The End

Last weekend, while writing the previous post, I realized that when I was in New Orleans, while writing weekly updates fairly faithfully I had to recognize what was significant enough to share with those who might read this, which caused me to reflect on the events of the week. I like to write and enjoyed blogging. To continue to write a blog about my experience in New Orleans now that I have been back in Philadelphia for five months is neither practical nor healthy.

I enjoyed this blog and will continue to look at it from time to time. This is likely to be my last entry though. I am starting a new blog, a new chapter. It is time to move on. Concluding this blog and beginning a new blog is a way to ritualize moving forward and in writing a new blog I will have to recognize current experiences significant enough to share. It will help me to reflect on my present situation more fully.

I have enjoyed the journey. I continue to be grateful for the experience I had in New Orleans and for all the support I received. The experience of the past year has changed me and will continue to influence me as I move forward. Any new chapter is influenced by the previous one, nevertheless it is new.

I am providing a link to my new blog and invite you there. It is in the list on the right with other links; the link should take you there directly but just in case it doesn't here is the address: http://kmneverydayexperience.blogspot.com/

Thank you! Many Blessings!

Love,
Kathleen

A Year later

I have been very aware that one year ago last Friday I left Philadelphia for New Orleans. I continue to be grateful for the entire experience and continue to miss the city and people I grew to love.

Yesterday I took some time to walk around Philadelphia trying to enjoy the city the way I enjoyed my weekend walks through New Orleans neighborhoods to the French Quarter. While walking a couple of the Marianites I had lived with called my cell phone; they were actually in the Philadelphia airport on their way back to New Orleans. I wanted to get to the airport quickly to see them, but was not able to do so.

While waiting for the next subway train back to my neighborhood, I sat down, cross legged on a metal bench. When I looked up directly in front of me was a large poster that said something about New Orleans and heroes. It was an advertisement for, K-Ville, a Fox television program that takes place in NOLA. Transposed over the characters clothing were a variety of overlapping pictures of New Orleans. I could easily pick out the Crescent City Connection Bridge, a Bourbon Street Sign, and the Central Business District sky line.

I sat and cried.

Now it is autumn once again. As the trees are preparing to release their leaves, may I let go of New Orleans in the ways that are necessary for me to truly be present and peaceful here.

If anyone actually reads this, please keep me in your prayers.
Take care.
Love, Kathleen

Update

It has been a while, two months actually, since my last post.
I am settling into my ministry; I enjoy working with the families of Project Rainbow.

I was on retreat for 6 days in Cape May New Jersey. While there I realized that since I had returned to Philadelphia I had not really been present to those around me and that wherever I am, God calls to be be aware of and present to whoever I am with.

The two year anniversary of Katrina was this past week and reminders of the storm were sprinkled in the media. One morning I even woke up to a NPR report from NOLA, as my radio alarm clock came on. I continue to think of and pray for the people of New Orleans while making an effort to be aware of and respond to the needs and the people around me everyday.

As time goes on, I realize how much I learned in New Orleans, how the experience has changed me, and how rich and full those 7 months were. Now, I need to apply what I learned and integrate it into my life in the place where I find myself.

A jogger

Today while I was walking along a path at a Philadelphia park, I passed a man jogging with his dog going the opposite direction of me. He looked at the shirt I was wearing, which is the one I received the day of the Crescent City Classic 10K race, which I had walked. He asked if I had participated this year there, and I said "yes." He excitedly started telling me about how he had been down there, in New Orleans and had not planned to run because he had not known anything about the race, but saw people setting up for the race the day before and was able to register at the last minute. The whole time he is telling me this he is running in place to maintain his work out while his dog looked all around. It seemed random to run into someone in the park in Philly who had probably run by me in New Orleans a few months earlier.

Cards

Last night, when walking in Center City Philadelphia with Ana, a sister with whom I live, on our way to the subway after attending a musical in which her uncle preformed, we passed a man who was panhandling and likely homeless sitting on the South Broad Street sidewalk shaking a paper cup. When I was in New Orleans, I often had business cards with me which I could hand out on such occasions explaining how Unity Welcome Home might be able to help. Actually there is probably a business card from New Orleans still floating around in the bottom of my pocket book, but it would have done him no good to know the address of an agency in NOLA that does outreach with fewer resources than the agencies in Philly. I felt helpless. I wanted to respond, however I don't as a rule give cash to people who pan handle. It helped that he did not verbally request anything from us. I simply nodded and said hello the way I might to any neighbor I pass on the street, as I walked on by. In retrospect I could have called the local outreach team, or responded with a little more compassion but I did not think of it at that moment.

