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St. Clare Recovery – Called to Care
Cascia Hall, Tulsa Oklahoma
Mission Trip to Waveland & Bay St. Louis, MS
Over Spring Break, Bro. Jack Hibbard, O.S.A. and Mrs. Bonnie Leighty accompanied seniors
Szilvia B. Kiss, Kathy Bones, Paige Wheeler and Zane Zarecki to the Gulf area to assist in rebuilding from Hurricanes Katrina, Gustov and Ike. Catholic Charities, Tulsa Oklahoma, made a donation to Cascia Hall for this mission trip in the form of a $5,000 gift card from Lowe’s Home Improvement. The funds had been donated by people in our area to Catholic Charities in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, at which time hundreds of people were helped. Catholic Charities wanted the remaining funds to continue to help hurricane victims, and also wanted to support Cascia’s spring mission trip to Mississippi. Our group worked alongside a group of retired men and women from Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The two groups lived, ate, worshiped and worked together providing a variety of services using the talents with which we are blessed.
The first day the group worked at the home of Fred and Rose, who had just recently moved back
into their house three years after Katrina. Their house still needed kitchen cabinets, counter tops, bedroom doors, door jambs, and closet doors. The woodwork needed to be painted too. The kids did the painting while Bro. Jack and Mrs. Leighty went to Lowes with the lady of the house to pick out cabinets, counter tops and a vent hood for the stove. Fred and Rose needed to move back into their home before renovations could be completed because of reports of shady activities
operating out of their vacant house. The couple had been living in their house without bathroom facilities or a kitchen sink for months. Part of the Lowe’s card was spent on these items.
Back at the warehouse for St. Clare Recovery, Tony Dixon, the coordinator for the work being done by volunteers, was asked if there was anything he needed which could be purchased at Lowe’s. A list of tools was made and Bro. Jack got down to business picking out miter saws,
screw guns, hand drills, table saw, jigsaws and circular saws. Tony said that because of their constant use, tools wear out pretty fast. Szilvia and one of the men from the retiree’s group went to work with a group of college kids from Kentucky on Tuesday, and they got down and dirty digging holes for new footings for a house. The house was four feet off the ground, so it was backbreaking work until the trench was deep enough to stand in. Szilvia found she loves carpentry work and has signed up to work at Habitat for Humanity. Kathy, Paige and Zane pulled up carpet from a man’s house, and they worked at the retreat center doing yard work, cleaning and helping the group finish what had been started from an Americore group. The Seminary was heavily damaged in Katrina, and Fr. Bob Fisher, SVD told the kids about his adventure of being swept away in the rising waters the day of the storm. The work that was done was great! The friendships that were made and the stories which were heard were just as incredible. The Spring Break Mission trip to the Gulf was a marvelous experience and one which will remain with all involved
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Homilies and Reflections
from St. Norbert Abbey, De Pere , Wisconsin
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MISSISSIPI TRIP NEWS by Al Carmanico, Canada
In early April this year, Don Bedore, Hugh O’Neill, John Den Otter and myself; Al Carmanico left Leamington (), drove through the night and arrived in
Waveland, Mississippi twenty-two hours later, to help the victims of Katrina rebuild homes.
We met Tony, a member of the Knights who volunteers full time co-coordinating the work for St. Clare Recovery. He brought us to our “lovely” accommodations, a warehouse that used to be an aluminum smelter, showed us the tool shed, which was very well supplied, warned us about the poisonous snakes, and assigned us our work for Monday morning.
Next day, we attended mass “in a tent”. When we asked “what happened to the church?” We were told “it is somewhere in the bay”. The waves of Katrina were as high as 60 feet went inland at least 15 miles and were18 feet high most of the way. The large crucifix from the church was retrieved about 8 miles away with Jesus’ arms and leg broken. It stands at the front of the church; unrepaired as a reminder of Katrina.
The good news was the water only stayed for 8 hours; even so, all of the homes suffer from mold and mildew. That is why they all have to be gutted and rewired.
We managed a bit of sightseeing and what we saw resembled a war zone. There were cement slabs everywhere that used to have homes on them. Waveland/Bay St. Louis are side by side and had a total population of about 19,000 people at the time of the hurricane. It is similar in size to
Leamington . 90% of the homes were affected in some way and the majority were totally destroyed.
Monday and Tuesday we removed and installed about 20 windows and five doors from a home built on stilts where the water had reached the ceiling on the second floor. We did some plumbing and moved on to another home. Here we did some mudding and taping of drywall. The third home, we insulated and installed drywall on the walls and ceiling.
We put in a good weeks’ work and the owners were very pleased and appreciated our work as well as our traveling all that way to help strangers.
When did I visit you in jail, when did I care for you when you were sick, well you know the rest.
The trip was very rewarding for me personally, and I think it was for my other three brother Knights also. Thank you Don, John and Hugh for coming. We would like to thank our Council for the monetary help and the Supreme Treasurer for covering the cost of the car rental.
I am attaching a photo of the other three guys installing some windows, being much wiser I kept my feet on the ground (haha) Seriously I had the camera.
Al Carmanico
Don, Hugh and John
Homeowner & Al
Thanks guys, we really appreciate all of your hard work and the "struggles" it took to get here!
God Bless,
Jane
1150 miles and a 19 hour one way drive brings
Wabasha, MN Volunteers to Waveland for the 18th time!
Story by Betty Fischer
On February 16th members of St. Henry’s and
St. Joseph ’s parishes joined members of St. Felix and surrounding parishes from Wabasha, Minnesota to travel to Waveland Mississippi to help with the rebuilding of homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. While one can see the work that has already been done in the area, there is much that still needs to be done. The city of
Waveland is busy rebuilding the infrastructure destroyed by Katrina. That mad travel to the various sites a challenge.
Most of our volunteer time was spent working on homes for two families. One family is currently living with their in-laws in a very small house. They are parents of 12 year old twins and 7 month old twins. Our group began by insulating the walls and underside of the house. The house structure is on blocks six feet off the ground. Then we put up sheetrock, taped, mudded and sanded. We were not able to finish all of that phase but are certain a new group of volunteers will be working on it this week.
The other home was owned by a woman with an inoperable brain tumor. The tumor impacts her balance and walking. At her home we spent time working on scaling the floors, scraping and painting the eaves and trim and finishing the doors and some of the baseboard trim. The home owner told us that most of the storm damage was caused in six hours when water filled her home and created a sort o whirl pool action that destroyed the entire interior of the home. She was able to find her family Bible in the street near her home.
Another smaller group spent time working on electrical systems in various homes. They were re-doing inferior work that was done by a contractor. There is a great demand for professionals – electricians, plumbers, carpenters, etc.
We returned exhausted, but knowing that we did make a difference in the lives of several families. We are also saddened by the fact that there are so many more families still in need of assistance.
Trip expenses were offset by various fundraisers and donations. Anyone interested in donating or helping with future volunteer work from the Wabasha, MN area can call Betty Fischer at 651-565-4414 or Gary and Rosey Asher at 715-283-4451.
The Life Savers Blessing ~ Little Miracles on the
Gulf
Coast
By Denise Power
Helping rebuild homes on the
Gulf
Coast grants volunteers the opportunity to meet some lovely local folks and hear their stories of sorrow and loss, then hope. It’s inspiring. The bonus is getting to know other volunteers from all around the country — people you’d probably not meet under other circumstances. This is inspiring, also.
Meet Bob, an electrician from
Indiana . He’s a teddy bear of a guy donating his time and talent in
Mississippi with his son and his grandson. While Old St. Pat’s volunteers patched, primed and painted walls in one home, Bob and his team of electricians maneuvered around us to rewire the entire house.
On your first encounter, Bob presents you with an individually wrapped, spearmint Life Savers candy — and a smile. No words are spoken. I’m told this is his daily blessing to anyone who will accept it. But after four days of this ritual, I want to know more, so I finally blurt, “What’s the deal with the mints, Bob?”
“What does it say on there?” he asks, centering the mint in the palm of his hand.
“Life Savers?” I venture, somewhat puzzled.
“Right. Jesus Christ is your life Savior,” he responds with a grin. “Now,” he continued, “what shape is it?”
“Round,” I say.
“Without beginning or end,” says Bob. “OK, what color is it?”
“White...,” I say.
“...Without spot or blemish...” is Bob’s reply. “There’s one more,” he adds. “What’s that in the middle?”
“A hole?” I say.
“Jesus said, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ ”
Then Bob smiles and offers another mint, wordlessly, to the next person wandering by.
Homilies and Reflections
from St. Norbert Abbey, De Pere , Wisconsin
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Almost Three Years!
Reflections Upon Hurricane Katrina's Aftermath
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by Fr. Andy Cribben, O. Praem.
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I met her at about 8:15 in the morning as I stopped by her home to deliver a receipt. She handles the accounting for the volunteer program. With little more than the exchange of our names, as I stood just inside the entryway of her home, she began to recount her experience of Hurricane Katrina. As she spoke in that moment, nearly three years after the fact, she had a look of shock, of being dumbfounded by the force and quickness of the storm.
