A Labor of Love and Learning: Brother Andre's Café at Epiphany Church
Whether he's grinding coffee beans from Peru and Kenya, checking his inventory for his cooking recipes or boxing up a variety of cookies, Patrick Fitzgerald is a busy man.
Patrick is the energy, smile and inspiration behind Brother Andre's Café at Epiphany Church, part of Divine Mercy Parish.
Click the video player above to see Patrick and his team hard at work.
"It's just amazing. The spring in his step, he's so excited every morning when he wakes up and when he comes down here. He always talks about all the new friends he's meeting. And so it's just been amazing and an amazing blessing for our whole family," said Patrick's father Mike Fitzgerald.
Mike and his wife Terry had a difficult time helping Patrick find employment after he successfully completed the food services program at CCAC.
"We couldn't find a job for him. Even though everyone would talk about what a great worker he was, how hard he worked, it was pretty evident. And even some of the places he had a chance for, he was kind of buried in the back where nobody could see him," said Mike.
Inspired by the story of Saint Andre Bessett, a religious brother from Canada, Patrick is now out in front as the first employee of the café.
Father Chris Donley, pastor at Divine Mercy Parish, has been working for the past 6 years with Move the Mountain Ministries helping children and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Jamaica. They also create service opportunities for hundreds of Pittsburgh high school and college students.
"Patrick, Michael, all these young adults with IDD they are in fact a light in the darkness. They have such great gifts to show each and everyone of us. All they needed, like many of us, all they need is the chance," said Donley.
COVID-19 postponed Brother Andre's Café's grand opening this past spring, and while they will open for business after the pandemic, the café launched its grand opening online.
Patrick and his team at Brother Andre's Café are busy packing up and shipping out Christmas orders.
Each product, handcrafted from vulnerable members of Pittsburgh's community forming a growing place of inclusion and Christian fellowship.
"What we're doing is a nice thing, but for families like us, it's life changing. And that's what's been so beautiful about this whole thing," said Mike.
Patrick mentioned he'd love to see some Pittsburgh Pirates stop by the café upon its opening.
To learn more about how to help Patrick and his team continue in their efforts, click here.