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NEW!
Read the Daily Biloxi Blog! updated 3/18/08
Please pray for these Cathedral parishioners, headed to Biloxi,
Mississippi,
to help rebuild in the wake of Hurricane Katrina!
Lord, look kindly on your servants,
who have responded to the call
to love and serve others in your name.
We send them forth as messengers of peace,
marked with the sign of the cross.
Guide their steps and strengthen them in spirit,
so that they will not falter through weariness.
Make their words the echo of Christ’s voice,
and bless the work of their hands,
that they may bring new hope to those in need.
Send your holy angels
to guard and protect them on their journey,
and bring them back to us in safety.
We ask this in the name of Christ our Lord. Amen.
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BILOXI BLOG
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
It’s Tuesday afternoon and we have all arrived safe and sound from Biloxi but
not without a little adventure…. On Saturday, we finally got a chance to sleep
in a little and get a cup of Starbucks coffee! One person left to visit with
family and the rest of us headed out to Charles and Hedda’s one last time. When
we got there, we found the Dartmouth volunteers and the new contractor hard at
work. They had painted the shutters we built so we were able to hang them and
see the façade completed before we left (see picture). Then we all headed to
New Orleans for Mass at St. Louis Cathedral and dinner in the French Quarter.
The Burton’s were actually in New Orleans for a family birthday party so they
were able to join up with us for some fun away from the work site. We were all
sad to say goodbye but many have started to make plans for visiting one another
again. (By the way, Charles Burton kept telling us about how he played football
with Brett Favre in high school. On our way home, some found
the following
article on Brett Favre in the local newspaper. Charles is mentioned 3 times!)
On Sunday, we had a
nice brunch with the church crowd and then took some time to view the mansions
in the Garden District. On our way out of town we saw the complete opposite of
the mansions as we drove through the 9th Ward (the hardest hit portion of New
Orleans during the storm). It was shocking to see the abandoned houses and the
desolation. It looked like a ghost town. Many of the houses still bore the
spray paint markings that inspectors used to determine how many people were
found in the house and what needed to be done. Most looked like no one had
touched them since the storm two-and-a-half years ago. It was an eerie feeling
to see that and to know how much work still remains. That evening, our flight
was delayed for air traffic control reasons so the 7 of us who were connecting
in Houston missed our second flight. We all got a chance to see a little of
Texas since there were no flights until the next day. For Jenn and Pete, it was
a blessing in disguise as they were able to visit some old friends who had been
tangled up in the red tape of adoption proceedings for a couple of months. The
baby actually arrived while they were visiting with their friends so they were
able to hold her and take a family picture for their friends before flying out
of Houston. Now we are all back with some wonderful memories and new
friendships. Thank you again for being a part of our journey!
If you’re
interested in helping with a similar project in the area, contact
Jennifer at
(206) 654-4640. St. James will be sending a group to Lewis County on March 29th
to help the victims of the December floods.
Friday, March 14, 2008
We are wrapping up our final work day in Biloxi and the retreat center is now
silent. Today was an excellent day. It was 'spitting' a bit in the
morning but the clouds cleared and the sun came out, which allowed us to
continue with our painting jobs. The whole house is now painted as well as
the shutters we made for the front windows. The neighbors have been
stopping by and commenting on how good it looks. You can tell that it is a
point of pride and a sign of hope for the Burton's. Inside, the house
continues to be transformed. More progress was made on the shower and both
bathrooms are now completely tiled. Much of the kitchen cabinetry is
installed as well. Our group felt a great sense of accomplishment in seeing all
that we had done but we are left feeling that there is still so much to do
before the Burton's can move out of their trailers. We felt some relief
when we met a contractor from Connecticut today who told us that he will be on
the site volunteering for the next three weeks. He got a chance to see the
site and discuss the details with our contractors before we left. All of
that helps us to feel more secure in the fact that the work will continue and
that the jobs will get done correctly.
In addition to the work that got accomplished this week, we were blessed to
have built a strong relationship with the Burton's. We have had a chance
to meet their extended family and their neighbors, as people seem to be stopping
by all of the time. We have laughed together and shared our stories. We
have prayed together and shared meals. In fact today we were treated to a
home-cooked meal of catfish, corn on the cob, salad, and craw fish (complete
with eating lessons). This family has inspired us, taught us about
community and perseverance, loved us, and made us all laugh non-stop. We
will definitely miss them but will always remember our experience working with
one another. Tonight, we ventured out for a meal away from the retreat center
and now most are in bed.
