Msgr. Robert C. Cilinski, pastor, and Nativity Catholic Church in Burke received the Cornerstone Award from Food For The Poor for their work serving vulnerable children and families in Latin America and the Caribbean during a presentation at the parish Jan. 11.
The award recognizes individuals and organizations whose extraordinary contributions have helped shape FFTP’s mission and vision. For decades, Nativity has partnered with FFTP and parishioners have contributed more than $9.8 million and provided more than $3 million in donated goods, helping deliver life-changing support to children and families across the region.
“The good people at Food For The Poor have played a critical role in our ministry abroad. For 27 years, this partnership has brought relief and hope to people in Haiti, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and now Honduras,” Msgr. Cilinski said. “Through all the turmoil and change in Haiti and elsewhere, your staff and our parishioners have been steadfast in our joint commitment to those who cry out for help. God has blessed us with resources, and you have guided us to use them wisely and effectively.”
“Nativity Catholic Church reflects the very spirit on which Food For The Poor was built,” said Ed Raine, president and CEO. “Through decades of faithful service, their parish has helped families find safety, opportunity and renewed hope. We are deeply grateful to recognize a community whose compassion has created lasting change.”
Nativity’s longstanding commitment is rooted in its signature parish initiative, Operation Starfish, which began in 1998 under the leadership of the late Father Richard B. Martin, then pastor. Father Martin conceived the idea on the eve of Lent while reflecting on the season’s call to sacrifice. He challenged parishioners to give up small comforts, such as an order of French fries or an extra pizza topping and donate the savings to help families living in poverty.
The response exceeded expectations. Parishioners raised more than $67,000, funding the construction of 27 homes in Haiti in partnership with FFTP. The following year, Nativity formally launched Operation Starfish, laying the foundation for what would become one of FFTP’s most enduring parish partnerships.
Msgr. Cilinski has guided the ministry for the past 11 years, along with longtime parishioner Jim McDaniel. Most recently, Nativity parishioners committed $719,290 through the Operation Starfish campaign, the largest single gift in the 27-year partnership between the parish and FFTP.
The donation will fund the construction of Nativity Village at Bois-Louroux in Haiti’s Nord-Est department, the 15th village supported by Nativity parishioners. The community will provide families with two-bedroom furnished homes, access to water and sanitation, and solar-powered streetlights in an area where families currently rely on small crops and fragile housing vulnerable to severe weather. The gift will also advance health clinics in Honduras, tuition and living expenses for Jamaican medical students, medicines for clinics, birthing kits, hospital generators in Haiti, midwife training, water purification projects, and scholarships for schools located in Nativity-supported villages.
“As we remember the vision of Father Richard Martin in starting Operation Starfish, we rejoice in the accomplishments God has inspired us to achieve,” said Msgr. Cilinski. “We renew our promise to continue serving our sisters and brothers in need. And we have faith that God will continue to bless our work. Together, we all bring each other closer to Christ.”
