I Thirst Ministry
Ours is a ministry with a very specific mission — revealed in its name — and whose focus is specific: Kensington.
We aim to bring the Kingdom of God down into the streets of Kensington, by reminding people of their profound identity as children of God the Father, and making them disciples of Jesus Christ.
Our mission is to plant the seeds of truth in the hearts of young people and families that are overwhelmed by a culture of death, drugs, and abandonment. We believe through prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit, great transformation is possible to make Kensington become like “sweet smelling incense before the Lord.”
From Michael Grogan
The results have been consistent and profound.
Two, weekly Prayer Groups faithfully attended by eight to ten young neighborhood men eager to pray the Rosary. A weekly “Movie Night” to attract their friends to join them and learn more.
Outreach to the Homeless feeding more than 75 of our Kensington neighbors on the streets each week.
And, in July 2023, we experienced the overwhelming joy of welcoming 21 of our young people into the Catholic Church through Baptisms on one Sunday afternoon!
Four children have now been admitted to St. Peter’s Catholic Elementary School at the National Shrine of St. John Neumann and four others have been enrolled in the Ligouri Academy Private School with Christian values.
Additionally, Parish Missions and the recent publication of Michael’s first book have garnered significant media attention, spreading the word and prompting many new donors from throughout the United States to support us.
Introducing “Project Blue Door”
Gathering the funds to establish a new, more permanent home for Connect With Heaven Ministry’s evangelization and outreach
A special gathering place for people of all faiths interested in connecting with heaven and God’s Love.
Located in the heart of Philadelphia’s most needy community.
“... every front door painted blue in honor of Our Lady brings her blessings on all who pass through it, as well as her divine Son’s grace and mercy.
“So also should the doors of our hearts be painted blue. That those whom we open to and share our lives and our hearts with would also receive this blessing and this grace which we have encountered.”
— Blue Door Blog
This characteristic of the Madonna House organization founded by Catherine Doherty has always intrigued me.
I have always felt that, wherever we establish a permanent House of Prayer, its entryway too would be painted “Blessed Mother blue”.
After much prayer, the truth that has been revealed to us is a movement toward the “blue door” representing Our Blessed Mother's invitation to Her welcoming love. KHOP, the Kensington House of Prayer, will be behind that blue door.
— Michael Grogan
Today, we are prayerfully seeking God's Divine Direction and a clear understanding of His Will for our evangelization efforts, especially as it relates to establishing a more permanent ministry home.
Our quest to find a permanent home
While we are deeply humbled in our achievements and the many successes we have enjoyed, we are always looking forward to doing something beautiful for God, connecting those in our community to heaven’s love.
Today, our quest has led us to find that blue door to our House of Prayer!
There are several houses in and around our current rental that could serve as our new home, the permanent KHOP. We are looking at all of them and evaluating the pros and cons of each.
One of them, we are sure, will soon serve us well.
Today, though, we have identified a beautiful Kensington house providing the perfect combination of location, spaces and possibilities — with, unbelievably, a “Blessed-Mother-blue” door.
Coincidence, we don’t think so. In fact, we believe our quest is inspired and has been validated by none other than Our Lady.
Of course, when we are ready to make an offer on this, or any house, it could be gone. So be it. God’s Will be done.
Nonetheless, we feel compelled to move forward full-speed on this particular property.
Our focus today:
E Ontario Street
1906 E Ontario Street, Philadelphia, PA 19134
Four Bedrooms, Three Bathrooms: 1,776 SF
Asking $ 228,700
Significant benefits of this specific property as KHOP:
We believe that the blue door is literally a sign that Our Lady has chosen this house for us and will hold it for this important purpose while we negotiate the financial logistics — as quickly as possible— in faith.
This property is only two blocks from our current location. All of the young people and families with whom we have worked to date will continue to easily have access. We will not lose anyone. In this neighborhood, even a half a mile can be a significant hindrance for those people. Walking the streets is incredibly dangerous and even the toughest young people walk with trepidation. Further distance would be a deterrent. We will be able to keep all of our current families as well as add additional families and young people from the area immediately surrounding this new site.
The Prayer Room and Gathering Space is expansive. We will be able to comfortably seat more people for prayer than we can today.
The clean and spacious semi-finished basement will afford us adequate, separate recreational space so that Prayer Room is maintained with the dignity befitting our activities there. Making this distinction is incredibly important.
The backyard patio and deck is fully fenced-in and provides beautiful additional space for fellowship, barbeques and extended evangelization..
The first-floor powder room is actually an incredible blessing we do not currently enjoy. Today, guests who come in off the street must encroach on our second-floor living space. Many of our guests have criminal records and stealing has been an issue in the past.
An extra bedroom for volunteers to stay without losing the all-important opportunity for two guests to rehabilitate and redeem their lives during their short-period stays.