"We rode out Camille in 1969," she told me. "We didn't think this could be worse. It was."
She described to me how she and her husband, both in their mid-60's, were driven from their home by the rising waters. "The water was up to here," she said, gesturing to a point high on her neck. They fought through the rising waters to her sister's house a couple of blocks away. The sister lived on slightly higher ground and had a second story. It was on the second floor that they survived the storm and then waited out the immediate aftermath. The 90 degree temperatures, no electricity, and no easy exit made the stay more than difficult.
"I wouldn't have re-built if I were a younger woman. I'm 67," she said. "I don't know anything else but here in Waveland."
And so went part of the story of just one woman from Waveland, Mississippi, on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi where the eye of Hurricane Katrina hit land and moved north. Waveland was essentially washed away, washed off its foundations and stilts. Initially, piles of rubble and indistinguishable parts of houses were everywhere. A city of over 7000 people was nearly completely destroyed. No homes, no public buildings, and little to no infrastructure remained.
Nearly three years later the rubble is gone. Basically, the city looks clean and relatively organized. But, there is something missing. While many businesses are rebuilt, or well on their way to being so, there are slabs of concrete (house foundations), or the remnants of stilts upon which buildings once stood throughout the city. These are the signs that families have not yet been able to come back and rebuild, or have chosen not to. The FEMA trailers are mostly gone except in some emergency cases, though I later discovered that 17,000 such trailers are still in use in Mississippi and Louisiana. Many have been replaced by so-called MEMA cottages, so named because they come from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. These, too, are temporary and must be vacated by March of 2009.
Many life-long coastal residents face the ongoing difficulty of obtaining an equitable insurance settlement. Others just cannot afford to rebuild and yet do not know where to go. The remnants of homes not rebuilt also prove the dead and missing. Official reports put deaths in Hancock County, MS, at just under 30. However, more than 400 Social Security checks have not been claimed, nor an address change submitted. Where did these people go? The people of Waveland know they are dead, but they are not counted so. Who counts senior citizens with no other family? Apparently those who keep Hurricane Katrina statistics do not count them.
It is also important to note that volunteer coordinators are tiring and burning out, and volunteer sites are shutting down due to fewer volunteers and the inability to cover the minimal utility costs at these sites. We heard the story and saw the sadness in the eyes of a young 20-something who had given up several years of young adulthood to volunteer at her ministry site, Camp Coastal in Kiln, MS; it will be forced to close by August 31, 2008.
Most of the preceding stories and statistics became known to me when Br. Steve Herro, O. Praem., my brother Paul Cribben, retired postal worker Brian Holloway (nephew of the late Fr. Luke Dionne, O. Praem.), and Mary Asma and her husband Steve Asma, (parents of one St. Norbert College student and three Notre Dame Academy alumnae), went to Waveland for a week of work, June 21-29, 2008. We relied upon the coordinating efforts of "St. Clare Recovery." The mission of this organization is "to coordinate the skills and efforts of, and provide clean and affordable housing for volunteers who come to the Waveland/Bay St. Louis, MS area for the purpose of assisting residents of the Waveland/Bay St. Louis area to rebuild their homes and their lives spiritually, physically and emotionally following Hurricane Katrina." (www.stclarerecovery.com).
We had decent housing in the volunteer center located in the midst of a larger warehouse complex. Air conditioned kitchen, dining, and bedroom areas, plus shower facilities a short walk away, made the stay more than tolerable in the midst of the heat and humidity of the Gulf Coast summer. Not bad for $10 per day! We bought our own food and prepared adequate meals for ourselves.
Steve Herro did the group coordination in preparation for the trip. He had looked at several volunteer entities on the coast and in the New Orleans area and found this entity and its mission to be a good fit for our group. This was Steve's fourth trip to Katrina affected areas and Mary Asma's second. The rest of us were first-timers.
We drove a six passenger van, packed rather tightly, from De Pere to the Priory of St. Moses the Black, Raymond, MS, on the first day - about 1000 miles and 15 hours. We were welcomed by Abbot Tom DeWane, O. Praem., and the other confreres of the Priory. The next day I filled in as presider at Immaculate Conception parish in Raymond, MS, where Fr. Richard Chiles, O. Praem., normally ministers. As he was away and the other confreres were already occupied, it worked out well for everyone. The small, even tiny church building and typically southern parish community provided a unique experience for the group. We were warmly welcomed by the parishioners and I even met a co-worker from my days at Catholic Charities in Jackson in the mid-90's.
After Mass we drove the last 200 miles to Waveland where were met by Jane Crady, a volunteer coordinator who is originally from Indiana and has been ministering in Waveland, and remotely from Indiana, from the earliest days after Katrina. As we arrived Jane was preparing to return to her home in Indiana to help coordinate disaster relief efforts and volunteers in Indiana after the June 2008 floods there. Given her experience in Mississippi, she is uniquely qualified in both coordinating volunteers and in dealing with post-flood issues from drywall replacement to mold removal to government sponsored disaster relief relations.
Jane told us that she expected many people in Indiana who had been directly impacted by the floods to have a response similar to those experienced by people after Katrina. Jane spoke of the "Katrina stare." This was the look of on-going shock and helplessness that she saw on the faces of so many after Katrina, where otherwise capable people had been rendered incapable by the profound destruction and the trauma experienced. Hancock County, MS, now carries the misfortune of having one of the highest suicide rates in the country. Included among the victims of suicide are health professionals and counselors who helped survivors after Katrina, but who were not helped with their own experiences of trauma and shock. Many were overwhelmed and subsequently took their own lives.
On Monday morning we began our work at the home of "Rose" in Bay St. Louis, MS. Her brick home had been flooded and the roof damaged, but the foundation and exterior walls remained intact. Like many, the holes in her roof were "fixed" with a blue tarp, but everything in the house had to be thrown out - appliances, furniture, personal items, etc. Her home was flooded both from the coastal waters blown in by the winds, but also from another direction by a canal which remained flooded even after the wind driven waters receded.
A relative of Rose made the initial fix of the house, replacing drywall, etc. He lived there for a time, but he did such a poor job of repair that it remained unlivable. He had never permanently fixed the roof and was still using the tarp which eventually leaked. Rose finally asked him to leave and sought the help of St. Clare Recovery. With volunteer help the house finally got the new roof it needed before other interior work could be done. The interior work was our task.
When we arrived we were directed in our work by Tony Dixon. Tony is a husband and father of five children whom he is home-schooling. Each day Tony would meet us at the volunteer center or at the house and make sure we had what we needed for the day. While he was instructing and guiding us, his five children were exceedingly calm in the minivan with the motor running and the air conditioner keeping them cool. This was their weekly experience. Tony visited us at our sight at least once, but as many as three times per day. The following week he had to supervise the work of 50 teenagers working at several sites. We could only imagine what this was like for Tony and his kids.
We met the homeowner, Rose, and Eddie, her husband, who expressed their deep gratitude for our efforts. They were a humble couple who spoke of how life was different now, and their perspective changed after Katrina. They were living in a FEMA trailer in Gulfport (40 miles east) while their house was being rehabbed.
During our five days we repaired and sanded drywall, primed and textured all of the walls, painted the ceiling, walls, and baseboard throughout the house. We also measured each room for the carpet layers and baseboard installers. Additionally, Paul and Brian installed seven ceiling fan-light fixtures. They worked so well together and with such efficiency that by Thursday they had to join the rest of us in the chore of painting. We worked hard in the hot humid weather, sweated profusely, stayed hydrated, rejoiced at a cooling thunderstorm, sang along with the "oldies station" on the radio, ate our bag lunches, and cooperated well-enough to depart on Friday, satisfied that we had done all we could in the time given and with our particular skills.
During our travels, before we began our work week, and then in the evenings after work our group engaged in both fun and serious conversations as we came to know each other. Deep theological discussions were coupled with questions about church practices, interspersed with jokes and humorous accounts of our life experiences. Processing and seeking to understand our daily experiences and encounters were enriching and powerful as well as nurturing for our own Christian faith development. 
Additionally, those evenings gave us the chance to see a bit more of the coast, including St. Clare parish, after which the volunteer organization was named. Some may be familiar with this parish. The parish property is the location of the large, hand-painted, and often photographed and video-taped, sign reading: "Katrina was big, but God is bigger!" Near the sign is the quonset hut tent that serves as the worship space. The parish had broken ground just before we arrived in preparation for building a new church.
The beaches are once again rather beautiful to look at, though without the many piers that once jutted into the Gulf. We were told, however, to be aware that the beaches and the areas that appear inviting for a swim are still littered with refuse and objects hidden just below the surface that could be quite dangerous. One AmeriCorps volunteer had drowned while floating on a raft that became entangled with debris. We were told that about 150 cars had been located by their GPS devices below the surface of the Gulf. Imagine how many other cars without these rare devices there are in the Gulf! 
