Archbishop Hebda helps serve noon meal to the homeless at Catholic Charities in St. Paul

Archbishop Bernard Hebda helps serve the noon meal at Catholic Charities’ Dorothy Day Place in St. Paul April 12. Tim Marx, Catholic Charities’ president and CEO, wearing a yellow shirt and blue baseball cap, also is part of the serving line. COURTESY MIKE RIOS-KEATING, CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF ST. PAUL AND MINNEAPOLIS

After celebrating Easter Sunday Mass at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, Archbishop Bernard Hebda made an important stop in St. Paul.

He helped serve a noon meal to the homeless at Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Dorothy Day Place, which includes a shelter, social services and long-term, low-cost apartments for the needy. He and Tim Marx, president and CEO of Catholic Charities, who also helped cook the meal, worked with several others at the serving line April 12, with gloves and masks on to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.

“It’s certainly important to be sharing Easter joy,” the archbishop said. “The new life that comes with Jesus transforms, or it should transform us, to want to serve others. This is out of a sense of gratitude for what Jesus offered. This is a chance to give back.”

Before the archbishop arrived, Marx described some of the needs at Catholic Charities, including at least 5,000 cloth face coverings to help protect clients and staff against the virus. People who want to donate can drop items off at Catholic Charities’ distribution center at 341 Chester St. in St Paul. Catholic Charities’ website also has