Storage space! behind the kitchen there's a large laundry room that will become instead our Food Pantry. Currently, we store food in our basement and often the smell of mold and mildew ruins anything that is not carefully sealed.
Work space! Our current house has no closets or work space. There is plenty of space in the basement to gather and prep clothing donations while not intruding on our recreational / movie theater area..
Clothing can be showcased, offered and distributed from a clean and organized space in the basement.
This location is only one block off Kensington Avenue is very easy to find for volunteers and conveniently accessed only one mile from I-95.
The house has just undergone complete renovation bringing the interior to brand-new condition with all-new appliances and systems.
Beneficial price. While this house is in pristine condition, its asking price hardly reflects that benefit. This price is comparable to several other close-by, run-down properties. Why? Frankly, this particular Kensington street doesn’t support any higher price due to the immediately surrounding area. Of course, this is precisely where KHOP should be located!
Additional facts worth considering
Ownership as opposed to renting will afford us much needed stability without the concern that any landlord’s needs might change at any moment. The ministry has been spending $1,500 on monthly rent for our house on Emerald Street over the past three years of our residency in Kensington.
Permanence and stability are key for our establishing trusted bonds with those we serve who need to know where to find us. In the near future, we will be there — behind the blue door — available to each at times of crisis.
From a true champion of our ministry
Rev. Justin Maria Cinnante, O.Carm
Chaplain and Theology Professor at Iona Preparatory School, New Rochelle, NY | Retreat Master | Spiritual Director
“Hungry for love, He looks at you. Thirsty for kindness, He begs of you. Naked for loyalty, He hopes in you. Homeless for shelter in your heart, He asks of you. Will you be that one to Him?”
— St. Teresa of Calcutta
Your immediate donation is needed
To purchase a home with any door we paint blue and then, behind it, to establish the House of Prayer that will please Our Mother and enable Her Love and Grace to be spread throughout our Kensington Community.
Personal, prayerful consideration of your participation in Project Blue Door is needed today. Clearly, the timeframe for placing an offer on this property is limited. Understandably, other properties are available in the neighborhood but we have certainly not found any that address our needs so perfectly.
Whatever the amount of your generous donation — whatever you can afford — YOU are making all the difference in ensuring the success of this campaign. Your commitment to Connect With Heaven is appreciated more than you can imagine.
All our donors will be remembered in perpetual prayer in this very special “house of prayer.”
For those who might be in a position to make a five-figure donation, please consider one or more of the “Adopt-a-Room Opportunities” listed just below.
We are already making progress!
We are pleased to share that Connect With Heaven received a $35,000 donation from the Estate of Veronica Weldes, an extremely generous woman and dear friend to our ministry who passed away in 2022 at the age of 89. This extraordinary gift provided a firm foundation for our ongoing work and is now being applied specifically to Project Blue Door. Our gratitude is enormous!
Project Blue Door Progress Toward $250,000 Goal
Adopt a Room.
You are invited to consider the possibility of selecting a KHOP space to memorialize a loved one or give tribute to your family or organization.
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Catherine Doherty who engaged in work with the poor in Harlem and Canada, had a blue door on her Friendship House. “Everyone who crossed the threshold of the blue door,” she said, “was sent by Our Lady.”
Our KHOP Blue Door is truly a gift from Our Lady. Each person who enters — whose feet cross the threshold — will be covered in Our Lady’s blue mantle
The hungry Jesus, the suffering Jesus enters through this Blue Door to receive the consolation that Connect With Heaven Ministry brings.
SUGGESTED DONATION $25,000
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After entering through the Blue Door, immediately each soul will be in our KHOP Prayer Room, a place where daily prayers are offered up by our guests who stay with us as well as three times a week with our young people who come from very difficult situations to encounter God.
Three or four times a year, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered in the Prayer Room. This is the heart and soul of our house. It pumps the lifeblood throughout our ministry. The only reason this ministry exists is to connect young people to heaven, to their Heavenly Father that, as they embrace their identity, they can be restored and confirmed in a prophetic mission.
SUGGESTED DONATION $50,000
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Meals bring us together as a community. It is in the Last Supper that Jesus gives himself. It is in meals, shared together with our guests whether live-in or visiting for prayer meetings that we rejoice in a fellowship. It is in meals that we come to know each other.
They are so much a part of what we do breaking bread together to break down the barriers of hospitality and build bridges of love. It is during meals that masks come off and we come to see our young people and their vulnerability as they shine around the table.
Also, in this kitchen we prepare a weekly meal for the homeless. Each week, 75 meals are prepared for the very destitute, those literally living right outside our blue door in the street.
SUGGESTED DONATION $25,000
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The nicely painted, semi-finished lower level will be used each week for “Friday Movie Night.” It will be such a blessing to keep the movies and related recreation separate from the Prayer Room!
Here, young people will gather and be able to invite friends to watch a relaxing (appropriate) movie. We often order pizzas and have popcorn or make hot dogs.