That report was emblematic of the reality, that, what you saw on the Gulf Coast was not necessarily what you got. Newly constructed casinos open for business along the coast did not indicate that all was well, only that Mississippi was starving for the tax revenue they produced and so the state facilitated rebuilding the casinos as fast as they could. Cleaned up beach surfaces and beach front properties did not mean that life had returned to normal. Homes had been destroyed and totally removed and the people live in anticipation of the day they might rebuild, or in fear that they may never rebuild. Some people have been bought out by developers who bought the land cheaply and will wait for the time to build rental properties and the like.
Our relatively brief experience surely did not do justice for one who would like to understand how the situation has come to be as it is nearly three years after Katrina. "Wisconsin logic" does not suffice to critique and examine the status of the people and re-building. We do not have the experience of living on the Gulf Coast with its particular and often idyllic and/or catastrophic weather. We do not have the Mississippi experience of race, discrimination and poverty.
Many people with whom I have spoken did not know that Mississippi had a Gulf Coast. Many did not know that, other than the beach areas, the coast is significantly populated by Blacks. To say that race and the corruption of state and federal officials, as well as the nefarious activities of unscrupulous contractors in the aftermath of Katrina, have nothing to do with the present status, is to be unaware of Mississippi's and the United State's history and continuing struggles with racism and corruption.
In the end, we had a powerful experience of solidarity with a few people who continue to live and move forward in the aftermath of Katrina. The stories of generosity, new relationships, trauma, suffering, shock, transformation, etc., will remain with us. We were all further humbled by the gratitude of those who welcomed us and allowed us to do something. There was a mutual good shared during the week. It was not simply about what we did for them, but also about being affected by their reality and sharing that reality as best we could while we were there, and when we returned to home.
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Fr. Andy Cribben O. Praem. |
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received a degree in Business Management from UW – Whitewater and a Systematic Theology degree from the Gregorian University, Rome, Italy. He also possesses a Spiritual Direction Certificate from the Claret Center in Chicago. Fr. Andy was ordained in 1994 and spent his first four years serving at St. Moses the Black Priory in Jackson Mississippi as an associate pastor and caseworker at Catholic Charities as well as the priory's director of development. Fr. Andy has served on various committees since his return to De Pere: Diocesan Commission on Women in Church and Society, Abbot's Council and St. Norbert College Board of Trustees. He was also the Director of Formation and Novice Master for St Norbert Abbey and currently serves as the Abbey's Director of Vocations
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MISSISSIPI TRIP NEWS by Al Carmanico, Canada
In early April this year, Don Bedore, Hugh O’Neill, John Den Otter and myself; Al Carmanico left Leamington (), drove through the night and arrived in
Waveland, Mississippi twenty-two hours later, to help the victims of Katrina rebuild homes.
We met Tony, a member of the Knights who volunteers full time co-coordinating the work for St. Clare Recovery. He brought us to our “lovely” accommodations, a warehouse that used to be an aluminum smelter, showed us the tool shed, which was very well supplied, warned us about the poisonous snakes, and assigned us our work for Monday morning.
Next day, we attended mass “in a tent”. When we asked “what happened to the church?” We were told “it is somewhere in the bay”. The waves of Katrina were as high as 60 feet went inland at least 15 miles and were18 feet high most of the way. The large crucifix from the church was retrieved about 8 miles away with Jesus’ arms and leg broken. It stands at the front of the church; unrepaired as a reminder of Katrina.
The good news was the water only stayed for 8 hours; even so, all of the homes suffer from mold and mildew. That is why they all have to be gutted and rewired.
We managed a bit of sightseeing and what we saw resembled a war zone. There were cement slabs everywhere that used to have homes on them. Waveland/Bay St. Louis are side by side and had a total population of about 19,000 people at the time of the hurricane. It is similar in size to
Leamington . 90% of the homes were affected in some way and the majority were totally destroyed.
Monday and Tuesday we removed and installed about 20 windows and five doors from a home built on stilts where the water had reached the ceiling on the second floor. We did some plumbing and moved on to another home. Here we did some mudding and taping of drywall. The third home, we insulated and installed drywall on the walls and ceiling.
We put in a good weeks’ work and the owners were very pleased and appreciated our work as well as our traveling all that way to help strangers.
When did I visit you in jail, when did I care for you when you were sick, well you know the rest.
The trip was very rewarding for me personally, and I think it was for my other three brother Knights also. Thank you Don, John and Hugh for coming. We would like to thank our Council for the monetary help and the Supreme Treasurer for covering the cost of the car rental.
I am attaching a photo of the other three guys installing some windows, being much wiser I kept my feet on the ground (haha) Seriously I had the camera.
Al Carmanico
Don, Hugh and John
Homeowner & Al
Thanks guys, we really appreciate all of your hard work and the "struggles" it took to get here!
God Bless,
Jane
1150 miles and a 19 hour one way drive brings
Wabasha, MN Volunteers to Waveland for the 18th time!
Story by Betty Fischer
On February 16th members of St. Henry’s and
St. Joseph ’s parishes joined members of St. Felix and surrounding parishes from Wabasha, Minnesota to travel to Waveland Mississippi to help with the rebuilding of homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. While one can see the work that has already been done in the area, there is much that still needs to be done. The city of
Waveland is busy rebuilding the infrastructure destroyed by Katrina. That mad travel to the various sites a challenge.
Most of our volunteer time was spent working on homes for two families. One family is currently living with their in-laws in a very small house. They are parents of 12 year old twins and 7 month old twins. Our group began by insulating the walls and underside of the house. The house structure is on blocks six feet off the ground. Then we put up sheetrock, taped, mudded and sanded. We were not able to finish all of that phase but are certain a new group of volunteers will be working on it this week.
The other home was owned by a woman with an inoperable brain tumor. The tumor impacts her balance and walking. At her home we spent time working on scaling the floors, scraping and painting the eaves and trim and finishing the doors and some of the baseboard trim. The home owner told us that most of the storm damage was caused in six hours when water filled her home and created a sort o whirl pool action that destroyed the entire interior of the home. She was able to find her family Bible in the street near her home.
Another smaller group spent time working on electrical systems in various homes. They were re-doing inferior work that was done by a contractor. There is a great demand for professionals – electricians, plumbers, carpenters, etc.
We returned exhausted, but knowing that we did make a difference in the lives of several families. We are also saddened by the fact that there are so many more families still in need of assistance.
Trip expenses were offset by various fundraisers and donations. Anyone interested in donating or helping with future volunteer work from the Wabasha, MN area can call Betty Fischer at 651-565-4414 or Gary and Rosey Asher at 715-283-4451.
The Life Savers Blessing ~ Little Miracles on the
Gulf
Coast
By Denise Power
Helping rebuild homes on the
Gulf
Coast grants volunteers the opportunity to meet some lovely local folks and hear their stories of sorrow and loss, then hope. It’s inspiring. The bonus is getting to know other volunteers from all around the country — people you’d probably not meet under other circumstances. This is inspiring, also.
Meet Bob, an electrician from
Indiana . He’s a teddy bear of a guy donating his time and talent in
Mississippi with his son and his grandson. While Old St. Pat’s volunteers patched, primed and painted walls in one home, Bob and his team of electricians maneuvered around us to rewire the entire house.
On your first encounter, Bob presents you with an individually wrapped, spearmint Life Savers candy — and a smile. No words are spoken. I’m told this is his daily blessing to anyone who will accept it. But after four days of this ritual, I want to know more, so I finally blurt, “What’s the deal with the mints, Bob?”
“What does it say on there?” he asks, centering the mint in the palm of his hand.
“Life Savers?” I venture, somewhat puzzled.
“Right. Jesus Christ is your life Savior,” he responds with a grin. “Now,” he continued, “what shape is it?”
“Round,” I say.
“Without beginning or end,” says Bob. “OK, what color is it?”
“White...,” I say.
“...Without spot or blemish...” is Bob’s reply. “There’s one more,” he adds. “What’s that in the middle?”
“A hole?” I say.
“Jesus said, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ ”
Then Bob smiles and offers another mint, wordlessly, to the next person wandering by.
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Sunday Forum Daniel Marsula/Post-Gazett:
Mississippi : still standing
Sunday, December 16, 2007
By Rosemary McLaughlin
Rosemary McLaughlin is a freelance writer and a retired teacher of writing and English who worked for 35 years in the
Pittsburgh
Public Schools and
Mt.
Lebanon
High School .
Katrina destroyed the place, but not the people, ROSEMARY MCLAUGHLIN recently discovered
Tony and Patricia Dixon are slowly building a new home near
Biloxi , Miss. With their fifth child on the way, a boy, Mrs. Dixon says they're going to name him Mason == "because this is where I draw the line!"
In the aftermath of Katrina, I went to
Mississippi looking for a few laughs.
That's not as callous as it sounds. I know what it is like to lose a home in violent and dangerous circumstances. My family's home burned down as we slept. My husband and I had to claw our way through dense smoke and deadly fumes with two babies limp in our arms. Though we all survived, it would be a long time before I could close my eyes without imagining the smell of smoke.
The healing is the hard part in the aftermath of any tragedy, and I knew we were on our way when we were able to look back and laugh about some of the things that happened that day. For instance, once we were in the hospital, my husband comforted me with the knowledge that all of his polyester leisure suits were finally gone.
