Fr. Jim McKenna Memorial Fund

06/01/2026

05/23/2026

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the passing of Fr. Jim McKenna, my sponsor, my friend, and one of the people God placed in my life to help save it.

Fr. Jim was instrumental in getting me sober. He did not preach from a distance. He stood with people in the pain, in the fear, in the shame, and in the beginning again. He knew the road because he had walked it "The Record" remembered how Fr. Jim began a Mass with the simple, powerful words: “My name is Jim, and I’m an alcoholic.” That honesty was his ministry. That humility opened doors. The article described how he served as a chaplain, helped so many people struggling with alcoholism, and made the Recovery Mass a place where people could bring their whole selves — broken, hopeful, searching, sober, newly sober, or just trying to make it through one more day.

He helped so many. And I am one of them.

Although Fr. Jim has been gone for 20 years, I still feel his presence with me. I feel it in the way I try to live my life one day at a time. I hear his encouraging words when I need to pause, breathe, and simply do the next right thing. His legacy is not only in the memories we carry, but in the lives that continued because he cared enough to show up.

The Third Saturday Recovery Mass continues to be one of those peaceful places where I can reconnect with my Higher Power, quiet the noise, and remember that recovery is grace in motion.

Thank you, Fr. Jim, for helping me find the path.
Thank you for reminding us that hope is real.
And thank you for still walking with us, one day at a time. 🙏

04/23/2026

Today would have marked Fr. Jim's 91st birthday. Share a memory with us.🙏

04/15/2026

I came across something this week that stopped me in my tracks, in the best way.

An article from The Bergen Record (August 2, 2005) titled “A priest who’s been there eases the pain for alcoholics.”
It tells a story many of us already know… but it still hits home.
Fr. Jim stood at the altar and said: “My name is Jim, and I’m an alcoholic.”

Not from a place of defeat—but from a place of truth, humility, and hope.

He didn’t stand above people—he stood with them.
He knew the struggle, and he reminded others they weren’t alone.

And here we are, years later…
Same spirit.
Same need.
Same quiet miracles happening every day.

His legacy isn’t something we just remember—it’s something we live.

Every time someone walks through the door unsure…
Every time a hand reaches out…
Every time we share honestly and listen with care…
That’s Fr. Jim’s legacy—alive and well.

🙏 We invite you to join us at the Third Saturday Recovery Mass each month; a chance to pause, reconnect spiritually (in whatever way that means to you), and find a little peace in the middle of it all.

Following the Mass, all are welcome to stay for fellowship and a Meeting of Hope.

09/16/2025

THIS FRIDAY, September 17th:

GREAT TIME! GREAT FOOD! GREAT CAUSE!

08/14/2025

The iTHIRST online training seeks to provide a spiritual remedy to those suffering from addiction through the development and implementation of programs designed to educate and prevent, to provide support to treatment facilities and those incarcerated, and to develop an aftercare community for the a...

08/14/2025

See you tomorrow at 5 p.m. Eastern in the Hope Zone! We welcome guest host Lisa Gladwell.
Join via Zoom:
https://ithirstinitiative.org/event/hope-zone/