It often begins with a phone call.
A working mother-to-be is suddenly placed on bed rest. A day laborer loses weeks of income after winter storms. An elderly resident on a fixed income watches rent and utility bills climb beyond what their monthly check can cover.
Sometimes, it can be as simple as a common illness. “The dread of being a parent and your kid comes home from school with the flu; it leads to some terrifying choices you have to make. The reality is, for a lot of people in our region, life can quickly fall apart based on just this one challenge,” says Pastor Fr. Jonathan Goertz.
A missed bill or two leads to insurmountable late fees for these families, putting a financial strain they can’t move past, even when they’re back at work. By the time they reach out to OLL, most have already exhausted every option, and they need immediate, specific help to stay in their home, keep the lights on, and start again.
At OLL, these neighbors in need are met with both compassion and careful discernment. The parish ministry, led by staff members Megan Cottam, Joan Dufour, and Bradi Ertel, alongside Fr. Jonathan, focuses on one-time emergency support designed to stabilize—not simply delay—the crisis. Each case is reviewed in full: rent history, utility bills, proof of income changes, and the catalyst that caused the hardship.
“We are truly serving the working poor. These are the kinds of people who have two or three jobs to support their families, and things out of their control are knocking them off balance,” says Megan.
So, the OLL team often must work fast, as they can be the difference between stability and homelessness. And their goal is to truly get them back on track for good.
“People often call asking for help with their eviction notice or late fees for their mortgage. We ask them for all their bills, not just their eviction bill,” Bradi says. “Because it doesn’t help if you are going to get to stay in your home while your heat gets turned off in the middle of winter.”
And this is where the broader Church steps in. The Annual Diocesan Appeal (ADA) plays a critical role by supporting ministries like this one—specifically helping fund rent, mortgage, and utility assistance for families in crisis. Last year, OLL received a $30,000 grant through the ADA, and that is only one piece of a much larger mosaic of generosity.
And their need is growing.
In recent years, the parish has seen rents double, and utility costs have climbed alongside it. For those living paycheck to paycheck, especially hourly workers without benefits such as paid leave or disability coverage, even a short disruption can spiral into a crisis with these increased costs.
Yet what defines this parish is not the scale of the problem, but the depth of its response.
Alongside their housing and utility support, another kind of ministry unfolds in the parish basement, right below where many gather for Mass every Sunday. OLL’s food pantry serves thousands of meals annually. Volunteers prepare bags based not just on numbers, but on people: a toddler gets applesauce; a teenager gets more substantial meals; a family without a stove receives ready-to-eat items.
And their clothing closet offers more than donated garments. It offers dignity. Visitors are greeted personally and often helped one-on-one to find what they need.
Joan, who has served the parish for over two decades, has seen it all. “People come together in love and need,” she says. “Our parish is so generous with food and clothing, and they always respond when we have a specific need.”
What makes all OLL’s efforts work is not a single program or funding source, but dedication to answering Christ’s call. As Fr. Jonathan puts it, “It’s easy to give what we want to give. It’s harder—and more important—to listen to what people actually need.”
That listening is why the ministry team can transform lives, and they all credit it not to themselves, but to one thing: God’s love.
This piece was originally published in the Catholic Virginian’s April 13, 2026, issue.