Have the people who suffered through the destruction of Katrina been able to unearth their sense of humor from the rubble?
I hoped to find out as I left Pittsburgh on Nov. 11 with 21 people from St. John Neumann Parish in
Franklin Park . We did whatever the
Biloxi diocese told us needed to be done, but I was on an expedition of my own. I was looking for signs of recovery -- the ones that come with a big smiley face.
It didn't take us long to find both the destruction and the recovery as we began our first day of work near
Biloxi as part of the Catholic Disaster Recovery Team. We made a quick stop at the St. Clare Volunteer Center where we met Tony Dixon, a good ol' boy in a "Get-R-Done" ball cap with a high-wattage smile. He oversees the flow of volunteers and supplies.
Even though Tony's own home repairs were far from finished, every time he got enough supplies together it seemed that someone would come along who needed them more than he did. Meanwhile, his pregnant wife and four children had been living in a trailer. We decided that we were going to do as much as possible to make his house habitable during our one-week stay near Waveland, where the eye of Katrina made landfall.
Much of the damaged infrastructure has been replaced in
Mississippi . Roads, bridges and utilities are operational. The only obvious signs of the storm are the occasional roofless buildings and piles of debris that await trash pickup on a weekly basis. Closer inspection reveals fields of concrete pads where houses once stood. Whole neighborhoods look like pastures of cement.
None of this bothers Tony. He plods along "doing the Lord's work."
"I can't take money for this," he explains, standing outside of the supply warehouse on our first day. "By the way, stay away from them dogs. They're storm dogs," he says, indicating a pair of chocolate labs tied to a tree. "They might nip you, but I never saw them bite anyone but realtors." Tony's considerable sense of humor has remained intact.
Unable to rebuild on the site of his previous home, (the insurance would have cost $28,000 a year) Tony gave up on it and purchased a damaged house in a more survivable neighborhood for $30,000. Working on it in bits and pieces, Tony has made only minimal progress. Thieves stole newly installed wiring and copper tubing almost immediately, so Tony bought two rusted cars and parked them on either side of the stairs leading to the front door. "Redneck security," he explained; "it always looks like somebody's home who's not too genteel."
Tony's wife Patricia visited the site with their four children on our second day. The kids swarmed over the house checking out their "rooms" and the new deck. Mrs. Dixon told us the fifth baby is a boy she plans to name Mason "because this is where I draw the line!" Tony isn't the only one with a sense of humor in this family.
Even 7-year-old Mariah was able to look out at the flood waters in the wake of Katrina and start singing, "My bunny lies over the ocean, my bunny lies under the sea!" Cade, 11, whooped when he was able to retrieve his Transformers safely floating in a plastic tote near his destroyed home.
The children's bicycles, lashed to pipes, also had survived the storm. Right after it hit, Tony and Patricia did all they could to direct their children's attention to their recovered toys and not to the bodies of neighbors in trees and ditches nearby.
Life is achieving its pre-Katrina normalcy except for the shrinking population. The Dixons' parish, Our Lady of the Gulf, had a membership of 1,200 families before the storm. Now it is trying to rebuild with 300. Three Boy Scout troops are now reduced to three boys.
Our trip into
New Orleans was notable for the absence of children. We did not see a single child anywhere.
The people of Gulfport, Bay St. Louis, Waveland, Pas Christian and
Biloxi are refusing to let hard times redefine their essential good nature and can-do attitude. There are parades, shrimp boils, barbeques, festivals and farmers' markets to get the good times rolling again.
Tony insists that the South is a hands-on, help-your-neighbor kind of region and that Mississippians' sense of humor remains intact, although it has shifted focus.
"Most of it is kind of black humor, sarcastic at the government's expense, if you know what I mean. FEMA inspectors are kind of a joke here. Three different guys will show up in the same month to do the one required monthly inspection. You got to laugh."
One local hero is the sheriff of
Forest
County who was indicted for "hijacking relief trucks that were stalled on the state line waiting for government reimbursement numbers," Tony recounted. "That sheriff just rounded them up and brought those trucks to where they were needed -- with or without numbers! Let me just say he was acquitted by a 'jury of his peers' -- if you know what I mean."
Everywhere we went in
Mississippi there were smiles and big hellos. "Y'all volunteers? I wouldn't have anything if it weren't for the volunteers. Thank you so much."
Strangers became fast friends at the sight of our identifying blue T-shirts. We were welcomed in churches, restaurants and the stores where we bought supplies.
In spite of lost homes, jobs and friends, the people of
Mississippi are a pretty tough bunch and they still find plenty to enjoy as they rebuild. The generosity of so many Americans fortifies their belief that they haven't been forgotten.
Aside from the individual donors, some of the biggest corporate heroes to the people of Mississippi are Wal-Mart, which gave Tony whatever he needed; Isle of Capri Casinos, which paid the wages and benefits of its employees while it rebuilt; and Home Depot and Lowe's home improvement stores. Lowe's began marketing an alternative to the FEMA trailers called Katrina Cottages -- prefab home kits in a variety of sizes which come with everything from Frigidaire appliances to flooring, plumbing and siding.
Tony suggested that anyone still inclined to help could purchase Lowe's and Home Depot gift cards and mail them through www.stclarerecovery.com. The Web site contains a list of tools and individual items still in short supply.
Recovery continues, as do the laughs.
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A Letter from Bob Howard of Maynard, Iowa
Bob and his Mom, Sue Howard
Just wanted to pass on our experience for my mom & me last week to St. Clare.
First of all, we were blessed that the Tropical Storm did not happen as predicted. Weather was sunny & pretty hot all week (low 90’s & humid).
When we got into town I wanted to pay some visits to the wonderful ladies I helped over my last 2 trips to Waveland. We stopped at Miss Mary Margaret’s house in BSL and she was just getting ready to send me a card & pic of her completed house. It looks so great. Just love the floor she has in there. My mom & she hit it off talking about being Irish & traveling to
. Great to see her back in her house & now she has a car port for her car. Not sure if you knew but Miss Mary Margaret has written a book about her experience for the first year of her diary & poems after Katrina. She said it should be out soon on Barnes & Noble & Amazon.com. How cool is that?
Miss Pat in front of her new porch
Then we went to Miss Pat’s house in Waveland. She is also back in he home, FEMA trailer gone & has her new wrap around porch completed. She has just had surgery 2 weeks ago & is weak but getting around ok just has no energy. She has an artery blocked 99% so had the surgery in the nick of time. She mentioned that she has some landscaping & work to do in her garage to do but is unable herself right now. We said if we had time we would get back there by the end of the week.
We stopped by Ms. Betty S’s house several times, but did not find her at home. Finally ran into her son who informed us that Ms. Betty was recovering from a recent operation to place a defibrillator in her heart – our prayers are with her for a speedy recovery.
My mom took the initiative Sunday night to scrub the floor in the
Volunteer
Center to get it back to its original white color. Also cleaned the bathroom & did some basic organizing.
Monday we met up with Brent at the church. Our job for the day was to get the
Jeff
City trailer ready for Kathy’s office to move there. We were able to remove the beds and stored them safely in the storage unit. My mom was busy cleaning the entire trailer top to bottom. It looked like new when she was done. We also helped Kathy move her stuff over there. The big challenge was moving the HUGE copy machine into the tiny trailer. Brent & I were able to get it in but it was a tough one. I think Kathy will be much happier in the trailer & she will even have a bathroom & not have to drive all the way home. Also, will not have to breathe that musty mildew smell of the tent.
Tuesday Noel, Ron, Lois, (and Brent for little while) along with my mom & I emptied the St. Clare Recovery tent. Much of the old desks, file cabinets had to be set on the curb to give to anyone who wanted. We loaded up the truck & trailer & filled up the storage room they have rented. Were able to get all of the donated light fixtures organized onto shelving together at the front so Tony could easily find them.
Wednesday we emptied out the church office tent & stored all of the statues in the storage unit, along with many, many room dividers, tables, dehumidifiers, microwaves, etc. Ended up filling up the storage room. We also took the 2 fridges & some file cabinets back to
Volunteer
Center .Also took a few things to Fr. Cuddy’s house.
Moving out of the Church Office and St. Clare Recovery Tents
The final tent - empty at long last!
Hopefully this week the city will come & take the tents down. (and they did!) I know they are tired of looking at them.
We got our main project done by Wednesday so had time to go to Miss Pat’s on Thursday where we were able to get her lawn mowed, weed wacked (had not been done since Spring), planted some trees & helped organize her garage & I put up a sheet of pegboard on the wall so she could organize her tools. She is a very capable woman but at the moment is a little down & out with her health problems. She was so grateful. We were happy to do it for her. Did you know Miss Pat is quite the artist? She had several paintings around the house she has done.
It was great doing such an important task as moving the church office & storage. Was hard back breaking work but we were glad to help. Enjoyed working with Noel, Kathy, Ron & Brent over the week. Also was great just to be able to help out someone as nice at Miss Pat. Am kinda sorta planning on coming back with Vicki & John in February. I really have noticed lots of progress since last February so that is encouraging. They just take things day by day like we all have to I guess.