Outreach is another aspect of my New Orleans experience that I really miss.

Even though it has been a month now since I left the Crescent City, I am still in the throws of "reentry" trying to process and integrate the experiences I have had. Oddly enough, getting reacclimated to familiar places and schedules since I returned home has been more of a challenge for me than was adjusting to strangers in an completely unfamiliar city eight months ago. Life is interesting.

I know what it means to miss New Orleans

In case you don't know there is a song that goes "Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans?" I can certainly answer "YES!" to that. I find that everything reminds me of New Orleans. When I was first in NOLA it was striking to me that in nearly every conversation anybody had it always eventually connected to Katrina. Now that I have left the Crescent City in nearly every conversation I have I make a connection with something I experienced in New Orleans.

Last night when we went out as a local community in anticipation for our lay volunteer's year ending. We dined at a restaurant in New Jersey which had old European decor. There were several flags with symbols that might appear on a coat of arms. The flag I could most clearly see from where I was seated, was gold with purple trim had a green Fleur De Le on it; of course that reminded me of New Orleans. After we ate we decided to walk along the Camden Water front which reminded me of the River Walk in New Orleans. The ferry that takes commuters across the Delaware River resembled the boat that ferries people across the Mississippi River from Algiers to the French Quarter. At some point in order not to annoy my community or appear to be as obsessed with New Orleans as I really am, I decided that I did not have to state aloud how everything we passed, including a broken lamp post, reminded me of New Orleans.

I miss New Orleans so much, only because it was such a wonderful experience. While I have moments of grief, sadness and longing, ultimately the primary emotion is gratitude because I truly appreciate the opportunity I had to go there, the people I met, the experiences, all that I saw and learned.

return

I have had difficulty getting into my blog to create a new post since I returned to Phiadelphia.
I returned to Philly 2 weeks ago and began my ministry as a therapist at the transitional housing facility sponsored by my congregation last Tuesday.
It is great to see so many of my community members and friends again.
I do feel though that I left a peices of my heart and brain in New Orleans.

Farewell

I did not attend any parades or big festivals this week, just a lot of good byes, which are celebrations. It is sad to leave this place and the people I have met and loved, but I celebrate the gift that each person, place and experience has been for me.

This was a week of goodbyes. On Tuesday at the Unity of Greater New Orleans staff meeting, they had a farewell party. On Thursday the Unity Welcome Home staff, my coworkers, took me out to lunch. I feel so fortunate to have met so many wonderful people, coworkers and clients. They have all greatly enriched my life.

Tonight I celebrated with the sisters I have lived with and have come to know and love. There was a lot of laughter and some tears as well. I feel so blessed to have gotten to know each sister here. My life has been greatly enriched.

I want to write more, but am very tired and have a few things to finish before morning. Tomorrow I will drive to Florida where I will spend a couple of days with my grandparents. I will then spend a couple of vacation days with my parents who will arrive in the Sunshine State of Wednesday.

Many Blessings!

Jazz Fest etc.

Jazz Fest!
I was given a free ticket to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. It was another wonderful New Orleans celebration: great music, wonderful food, and lots of people. Listening to live music was truly relaxing and extremely enjoyable. For lunch I bought fried eggplant topped with a delicious craw fish sauce. (Here I go talking about food, it is a good thing I'm leaving soon, I'm starting to sound like a local.) I attended a fascinating demonstration on how to make cheese, specifically types used in Latino cooking. There were all kinds of things going on at the festival. Here is a picture of some Mardi Gras Indians who were performing with a band on one of the stages. The one you can seem most clearly has his head dress off, probably because of the heat.

Philly - New Orleans Connections
Recently Philadelphia has been in the local news. A few weeks ago Mayor Nagain of New Orleans went to Philadelphia to learn how Philly has dealt with blighted neighborhoods. Apparently the local Mayor described the city of Philadelphia as "dirty", but later apologized. Very recently, Paul Vallas who ran the Philadelphia School system for the past several years, was named superintendent of New Orleans schools. It strikes me as interesting that New Orleans might want to emulate Philadelphia in some ways. I actually wish they would try to create an emergency shelter system similar to Philly's here, because while in the past I probably complained about it, there is no real system here, which makes it really hard to get people off of the streets. Of course I have not read any articles in the paper about New Orleans looking to Philly in that regard. The other current similarity between the two cities sadly has to do with increased murder rates and escalating violence.

