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Sister Jovita
MacPherson
and Volunteers
Trip to
New Orleans
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As part of the Sisters of Charity Federation, we, the
Sisters of St. Martha have been part of the rebuilding of New Orleans after
Hurricane Katrina. On New Years
Day 2008, Sister Jovita (MacPherson) was
accompanied by 5 young women, 2 from western Canada: Alycia Berg and Katie
Pringle; and 3 from the east coast: Marianne Dobbin, Anna TenBrinke and
Michelle MacKinnon. We were the Canadian contingent in a larger group of 33
volunteers; the other sisters and young people were from across the USA.
 We were welcomed and hosted by
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. This organization has
done much in way of supporting the local people and their efforts of
recovery. Ann, the Director of Christopher Homes and Sr. Anthony were both
witnesses to the Gospel and beacons of hope and perseverance for all they
encountered, us included.
In our culture, there is a new dynamic happening and
actually becoming a movement that can have great impact individually and in
our world. It is one that provides opportunities for people, particular
young adults, to be of service to others and to learn at the same time. It
is often called service learning. This trip was of this nature. There was an
added purpose and dimension to this particular trip. We created
opportunities to pray and do theological reflection. There was a context of
being of God and enfleshing the Gospel. In so doing, we helped each other
develop faith and see the power of community, the Church, in the mission of
Jesus.
One volunteer said:
“ From dancing with the senior residents to hauling
out a heavy pool table to playing charades far too early in the morning,
Christ was truly present and I believe I was strengthened by all those
moments to bring a renewed faith back home into my own sacred spaces and
communities.”
 We helped clean yards, empty
abandoned buildings,
gyp rock a house, feed people who are homeless, had a
meal at the soup kitchen and painted a railing. Some times it felt
challenging, some times we wished we were doing more. One evening, one
student put things in perspective for all of us. He said,
“We
didn’t come here to build homes we came to build people.”
Another said, “ We were making a
difference by loving and caring for the people of New Orleans
in every
little thing we did.”
We slept on air mattresses, ate
lots of peanut butter and fried chicken and met many people. To meet the
people and learn of their experiences was gift as described in the following
comments: “ Some had lost all their
worldly possessions, but never wavered in their community spirit and faith
in God.”
“It was so vulnerable to have these people accept
strangers into what was their homes and ‘ sacred space’.”
 Gratitude
was everywhere. When people realized who we were and what we were doing,
sounds of gratefulness rained down on us. The priest and musicians at mass,
the homeless reaching out to receive a brown bag lunch, the woman who had
been manipulated so many time by contractors, the 90 year old man who saw
his step painted, the people at the restaurant where we got to do Cajun
dancing and eat alligator for the first time, the coach of Louisiana State
University, the police, the flight attendants
 and Archbishop Hughes, who,
during a phone conversation, expressed his gratitude.
The experience was truly an “ awe” filled one. We are
grateful!
We have gratitude for the opportunity to be
part of such an event. We want to thank the people of New Orleans for their
hospitality, Catholic Charities for who they are and all they have done to
include us in the rebuilding. This could never have happened without the
generous people who helped us financially.
It is truly a God thing to rebuild
New Orleans!!!!
Sister Jovita on behalf of the group
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