Third Week of Lent: SPRING BREAK VISITORS

Iona College students arrived on Saturday the 10^th 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.

Br. Bob researching Irish festal customs

 

 Brothers Dave Concannon and Tony Quinn arrive on Wednesday the 14^th on their way to some sort of celebration of a significant Irish saint, we think.  Br. Ray Vercruysse arrives on Sunday the 18^th for some work with schools in the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

On March 5^th, 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.

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 

 

SECOND WEEK OF LENT--2012 Transfiguration

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 16^th], 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 80^th anniversaries.  Charles will celebrate his 70^th 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.