Mobile Outreach Ministry in the Columbus diocese is turning heads and opening doors quite literally.
A mobile ministry van donated to the diocese by racecar driver Cody Coughlin is serving the needy and evangelizing from highways to country roads. The vehicle displays the Divine Mercy image, a depiction of Christ feeding the hungry and St. Teresa of Calcutta complete with diocesan branding.
The van is currently stationed at Lancaster Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption. It was blessed by Bishop Earl Fernandes at the basilica in March.
The vehicle is used primarily by Lancaster St. Mary and Logan St. John the Evangelist parishes and will also be used by Lancaster St. Bernadette Church. The ministry-on-wheels is intended to travel to surrounding parishes in the geographic area.
“Part of the rationale was that both St. John and St. Mary had food pantries,” Deacon Jeff Hurdley, who ministers at the basilica, said of the decision to house the van in Lancaster.
“We’re on the foothills of Appalachia down here,” added Deacon Matt Shaw, who is serving at St. John the Evangelist. “My parish is the only in the (Hocking) county, so there’s lots of people living in the country. It just made some sense to have a mobile outreach of some sort.”
That mobile outreach came in the form of a van.
The diocese’s newest vehicle was generously gifted by Coughlin, 30, a drag racing and stock car driver from Delaware, Ohio. The successful racer launched the Cody Coughlin Company in 2018, focused on high-end residential real estate development.
Coughlin, who reverted to the Catholic faith and entered full communion with the Church at Westerville St. Paul the Apostle a few years ago, was eager to give back.
“I’m deeply humbled and moved to be able to donate a vehicle to help nourish those in need throughout the Catholic Diocese of Columbus. It’s a small way to support a mission that truly changes lives, and I’m grateful to be part of something that helps bring food and hope to families who need it most,” he said.
“My hope is that this campaign proves to be successful so that we can continue expanding the fleet with more vans in the future. One of the great strengths of a mobile ministry is its flexibility. It can go directly to the communities where help is needed most, which allows for the highest level of impact and effectiveness for this kind of mission.
“We also see potential to use this platform for other types of outreach and support and we’re currently exploring those opportunities as well. I look forward to seeing this effort grow and to the great success it can bring in serving those in need.”
A few months after hitting the road, the van has benefitted several diocesan communities.
In March, it was used for a trip to support Mary’s Mission, which serves the needs of the homeless population in the Zanesville area. The van transported approximately 6,000 food items collected by Lancaster Fisher Catholic High School and the Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption.
Hurdley noted the van will also transport furniture collected for Mary’s Mission.
“The ministry that we’re helping in Zanesville, we would have had no way to do that without this van,” Hurdley said. “It’s really opened new doors for us.”
The eye-catching vehicle is also an evangelization tool.
“The van is noticeably Catholic, and a lot of people, they just look at it as it goes by,” Hurdley emphasized. “It really does catch your eye.”
In February, Hurdley drove the van to the Columbus Catholic Men’s Conference at the Ohio Expo Center and State Fairgrounds. Several attendees, he recalled, were drawn to take a peek at the vehicle parked out front.
A Quick-Response, or QR, Code is incorporated in the design of the van. Passersby can scan the code to learn more about the ministry.
Hurdley and Shaw are also brainstorming ways to evangelize in their communities.
Hurdley noted the Knights of Columbus organization is eager to partner with St. Mary of the Assumption parish to use the van in this year’s Lancaster Fourth of July parade. A hitch added to the van enables it to pull a float.
“We’re using it not only to supply the needs of the poor in terms of food, clothing, furniture,” Hurdley explained.
“We’re going out and we’re using it for a defined evangelization function. We’re really using it to spread the Good News of the Gospel and what the Church is doing.”