Our collaborative mission is to create a welcoming, healing and nurturing place for God’s diverse people who need the presence of a compassionate Christ.

We commit ourselves to a continued vision of Christian service in our urban environment and in the wider community. By our faith in action, flowing from the Liturgy, we strive for spiritual enrichment, social justice, education and formation of youth, empowerment of individuals and families, concern for the poor and homeless, and care for the dying. In these and other ministries we serve as a beacon of hope.

Malachi House – Mary Englert (The following is partially excerpted from Stephen DeJohn’s report written in 1990 for the St. Malachi Parish 125th Anniversary Book, and from Joe Mohar’s recollections, then and now.)

The story behind Malachi House is proof that miracles do happen. Catherine A. (Kaki) O’Neill, one of its founders and now its honorary board chairperson, credits St. Malachi pastor, Fr. Paul Hritz, with perceiving the need for a home for those who would otherwise die alone.

When four row houses near the corner of W. 28^th St. and Clinton Ave. were donated by St. Malachi Parish members Tom and Marilyn Hanton, after due consideration it was decided to use the space as a home for the terminally ill poor. The renovation process became a major undertaking, directed by Joe Mohar, a Community of St. Malachi member. Built around 1907, the well-worn row houses had not been lived in for about a decade. They had to be stripped down to the bare walls.

Mohar coordinated the efforts of workers – all volunteers – from five labor unions, as well as innumerable other volunteers whom he describes as "men, women, children and nuns." Some 100,000 volunteer hours contributed to the success of the 18-month project.

Malachi House opened in 1988 with facilities to accommodate 10 residents with beds and baths, a complete kitchen, sitting room/library, chapel, atrium and activity rooms.

Now, 12 years later, the kitchen has been completely renovated and being planned is an addition to the back of the house with six to eight bedrooms, bathrooms and an elevator.

The Malachi House staff and volunteers act as a surrogate family, providing the same basic, loving care that family members would provide at home. Again, the many volunteers include members of both the Community of St. Malachi and St. Malachi Parish, as well as men and women from the wider community.

The Mission Statement says it well: "Malachi House, created out of a Christian sense of ministry, serves persons who are terminally ill, without cost or regard to gender, race, religion or national origin. This home ministers to individuals who need an available caregiver, who have limited or no financial resources and are in need of special home care in the final stages of life. A trained staff and volunteers provide spiritual, emotional and physical support with the assistance of a hospice team."

Greetings from Malachi House! Over the past 11 years, we have served as a final home for 593 of Cleveland's dying poor, who without us would have faced the final days of life alone, without means to care for themselves. While residents at Malachi House, they enjoy many activities that enhance their overall quality of life, such as art, music and massage therapy.

 Our staff of 18, with help from our dedicated volunteers, meet the needs of our residents under supervision of hospice teams. More importantly, our residents receive something that has been sorely missing in many of their lives--the warmth, respect and unconditional love of a united Christian family. We are thankful for the opportunity to serve our less fortunate brothers and sisters and look forward to continuing our important mission.

We congratulate the Community of St. Malachi on the celebration of its 25th Anniversary and are grateful for the many gifts of time, talent and treasure that Community members have given from the very beginnings of the Malachi House Ministry.

In November 1984, Fr. Paul Hritz, Anthony Rego and the late Tony DiNardo attended the auction of three real estate parcels just east of the church. Their pre-determined $175,000 maximum bid had been reached but their on-the-spot decision to spring for another $500 did the trick. The purchase included the former Highway Express Terminal at the Old Superior Viaduct – now the center – plus two buildings and a vacant lot on Main Avenue. The latter eventually were sold to retire the debt.

Following the purchase, a group of community and parish members formed the center’s board of trustees. Then, the hard work of transforming the dark, grimy warehouse into a bright, welcoming center began. As Joe Mohar recalls, "Tony DiNardo and I were down there every Saturday for a year."

(For his oversight of the project, Mohar received the 1986 Cleveland Volunteer of the Year Award.)

Among the some 120 volunteers were CSM members Bruce Wacker, Kay Vine, Phil Daly, Mary Dickerson, Drew McAuliffe, John Miller, Helen Kane, Sarah Matthews, Pat and Carl Stolzenberg, and John and Pat Feher. Helping, too, were members of the Cleveland Building Trades Council, including electricians, sheet metal workers, bricklayers, and heating and air-conditioning installers.