Hope you are doing well.
Bob Howard
No Strangers Among Us…Just Friends We Haven’t Met?
Patrick Anderson
Harbor of Hope
Old St. Patrick's Church
Chicago, IL
There were seven of us traveling together. We’d all met for the first time only a few weeks earlier at a volunteer recruitment meeting at Old St. Pat’s Church in Chicago. This was to be my third trip to the Gulf Coast. It was their first. I knew several St. Clare parishioners from previous visits. I knew a few local restaurants and was pretty secure in finding my way around. But, once again, spending a week in Waveland, Miss., helping St. Clare parish, brought some surprises.
Newfound Friends
They started when I arrived at the gate at Midway Airport and caught sight of Wes, wearing his Harbor of Hope shirt. He remarked, “I just thought it would be easier for all of us to find each other” – being that we were all virtually strangers to one another. As each of the team arrived, the excitement grew. Even this old veteran started to feel the energy as though all this was new. There was definitely a feeling that something meaningful was about to happen.
On the drive from New Orleans to Waveland, the results of recovery efforts were evident. It had been nine months since I had been there and a lot had been accomplished. But there was still work to be done.
We arrived at the Volunteer Center and were given a tour by Brent, the St. Clare parishioner who greets and orients arriving volunteers.
Coffee after Mass at St. Clare
Sunday started off with our team hosting a Hospitality Table after the 8:30 Mass. We had a great opportunity to visit with the people of St. Clare. We attended Mass as a group and celebrated the Eucharist together.
Unloading materials and tools at the first house
At our first house, Old St. Pat’s pastor, Fr. Tom Hurley, became a carpenter, measuring, cutting and installing trim. Keara learned to cut ceramic tile. Wes mastered the art of locating electrical circuits and installing switches.
We worked Sunday and Monday on that first house. Tony, the locally based project coordinator, and Ron, a St. Clare parishioner who is returning the favor of help he received from volunteers, gave up their Sunday and Labor Day holiday to work alongside us. The temperature was 90 degrees and the humidity was 90%. The team members watched out for each other, offering water and encouraging frequent rest periods.
Getting ready to start work on Lorraine's house.
We moved on to our second home and it was shortly after that when the biggest surprise happened. On Tuesday evening, the day before he was to return to Chicago, Ken asked, ”If my boss lets me have a couple of more days off, can we stay longer?” I thought he was kidding and joked, “No, you said you were going home tomorrow. You have to leave.” Ken’s boss said OK and now Ken and Patty joined the ranks of previous Old St. Pat’s volunteers who could not resist the undeniable pull of this experience. God was once again showing the direction.
Ms. Betty K is once again overwhelmed by the Volunteers as they begin work on the home of her sister, Lorraine.
The need for help — skilled labor — is so vivid here that few volunteers are ready to return home when their itinerary says so. Perhaps this is no surprise at all and only illustrates the “Biloxi Boomerang” phenomenon. Many volunteers, using Biloxi as their gateway to the Gulf Coast, find themselves returning again and again.
Ken and Patty’s extended stay made it possible for us to accomplish all that we did at that second house. We learned to hang sheet rock. Gloria and Patty became expert tapers and were taught by Jerry how to best apply mud so there is minimal sanding required. By the time we left, all the electrical had been run to the outlet boxes and all the sheet rock that could be hung was up. The ceiling was finished and the walls that could be hung prior to the electrical inspection were completed.
Following some finishing touches, Loraine will move into her new home. That’s the story of St. Clare Recovery and Old St. Pat’s outreach, called Harbor of Hope. People who have never worked together before join in a united effort to put people back in their homes.
As recovery from Hurricane Katrina enters its third year, people are now starting to look toward the positive and not dwell on the negative. They are starting to get on with their lives. They are looking forward to what is to come, what can be. But they will never forget their neighbor who still lives in a FEMA trailer. And neither can we.
There is still work to be done. Skilled individuals with experience as a do-it-yourselfers or trades people are vital to the continued recovery of the community. If you are one of these people, join us. If you know any of these people, send them to us. And by the way, we still need people to hold the other end of the sheetrock.
The Crucifix from St. Clare Church, still damaged from Katina, shown in Old St. Pat' during the Second Katrina Annivesary Mass Celebration.
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St. Mary's Church Youth Group, Holliston, MA lends many hands to help
 
On Monday morning, July 23, an enthusiastic group arrived from St. Mary's Church in Holliston, MA. Led by the experienced and capable Matthew Chick and his skilled adult leaders, this dynamic Youth Group accomplished much, much more than seemed possible during their 4-day stay. After finishing the tile floors at Deb's house, they installed countertops at Mona's (this finishes up Mona's House! Yea!!), then they moved on to Charlotte's where they tore off the old roof, completely gutted the house, replaced the roof on the house, decked the roof on the garage and tore out the old flooring in the house - that's when the fun began - they found that the area under the house was filled with water (the story was that there were bull frogs as big as a man's hat!) and was sorely in need of fill dirt to create a water-shed condition. Soooo - with a bucket brigade system, they did fill the area - with 40 yards of fill dirt - 22,000 half full 5-gallon buckets worth!!
 
Counting the rings on a Drop Leaf Pine lost to Katrina shows it to be 153 yrs old
After a much deserved night's rest, they then arrived at Tony's house where they proceed to cut down the trees that were given up to Katrina and bush hog the area to make way for the re-construction materials, which they organized and stacked, undaunted by the fact that this was a raised home.
With still some energy and dedication left, they moved on to Malcolm's where they replaced and repaired the electrical! St. Clare Recovery cannot say enough to thank the hard working, focused and skilled volunteers of this group - and they did it all with willing servant's attidudes and hearts.
Thank You, St. Mary's - we look forward to your return!
Evidence of the force of Katrina still lingers
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Jefferson City, Missouri sends two back-to-back groups to Waveland!
 
Dear Jane,
One again we are home from our mission trip from Waveland, and Bay St Louis. I sit here with part of my family celebrating the 4th, and wonder how those folks in
Mississippi are getting along? They seem to always be on my mind. We worked as hard and fast as we could again this year, desperately trying to cram as much in our time until we had to go back home.
We once again met many wonderful people during our trip, and worked on some homes that we were not fortunate to meet the owners as yet. I promise we will meet them on our next trip. We visited people from our last trip to see how they are fairing-" doing good" is always the answer.
We women painted as usual, we are good at that! LOL! Our group of 4 women painted one large home and part of another. We also tried to help the men tile and keep the coolers at each site stocked with sandwiches and water for our fellow workers. We made "several" trips to Lowes, and WalMart to buy last minute items to aid the building process.
Our male counterparts pulled electric wires in several homes and got them all ready for the inspector. Now that is no easy task. We're talking about going up into hot attics with the new roofs built over the damaged roofs which makes the job even harder. Now is the waiting game for the inspector so the building can continue. Aaron Dunn also tiled almost 3/4 of Debora’s home on Pine Street, which is no easy feat. The two young men we took, Josh Thomas, and Kevin Krumm worked like grown men and never uttered one word of complaint at the long hours, or hot work. They came on the last mission trip and we were thrilled that they wanted to come again this year.
Besides the electric, the guys did many finishing jobs to get furnaces installed etc. Finishing trim work and baseboard work was completed by a small group from Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, also in
Jefferson City . Being able to finish a home is a GREAT feeling. It means another family is finished, completed, ready to get on with their lives. A new home waits to takes its place, and that's also a good thing. Many people will say it is just a drop in the bucket of sooo many homes needing help. Well, that may be true if not for the many other volunteers from all walks of life heeding the Call to Care! So many faiths, so many groups and individuals cooperating like I have never seen. One man could not accomplish the task, but add us all together, and WOW -watch us move mountains. God is alive and well in
Mississippi . Thank Goodness for St Barts. They paved the way for some of God's Greatest Miracles.
We plan to be back in
Mississippi as soon as we can- we are talking and planning already. We give thanks for the opportunity to serve. The people in Waveland and Bay St Louis thanked us so much. I say NO ----Thank you !!!!
God has assigned us a task-- we are being tested -- I hope we are passing !!!!!
Thanks so much Jane and St Bart's. God is moving mountains in
Mississippi . Thanks also to all the home-based volunteers.
I also want to thank Mary Winter from
Jefferson City . She inspires us to continue with her contributions, and encouragement.
Susan Bethards & the St. Peters Mission Group, Jefferson City, MO
And the part that Susan did not tell in her story is that this group was able to make 4 donations of gift certificates as well to area folks due to the group eating so many sandwiches instead of eating out all the time-they also grilled out several times -bought local shrimp – which they say was great!! They saved lots on restaurants and were happy to be able to give what they could!
$250 to Earl on Dick Street-Lowes gift certificate
$250 to
Florence on Citizen Street-Lowes gift certificate
$250 to Debora on Pine Street-for hot water heater
$300 to
Hancock
County Food Pantry
Thanks so very much, Jeff City, for your continuing generous and unselfish efforts!