After watching the movie together (and pigging out!) we will gather in the KHOP Prayer Room to round out the night with Night Prayer.
This approach is a beautiful and positive way for our young people to fellowship together while encouraging their guests — who might be uncomfortable in their first attempt at praying — to have a positive introduction to KHOP before “buying-in” to attending our Tuesday and Thursday Prayer Groups. A proven strategy. It works!
SUGGESTED DONATION $20,000
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It is our volunteers who help us to make all of this work possible. Many come from New York, New Jersey or other distant places. It is imperative that we have a room for them to stay so that they can assist us in our many endeavors to build up the Kingdom of God.
St Joseph humbly and silently served the needs of the Holy Family. It is our volunteers — in the spirit of St Joseph — who do the humble works of love and often provide transportation for trips, for shopping and for food pickups and distribution.
Volunteers are truly the backbone to this ministry.
SUGGESTED DONATION $15,000
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Jesus said, “When I was homeless you took me in. When I was naked, you clothed me, when I was hungry you fed me.”
Our guests give us the privilege to attend to Jesus in His suffering.
We will be able to shelter two guests and help them to find work and get into school. We accept young people ages 18 through 21 who have often been homeless or come out of prison and need a second chance. Each guest rests in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary each night over a short period of time.
Their rooms are consecrated and holy images adorn the walls. Our guests are encouraged to work and each night we pray together. Structure and accountability are accompanied by an overwhelming spirit of affirmation and encouragement. Each day, our guests connect with heaven revealed by evident signs of great conversion.
These rooms are literally consecrated to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary as is the entire house, of course.
SUGGESTED DONATION $10,000 EACH ROOM
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Located on the first floor, adjacent to the kitchen, this pantry (formerly laundry room (relocated to our Clothing Outlet on the lower level) will serve as our storage and assembly space for food to be distributed to our neighbors as well as be used in individual-meal preparation for our weekly outreach to the homeless.
SUGGESTED DONATION $10,000
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Benedict was a homeless beggar who would spend his days in ecstasy before the Blessed Sacrament. He would often be levitating in the back of the church. He was totally homeless and had no place to live.
Here, donated clothes are washed and lovingly folded and organized by volunteers. We have plenty of storage space to accept a limited number of clothes. This can become a new extension to our Homeless Outreach on Fridays. Also, since this space will be spacious and well organized on our lower level, we have the possibility to invite individual young people into the outlet to select much-needed, specific items.
SUGGESTED DONATION $10,000
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A place for a young people to gather and have a barbecue, even bring out the guitars and do praise and worship so that the neighbors can hear it!
Fully fenced-in and well kept, this is a place of fun and recreation while also a place for evangelization to our neighbors!
SUGGESTED DONATION $7,500
From Brother Timothy Marie
Diocesan Hermit, Diocese of Helena, Montana
Today is the day
Please complete this form with your commitment and make your donation today.
YOUR generous donation will ensure the success of Project Blue Door.
Whatever the amount, you are not only helping us purchase a home, but more importanty, you are making the difference in the lives of those who are in desperate need of support.
Michael Grogan Ministry Inc. (d/b/a Connect With Heaven) has been established as a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The corporation has achieved full recognition of its non-profit status from the Internal Revenue Service effective from February 11, 2021, ensuring all donations are deemed fully tax deductible by donors.
There are several ways you can make your donation.
Online using this Donorbox Form
Or, by check payable to “Michael Grogan Ministry Inc.” and mailed to P.O. Box 306, Valley Forge, PA 19482
Or, by ACH / Bank Transfer to
Bank of America Account Number: 383021700446 Routing Number: 031202084 or 026009593 (wires)
“The Mud”. A documentary.
A 12-minute video that clearly illustrates the challenges that life in Kensington presents and how Connect With Heaven Ministry is working to bring the people here to their personal connection with Heaven.
Resources for Your Discernment
Michael is featured on Catholic Faith Network
A 9-minute interview presented live Monday morning, October 23, 2023 from the network’s Long Island Studios.
Ministry Newsletters
A collection of previous newsletters can be found and explored here. These thoughts and stories illustrate the day-to-day experience of being a legally blind missionary in Kensington and will give you inspiration and hope in the ongoing fight against the kingdom of darkness.
Accolades for “Connect With Heaven. Encounters with God.”
Take a look at the what has been said about Michael’s 164-page book published May 1, 2023.
Weekly Opportunities that invite participation by volunteers
Our Ministry’s ongoing work that allows volunteers to contribute directly in the work of bringing the Kingdom of God down into the streets of Kensington.
Chat with Michael.
If you are considering making a significant donation but have any specific questions you’d like answered, Michael would be pleased to answer them.
Given Michael’s heavy and ever-changing schedule, the chance to catch him at a good time to chat privately is limited. Please use this Response Form to provide Michael the best day / time to place a call to you and he will do his very best to accommodate.