I took this picture today, in front of an abandoned school building that is falling apart, although the sign advertising adult education classes which was probably posted about two years ago is still legible. Paul Vallas has his work cut out for him.


Leave taking
Tomorrow begins my final week of work. I will be leaving New Orleans a week from tomorrow. Although it will be great to see everyone again when I return to Philadelphia, I am presently feeling sad about leaving. One of the sisters said that if I had not really been here (as in truly present) than I would not be feeling it. I am grateful that I have been able to be present here and for all that I have learned, the people who have touched my life enriching it and have taught me much.

Counting
I have put a counter on the blog yesterday to get a sense of how many people actually visit this site. If you would read a blog that I would write when I am no longer in New Orleans please post a comment. I'm not sure yet, if I will continue to blog. Obviously if I do the focus would change a bit.

Winding down

Well, I only have two more weeks of work at Unity. I have started trying to transition some of my clients to new workers. It seems as though I keep seeing more and more homeless people on the streets. The work will never be done. There are some individuals who are now housed who I have worked closely with. The problems won't get better until the city has more resources, such as emergency shelters, social services, jobs that pay livable wages and especially affordable housing.

On Saturday I went to a workshop for new members of religious communities. It was held at a Monastery on the other side of Lake Pontchartrain so that the cloistered sisters in formation who live there could attend. The workshop was informative, the grounds were beautiful. It was interesting to meet sisters from such a diverse range of communities. Honestly, I realized that I had some misconceptions about sisters who are cloistered and wear very traditional habits, but I truly enjoyed the conversation that I had with a young cloistered sister. She seemed interested in my work as she prays for people who are homeless but does not have direct contact with people experiencing homelessness (or very many people at all usually). Although I could never imagine myself being called to that lifestyle (I would end up climbing the walls), I think I am invited to value their prayerful presence in our world more that I previously have. It was another interesting experience.

Today I attend a special liturgy at the cathedral celebrating vocations. It was enjoyable. Oddly enough, I have been to at least the same number events at the cathedral here in New Orleans in the past six months, as I have the cathedral in Philadelphia where I lived for the past ten years. Just as the city has a unique spirit so does the diocese.

I am filled with gratitude for all that I have learned during these past six months, and all of the experience I have had. I am looking forward to reconnecting with community, and friends when I return to Philadelphia. But, please be patient with me during my time of transition. Thank you.

Love, Kathleen

Radio

The NPR program was on the radio yesterday morning. If you are interested in listening to it. Either try the link below or type it the web address: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9759190&sc=emaf

You will hear the voices of two of my coworkers. I think the story is very well done; hopefully it will bring enough attention to the problem to begin to create positive changes. Let me know what you think.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9759190&sc=emaf 

NPR & Mississippi

NPR
On Monday evening several of my coworkers were accompanied by a reporter from National Public Radio, as we did outreach, visiting the people living in abandoned/inhabitable buildings, or under highway bridges/overpasses here in New Orleans. The segment on the increase of homelessness in post Katrina New Orleans is to air nationally on Weekend Edition, (it may have been on this morning, but more likely next Sunday.) If you hear it please let me know what you think (remember you can post a comment to this blog.) It was fascinating for me to get a sense of what goes on in producing a story for public radio, especially because I almost always have NPR on my car radio because I feel I learn much from the insightful stories they produce. What is most exciting is that people all over the country will hopefully grow in awareness of the reality of the housing crisis left by Katrina. May that awareness somehow lead to change!

MISSISSIPPI

Early yesterday morning I drove to visit a good friend, who was in the Redeemer Ministry Corps program with me in 1996-1997. Christianne currently lives in Mississippi with her husband and two children. It was wonderful to reconnect with her, and to spend time with her family. We visited the zoo in Jackson, ate Catfish and hush puppies at a local restaurant, talked, and of course laughed. This morning we went to her parish church; after mass I observed her children's religious education program which was interestingly based on the Montessori method. I am grateful for the time I spent with her, for her friendship, and the hospitality I received. What a great weekend!



