Photographer: COURTESY PHOTO

Helping the pantry that feeds: At the Camillus House pantry, a Hungerfest participant from Msgr. Edward Pace High listens to an employee. As part of their annual pre-Lenten retreat, Pace students delivered meals they prepared and packed.

Photographer: COURTESY PHOTO

Msgr. Edward Pace High students fill a school bus with bagged meals they prepared for the homeless during Hungerfest, a pre-Lenten retreat where students, faculty and volunteers combine their own fasting with prayers, meal prepping and packing.

MIAMI GARDENS | Faculty, staff, administrators and 75 students at Msgr. Edward Pace High School worked together to prepare meals for the homeless at the 24th annual Hungerfest retreat held Feb. 7 and 8. During the weekend retreat, 3,533 meal bags were prepared to feed neighboring communities, as well as food service shelters Camillus House, Miami Rescue Mission and Missionaries of Charity.

The meal bags contained peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cookies, and juice boxes. They also included palancas, which are small notes of prayers, scriptures, inspirational quotes or encouraging words.

Hungerfest participants also take on a 24-hour fast so that they can experience the challenges that the less fortunate face daily.

After packing meals, a period of adoration gave students and others the opportunity for reflection and prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.

Guest speaker Alex Fiallo also shared his testimony on formerly being homeless.

The retreat concluded on the morning of Feb. 8 with the loading of meal bags onto two buses, and delivering them to the food service shelters.

Following the merger with Archbishop Curley Notre Dame High School in 2017, Pace High inherited Hungerfest and has continued it for the last three years. Terri Williams, a current Pace teacher who worked at Curley-Notre Dame for many years, coordinated the event with the assistance of a committee consisting of faculty members Katrina Figueroa, Pascal Reseau, Andres Novela, Daniel Reese, Teodora Calero, David Masters and Brother John Corcoran. The Pace family is proud to continue this humanitarian tradition.

Photographer: COURTESY PHOTO

Msgr. Edward Pace High students gather for a group shot after packing over 3,500 meals for the homeless. The efforts come as part of the pre-Lenten event Hungerfest, where participants combine their own fasting with prayers and meal prepping and packing.