TRANSITION FOR THE FUTURE

We are in transition in New Orleans; Province Leadership is exploring new ideas for the volunteer program and has appointed two new members to the community.  Two current members have accepted different assignments to fill other needs of the Province. 

The changes were published in an e-mail sent to the Brothers on March 17^th, St. Patrick’s Day!   Br. Charles Avendano will continue here.  Two new community members are replacing Br. Bob and Br. John.  [Br. Bob also is confident that there will be volunteers in residence next year.  Having volunteers and sharing life and mission with them is the reason for the community.] 

  

Joining Charles will be Br. James Raphael McDonald, who grew up in Butte, Montana and now resides in Chicago, Illinois.  He was a science teacher before becoming Vocation Promoter for the Province.  He also serves as Chair of the Office of the Edmund Rice Network which includes our mission efforts, the volunteer program and vocation promotion.  He is an intrepid traveler, which his responsibility demands and rumor has it that he is interested in golf, too!

The community will also include Br. F. Séan Whitty, a Canadian now living in New Rochelle, NY.  Séan has served as a teacher and administrator in Canada and has experience in our community at Mt. Sion in Waterford, Ireland.  A gifted cook and horticulturalist, he is a wonderful host.  He serves as Chair of the Province Office of Life and Renewal, coordinating retreat programs for the Brothers among other duties.  He brings experience and appreciation of the international brotherhood we share.

Caitlyn, Vincent and Kyle planted these Carolina jasmine our second year here.

A separate position of Director of Recruitment for our Volunteer Programs, who will be a lay person somewhat closer in age to those recruited, is being developed by the Province Leadership Team.  Br. Sean Moffett, a Province Councillor is leading the re-founding of the program and brings great energy, determination and vision to the effort.

Bob Koppes, having completed five years here, is investigating ministry on the West Coast of Florida where we have a community at Bonita Springs.  John Casey, having completed eight years in New Orleans, is going to East Harlem to help explore ministerial opportunities for Brothers in Harlem where the Brothers served for over 100 years before withdrawing in 2010 with the closing of Rice High School. 

The changes take effect during the summer—still plenty of time for gumbo and shrimp boils!

K of C room redone by Glenn Lirette--fancy but great for a small meeting

REFLECTION 

 “A prayer that does not lead you to practical action for your brother: the poor, the sick, those in need of help, a brother in difficulty, is a sterile and incomplete prayer. But, in the same way . . . When time is not set aside for dialogue with Jesus in prayer, we risk serving ourselves and not God present in our needy brother and sister.   St Benedict sums up the kind of life that indicated for his monks in two words:ora et labora, pray and work. It is from contemplation, from a strong friendship with the Lord that the capacity is born in us to live and to bring the love of God, his mercy, his tenderness, to others. And also our work with brothers in need, our charitable works of mercy, lead us to the Lord, because it is in the needy brother and sister that we see the Lord himself.”   

Pope Francis  (7/21/13)

MARCH 2015 BEGINS

The last fling of winter is over ...  The earth, the soil itself, has a dreaming quality about it.  It is warm now to the touch; it has come alive; it hides secrets that in a moment, in a little while, it will tell.”
-  Donald Culross Peattie 

Early in February, Bob and John met with a number of folks involved with volunteer programs at Duchense House.  Sr. Anne Byrne, RSCJ and the Religious of the Sacred Heart hosted the meeting.  The House of Charity, representatives of the St. Bernard Project and the Notre Dame Americorps Volunteers and others gathered to get to know each other and to see the scope of their plans.  We will meet again in April to update each other.  We are particularly interested in folks who are open to life in community while giving service.

An article by Peter Finney in the Archdiocesan newspaper, The Clarion Herald, centered on Charles Avendano and his ministry.  http://clarionherald.org/clarion/index.php/parks-home/4162-even-at-89-a-christian-brother-finds-a-way-to-serve

During the second week of February, John visited Pope John Paul II High School for the Discovery Walk Program.

Bacchus Sunday, the last weekend of Mardi Gras parades, saw a goodly sized group, ladders and children in tow, arrive for the usual Bacchus Sunday Open House, now held at the Blessed Pauline Center.  Allison Maraldo visited us over that weekend; Molly Sherry brought ‘Hunter” along for a visit on Monday.