I have appreciated all the support I have received the entire time I have been here. As I prepare to leave and begin to bring my work to closure, I would be especially grateful for continued support/prayers. Thank you. Have a great week!
Love,
Kathleen

Holy &Easter Weeks: death and resserection

This Easter week, I am aware that there are many ways I experience dying and rebirth, death and resserection in my own life and recognize it in the lives and stories of others and of the city where I find myself.

These days have been quite busy; I neglected to post a blog last week. It was not for lack of interesting news to share but for being so caught up with all of the interesting events that have occurred.

On Wednesday of Holy Week my twin sister arrived for a week long visit. She wanted to do some volunteer work while here; she was very helpful organizing and cleaning the kitchen at St. Jude shelter. She was able to come on the outreach van on Monday as well.

On Good Friday we participated in a Social Justice stations of the Cross. Different groups prepared different stations. They were all very well done, connecting the traditional station of the cross, with a particular issue of social justice, and with the location in the city. For example for the second station we stopped in front of Charity Hospital, which pre-Katrina treated the uninsured and poor, and has since been closed. The committee for the reopening of Charity Hospital pointed out how the poor are carrying unnecessary crosses when they are denied health care. Each station was unique, and powerful.

A picture of closed Charity Hospital.

The following day we walked in the 10k Crescent City Classic which began in the French Quarter took us through the Central City Business District (CBD) and ended in City Park. It was an unusually cool day especially for April in Louisiana, but that was better than the heat and humidity that people said they experienced previous years. That evening we attend at wonderful Easter Vigil liturgy at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish; several people received sacraments during the mass.

On Easter Sunday Kristin and I prepared a traditional Irish Easter meal for ourselves and four other people (2 of the sisters from next door and 2 others.) For desert we went to the convent next door, where neighbors and friends gathered.

We spent some time seeing the sights on Tuesday. She left on Wednesday morning. I truly enjoyed her visit. What a wonderful Easter weekend.

New Orleans feels like an especially appropriate city to celebrate Easter at this moment in history because it has experienced the cross and is the gradual process of resserection. I see evidence of both all around me everyday.

On Tuesday night, CNN went out with a few of my coworkers to do a story on homelessness in Post Katrina New Orleans. On Thursday night we gathered at the home of someone who works in the Unity of Greater New Orleans office to watch the segment. It did not highlight our agency as some had hoped, but did bring attention to the fact that there are currently many living on the streets who were housed and could afford rent before the storm. I am glad this issue is at last getting some national attention.

There has been much going on within the community where I am staying. The mother of one of the sister's died and many of us attended the funeral; please keep her and her family in prayer. Yesterday many of the Marianites of Holy Cross had a wonderful jubilee celebration honoring those who have been in religious life for 25, 50 and 60 years. The celebration re-energized me, further strengthening my commitment to religious life. I enjoyed meeting many of their sisters; I told the Marianites from New Jersey I would invite them over for dinner when I return to Philadelphia. (Please remind me to do so.)

Speaking of returning home, I am very excited that I have been offered a clinical social work position at Drueding Center Project Rainbow, the transitional housing facility for homeless women with children in Philadelphia where I have previously worked in other positions. When I think about the position I am very excited, believing that it is a good match for my skills and experiences, a position that will be appropriately enjoyable and challenging at a facility I believe really does have a positive impact on the lives of many. While my body fills with excitement at the thought of returning to Philadlephia and taking this position at Rainbow my eyes fill water when I think of leaving behind this city, and the many people I have grown to love during these past six months. I anticipate that I will leave New Orleans in a month from now; I anticipate that it too will be an experience of the paschal mystery.

As you can see, pictures have returned to the blog. Special thanks to my dad who sent me a camera which he know longer uses so that I can take pictures to share with you.

I took this picture of wild Irises when I went to Laffitte Park with Kristin.

Data Alligator

Data
For the past couple of weeks much of my time spent at work consisted of putting information into one of our two data bases. One of the data bases is required for all agencies that received Katrina Aid Today money the other is the Homeless Information Management System which I believe is required by all agencies which receive money from UNITY of Greater New Orleans. In some ways I feel like we do the same work three times, because first of all the information goes into the old fashioned paper file, then much of the same information must be entered separately into each of the two computer systems. I find that I am very inefficient in doing this type of data entry. The time spent in front of the computer has meant spending less time trying to meet the needs of current clients or encountering new ones on the streets. In my opinion this creates an additional barrier to adequately addressing the needs of the most vulnerable of people; I do understand that it is currently necessary because without funding agencies could not even try to meet any of these needs. Such barriers are common in social services, especially here in Post Katrina New Orleans. Despite the barriers, I was able to obtain necessary documentation and advocate for a client who has been chronically homeless who by the end of the week moved from the streets into a supportive housing program.

