Saint John’s Hospice Scores Homerun with Catholic Charities Night at the Phillies
It’s not often that a major league baseball club comes to visit you on game day, but that was the case for Saint John’s Hospice.
Thanks to an invitation from the Philadelphia Phillies organization, which has a longstanding partnership with SJH, the shelter’s Good Shepherd Singers performed the Star-Spangled Banner at the sold-out Citizens Bank Park on Friday, May 31 before the Phillies took on the St. Louis Cardinals. Earlier in the day, several Cardinals players and staff visited SJH as part of a partnership with nonprofit Big League Impact.
Singing at the Game
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“When we started the Good Shepherd Singers, we never imagined we would sing in front of almost 40,000 people,” said Barry Martin, Program Director for SJH. “It was a surreal moment for me and I know it was one of the highlights of their lives [residents and staff] to perform before the Phillies and the fans.”
SJH’s involvement at the game is part of the 11th annual Catholic Charities Appeal Night at Citizens Bank Park. Each year, the Catholic Charities Appeal partners with the Philadelphia Phillies to help raise money for charitable human services program that include special education, social services, evangelization, evangelization outreach, as well as infirm and retired priests. More than 1100 tickets were sold for the May 31 game—with a percentage of the proceeds supporting the Catholic Charities Appeal. When the 500 ticket mark was eclipsed, it earned SJH’s Good Shepherd Singers the honor of performing at the game.
Friday’s Good Shepherd Singers consisted of seven Good Shepherd residents, eight residents from Mercy Hospice—a CSS recovery program and shelter for women and their children, and four staff members, including SJH Program Director, Martin. Aside from having the honor of performing at Citizens Bank Park, the singers saw this moment as a great opportunity to give back to the Phillies and community for all the support they have given them.
“It was a chance for a group of people experiencing homelessness who receive a lot from the city of Philadelphia to give back,” Martin said. “The thought of being able to contribute happiness to the city and the Phillies was a major win for all of us.”
“It was so awesome to see how proud and excited everyone was to have the privilege of singing the national anthem—including me!” said Marion “Tootsie” D’Ambrosio, SJH events and volunteer coordinator.
Lunch with the Cardinals
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The Phillies weren’t the only team who spread joy to SJH on Friday. Prior to the game, eight members of the St. Louis Cardinals, including six players, visited SJH to serve lunch and interact with the residents and day services guests. This special occasion was made possible by former MLB player Adam Wainwright’s nonprofit organization, Big League Impact. Its “Mission 3:18” project connects MLB athletes with a variety of charities across the country through one-day service opportunities.
Launched in 2023, Mission 3:18 has produced more than 250 hours of service and participation from more than 125 players from eight MLB teams. To date, they have forged 20 charity partnerships nationwide. The Phillies Foundation recommended SJH to Big League Impact as a charity partner, and now, this is the second year the Cardinals have visited SJH.
Keith Brooks, executive director of Big League Impact said, “Big League Impact achieves its mission by developing strategic partnerships across the league.” “We are grateful to have willing and capable organizations like SJH to provide opportunities for the players we support.”
For Martin, May 31 is a day he and SJH will cherish forever.
“We loved having the Cardinals at SJH. We could not have been more excited,” he said. “It was an electric feeling around the shelter. And to carry that over to the singing of the national anthem was special. It was a blessed day.”