Charles,
Bob and John continued with their assorted ministries working with the
homeless, at Operation Helping Hands and at schools in the Archdiocese of New
Orleans.
Charles
noted an increasing number of people coming for lunch at Lantern Light; over
260 guests are fed on some days.
Bob works
with the few staff still at OHH: Kevin Fitzpatrick,[ whose last day is March 16th],
Miss Kathy who works with homeowners waiting for Chinese drywall to be
remediated so they can return to their homes [it will take months yet] and
David Harms who is on the road, checking on progress in homes being
remediated. Bob is doing financial work
and disposing of supplies to other agencies still involved in rebuilding
efforts. He is also setting up a little
workshop in our house for his tools and projects.
On
Thursday Bob reported for his first day of jury duty; he was not picked and has
six more days when he is to be available—he is in the jury pool on Tuesdays and
Thursdays.
 |
| Bethany Billman and her parents by the wall with all the "Helping Hands" some time ago. |
On
Wednesday, March 7, OHH leaves St. Raymond’s on Paris Avenue and moves the
office to a rented classroom at St. Gabriel’s Parish in Pontchartrain Park in
eastern New Orleans.
John was
in and out of schools during the week: St. Clement of Rome on Monday
[consulting on future planning]; at the School Leadership Center at the
University of New Orleans on Tuesday for a meeting with the Superintendent of
Schools for the Archdiocese. He was at Academy of Our Lady on the West Bank Wednesday morning, and at a dinner given by the National Assessment Governing Board [NAGB] that evening. NAGB is responsible
for the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a non-partisan assessment
of American education; they were having a board meeting in New Orleans and John
was invited through Sr. Mary Frances Taymans, SND who is on the board and with
whom John worked at NCEA. On Thursday,
John was at Pope John Paul II HS in Slidell and on Friday back at the School
Leadership Center for a meeting.
 |
| Main Office with Principal's office behind at ROOL School |
Returning
from Slidell on Thursday, John stopped at Resurrection of Our Lord Parish where Fr. Michael
Joseph Nguyen is Pastor, and Colleen LaRocca is parish secretary. Recently an arsonist set a fire which
destroyed the Main Office, faculty room, storerooms and damaged the building so
that all the floors must be removed, the walls painted and furnishings and
library replaced. John toured the
building with Fr. MichaelJoseph and saw the efforts at reconstruction. The students are now housed elsewhere and
hope to return in a few weeks. The
school was restored after Katrina largely through donations and efforts of the
pastor and school staff, volunteers and friends. Recently they broke ground on a new
gym/community center. Once again, the
Resurrection story is played out in real time by real people who need the life
and hope a school can give a community in recovery.
On
Saturday, Sr. Mary Frances Taymans, SND came by for a visit, lunch at ‘C’est La
Vie’ on Magazine Street and a ride to the airport. Bob moved ahead on the tool room.
On Sunday,
Fr. Doug Brougher, from Good Shepherd Parish, came to a breakfast of blueberry
pancakes and sausage, prepared by Bob, to celebrate his Golden Jubilee with the
community. He was also to be the
homilist at the Mass for Jubilarians that afternoon. There were to be 96 in the group; two of the
Sisters present would be celebrating their 80th anniversaries. Charles will celebrate his 70th
next year—a mere youth!
So during Lent, we continue our lives, confront some tragedy, celebrate some joys and pray as we recall the Transfiguration that "having beheld Christ's glory, we should not be afraid before His sufferings."
“To strengthen them for coming strife,
Our Savior climbed the heights
With Peter, James and John, his
friends,
And showed them heaven’s light.
With Moses and Elijah there
Who spoke of coming doom,
The Christ stood, radiant as the sun,
To point beyond the tomb.
May Tabor’s light and wondrous news
Shine on our Lenten days,
That seeking naught but Jesus Christ,
Our penance may be praise.
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