Alligator
No matter which city I live in, I think it is healthy if not necessary to get out of the city from time to time. Yesterday I went to Jean Lafitte National Park, Barataria Preserve to walk, think, pray and enjoy the beauty of creation. It is a wonderfully amazing place! The wildlife along the trail was abundant. Looking down from the wooden platform into the swampy water I could see craw fish, frogs, turtles, snakes and even several alligators including a baby! There were some brilliant wild iris blooming. A quick but heavy rain storm left me quite drenched; but the warm southern sun soon dried my skin and clothing. I left the park feeling refreshed, centered, and peaceful. It is through nature that I most easily fall in love with God.
http://www.nps.gov/jela/barataria-preserve.htm

Palm Sunday
Some of the palms given out at church were just the ones I have seen "up north." Others were large palm branches that may have actually been cut off of local palm plants.

When I arrived for liturgy at the parish this morning, the pastor asked if I had ever been the narrator for the passion reading. I replied, " a long time ago", recalling being the narrator when the fifth grade CCD class did the passion readings at St. Mary's Star of the Sea in Narragansett at a 10:30 Palm Sunday mass at least 22 years ago. Because I can read, and assumed the priest was desperate to be asking at the last minute, I agreed to do it. He handed me a booklet with the passion readings. I opened up to the first one to preview it in preparation. It was only moments before I needed to get up to the pulpit that, I realized that I should not assume that the first passion reading is the correct one for this year and decided to check it against what was in the missalette. At first I was looking in a old missalette which did not contain this weeks readings. Finally as the reader was finishing the second reading, gratefully I found out which reading it was and while approaching the lectern discovered it in my booklet. Unexpectedly I was also asked to help with communion at the very last minute as well. There was something very touching about the diversity of the people who approached for communion.
As if the liturgy was not filled with enough surprises on the way out the door, a women who had seen the sisters get out of the car (which my parents are lending my community for me to use) and had noticed the Rhode Island license plate began to talk with me. Although originally from Connecticut, she lived in Rhode Island for many years and knew one of my aunts. Small world!

May you have a holy Holy Week!

By the way, data and alligator rhyme in Rhode Island and in New Orleans but not in Pennsylvania!

Liturgy outside & Vespers at the Catherdral

Crawfish Boil!
On Sunday there was a Craw fish Boil at Our Lady of Holy Cross College, which is sponsored by the Marianites, the congregation with whom I am living. The festivity began with a lovely Sunday liturgy held under the tent, sitting at tables which moments after mass would be filled with massive amounts of cooked crawfish. I can add how to peel crawfish to the skills I have acquired while in New Orleans. Never do I recall even eating crawfish up north. They are like little tiny disproportioned lobsters. The shells are a little softer than lobsters but it is a lot of work for a little meat since they are so small, however it was well worth the effort! Along with several dozen crawfish we consumed jambalaya, corn on the cob, and potatoes. I enjoyed the food but most of all I enjoyed seeing so many people who really seemed to be enjoying themselves!

Vespers

People from all over the Archdiocese of New Orleans gathered at the cathedral yesterday afternoon for evening prayer. The entire service was well done, and included people of many racial and cultural backgrounds. Children of various cultures who opened the service with a liturgical dance set the tone for the event. The archbishop recently wrote a powerful letter on racial harmony, a portion of which was read during the service. It spoke of the current reality of Post Katrina New Orleans, and how the hurricane and flood had further exposed many social problems rooted in racism. All who were there proclaimed aloud a commitment to the pastoral letter, to promote justice, peace and equality. I left the cathedral with a sense of hope, inspired by the people (the church) of New Orleans who are committed to working towards racial harmony and justice.
I was able to scan the front cover of the booklet created for the service.

Parade
I did not go to any parades this weekend, however on the way home from the Crawfish boil we passed one, on the opposite side a street (on the other side of the neutral ground.) It was a small parade with only one float, a marching band, and a few horses. One of the sisters who lives in the community next door, has said that she always keeps a chair in the back of the car she drives "because you never know when you're going to come across a parade!" Only in New Orleans!

