An Appeal for Mercy

Yesterday I received an email from a friend in Rome, Italy.  I share it, asking that you join us in prayer:

“We would like to involve all believers to pray for the next persons who could be executed this month. The execution of Dexter Johnson in Texas (a man who has had for a long time a pen pal of Sant’Egidio), and that of Stephen West in Tennessee are both scheduled for August 15, the very day we celebrate the Assumption of Mary into heaven.  That’s why we seek her intercession, so that 2 lives may be spared without more bloodshed.”

Sant’Egidio is a Christian community born in 1968, in a secondary school in the center of Rome. Today it’s a network of communities in more than 70 countries of the world. They pay attention to the periphery and peripheral people, gathering men and women of all ages and conditions, united by friendship through listening to the Gospel and voluntary commitment to the poor and to peace. While they have long had  correspondence with prisoners on death row, they recently sent a “Compassion” newsletter, inviting others to receive a pen pal (member of Sant’Egidio) for friendship and spiritual support.  Since then, 100 more prisoners on death rows around the United States have taken up the offer. Please pray for Dexter, Stephen, and all of these.

I was in prison and you came to me.

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Let Your Heart Break

Last weekend, I saw a video of Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul Conversation with Melinda Gates. In it, Gates speaks of the many trips she’s made to very poor sections of the world and her need, upon return, to decompress, to be alone, to let in the pain she has seen, to “let my heart actually break.”

Just back from the Texas border and service with immigrants at the Humanitarian Respite Center in McAllen, I know our group is living with plenty of heartbreak.   The broken face of Jesus was everywhere, as was his love and beauty. So we continue to let it in: men in line for belts and shoelaces, women in line for shoes; travelers praying the rosary, tears streaming down their cheeks; children waiting for a simple bowl of soup or overjoyed with a mini tootsie pop; a 15 year old boy with chicken pox, a 14 year old girl with newborn baby; ALWAYS, from everyone, “gracias” for any small gesture or smile.

Our volunteer group was amazing.  They sliced dozens of loaves of bread (even when frozen!), and cut watermelons, carrots or mangoes by the crate.  They served meals, unpacked and sorted donations, cleaned up after sick kids, employed Spanish phrases, and stood for hours to serve the needs of others.

 

 

 

 

We continue to let the experience in.  And while our hearts have been broken, we are deeply grateful for the privilege of meeting these brothers and sisters who have changed our lives.  And we remain in solidarity with those who serve the poorest among us, not just one week a year, but day in and day out.

 

 

One World, One Family

Bitter sweet feelings as we are writing this. Today, we said goodbye to many of the people who worked with us throughout the week. With their help,  we were able to attend to the needs of many, many travelers: preparing food, serving food, collecting donations, distributing clothes, and working with the sick.

Describing the Catholic Charities Respite Center does not do it justice. You need to be there to truly experience the obstacles that the travelers have to endure. Looking into the eyes of the sick, scared, hopeful, and very grateful travelers, you will be transformed for ever.

Today, we woke up and headed to another day of service. As we walked through the double doors past the security guards, we instantly went to work. We cleaned, cooked, organized, passed out clothes/food, and played with many children. At 1:00, a new group of volunteers came to release us at our stations so we could take our lunch break. Soon after, we came back and got to work.

At 4:30, we had the opportunity to visit the local area. After that, we walked to a local food trucks court called “The Yard”.  Now we are heading to bed to get rested for another memorable day.

Through our experience this week, we have seen how immigrant people are beautifully able to rise above all differences and unite as brothers and sisters.

                                                                                                    Kayla and Faith

All Here

It took awhile to get our whole Ursuline Summer Service group here, but as of last night at 9:15, all are present.  Four of us had difficulty getting out of St. Louis because of storms, which meant missed connections and almost a 7 hour wait in Houston.  We had to relax, read, chat, and settle in until they called our flight to Harlingen.  All this meant a very late arrival in San Juan, after midnight, and we were glad to have Sunday as a free day before beginning work at Catholic Charities.

Sr. Pat and Cameron joined us from New York on Sunday morning, so we did grocery shopping in the afternoon, then took a ride to see where we will be working and  the famous Rio Grande river.  It is striking to see our border lined by barbed wire and metal barriers. There were long lines of cars waiting to come into the U.S. The weather is very hot, well above 100 degrees with a feel of more than 110.  We are becoming more and more aware of what the immigrant people we will meet have already endured.

By Sunday evening, our last two volunteers had arrived, and we took time for orientation, planning and prayer. We’ve received many notes from Ursulines around the country, promising us prayer and support.  Friends and families are also with us in spirit, we know.  Thank you to all!  More news will follow throughout the week.

Not Pawns, But Persons of Human Dignity

In less than 2 weeks, 8 Ursuline Summer Volunteers will gather for a week of service at the Humanitarian Respite Center sponsored by Catholic Charities in McAllen, Texas.  The group includes students and alums of Ursuline schools in St. Louis and New York who know well the meaning of SERVIAM–I will serve.

The byline for our place of service is: Restoring Human Dignity on the Border.  We will share in this mission as we help create hope and restore dignity to the most vulnerable among us.  We expect to sort donated clothing, clean, sweep, mop, make sandwiches, clean showers and bathrooms, make soup and prepare for the afternoon rush—that rush being when the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement brings guests by bus from their holding center.  Recently, 500 to 900 people a day have arrived.  We’ll be on call to assist families, children, and regular staff in whatever ways possible.

How will we restore human dignity?  Well, stay tuned, because we’ll be blogging right here during the week.  I imagine our efforts will include Spanish greetings and smiles of welcome; provision of a change of clothing, toothbrushes, chapstick, food; babysitting and playing games with children; and a loving sendoff to the bus station for the next leg of the journey.

It’s hard to imagine doing all this without also experiencing heartbreak.  Our service group will take time each evening to reflect, pray together, and draw strength from words of Jesus and of St. Angela.  We’ll be support for one another.  We’ve chosen to be together for this week because we share values that are rooted in our Ursuline spirit of service and our deep desire for human dignity for all persons. We’ll keep before us the wisdom of Pope Francis:

Migrants and refugees are not pawns on the chessboard of humanity. They are children, women, and men who leave or are forced to leave their homes for various reasons, who share a legitimate desire for knowing and having, but above all for being more.