PRIME TIME
November 2016
Thanksgiving Tribute: Sister Genevieve
By Barb Armijo
S
ister Genevieve Ryskiewicz,
founder of the St. Felix Pantry in
Rio Rancho, passed away earlier
this year at the age of 92. But her work,
her unending spirit and her ability to
bring a community together during
Thanksgiving will never be forgotten.
Her Thanksgiving Day tradition,
a partnership with Rio Rancho
McDonald’s franchise owner Julian
Garza, is to prepare – with the help of
dozens of volunteers -- more than 30
turkeys and all the trimmings to serve
to people in the community who might
not have a place to go, or food to eat on
Thanksgiving.
“We are going to miss Sister
Genevieve, definitely,” said Manuel
Casias, vice-president for development
of St. Felix Pantry. “However, her
work continues through the devotion
of so many of the people who loved
her and who know that this is what
she would have wanted us to do –
continue helping the poor and making
Thanksgiving special for people who
might not otherwise have anything.”
The meal is served between 10:30
a.m. and 2 p.m. at the McDonald’s
location at 1390 Rio Rancho Blvd. SE.
The McDonald’s will open with its
regular menu after 5 p.m.
“Sister Genevieve first started serving
this meal out of a one-car garage,”
Garza said. “It has continued to grow
and serve the community so well, not
just with the food, but with a sense of
fellowship. We are pleased to be part of
what she has built.”
Indeed Sister Genevieve was a
builder of community strength and
knew that resources go a long way
when people find the wherewithal to
make it happen.
Sister Genevieve was part of the The
Felician Sisters order. The sisters are
known for their generosity, and they
have been providing healthy food for
individuals and families in need in the
Albuquerque and Rio Rancho areas
since 1992, through the St. Felix Pantry.
Casias said Sister Genevieve led the
charge.
“She was a trained chef,” he said.
“She actually went to culinary arts
school. And more important than going
out and just filling a trunk full of food,
it was more important for her to provide
healthy choices, healthy food rather
a lot of junk food that was easy to
rescue.”
The Felician Sisters also believed
in addressing hunger via advocacy
and supported Bread for the World, a
collective Christian organization that
urges our nation’s decision makers to
end hunger at home and abroad. The
Felician sisters helped champion the
Bread for the World campaign to end
hunger in the local community, as well.
Sister Genevieve had said that it was
her mother who initially gave her the
idea for the turkey dinner and food
bank. The nun recalled how her mom
encouraged her to bake and bring fresh
bread to neighbors in need when she
was growing up in Wisconsin.
“Sharing that loaf daily did
something to my heart,” she stated on
the ministry’s website. “That experience
never got lost and the desire to help the
less fortunate grew stronger as the years
went by. God must have been preparing
me for these years.”
Today, St. Felix Pantry provides food
to an average of 1,000 households each
week, said Casias.
“We are honored and blessed to carry
on the legacy of Sister Genevieve’s
dream to give bread and other food
to the hungry
and poor and
to restore their
dignity and hope,”
he said. “We will
undoubtedly take
a moment on
Thanksgiving Day
at that Rio Rancho
McDonald’s to
bow our heads and thank Sister for all
she did to improve our community. We
also know she will want us to continue
to fight to end hunger.”
To volunteer for the event or make
donations to the pantry, please visit
www.stfelixpantry.org, or call (505)
891-8075.
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