Ministry
At work we have been asked to start mapping where those who are homeless are staying in the city. This should be an interesting project.

Have a great week! Thanks for all your prayerful support!

Patrick, Joseph, "Indians," Vietnamese New Year

I really do work hard while I am here. I don't typically go into details about what I do, because of client confidentiality, so it only seems like I spend all of my time celebrating. The celebrations and gatherings help to balance out the frustrations I face daily while trying to house people in a city that lacks housing, and trying to refer people for services that are scarce. Instead of boring you with complaints and frustrations I want to share with you my experience of recent celebrations which are essential to the local culture.

Saint Patrick
On Saturday there was a parade held in New Orleans. I attended with a few of the sisters. We sat at the corner of Magazine and Washington Ave, thinking we were at the beginning of the route, but we were really towards the end. Before the floats there were many men who were dressed up walking by and handing or throwing beads and fake green flowers. Most of the men were drunk and rather disorganized. Finally, the floats came and the people riding on them threw: cabbages, carrots, potato, onions, Irish Spring soap, many many Mardi Gras beads, and a variety of other "throws." The parade was surely a lot of fun. When I told my father about the parade, especially of the "throws", he laughed; apparently they neglected to teach him these Irish cultural traditions when he was a child in Ireland!

Saint Joseph
The previous weekend I went to a small St. Joseph's Day parade held in the French Quarter on Saturday evening. They threw mostly Mardi Gras bead, and little plastic Italian flags.

The St. Jospeh altar is a popular New Orleans tradition which the Sicilian immigrants apparently brought with them. In order to thank St. Joseph for favors throughout the year people either in their homes or church set a table with breads, fish, fruit, wine, candles and cakes. The food is blessed and traditionally given to the poor. The St. Joseph altars I saw were beautiful.

Indians
The African American community began a tradition, I was told as a way of honoring Native Americans who helped them escape slavery. African American men make there own elaborate colorful costumes which typically include feathers and bead work. The costumes were gorgeous! They form tribes, such as the Ninth Ward Navajos and on "Super Sunday", the Sunday before St. Joseph's Day (I'm not sure why that day) the tribes gather for ritual, dance, and parade the down the streets. What a wonderful event!

Vietnamese New Year
One of the sisters I am living with, works at the local seminary. She invited me to go with her to a celebration that the seminarians had planned in honor of the Vietnamese New Year. The celebration began with liturgy, was followed by delicious appetizers, a dragon dance, a tasty Vietnamese meal, entertainment which included children signing, a magician, and another singer, and concluded with the children leading everyone in an English song about community. It was another memorable celebration which I am grateful for having experienced.

On Monday night I spoke with a group of college students from Utah who are here volunteering during their spring break. I spoke mostly of the plight of the homeless in New Orleans and the housing situation. It was a pleasure to meet such a delightful group of young people. There are so many volunteer groups coming to help in so many ways. I have met people from all over, all of whom are here to help. What a blessing!

Please keep my grandparents in your prayers.
My mother's father recently fell and broke his hip; he had surgery and is in a hospital in Florida.
My father's mother recently fell and broke her rib; there is not much that can be done for a broken rib; my aunt is caring for her.
Thank you!

TIME

Challenges
It seems that there are many challenges which make it difficult for social service agencies to really meet the greatest most pressing needs of the the people here in Post Katrina New Orleans. My agency is able to refer those who can prove they were homeless according to HUD's definition the week prior to Katrina a voucher that will pay rent until September. It does not include security deposit. Few chronically homeless people have enough money upfront for the security deposit. There was an agency that had funds that we could refer our clients to so that they could get security deposit money, but that money ran out this week. I called the local office of a well known national agency to ask if they had deposit money since I had a flier stating that currently they have rental assistance. That agency could not help with deposit money; I asked what they do assist with: if a person is one month behind on their rent they can put them on a waiting list to get assistance with one months rent, however they will be on the waiting list for approximately two months. These are the everyday things I encounter at work; sometimes I laugh at the absurdity of it all, other days I start to feel frustrated but simply remind myself that these agencies are all inundated with requests and are probably doing the best they can to distributed limited resources.


