Iona College students arrived on Saturday the 10th
to live at and work with Camp Restore, a well-organized and effective Lutheran group helping rebuild New
Orleans. This is the second time there for
Iona.
On Sunday at St. Gabriel the Archangel parish in Pontchartrain Park we
met a large group from Marquette University who are staying in an Episcopalian parish
in the Lower Ninth and working with several other non-profits. These experiences bring volunteers into
personal contact with those in need for their mutual benefit. We expect the group from Iona will be with us
on Friday for a meal and some reflection time.
Allison Maraldo and Molly Sherry will join us and facilitate the
reflection.
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| Br. Bob researching Irish festal customs |
Brothers Dave Concannon and Tony Quinn arrive on Wednesday
the 14th on their way to some sort of celebration of a significant
Irish saint, we think. Br. Ray
Vercruysse arrives on Sunday the 18th for some work with schools in
the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
On March 5th, Raph McDonald arrived to
interview members of the community about the volunteer program and how it
functions. While we were at our various
ministries, our guest got in a ride on the St. Charles Avenue street car, had a
po-boy, visited the Aquarium, the French Quarter, Riverwalk, and the shops on
Magazine Street. His research into the
cultural milieu in which we live was shared at dinner with us.
During the past week Charles continued his work at
Lantern Light Ministries.
Bob had jury duty and dealt with the turmoil as the
offices of Operation Helping Hands [OHH] officially moved to a classroom at St.
Gabriel Parish. There is still some clean-up
to do at the old site, and the offices will continue to function into the
summer. Leaving the Paris Avenue
location means leaving a place rich with visual reminders of what was and is no
more. The new site consists of a second
floor classroom with three desks, file cabinets and a conference table. Miss Debbie, Bob and David Harms will work
there.
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| The staff at OHH in 2009-2010 |
Meanwhile, Bob was struggling with some painful physical discomfort
which has been diagnosed as shingles.
Medication has eased it somewhat—he is scoring the pain now as 2 out of
10.
 | |
| The post-Katrina campus of Holy Cross HS on Paris Ave. |
John was in schools again this week as part of the
Discovery Walk program, beginning on Monday at Academy of the Sacred Heart,
then St. Charles Catholic on Tuesday and Holy Cross on Thursday.
Being in the schools and in conversation with
administrators, department chairs and Archdiocesan personnel enables a picture
of the needs of Catholic secondary and elementary schools to be drawn. Volunteers with mathematics, science,
technology and theology backgrounds are much in need. The other need is mentoring for new teachers
in the basics of classroom management!
Our hope is that future volunteers might consider teaching as well as
construction, and that mentors can be encouraged to assist them in their first
year. The mentors are already here; we
need the volunteers!
A Lenten hymn selection:
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"I am this dark world's light;
Look unto me, your morn shall rise,
And all your days be bright."
I looked to Jesus, and I found
In him my star, my sun;
And in that light of life I'll walk
Till trav'ling days are done. Horatius Bonar
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