An Oasis for Peace

In the spirit of Father Brady, the Brady Faith Center (BFC) strives to serve as an ‘Oasis for Peace, Hope, and Healing’ in the south side of Syracuse. Over the years, the programs of the Brady Center has evolved to greater serve and support the needs of the surrounding community. Sometimes, the best way to understand the impact of an organization’s mission is through the telling of stories.

Our Mission

Our primary goal is to welcome people into our ministries and programs, which provide bridges and places of connection for people in the inner city and surrounding areas. Through faith and commitment to building relationships, we seek to support members of our community in discovering newfound power and hope within themselves and their communities as a whole. Your generous gift will help individuals in the poorest areas of our communities build a pathway for hope, health, and healing.

Brady Faith Center’s 20 programs include the Brady Farm, Stone Soup Educational Garden, Pedal to Possibilities, Feet on the Street, Summer Servants Immersion Retreat, a 5-week Vacation Bible School and a Brady Market - Hope, Health and Healing Initiative.

In his Spirit

In 1946, Father Charles J. Brady was given his dream appointment- to befriend, share God's love, and perform community outreach with the 15th ward of Syracuse, NY, a predominately black community. Fr. Brady walked with the people in their own neighborhoods, canvassing the streets, and advocated for justice, sharing God's compassion and grace for all.

Brady's Legacy

The Brady Faith Center was established in the spirit of Father Brady to continue his work, meeting the spiritual, educational, and social needs of individuals in the Southwest community. Following Father Brady's passing in 1980, Father John Schopfer carried on his ministry and neighborhoods of our city, and still serves as the Center's pastoral director.

Get Involved

Our Programs

The Brady Faith Center is able to carry out its mission with the support of more than 1,000 parent, youth, and community volunteers who bless us with their time and energy in our unique programming.

Brady Faith Center's 20 Programs include:

The Brady Farm

The Brady Farm is a project of the Brady Faith Center. Started in 2016 our vision is an urban farm woven into the fabric of the community that provides sustained nutritious foods, employment, and education that nourishes the body, mind and spirit of the residents. In the spirit of Father Brady, the farm is meant to meet the needs of people where they are and in ways that are meaningful to them. You can learn more about Brady Farm at www.bradyfarm.org

The Brady Market

More than a Market

Brady Market is a grocery store with retail, deli/catering, wholesale grocery operations, job training, and wrap-around healing support services. It features a meat department, deli, hot/cold grab and go catering, fresh produce, cold and frozen selections, dry goods and middle store staples. Brady Market operates within a certified not-for-profit, Brady Social Enterprises, Inc. It was inspired by the 70+ year history of Brady Faith Center’s witness and engagement with generations of individuals and families in some of the most disinvested and impoverished neighborhoods in the nation. You can learn more about Brady Market at www.bradymarket.org

Pedal 2 Possibilities

This innovative program encourages program participants to take control of their own fitness and well being by committing to regular bike excursions. Participants from the neighborhood join Brady staff and volunteers for bike rides three times per week. Bikes are provided at no cost to participants, and after 10 rides, each participant receives a free bike, helmet, and lock. Rides are on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 9:00 am – 10:30 am. Meet at the center by 8:45 am on the days indicated.

Vacation Bible School

In our visiting ministry, one of the main messages heard over and over from our neighbors, especially mothers, was that we have to provide more programs for our youth, especially in the summer. We responded by offering our Summer Program-Vacation Bible School. Children from ages 6 through 12 years of age may attend; 13-15 year old may serve as volunteers. VBS is a 5 week program. It begins second Monday in July and ends the second Friday in August. VBS meets daily from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM. Registration begins third Thursday in April.

Summer Servants Immersion Retreat

A summer service camp/retreat in Syracuse NY, which invites teenagers from area parishes and schools to immerse themselves in the city and serve alongside urban neighbors, right in our own backyard! Participants serve six hours per day at different ministry sites all around Syracuse and participate in a comprehensive program which allows them to reflect and respond to what they are seeing and experiencing. Fun activities, free time, great talks and some special events will ensure that our teenagers’ hearts will be changed and turned toward the joy of a vibrant spirituality exemplified through love and service. If you wish to have a group of teens participate in Summer Servants please contact Nicole Littlepage at nicole@summerservants.org and visit www.summerservants.org

Stone Soup Community Education Garden

Economic poverty, poor health, deteriorated environments are serious realities for most persons living on the near west side of Syracuse. Our community garden offers an opportunity to impact people in the neighborhood in many positive and life changing ways. First, we offer our garden as a “teaching garden” empowering people to garden on their own, growing herbs, fruits and vegetables and therefore cutting down on food cost. Secondly, by offering fresh, organic and healthy foods from the garden, we seek to improve the health of those in the neighborhood. Thirdly, working in a community garden builds relationships, collaborations and community and offers hands on learning and educational opportunities in a multi-generational setting. Finally, all can find a place of natural beauty and a spirit of calm and peace as they work, rest, or visit our community garden. Contact us to get involved

Feet on the Street

This primary or core mission centered in the neighborhoods and homes where people live was begun by Father Charles Brady in the late 1940’s. After his death in 1978, Father John Schopfer was appointed Southwest City Missioner by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse to continue this unique apostolate. Together these two men have faithfully lived out this gospel imperative for over 70 years. Today, just as in the days of Jesus, the Spirit of God is calling lay ministers from multiple church denominations to go out into the byways of Syracuse to continue the mission of spreading the Kingdom of God. Contact Brady faith Center for additional information

Come an See

Immersion Workshops

In our retreat ministries, we call and invite people into the vision of the reign of God. This reign of God is both a comfort and a promise to the poor and, at the same time, a call to all to be linked with God’s vision of justice and reconciliation. Our retreats challenge, nurture and empower participants to become people who love their way to God by growing in compassion for all people, especially the poor and vulnerable. Through our proclamation of the Good News we hope to continually move ourselves and one another from the world as it is to the world as God is calling it to become. We want to announce and participate in the transformation of hearts and raise up leaders with a vision, people who are vibrant in their capacity for good in the world. For additional information please call the Brady Faith Center at

315-472-9077.