Since the center’s opening in 1986, the building’s upkeep has been through a series of projects supervised by Mohar, among them the installation and renovation of the center’s showers for the homeless and its toilet facilities, the re-papering of kitchen walls, installation of new windows and air-conditioning, and most recently, a new boiler installation in the fall of 1999.

Fund-raising for center operations has been creatively varied. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, three musical productions engaged the talents of hundreds of St. Malachi community members, parishioners and friends: A Fling in the Flats, Miracle on 25^th Street and Washington Street Review.

In 1990, the Malachi Mart was founded as a permanent fundraiser; the annual St. Malachi Center Invitational Golf Outing was initiated in 1993, and in recent years there has been added an annual Memorial Day Drawing with a $10,000 prize.

Ursuline Sister Michael Marie Griffin has been center director since 1990. Current president of its 14-member board of trustees is Donna Kelly Rego. According to its mission statement, "The primary mission of the center is to provide a welcoming place for area residents of all ages and to support them in their efforts at self-development and community-building." Sixteen programs now are provided for families, adults, teens, grade-schoolers and pre-schoolers. The After School Program, for example, provides six to 12-year-olds with homework help and a variety of cultural, social, recreational, service, and leadership development experiences.

The center also provides "a welcoming place" for other groups ministering to those with special needs, including the Seeds of Literacy Project which tutors adults in basic reading and math, and meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step addiction-recovery programs. In short, the St. Malachi Center is one reflection of what the Community of St. Malachi is all about.

I have been fortunate to witness the "birth" of the Community of St. Malachi. What enthusiasm, excitement and commitment permeated St. Malachi’s at this time! With the support of Fr. Paul Hritz, the Vatican II call for lay participation became a reality for the Community. With membership living geographically apart from the area the call to be responsible in sharing our gifts with the economically poor became essential. The Monday Night Meal was relocated to St. Malachi’s. Driving people in the high rises to appointments was one of the many ways the Community helped the people in the neighborhood.

In 1984, Fr. Paul and presidents of the Community and Parish Councils negotiated the purchase of the building which through the difficult work and expertise of both parishes became St. Malachi Center. Today, with their continued support, the Center continues to find ways to be present to our Malachi neighbors..

Community members assisted with fund-raising when UCS was founded. The Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland contribute a significant portion of the salaries for the sisters who serve at the school.  In 1998, Urban Community School celebrated its 30^th Anniversary. Sr. Maureen Doyle stated, "Our mission is the same today as it was in 1968--to provide Cleveland’s children with the highest quality education and to help each of our students succeed to his or her fullest potential."

The Education Project at Malachi Center on Thursday evenings continues to work with UCS graduates as they continue their education in local high schools, both parochial and public.

The Malachi Mart Ministry began to take shape after the final theater production, which had served as a fundraiser for the St. Malachi Center. Malachi Mart was now to become a permanent fund raising program for the Center. With a startup loan from the Center, work progressed through the summer of 1990. The Mart opened its doors for business in October 1990 as a general retail store selling non-perishable groceries and new variety items. All this was made possible with the cooperation, generosity and hard work of many St. Malachi parishioners and Community members as well as others with commitment to the concept of community.

Malachi Mart operates in the highly competitive discount retail market. It has been through many changes and has weathered some difficult times. By the grace of God, with the presence and invaluable help of its dedicated volunteers and with the support and generosity of donors, several things have occurred. First, the Mart's startup loan has been repaid to the Center. Secondly, the Mart continues to provide monthly and semi-annual payments to the Center for its programs. In the words of Cindy DiNardo, "The ministry called Malachi Mart is a place where everyone is treated with respect, friendship and dignity. Our informal code is that each person is greeted as we would greet the Lord. This store is different kind of presence for the Church in the neighborhood." (Catholic Universe Bulletin, 4-7-1999)

Finally, Malachi Mart has been moderately successful in providing work experience for neighborhood residents. Looking to the future, the Mart, as a program of St. Malachi Center, hopes to see established an ongoing job-training program and to function as a job sit for program participants.

In this as in all things, the Mart depends on the generosity of volunteers and businesses, the good will and support of the wider community and most of all on God's grace.