May God Bless you all,
St. Clare Recovery
 
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MISSION KATRINA
Story by Jenny Schlagenhaft
This is the story of
Waveland, Mississippi and the thirteen eager servants who were humbled by the helplessness and the hopefulness of those we came to serve. We will be forever changed by the experiences and encounters while on this mission of mercy. What follows is a collection of moments, memories, musings, and miracles that are now molding who I am becoming. While I may have penned these accounts, I believe they were inspired by God – and to Him be all the glory. – Jenny Schlagenhaft
Little city by the sea…please, oh please, don’t forget about me.
The raging winds and the rising tides,
took homes, and yards, and people’s lives.
The ruins still fresh, the perils yet sting,
The stories they share bemoan suffering.
Lives tattered and torn beyond words and measure,
Their loss so great – devoid of all pleasure.
Some moved away, while others held strong,
Yearning a community to belong.
Recovery began with hope and prayer,
Servants who came to comfort and care.
Restoration still seems so far from reach,
“Don’t worry, don’t fear,” some forever beseech.
Yet, life has gone on for those who can’t see,
The pain, the hurt, and the misery.
“We’re not okay,” the people cry,
Their hardships forgotten – so we deny.
So big the need; what difference is made?
One step at a time or hope will fade.
Big hearts, helping hands stretch out to heal,
They listen and confront what victims feel.
Despite the despair, they teach us life’s meaning,
Count blessings not hurts – never stop believing.
Katrina’s horrors dug a dark hole,
But faith in God is soothing the soul.
Help is still needed to make things all right,
Time, talents, and treasures will temper their plight.
The mission: A team of thirteen ready, willing, and able volunteers set out for Waveland as part of St. Clare’s Relief and Recovery effort. We were one in a long string of response teams that have been supported by the cluster parishes of St. Felix, St. Agnes, and Immaculate Conception, and many Wabasha area residents. Together, we offered a mixed bag of skills, and hearts overflowing with enthusiasm to learn new ones.
It is customary to meet with the foreman first thing on Monday morning. He assesses available skills and matches them to the needs. Our group was assigned to Mary’s house. The to-do list: mudding, taping, and sanding. By mid-week, several of us were reassigned to paint Karen and Eddie’s home. When we “punched out” on Friday, Mary’s home was ready for spraying and one step closer to move-in day. As for Karen, Eddie, and their children, they would be weeks away from closing the door of their FEMA trailer – home since October 2005 – and entering through the threshold of better tomorrows.
The team: Strangers, representing varying ages and backgrounds, united as one team to fulfill one purpose. The awkwardness of our unfamiliarity quickly diminished as we talked, shared, and conversed (We had more than 22 hours of drive time to get acquainted!). Our journey formed bonds of friendship and camaraderie that will forever be cherished. We traveled and worked under the tireless and seasoned direction of Betty Fischer (a woman of great strength, devotion, talent, faithfulness, and generosity). Betty has been fervently committed to St. Clare’s and the Waveland community since Katrina hit. This was her fourth trip, and I suspect, it will not be her last. At age 73, she was like the Energizer bunny! It was hard to keep up with her. She served as an exceptional role model, ensuring we kept on our toes and delivered quality service.
My friends and cohorts included: Bonnie Archer, Wabasha; Cori Wallerich, Reads Landing; Marilyn and Jerry Duellman, Winona; Ellie Taverna, Urne, WI; Rosey and Gary Asher, Eau Galle, WI; Clark Duellman, Portland, OR; Mary Jo Colsch, Caledonia, MN; and David and Barb Mitchell of New Haven, Iowa. These folks became family for a week. We worked together. Laughed together. Cried together. Prayed together. May these bonds never be broken.
Joining our team were groups from Indiana and
Pennsylvania – men, women, and couples. Together, we numbered 50. A force to be reckoned with!
Don’t get too comfortable in your comfort zone. I had been following the mission travels of Betty Fischer since she set out on her first trip back in the winter of 2005 – only months after Hurricane Katrina reeked havoc on the gulf coast. It had been on my heart to join a novice team of missionaries but there always seemed to be a reason, a conflict, an excuse to put it off. Perhaps I was too comfortable in my own surroundings. Maybe I wasn’t ready to take the risk. Or, God forbid, I didn’t want to make the sacrifice. To leave the comforts of home. To ride in a caravan and worry about the endurance of my bladder. To share a bathroom with 49 strangers. To sleep in a make-shift dorm room with five other women fearing someone would snore – or worse – to learn that I did! To admit not being gifted with the carpentry skills they so desperately needed. All those silly worries and reservations were just that – SILLY! Although the journey to
Mississippi was long, we enjoyed rich conversation with strangers-soon-to-be-friends. Although the “Ritz,” as we so affectionately dubbed our dwelling, lacked my cozy comforter, well-stocked vanity, and Maytag dishwasher, we found that the comforts of home come from those we keep company with. Although my sheetrock abilities were more like disabilities, I showed up to do the best I could with what I had. And because the storm did as much to change outlooks as it did landscapes, a crinkle in a seam or a paint smudge on the ceiling just didn’t seem to matter as much as it once did.
If you think they are all right – they’re not. It’s difficult to describe the emptiness I felt as we drove into Waveland. The destruction is vast. One photograph cannot capture the devastation. One mind cannot comprehend the depth of despair. Ruined foundations and ramshackle stilts are all that remain of the beachside cottages and stately homes that once stood along the picturesque boulevards. Block after block of barrenness. While much of the debris has been removed (we were told that the wreckage burned around the clock for more than 365 days), remnants of Katrina’s fury remain -- a flag waving its shredded stars and stripes; a mattress perched atop a mangy oak tree; and bits and pieces of broken homes, neighbors, and dreams laying as rubble on the road.
Only half of the 7,000 residents of Waveland have returned. Some are back in their homes (thanks to thousands of relief volunteers). Others are restoring and rebuilding. Many are waiting. And while they wait, they live in FEMA trailers. For these unwavering Wavelands, the road to recovery is rough and ruthless. Hopelessness still hovers. Desperation still drifts.
God does have a sense of humor. We were reminded of this time and time again throughout the rigors of driving, navigating, mudding, sanding, taping, and painting. In fact, on a morning stop for a cup of coffee, a stranger, who was eyeing up our “volunteer” badges, passed out business-like cards revealing the laughing face of Jesus. As he willingly shared this delightful gift with us, he said, “Too many people are fearful of God and don’t believe he has a sense of humor!” As we pocketed this bit of treasure, I became much more aware and appreciative of the pure pleasure and joy of service. Not an hour went by when we weren’t entertained by the jokes and stories of Irishman Tom O’Brien of
Pennsylvania or the antics of the KC guys. Not a day would go by when we didn’t snicker over mudding gone amuck or paintbrush blunders.
Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. One of the most meaningful events of the week was our visit to a makeshift Amish settlement and headquarters for C.A.R.E. (Community Aid Relief Effort). The Amish community based in
Pennsylvania formed this relief effort shortly after Katrina and have made a seven-year commitment to help Waveland. Amish communities from across the country arrive for weeks, even months, at a time to witness of their faith through their abundant capacity to share their skills, abilities, and resources.
Every Thursday evening, they open their doors to community members and other relief volunteers. We were blessed to be among them and humbled by their generosity and giving spirit. Our group enjoyed a wonderful meal, a hymn sing, and time of sharing. That evening we heard perilous stories of survival and grateful testimonies of thanksgiving.
Just when you thought you heard it all…spare me the drama! This is actually a quote from one of the art gallery employees we visited with while on a shopping respite, which was a delightful finale to our week. On Friday, we (Bonnie, Cori, Marilyn and I) finished our job a few hours earlier than expected. Reluctantly, we reported back to the foreman. Winding down, we were hoping to knock off early and take in a few sights. Much to our surprise, we were given permission to do just that. First to the showers, we cleaned up and meandered our way down to the old town district where once stood a plethora of art galleries, quaint shops, and whimsical boutiques. On our walk-about, we learned that Waveland had always made the top 10 list of artistic communities. Sadly, it will be awhile before they reclaim this distinction.
As we perused the few restored shops - now existing as artist’s co-ops - we heard more stories. It seemed as though they never grew weary of telling their stories. It must be part of the healing process. Just when we thought we couldn’t be any more surprised – another saga would surface…accounts of a man finding cover in his boat, securing himself to a telephone pole and hanging onto an electrical transformer as winds blew 150 mph…or the artist forced out of his shop when waters rose over six feet. His only recourse was to seek refuge in his pickup truck, where he was sloshed by the waves and rising tides like a toy boat in a bathtub. Stories of terrifying horror seemed endless. Yet, Wavelanders were always quick to put fellow survivors in their places. There wasn’t one Waveland resident who wasn’t affected. No one was worse off or better off. Together, they weathered the storm. Together, they would carry on.
It’s a God thing. Stories abounded that spoke of flukes, luck and coincidence. How about the shop owner who told of the six feet of water that stopped just shy of her antique Bible collection, or the woman whose home and belongings were destroyed except for her porcelain angels, or the man who wrapped his rosary around his doorknob, praying for protection. His home was the only one left standing on his block. Another anointed her doors and windows with holy water and came back to a neighborhood in ruins and her home with only inches of standing water.
