Thursday, September 5, 2013

TARA IN NOLA




We are not talking Scarlet O’Hara’s home in ‘Gone With The Wind’ since there was no hurricane like Isaac, which greeted our volunteers last year.  This year, it is ‘Tara Knights’ which take center stage at Christian Brothers Volunteer Community in New Orleans.

This year all three of our volunteers, Erika Enlund, Travis Wain and Lauren Zanfardino are Tara Knights, members of the original Iona College fraternity, dating to the founding of the college.  This is the first time that all our volunteers are Iona College graduates!

Lauren, from Syosset, Long Island, New York flew to New Orleans with her Mother and Dad on the 24th  of August; we hosted her parents through the 26th on their first visit to the Crescent City.  Lauren’s parents had an opportunity to meet the Brothers, stay at the house, experience the neighborhood, drive by Langston Hughes Charter School where she’ll be ministering, and see a bit of the city. 

Erika Enlund arrived from her family home in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, on Tuesday night, and after doing a bit of unpacking, helped us host 30 guests from the United Kingdom on Wednesday evening during their mission trip to New Orleans with Ursuline UK Connections.  Lauren and Erika must have done this before; they helped set up and entertain, with ease, the Ursuline Sisters and the young women, and Lauren handled the audio visual demands; there was a movie shown as part of their evening with us.

The movie: “They Would Not Be Moved” is a moving chronicle of several women’s religious communities who suffered greatly during Hurricane Katrina, but recommitted themselves, in Faith, to the People of God in this part of God’s Kingdom.

As part of their orientation, on Thursday and Friday, Lauren, Erika, and Br. Bob visited a number of places where members of the Volunteer Community have worked over the years.  Lunch at Café Reconcile was part of the tour.  Lauren and Erika saw Br. Joe Fragala’s picture there.

Travis Wain arrived home on Saturday morning, and in the afternoon, orientation continued with a meditation on the Icon of Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice, and pizza for dinner. [Luckily, Theo’s on Magazine Street makes a good gluten-free pizza—a necessity since one of our new members is on a gluten free regimen.]   And Br. Charles found a French bakery in our area that had gluten free offerings.  Who knew?

Sunday all went to Mass at St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish in Pontchartrain Park; which coincidentally featured in the movie shown to the Ursuline group on Wednesday night.  That afternoon Br. John spent several hours with the Volunteers on the Province’s Safe Environment Training: “Pathways to Hope.” 

On Labor Day, we continued orientation with a review of the Handbook by all of the community and a thorough discussion of expectations about prayer and community life.  In the afternoon, Erica, Travis, Lauren and Br. Charles went to see “The Butler” at our local theater, The Prytania, and then the volunteers grilled burgers and hot dogs which we ate in the “Map Room” downstairs.  With the recently repaired AC in that area, and as a result of Br. Bob’s work, helped by last year’s volunteers, it provided a great place for our Labor Day community gathering.

This week, Lauren is involved with the Notre Dame Americorps Volunteer Orientation that is using the Blessed Pauline Room on Tuesday and Wednesday; she’ll go to her school on Friday.  Br. Bob is handling the Americorps paperwork with Erica and Travis for their programs.

Our volunteers from last year are keeping in touch, for which we are grateful.  John Petrullo flew to Madrid to teach English this year; Matt Beben leaves shortly for Ethiopia where he will work with the Salesian community. 

BLOG 09.03.13


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