St. Hugh Food Pantry and SHARE FOOD Program, we have done a number of special projects and provided leadership and organizational skills in making sure our public Masses were safe for everyone to attend.

Early on our pastor, Fr. Walter Tappe, asked for LOC assistance with establishing a safe church environment, sanitation procedures, finding ushers and training them in safety procedures not only for daily, weekend Masses but also for funerals and weddings. Fortunately a number of our LOC members are nurses and they responded to the call for help.

St. Hugh Church was also approached by the Maryland National Guard to schedule a walk-up Mobile Unit Covid-19 Vaccination site. After we were approved as a site, a date was scheduled, April 21st, to administer 100 Moderna vaccines. LOC members again stepped up to get the word out to the community, and volunteer the day of the event. We approached the St. Hugh Knights of Columbus and Greenbelt Police to also assist with traffic control that day.

At the start of the clinic, I got a call on my cell phone from an elderly couple in Greenbelt. The wife said her 80 yr. old husband was homebound due to a fractured leg and asked if someone could bring the vaccine to their home. I told her that wasn’t feasible but that I had an LOC retired nurse, Ellen Hanyok, and a Knights of Columbus member, David Lockwood, who would get her husband in the car and to the site for his shot. The wife was thrilled that we could assist them. Ellen and David will be returning to get him on May 19th to get his second shot at St Hugh along with 80 others.

Lastly, St. Hugh LOC members in cooperation with a Greenbelt community group, RUAK, and management staff at the Franklin Park Apartments started a monthly on-site food pantry bags distribution at Franklin Park on March 12th. The management staff identified 30 families in need. The families not only received food but also a $25 Giant gift card and donated children’s books from RUAK members. There is a Giant Food Store in walking distance from the apartments.

Our greater Greenbelt community continues to be incredibly supportive of all our programs. Going forward, St. Hugh LOC members will again take the lead in helping to plan the 75th Anniversary of St. Hugh of Grenoble Church in June, 2022.

Submitted by:
Mary Ann Tretler
President, St. Hugh LOC