Fluke, luck, coincidence? I think otherwise.
The tables are turned on the blessing quotient. Don’t we all look for opportunities to give so we feel a sense of fulfillment and purpose? This mission trip offered the perfect venue for becoming the hands and feet of Jesus. We would be put to work. To fix what was broken. To restore what was destroyed. To rebuild what was lost. Funny thing is, while my hands were sanding seams and painting walls, God, with his chisel and blade, was doing a bit of necessary shaping and carving of his own. Oh, how humbling to be blessed by those we came to bless.
The Starfish story. It was unsettling to leave with so much left undone. It seemed as if we barely scratched the surface. How could the little we did matter? It was difficult to reconcile this pull of needing to go, yet wanting to stay. Then, a Waveland resident reminded us of the significance of our visit through the starfish story. While thousands in Waveland, and miles stretching on either side, are still waiting to be rescued, we were blessed to have made a difference for a few. The bottom line: the little each person is willing to do adds up to something big. The members of St. Clare’s certainly believe this. On the grounds of the church (where all that remains is the foundation of the majestic brick structure) stands a hand-painted sign: KATRINA WAS BIG BUT GOD IS BIGGER. To this I say, Amen.
The entire mission team wishes to extend its sincere gratitude to Betty Fischer and the many contributors who have funded Hurricane Relief efforts. Continued support for this mission is vitally important to ensure the long-term sustainability of recovery efforts. Donations are accepted through the parishes.
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Stewart Smith Family Trip
May 11 to May 13
Brian and Jan finally in their home after a whirlwind weekend from the Stewart Smith Family
These looks of contentment show that one picture really is worth a thousand words.
Stewart tells the story:
Well, we are back after a whirlwind trip. We left on Thursday afternoon at 4PM and arrived on Friday afternoon at 2:30PM. We stayed overnight just north of
Birmingham, Alabama . The “we” are: myself, my wife Sandra, my son Patrick and his wife Kristy, their three children, Alisha (14), Karmyn (8) and Bradyn (4). Mark Boroughs and his wife were not able to go because of Mark’s dad having open heart surgery on Thursday. Pat and Kristy took Mark’s two children: Katelin (8) and Chrisma (3). Jerry Harper also made the trip with us.
We took an 8 foot wide X 20 foot long box trailer with us and it was full. Included were three bedroom suites, living room suite, kitchen table and chairs, numerous end tables and library table, coffee table, book cases, lamps, pictures, wash rags and towels, rugs, sheets, blankets, pillow cases, pillows, comforters, silverware, glasses, dishes, pots & pans, knife set, magazine rack with magazines, mirrors, sweeper, curtains, outside wrought iron lawn furniture set, floral arrangements, night lights for the bed rooms and bath rooms, and a whole lot of nick-knacks for every room.
Jerry and I re-hung a porch swing after it gave way last week. Patrick wired in four ceiling lights. Patrick and I cut and installed the kitchen counter tops. Jerry installed two floor electrical outlets and wired in a security light on the ground floor. Patrick, Jerry and I carried all of the furniture inside. Sandra and Kristy decorated the house.
Basically, this trip was a product of Sandra wanting to get involved and collecting all of the furniture and stuff that goes in a house to make it a home. Jerry, Patrick and I were just the truck drivers and furniture movers. Kristy painted, helped clean and most importantly, managed all of the children for four days. We put in a total of 143 working hours. Patrick and Kristy and Sandra took the children to
New Orleans Friday afternoon. The children went to the beach on Saturday and Sunday afternoon.
We all stayed at the Roe residence while we were in Waveland, as you can tell from the pictures. Brian and Jan were adamant about our bringing down the family the next trip we made to Waveland. So, we did. We had to take Alisha and Karmyn out of school for two days but I believe that they got an equally good lesson in life adventures. They saw what it was like to be without and do without. I believe that Brian and Jan moved in Monday after we all left. It was a 12.5 hour drive with the trailer. We got back home at 8:15PM on Monday.
In addition to the items that were purchased, there were numerous people who donated items or money for this trip. Without each and everyone’s help, this trip would not have been possible. For that, the work crew and especially the Roe’s are very grateful. God bless you!
Stewart
Volunteers Leroy and Theresa Wieser
My husband and I worked in Waveland for a week in March. This was the best volunteering that we have ever done (and we do lots). Hopefully, we contributed a little to assisting these people in stabilizing their life. We were so impressed by their gratitude, as well as by the gratitude of everyone that we met throughout the town.
It was very humbling for both my husband and I, as we often don't have the gratitude and appreciation of all of our blessings. Yet, these people that are in ashes and slowly rising out of the ashes, have great hope and spirit of anticipation for the future.
Bless all, and continue the good work. God-willing, we are planning a return trip. Leroy & Theresa Wieser, Urbana, Iowa
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Mother Theresa Inspired “Team Zap” …
Recent Waveland/St. Clare Trip Was Working Family Reunion
Team Zap ‘n Slap
Jan and Gene Boys, Dennis and Candy Warner, Marsha Warner
Why did Team Zap go to St. Clare’s?
Mother Theresa once said, “…we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.”
My husband (Gene) and I (from Florida), my brother and sister-in-law (Dennis and Candy Warner from Virginia), and my sister-in-law (Marsha Warner from California) traveled to Waveland for a working family reunion. We had not been together since my brother Bob (Marsha’s husband) died 2 ½ years ago.
In the past, we had worked together on Habitat for Humanity builds and named ourselves “Team Zap” in Bob’s memory. This was our third time gathering together as siblings celebrating 100+ cumulative years of marriage (119 years this trip). God has blessed each of us richly in our lives and families. Thus, when planning our gatherings, we decided helping others would be the primary focus for our activities during the day.
Before Gene and I left Florida, we asked our friends and neighbors in our retirement park for donations for St. Clare’s “tool wish list.” We left for Waveland with $3,080 (plus an additional $1,050 in matching funds) as well as a microwave, toaster oven, carpet stretcher, compound miter saw, cordless drill and innumerable tools. In a story I recently read about Mother Theresa, she encouraged people to ask big if they ask in God’s name. So, tell others about your future trip(s) to St. Clare. Many will donate since they cannot travel to help. Does your employer have a matching gifts program? St. Clare’s Recovery may be eligible.
While working at St. Clare’s, we stayed for two weeks in a three-bedroom condo in Diamond Head – relatively inexpensive at the monthly rate, which begins on day ten (10). We relaxed, celebrated and caught up on family activities in the evenings.
The guys worked at Mary Courtney’s installing window frames, crown molding, doors, and her water heater, while the gals caulked and painted at Mary’s, Miss Rachel’s, and Brian and Jan’s. After painting for two weeks, our new name became “Team Zap ‘n Slap.”
During the day, we took time to listen to homeowners’ Katrina stories, understand their frustrations, and especially share in their excitement with the continuing progress.
Before we left, Miss Rachel’s house was painted inside and the flooring was partially installed. She is so excited and thankful for everything the volunteers have done for her. And Mary, she was about one week away from moving in her home. When Betty K. and Betty’s sister came to see the progress on Mary’s floor and doors, what happy sounds filled the house … the laughter and chatter of excitement and hope renewed. I was close to tears.
Gene found it very rewarding as he worked to help Mary get back in her home. Mary and her daughter, Sandy, were appreciative of anything we could do to help. They did not expect perfection, but just wanted to move out of their FEMA trailer and resume a more normal life. Six days after we left, Mary and Sandy moved into their renovated home. What an exciting time for them!
As Marsha and I painted at Brian and Jan’s, we shared our lives with them and heard their stories. Everyone has struggles. Through listening and caring, we can support one other. In exchange for a few slaps of paint on their walls, I spent an afternoon at their “writer’s retreat” on the dock, overlooking a beautiful marsh, working on a monthly article, listening to the sounds of wildlife. They also promised to pray for my book’s completion and publication. As we held hands, prayed, cried and hugged good-bye, I realized I came to give, yet walked away feeling like a thief.
Lives connected …
That’s what St. Clare’s and Katrina Recovery is about … sharing our gifts of time, talent, and treasure with those in need, and receiving hugs, love, and prayers in return. We’ve all been blessed. Our thanks Jane and St. Clare’s for letting us play in your woodpile and paint buckets!
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Steve Riga's Story:
When I first opened up Steve Riga's small pocket-size Moleskin diary of his post-Christmas Day trip to Waveland/St. Clare, it only took a glance at a few of the nine tiny pages to know that it was filled with golden nuggets of memories. Steve made his second "frequent flyer" journey to the region with his two daughters, Sarah and Kristin, to continue the restoration of the home of Rachael Boyd, nearly destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Throughout the penciled diary, there are little sketches (one of a 'rather non-photogenic squirrel' at the Recovery site) that give the diary even more warmth and character. The trip is well documented from the time the family left Columbus, and it is Steve's reflections about the journey that tells the story ... that weaves a tapestry of love for God, family and friends, the joy of communing and breaking bread together, of doing good deeds for others , and thanking God every day for His gifts, whether they be in rain or sunshine ... (Comments by Sheryl E. Tracey)
...What Wonders God Has Sewn Into Our Hearts ...
