Our community ministries at present include:
Peace and Justice • Community Gardening • Public Education • Homeless Ministry • Transitional Housing • Ecumenical and Urban Work
Peace and Justice
We host the Southeastern Connecticut Peace and Justice Network and work with others to introduce a "peace curriculum" in New London High School and to offer students alternatives to military recruitment to get a higher education. We participate in weekly peace vigils, nonviolent training, education, and resistance actions.
Community Gardening
We are a site for Community Gardens of New London, and participate ourselves by growing vegetables in raised beds at St. Francis House. We support other efforts in urban gardening and community supported agriculture, and have served as the fiduciary for F.R.E.S.H. New London, which works with New London youth in food production and education.
Public Education
We helped to found C.U.R.E.–Community United for Renaissance in Education/ Communidad Unida por el Renacimiento de la Educación – a bi-lingual group of parents, teachers and interested citizens who seeks to transform public education for all the students in New London.
Homeless Ministry
As founding members of the New London Homeless Coalition–which includes homeless people as well as those who seek to serve them–we are instrumental in providing winter shelter and working to build a base for supportive housing as an alternative to chronic emergency shelter.
Transitional Housing
We provide transitional housing in the newly-remolded apartment beneath the Hermitage. Case management is provided by a social service agency and the St. Francis House community welcomes residents as friends and neighbors.
Ecumenical and Urban Work
We helped to start United Action of Eastern Connecticut, an ecumenical organizing project working on immigrant issues, housings, and tax fairness. We work with the interfaith community, and we are especially supportive of the New London Islamic Center. From 2000 to 2005 we serves as national headquarters for the Episcopal Urban Caucus. We are available to preach and teach in local faith communities, and we offer spiritual direction and retreats.