Tomorrow, another group member is leaving and the rest of us are headed to
New Orleans. Please pray for our safe travels and for all of the people we
leave behind in Biloxi who still need help. Pray also for the group of 59
from Dartmouth that has already begun to arrive. Thank you for accompanying us
on this journey.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
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It's already Thursday night and we're heading into our last day of work down
here in Biloxi. Today most of us were at the Burton's home where there is a lot
of work to be done. Many worked on priming and painting the exterior of the
house while others worked on a variety of specialized tasks indoors. Those
tasks ranged from laying tile and installing cabinets to building posts and
framing bathroom showers/tubs. We are very blessed to have Kirby and Mike, our
two general contractors, on the trip to help us with these jobs. We have
started to get to know the family at the house and it already feels like it will
be hard to say goodbye to them. They have suffered through a lot but seem to be
the center of support for their extended family and neighbors. Tonight in our
group reflection we shared what has given us hope today and many mentioned the
signs of hope that they saw in this family. After losing so much and spending
years in 'FEMA mansions' (as they call the trailers) they are out on the site
every day helping out, making us laugh, treating us to lunch, lending a hand to
a neighbor, and inspiring us with their faith. We are all looking forward to
the cook out they have planned for us tomorrow. They said it will be the first
meal shared in their new home. And speaking of meals, Fr. Chuong got us a great
deal on fresh shrimp tonight and found someone who knew how to cook it just
right so we all enjoyed a bit of southern cooking and culture today. Please
keep the Burton's in your prayers. Please pray for safe travels for Ron and Ann
as well as they head out today and tomorrow.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Today the worksites started to feel more familiar and we were able to head in
with our jobs lined up and ready to go. One group headed over to the house that
we've been painting because it had been leveled incorrectly (see picture) and
needed to be realigned. After a brief run in with a possum, we were able to get
the work done. We had the added bonus of finishing the trim work and the
priming while we were there. The other group headed to a new construction house
where there is plenty of work to keep us busy for the rest of the week. This
family lost everything after 35' of water filled their neighborhood. Their
faith and hope is inspiring to all of us and they just keep saying that it'll
all be okay. After our work day, we enjoyed a wonderful meal prepared by Ann
and Marcy and then had our nightly group meeting. A few ventured down to see
the casinos that everyone talks about too.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
It's Tuesday night in Biloxi and we've wrapped up a long day of hard
work. We woke up to a downpour of rain that left puddles everywhere. One can
only imagine what the devastation must have been like after a hurricane! Today
our group was divided between four sites that included dry walling, putting up
ceiling boards, caulking and painting. A couple of people went to size up a new
site where we'll begin to lay tile tomorrow. Our fourth group stayed back at
the retreat center to do chores and give the place a good cleaning, for which
Father Chuong was very thankful. We are seeing a lot of need here and are
trying to find the best way to use our time and divide up our group to do the
most good. We also want to spend some time getting to know the people at the
sites so we're striving for a healthy balance. Tonight we enjoyed a BBQ dinner
and then spent some time in prayer as a group in the parish's chapel. Many of
us are still up playing cards and enjoying the community that is being created.
We thank you for all of your prayers. Keep them up!
Monday, March 10, 2008
It's Monday and our whole group has now arrived! We started the morning off with
daily Mass and then met the staff from the Diocesan Office of Long Term
Recovery. Our group divided up and went to three different worksites to start
our assignments. Jobs included priming, caulking, sanding, and siding. We also
took a trip or two to Home Depot, where
we're getting to know the friendly and helpful staff. Now that we've seen the
sites, met the families, and begun to find our way around, we're ready for our
first full work day tomorrow. Please continue to keep us and the people of
Mississippi in your prayers.
The Biloxi Group
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Despite the time change and early schedule, we all managed to make our flights!
11 of us are now at the Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos retreat center in Biloxi,
MS and one is still on the way. After settling in we were treated to a
nice spaghetti dinner by the group from Virginia who are sharing the center with
us this week. Later this evening we had some time for reflection in the
chapel. We were told that the structure was completely destroyed in the
hurricane and then rebuilt by 7 volunteers in one week. It was an
inspiring space in which to share to our initial hopes and prayers for the week.
With a few rounds of cards under our belts most have retired to rest up for
tomorrow. Please keep us in your prayers as we head into our work week.
The Biloxi Mission Group
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