Harbor of Hope
An Old St. Patrick’s Outreach to the Parishioners of St. Clare Parish in Waveland, Mississippi
Together, We Can Restore their Hope
Dear Members and Friends,
Try to imagine living life without—
- Your home and your possessions
- Your church and your children's school
- The job that's just a short commute from your home
- The corner convenience store
- Your favorite restaurants
- The landmarks and activities that define your community and way of life
Then, try if you can to imagine living life without the people who mean the most to you, either because of death or because of physical or emotional distance.
What you've just tried to imagine is reality for the parishioners of St. Clare. More than six months after Katrina struck, getting back to “normal” is a major struggle. Mountains of debris remain to be cleared. The majority of businesses remain closed. Homes lie in ruins or in various states of repair. What once were thought of as everyday activities or errands are now major chores. People are being stretched to their limits physically, psychologically, financially, and spiritually.
Members of the Harbor of Hope Steering Committee recently visited St. Clare to learn firsthand the state of the parish and its parishioners.
We saw the new church tent structure and the Quonset style huts serving as the school. The church rectory is now housed in a FEMA trailer. We happily watched as the children played during their recess breaks. We affectionately looked into the weary eyes of the adults, feeling their sorrow and anxiety.
We met with the pastor, Fr. Cudday O'Connell and Noel Philips, a St. Clare's parishioner who has been assisting the Fr. O'Connell and is serving as coordinator for our efforts there. Our discussions focused on:
- The urgent and continuing need for our help in rebuilding/building parishioners homes with priority given to seniors and single parent families.
- The need to help address mental health issues with school children and parents.
- The need to help with planning the construction of a multipurpose building that would serve as a meeting room, temporary church and religious education facility and then a rectory.
There were other meetings too. We talked with Kathy Scott, the parish secretary, to ask for her thoughts on what parishioners need most. In her order, they are:
- rebuild houses and
- find jobs when people return.
Our discussions with Barbara Landry, the school secretary outlined the need for group and one-on-one meetings to address trauma and provide coping skills.
A special meeting of the parish council was held during our visit where we distributed information to update them on our efforts and we solicited their input on near term needs. Some of these needs included:
- A simple public address system for the church. (Individual needed to assess the need and recommend a system.)
- A dedicated cell phone number (there are no land lines) for people to call for help (Individual needed to assess the need and recommend a system.)
Old St. Patrick's recently met these specific needs
- Pascal candle and stand
- Way of the Cross booklets for 150 children
- Fifty Catholic Bibles
Members of the council identified the need for our guidance in formulating an action plan. They all agreed that it is often difficult to think beyond the current day. We are currently working with them to initiate and develop this plan.
And finally, we met with the St. Clare's parishioners after both Sunday masses. We shared coffee, juice and donuts (courtesy of the Evon family) and listened to their personal stories of the wind, and the flooding. They talked about their feelings after losing their homes and possessions and their beloved church and school. Yet, even in this midst of all the devastation, the people of St. Clare's show remarkable resiliency and hope.
The parishioners also spoke about their gratitude for the help from the many volunteers from Old St. Patrick's. The Sunday bulletin acknowledged Bill Natale's gift of a chain saw and the Bibles gifted by Old St. Patrick's. Fr. O'Connell was very generous in his homily about our efforts.
While much work has already been done, there is an enormous amount to do. In addition to assisting St. Clare's with their Action Plan, there will be a focus on creating a family-to-family or person-to-person program that will directly connect the parishioners of our two parishes to help with particular needs or simply “be there” in the spirit of support.
During this Lenten season, please keep these families in your prayers. We ask that you thoughtfully consider volunteering in Waveland. Most residents have already returned to their jobs in order to keep up with their mortgage and bills. They have little time to devote to clearing their yards and homes and will gratefully accept your help. During this year, more building will be taking place and the need for skilled trades people will be great (plumbers, electricians, drywallers, painters, etc.).
There are also a number of other teams that need additional help. Please see the team list on the Old St. Patrick's website through the Harbor of Hope link under Social Concerns.
Thank you to everyone who has already given of themselves to this project. Your efforts have been most appreciated.
In continued peace and hope,
The Harbor of Hope Steering Committee
Bob Hill, John McDonald, Pat Oaklief, Judy Graf, Jay Marhoefer, Tom Murray, Sandy Downes and Fr. John Cusick
To find out how you can best use your gifts to help St. Clare Parish, contact our Harbor of Hope team leaders.
What does it take to volunteer in Waveland? Check out the FAQs.
In St. Clare Journal, volunteers reflect on their experiences of sharing their gifts with the people of St. Clare.
Monetary contributions to support these efforts can be sent to:
Old St. Patrick's Church—Harbor of Hope
Attention: Sandy Downes
711 W. Monroe
Chicago, IL 60661
Contacts
Administration
Sandy Downes
sandy@baileygroup.com
Home Rebuilding Chair
Patrick Anderson
pat82795@sbcglobal.net
Home Rebuilding Co-chair
Denise Power
denise.power@fairchildpub.com
Church Reconstruction
Jay Marhoefer
jay.marhoefer@lw.com
Finance
John McDonald
jomacchiwlaf@aol.com
Special Events/ Fundraising Chair
Jay Marhoefer
jay.marhoefer@lw.com
Special Events/ Fundraising Co-chair
Bridget McBride
bridget@mcbridemediainc.com
Communications
Mary Slater
meslater@sbcglobal.net
Steering Committee
Bob Hill
TheHillsOfChicago@gmail.com