Parishes in join together for Habitat for Humanity home build

Tinley Park’s Jack McDonnell has been busy doing projects and winning honors over the past 13 months.

The rising junior at Lincoln-Way East High School earned the rank of Eagle Scout, attended a pair of national youth training programs, won the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Purple Heart Leadership Award and was a national Glenn and Melinda Adams Eagle Scout Project of the Year nominee.

So, it was no surprise he was one of hundreds of volunteers sweating Saturday helping to build more than 100 framing walls for two Habitat for Humanity houses at Incarnation St. Terrence Parish in Alsip.

Seven parishes banded together for the fifth year to work on this project, and Orland Park-based Scout Troop 318 Scouts and adult leaders also lent a hand pounding nails and creating walls for houses to be erected in Benton Harbor, Michigan.

“I wanted to come out to try and help out those in need in my community and do something with my troop,” said 16-year-old McDonnell.

Tinley Park’s Kelly Torres, who is going into eighth grade at Grissom Middle School, is also a part of the troop.

“I like helping to build houses for families who need them,” Torres said.

St. Elizabeth Seton of Orland Hills, St. Francis of Assisi of Orland Park, St. George of Tinley Park, St. Julie Billiart of Tinley Park, St. Michael of Orland Park, St. Stephen Deacon and Martyr of Tinley Park and the Alsip-based hosts raised more than $20,000 for the project and sent scores of volunteers to build the walls.

“Over the years, we have built walls for 11 homes in three states,” said Matt Vieck of St. Julie Billiart, who has overseen the project for a half decade.

“I don’t know of too many events that have seven parishes come together like this. We have a lot of people here today.”

Louisville-based CrossRoads Missions was back lending its expertise.

CrossRoads representative Corey Pope told volunteers not to worry if they made a mistake, because mistakes can be corrected.

“We don’t call them mistakes,” Pope said. “We call them learning opportunities.”

Pope was also impressed with the number of volunteers from so many parishes.

“You guys have been doing this for five years?” he said to the crowd. “This is fantastic. Get to know each other. Ask questions. Ask each other ‘why did you do this?  You could have done anything else today not in the sun, but you chose to come here.’’’

Tinley Park Village Trustee Bill Brady, a man who wears many hats including being a renowned comedian, represented St. Stephen. He helped in the hospitality room for the second year.

“Between my heart attack and a few other things, my wife won’t let me outside in the heat,” he said.

But he did marvel at all the parishioners who came together to “do God’s work.”

“You can see the amount of volunteers out there in all areas,” he said. “It’s very well organized as far as what goes where and having inspectors there go and check everything out.”

The skill level varies. Some have never picked up a hammer. Others are quite handy in building.

A pair of St. Julie parishioners had some building chops worth noting.

Bob Renaud, who said he has been asked to do several small projects at the Tinley Park church, can always admire his handiwork each summer in town as he lends a hand with the woodworking for Tinley Park’s popular Benches on the Avenue display.

This year, he helped artist Dante DiBartolo with a He-Man, She-Ra and the Masters of the Universe bench in support of the cartoon theme.

In the past, he helped with “Game of Thrones” and Aerosmith benches.

Matt Schergen, of Oak Forest, has helped build floats for some of the biggest parades in Chicago. This was his first time at the house build.

“I like building stuff anyway and I’m new to the parish, so this is something I wanted to try,” Schergen said.

Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.