Diary Written By Steve Riga
December 26, 2006
8:50 a.m.
Drop Zero off at vet
Drive to I-65
9:40 a.m.
Stop at Shuler's Restaurant (Henryville, IN) for breakfast
Overcast day, cool, breeze from the West
1:45 p.m. - Nashville (TN)
Change (drivers)
Sarah will drive to Tuscaloosa (AL)
2:59 p.m. - Alabama Rest Stop
Change drivers again (Sarah is tired)
4 p.m. - Hanceville, AL
Dinner at Dreamland
Back on road at 6:01 p.m.
Enter Mississippi - 7:07 p.m.
10:30 p.m. - Arrive Waveland/St. Clare Church
Since it was dark when we pulled into town, it was hard to compare ... to see the progress.
Tomorrow's light will tell.
The girls are in the women's tent and I am here with the other men.
Quite a ride with Sarah and Kristin.
Both seemed to like the spare ribs (without sauce) at Dreamland.
December 27, 2006
6:05 a.m. - Up and teeth brushed
What might God have planned for us today ...
Breakfast must be early on the list
Frost on the windows
Breakfast with Sarah and Kristin at Waffle House
Looks like a clear, bright day
Communion service at 8:30 a.m.
We'll help Rachael drywalling the ceiling today ...
Rachael came by to see the work we've done ... and will do. A spry elderly lady.
She has provided for us, and has extended an invitation to help.
Rachael has given us a gift.
An opportunity to be helpful ...
To do a good deed ...
To be God's hands here on Earth
A gift to be cherished.
The girls found a dead lizard in Mrs. Boyd's house and I saw a live lizard in the front yard.
Dinner at Los Tres Amigos
Hot hot hot, but tasty.
Thank you God and good night.
December 28, 2006
Wind strong from the South
Breakfast at Waffle House
Back at camp to pick up Sarah
At the house (Mrs. Boyd's) at 7:54 a.m.
5:10 p.m. - Leaving for Gulf Port
6:22 p.m. - Arrive at Camp Avenue
Sarah's trying to locate her friend, Rick
She's taking pictures for her friends at church
Met Rick, a very interesting fellow
8:50 p.m. - Ready to head back to Waveland
9:35 p.m. - Back at Waveland ... goodnight all
December 29, 2006
Up at 6:30 a.m.
God has given us a beautiful sunrise
At Rachael's house by 7:50 a.m.
Help from Cindy and Tim (Minnesota)
We completed the ceiling of the wash room, bathroom/bedroom closets, and main room.
Now just the bedroom and bathroom remain are left.
Rachael came by to see how we've done.
Later Afternoon ...
Tim and Cindy will be over to help at Mrs. Boyd's house.
We should come very close to finishing up the ceiling.
Dinner at Russo's in Bay St. Louis ... very good.
The wind blowing in off the ocean ...
The clouds sailing by over head and the half moon watching from high above ....
What wonders God has sewn into our hearts ...
December 30, 2006
Up at 6:28 a.m.
God sends us some showers ...
Just to let us know He's thinking of us
And to see if we're thinking of Him.
The area is in a tornado watch 'til midnight.
Thunderstorms have visited the camp.
We nearly finished at 12:45 p.m.
Lunch at Russo's
Dropped ladder off at Brian and Jan's house
Their place is coming along very nicely
Moved our stuff out of the tents
Went to Betty's house for the night ... due to the tornado watch.
Thank you, God, for watching out for us ...
December 31, 2006
6:15 a.m.
Headed home ...
beach inspection
getting ready
Mrs Boyd
bedroom end of day
God's gift
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The Newest Choir Of Angels
… Katrina Earth Angels
By Betty K.
Waveland, Mississippi
Many people are not aware of the newest choir of angels …they are the Katrina Earth Angels. Without them, I would not be in my home after only eight months of work.
Volunteers have helped in so many ways, and especially through prayer, donations of all types, and hours and hours of service … all of which I thank God for daily.
Hurricane Katrina was August 29, 2005. But, when you have lost your home and almost all you owned, it seems like yesterday at times.
The volunteers have helped mentally, physically and spiritually. It will take the rest of my life praying to thank God for everything. I know it was not easy for them to travel to Waveland as volunteers (leaving their communities, families, and jobs) to do everything they did for us, especially helping to re-build my home. I pray they never have to experience the devastation of a Hurricane Katrina in their lives …
Waveland was all but blown away.
After living here for 33 years, it is hard to face the loss of our church, school, friends, doctors and businesses that we depended on daily. It will be ten years or more before life returns to anything near normal. Some people who left will never return. So many people still are living in trailers. Without volunteer workers, there would be no homes. Honest contractors are few and far between.
Even though it left a path of destruction, Hurricane Katrina has brought out the good in so many people from across the United States. There are so many great people, young and old, that you never hear about … they are the Katrina Earth Angels …angels of Waveland.
Every hour of work and every prayer gives us hope.
God bless and “thank you” to all of you!
Betty K.
We would like to share the following "trip story" with you, written from a high school student's perspective. It's a new twist on that old excuse, "The dog ate my homework." This recent volunteer, 16-year-old Tim Snoddy, had a terrific excuse for missing class ...his parents took him on a mission trip to St. Clare! Following is the story, in his own words, of how this trip lead him to explore the meaning of prayer in his own life....
Creative Prayer
By Tim Snoddy
I signed up for this class because I wondered how you could make prayer “creative.” I figured “creative prayer” might just be interesting enough that I could get into it ... little did I know that this class would change my outlook on prayer.
I used to think of prayer as a way to do penance or something one does during church.
Friends would say ... 'It’s a way to talk to God' ... but I never understood how that really worked.
My first class was not what I expected. We proceeded to go outside and blow bubbles, not exactly what I thought we might do. As we listened to Mrs. Graman and Mrs. McCormick share what the bubbles represented, I thought to myself, 'Wow, I never thought about bubbles being like prayers going to heaven. I must have been deprived as a child.' Then I thought, 'Why am I not wearing a coat in November?' Afterwards, we played a game inside to get to know the other people in our group. We asked each other questions (which really had nothing to do with prayer), but it was fun. Finally, Mrs. Graman handed out stones with words on them. My word was HARMONY, and we were supposed to think the word, and then come up with an example for the fourth class, which I will share about later.
As time arrived for my second class, I really didn’t feel like I fit in very well ... none of my friends were in the class and it just seemed boring. But, I decided to give it a shot. We were informed we were going to make little crosses out of sticks. Suddenly, I could feel the sullen look jump off my face as I realized I was going to do something interesting. As I made my little cross, I joked with other sophomores in the group that I didn't know very well, and realized they were pretty cool. I actually got along with them. When I got home that day, I felt infinitely better. I then proceeded to find a place for my new cross, and after much consideration, decided to put it by my computer, so that I could see it everyday.
The next day, I awakened to the sight of the cross and, after much pondering, realized how selfish I had been. I was complaining about a class because it wasn’t exciting and because I didn’t know very many people. So I asked God to help me be more patient and let things work themselves out, especially before the next week when I would head down to Mississippi (and miss the third class). Seconds after I prayed for God’s help, I realized, 'Hey, I just prayed. I sincerely prayed to God about something that was troubling me.' Only then did I understand what the class was really about ... finding ways to pray, outside of church, by using everyday objects as reminders of God and His works. I never had been able to do or understand this, but by making one little cross I was now able to ...
A week later we started our pilgrimage to Waveland, Mississippi. As the long, drawn-out car ride finally came to a close, I started seeing signs of the destruction, even at a distance ... glimpses of houses that were completely blown apart ... images of the terror that Hurricane Katrina left a year before...
We arrived at our camp around 11 p.m., and unpacked our belongings. Once we settled in, we figured we would try and get some sleep. Unfortunately, there was a train that passed anytime between midnight and 5 a.m., every night. For the most part, this didn’t bother us, except the first night I happened to fall out of my cot, and that made it difficult for me to fall back asleep, especially when the train passed by five minutes later. But I repeated to myself ... 'I’m not doing this for me ... I’m not doing this for me...' and I eventually fell asleep.
The next day, we went to church, and then headed over to the house of an older couple named Brian and Jan. After working on their house for a bit, we stopped to eat and watch the Colts' game. By the time it was over, night had fallen and we obviously couldn’t work on the house, so we built a fire and started sharing stories. After listening to all the things Brian and Jan had to say, I couldn’t believe they were so happy. From the moment we met them, they seemed joy filled, yet they related so many stories of hardship and suffering. Finally, at the end of the week, I realized that it was because of the harmony between those who had lost all they had and those who were willing to share what they had.
Then I fully understood why I received the stone with the word 'harmony.'
I got to experience God’s love through the coming together of His children after one of the most horrific acts of nature ever. From then on, I enjoyed every minute of the class, because I understood what God wanted to show me all along."
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