SYRACUSE — Even in death, a priest’s dream of serving people in need lives on and flourishes.
The Rev. Anthony Keeffe worked in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse for more than four decades, including several years in the 1970s as associate pastor at St. Joseph the Worker Church in Liverpool.
After he retired, he moved into his family’s homestead at 1124 Oak St. on Syracuse’s north side.
Fr. Keeffe’s house was a neighborhood landmark.
He and his sister, Joan, were known for their generosity — no one was turned away empty-handed, according to Norm Andrzejewski, a prominent Liverpool resident and founder of Operation Northern Comfort, which is now assisting with the home’s needed renovations.
“Fr. Keeffe dreamed of a time when every parish would be a source of help and assistance to its community,” Andrzejewski said. “His life was testament to that dream.”
Keeffe passed away in 2021 after a long illness.
He and Joan willed the house to All Saints Church, with the stipulation that the house be used for New Americans.
All Saints, located at 1340 Lancaster Ave. in Syracuse, is home to hundreds of New Americans, including more than 200 from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It partners with Catholic Charities, Interfaith Works and other entities to serve the area’s newest residents.
The New York State Office for New Americans was created in 2012 to welcome immigrants and to help them in achieving their American Dream.
Through its statewide network of community-based providers, the office assists all New Americans in navigating a variety of free services and supports their inclusion as an integral part of the Empire State’s diverse cultural fabric.
In Syracuse, All Saints is collaborating with Operation Northern Comfort on the 1124 Project to rehabilitate and rejuvenate the house, with plans to create a residence for a New American family.
Operation Northern Comfort is an all-volunteer agency whose mission is to help people in need, Andrzejewski explained.
Operation Northern Comfort was established in 2012 as an offshoot of Operation Southern Comfort, which started in 2005 to aid survivors of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and Mississippi.
“Seven years later, it became apparent that there were people in Central NY that could also use help. That’s how Operation Northern Comfort was born,” Andrzejewski said. “We fix bathrooms, enlarge doors — whatever we can physically do, we do.”
Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the operation has worked on home rehabilitation, as well as the Desks for Kids Project and ramp-building for the disabled.
Fr. Fred Daley, pastor of All Saints, said, “It is indeed an honor to be chosen for this task.”
Cherie Cogan, coordinator of the New American Ministry at All Saints, welcomed the opportunity to secure a house for one of the many families she serves.
Work on the 1124 Project is starting now, and volunteers are needed for cleanup, electrical, plumbing, rebuilding and painting. Sign up at operationnc.org. Donations are being accepted at allsaintssyracuse.org.
For more information contact Fr. Fred Daley at 315-530-8995, Cherie Cogan at 315-491-7066 or Norm Andrzejewski (Operation Northern Comfort) at 315-559-9413.
