Every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday the staff at St. Lucy Parish gathers for lunch in the rectory, prepared by cook Micha Mendez. Assembled are Fernando Herrera, in charge of maintenance, Helen McMahon, school secretary, Daughter of Charity Sister Fran Sullivan and Rosario Garcia, her assistant at the Marian Outreach Center, school principal Diane Pedroni, and the parish priests: Father Mike Roebert, pastor, and Fathers Antonio Rodriguez and Joseph Kim Nguyen, associate pastors.

Others who attend include parishioner Earl, who lives in a board and care facility nearby, and --- like many parishioners --- visits the Marian Outreach Center to help when a need arises. There were more than 22,000 instances (all carefully logged) of services provided by the Center last year, under the direction of Sister Sullivan, "St. Lucy's is a refuge and haven" for people in need, she says.

For the last 13 years Sister Sullivan, associate Garcia and their volunteers have provided food and clothing for distribution, advocacy for the helpless, subsidy for rental and utilities in times of need, burial assistance, home visits and assessments, special programs for seniors and those with children, and more.

A Daughter of Charity for 56 years, she is very clear about her love for her work and her parish. "Do I love the poor? The Daughters of Charity take a fourth vow of service to the poor. It's who I am."

St. Lucy Parish, she says, is inclusive and welcoming, with an attitude of caring and generosity that begins from celebrating or gathering at table or altar, and is nurtured by parish leadership. "Father Mike loves the poor," Sister Sullivan says. "That keeps the center going. He's very much at home here because of the services that it offers."

Adds school principal Pedroni: "He lets you do your work," offering trust and "not getting in the way."

By his own admission Father Roebert says he has grown as pastor of this parish. "I am constantly being stretched here and called to a certain simplicity and holiness. It is because our people's focus is their faith. The people know what's best."

The parish works, plans activities and prepares for the future together. "We're a multi-ethnic parish that enjoys praying together, eating together and socializing," says Father Roebert. "They're proud of their differences and want to share them with everyone else. We have the Vietnamese dragon dances, the Filipino Simbang Gabi, a Samoan choir and dances."

The parish still has many members who date back to the 1940s, '50s and '60s. Many Anglo, Hispanic and African American members who worked in shipbuilding in the '40s and '50s have remained. Newer immigrants have been welcomed over the years. Eighty Vietnamese families and extended families of 500-600 people come for liturgies in Vietnamese. Not long ago four Samoan chiefs asked to be part of the parish and they have joined sharing their dances and choir.

On weekends the parish has nine Masses and 14 choirs that sing in Spanish, English, Tagalog, Vietnamese and Samoan. "All of our English Masses each have an additional diverse language or two," says Father Roebert. "I love it here."

Tony Gonzalez, who's been at St. Lucy's for 42 years, says Father Roebert encourages active participation in the Mass and he encourages them to become lectors, Eucharistic ministers, altar servers, choir members and to serve the parish however they are able.

"Everyone is given a chance to participate," says Gonzalez. "Every Mass is full, and our choirs are wonderful. As we have grown older the parish has grown very much. We welcome the growth, and we love our parish."