On the 21^st of February Archbishop Aymond and a large group of religious women, and a few men, celebrated the Year of Consecrated Life with a Mass at the recently restored shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor. This was followed by a delicious buffet and time to preview a brief video on religious life.  Both Br. Charles and John can be seen on the video!

While we have had unseasonably cool weather, it is quite relative when one sees how the rest of the nation is fairing.

Sr. Mary Lou explains a fine point to John--as usual he is amazed.

On February 28^th we hosted a gathering of religious called the “Newcomers.”  We are folks who have come to NOLA since Hurricane Katrina and we meet to pray and share experiences and then have a meal together.  This session we welcomed several Daughters of Charity of advanced years whose convents recently closed and who are now assigned to New Orleans. 
 Sr. Mary Lou Specha, PBVM, a long standing friend of the Brothers’ community shared with us news about a new venture, Hotel Hope which will provide transitional housing for homeless single mothers with children.  They are converting a convent in the Broadmoor area with the support of the parish, Pastor and a host of donors as well as FEMA funding.

Sr. Claire Regan, SC with Brs. Charles and Sean

Br. Sean Moffett, who is on our Province Leadership Team, was able to join in the day.  He is here on visitation, an annual occurrence with the Brothers.  Sean and our Province Leadership Team have been discussing a renewed vision for the Volunteer Program here in New Orleans; change is in the air.

Br. Sean Moffett and Sr. Claire and some of our 'Newcomers'

The energy of March

 
“With vision there is no room to be frightened, no reason for intimidation. It's time to march forward! Let's be confident and positive!” 
-  Charles R. Swindoll 

[The energy of the month of march may be related to a second meaning of 'march' as in walking, long trek, walking in a military campaign, marching in a coordinated manner in a group.]

REFLECTION

“God plays upon the harp of the Spirit.

Sounding the strings strongest in love:

And to this mystical music

Humanity is beckoned to sing.”

Mechtild of Hefta [13^th century] quoted in A LENTEN SOURCEBOOK from Liturgy Training Publications

BLOG 03.01.15

FEBRUARY 2, 2015

Today is the feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, and the official day of Prayer for Consecrated Life.  Nary a mention of it yesterday or today at Mass.  Must remember to meditate on the Hidden Life—the first 30 years!  

Introduction to the recent evening for Iona College students.

Menu for dinner announced!

Reflection with Iona College students

I got some pictures of Iona College’s recent visit to us off of Bob’s phone!  Folks seemed to be happy—or were they just hungry and being polite till dinner or dessert showed?

On Saturday, January 31^st, John spent the morning teamed with Sr. Maura O’Donovan, CHF in a presentation about the work of the Burning Bush group.  Burning Bush is a collaboration of  religious who, concerned about peace making in this violent time, share ideas and actions to build peace and support peace makers.

Sr. Maura and Br. John at the Holy Family Motherhouse

The presentation was to an assembly of Sisters of the Holy Family.  Their website notes:  “Twenty years before the Civil War of the United States, and before it was legal for such a Congregation to exist, the Sisters of the Holy Family were founded in New Orleans, Louisiana by Venerable Henriette Delille, a free woman of color.   Co-foundresses of this religious community of African-American women were Juliette Gaudin and Josephine Charles.”

Focus on the screen--you are not getting sleepy--I hope.

Was John taking lunch orders?

There are some smiles?

John worked with the Sisters last year at the Academy of Our Lady on the grounds of their Motherhouse.  That was with the Discovery Walks Program; John is a coach for school leaders seeing to improve the academic life of the school.  This visit was to share on a collaborative program among religious in the Archdiocese of New Orleans reaching out to all concerned about peacemaking.

Sr. Maura gave a series of brief presentations, and John facilitated the groups’ responses.  As in a classroom, ‘pair and share’ enabled all participants to be involved and John took notes on their insights to share with the Burning Bush committee.  The Sisters were an informed, involved group with insights and great wisdom to share.

That evening Bob, Charles [after an afternoon of Offenbach] and John had dinner with Sr. Vera Butler, PBVM and Sr. Enid Storey, PBVM at their home in the Lakeview area of New Orleans, west of City Park.  It was a wonderful evening.

FOR REFLECTION

Venerable Henriette Delille

Henriette applied to join religious life with the Ursuline and Carmelite Sisters, but was refused because she admitted to being of mixed race.

But as other women joined Henriette and her friends,  the community that evolved became known as the Sisters of the Holy Family. In addition to education, the Sisters worked in hospitals, in social work and with the sick elderly. This was at a time in history when educating black people could be punished by prison or even death.

Mother Henriette died in 1862, at the age of only 50. Her only recorded writing was penned in the inside cover of an 1836 prayer book: “I believe in God. I hope in God. I love God. I want to live and die for God.”

Today, her congregation’s more than 200 members operate schools for the poor and homes for the elderly in Louisiana and several other states, as well as in the Central American country of Belize.

Mother Henriette’s sainthood cause was opened in 1988, and the New Orleans archdiocesan investigation was completed in 2005. She is the first native-born Creole whose cause for sainthood has been officially recognized by the Church.  She was declared “venerable” by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010.

BLOG 02.02.15

JANUARY 2015: LATE AGAIN

I checked previous blogs and it seems much of December and January flash by every year before a new blog appears.  Here we go for 2015!

The Advent Season, as a time of waiting, was much in our hearts and prayer as we spent it this year without volunteers.  There was an emptiness that accompanied us.  As Christmas approached, we put up some decorations in the kitchen where we gather for meals, and the outdoor lights.

 

We did not put up a tree [no one even talked about it] or decorate the dining or living rooms since the volunteers did that, with their friends, in years past.  It served as a reminder to us to redouble our efforts to connect with other groups to let people know of the program.

During the Christmas season, either by telephone calls or cards, we heard from Caitlyn and Vincent, and had a newsy card [a rarity] from Kyle Fischler, now a homeowner in the Denver area.  Kyle finished an MSW in Social Work and is working at the Cystic Fibrosis Clinic at National Jewish Health and St. Joseph’s Hospital there.

Catherine Drennan and Nick Roland keep in touch.  Ryan Danaher wed Erin Hodgson of Quincy, Illinois on May 2^nd.  While the wedding took place in Seattle the parties crossed state lines so they could also celebrate in the Midwest.  According to Erin, Ryan’s 30^th was celebrated listening to a group from New Orleans visiting the Pacific Northwest.

John Petrullo has kept in touch and is back from his teaching stint in Spain, and planning to come down and see what might be found in NOLA.  

Erika Enlund writes of a return to the New York area that was quite demanding.  She is pursuing an advanced degree at Parsons School of Design and wondered if she was really up to the demands.  Her 3.8 grade point average seems to indicate that her nervousness [shared with concerned Brothers and Sisters in NOLA] motivated her performance.  Her devoted feline companion, Chichi, passed on after 19 years, and Erika moved to a new place.  Sounds tiring.

For Christmas among the Brothers, John left on December 18 for province business, joining his family in New Jersey on the 23^rd and returning to NOLA on January 2^nd.  Bob left for Minnesota on the 21^st and returned on the 30^th.  [Get him to tell you about accidentally getting off at the first stop on a flight that he was to stay on till the next stop!]  Charles traveled via Atlanta to Jacksonville on Christmas Eve to visit a niece, returning on the 1^st.  During our time away the cat, Karen, was fed by our neighbors, Glenn and Randy, who took in our mail, too.

Our highlight in January has been the visit from Iona College students.  The dozen or so from Iona were joined by three Religious of the Sacred Heart who housed them at Duchesne House [and spoke highly of the group.]  The students talked about Erika and Lauren and their influence; they would not have known TJ Wain as well.  It was a lovely evening.

We also had Sr. Nancy Hale, CHF and Sr. Pauline O’Reilly, CHF for dinner on the 22^nd—we had Bob’s ‘sliders’ after a lovely salad, followed by pound cake with strawberries marinated in crème de cassis.  

No Brother ever starved.

BLOG 01.23.15