Hurricane on the Bayou
Today I went to the IMAX theater located at the Audubon Aquarium by the Mississippi River. The 45 minute film was entitled Hurricane on the Bayou. It seemed the filming started pre-Katrina with the intent of educating people about the need to preserve wetlands. The movie included a lot of footage of Katrina and its aftermath. It helped me to understand how the wetlands serve to lessen the blow of a powerful hurricane because the hurricane slows down as it goes over the wetlands. The gradual depletion of wetlands over the previous several decades (mostly because of human error and negligence) is one reason why Katrina hit New Orleans with such force. From the title I was expecting a National Geographic style film showing what happens to the animals and plants which live in the Bayou during a bad storm. Instead it told the story through the perspective of a real teenage girl doing a science project on the wetlands and playing music with other well known local musicians to bring attention to the issue of preserving the wetlands, documenting also her experience during Katrina. It was a powerful story which brought tears to my eyes and reminded me of the need to pay attention to environmental issues.

Hours
In October when I left Philadelphia and had to switch planes in Chicago, I gained an hour in Chicago, which at that time mostly seemed to prolong the layover. I was here only a short time when I felt I gained yet another hour when the clocks fell back. One of those hours was lost while was switching planes in Baltimore when I went home to for my grandfather's funeral. It seemed helpful to suddenly be able to turn the clock back the hour back late in the afternoon during the long car ride to New Orleans(3:00 sounded a lot better than 4:00 at that point, when we'd been driving since 6:45am.) Tonight an hour gets lost again. I'll loose another one when I return east, but inevitably one will be found again, in November.

Spring break
According to Tendings (our province newsletter) Rhode Island College spring break students arrive at the provincilate in Pennsylvania tomorrow night. Their presence always reminds me of my Spring Break experience there which was about 12 years ago now. I am glad that a group still comes faithfully each spring break. Please let them know that they are in my thoughts and prayers even though I am obviously not physically present.

Have a good week; even if it is an hour shorter than usual!

Neutral Ground

Outreach
Outreach is unique. I have done social work in an office where clients come into my space. I have also done home visits usually in clients homes. In some ways doing outreach is like doing home visits, because we see people where they live, only it feels very different because they live in public places such as on the street, in the park, or by the river wall. The other reality is that I see my clients or they see me when I am not going about official Unity business. For example if I go for a walk, or show visitors around there is always the possibility of encountering a client. I could be crossing the street to go to church in the morning and while I am literally in the middle of the street, that is standing on the neutral ground, clients may spontaneously call from the side walk yelling over the passing traffic to provide me with an update on their housing situation.

Neutral Ground
I think I have mentioned the neutral ground in at least one previous entry. It is what people in New Orleans call the grassy median. The term neutral ground is used frequently because, here most main well traveled roads have them. They are often fairly wide and many contain beautiful trees. A Philadelphia example would be the median on Route One (Roosevelt Boulevard), expect that these roads are not quite as busy, wide or as major as "the Boulevard." A Rhode Island example that comes to my mind is by Scabrough Beach on Ocean Road in Narragansett, except there are no trees on that median; its width and the turn arounds are similar to those of New Orleans' Neutral Grounds. They are an important aspect of New Orleans culture because, it is where people gather to watch parades.
Here is a poem I wrote a couple of months ago abut the need for metaphoric Neutral Grounds.

Every road should have a neutral ground,
adorned with growing grass or leafy trees.
If hectic traffic has to be,
if concrete and asphalt are modern necessity,
At least the center shall be a still, softer space,
a slower pace,
of gradual greening and growing,
in between life's high speed lanes,
a silence existing amidst sound.
Every road should have a neutral ground.

Religious Formation Conference
Yesterday I attended an RFC (Religious Formation) workshop here in New Orleans. It was held in a conference room at Our Lady of Wisdom, which is a lovely nursing home that 16 religious communities in the New Orleans area created together for their aging members who need care as well as for lay people. The conference was designed to teach us to reflect on our experiences , to view them using social and ecological analysis, which means asking the hard questions about why things are as they are in terms of economic, cultural, political, social, and ecological realities. The next step is to do a theological reflection viewing the reality in light of faith traditions (considering scripture, catholic social teaching, our charisms, etc.) Such reflection is meant to be transformative, leading us to change and action. Whatever action we choose as a response of course begins the cyclical process all over again. I also came to realize that whether it was consciously considered, it was this process that led my community to ask me to go to New Orleans.

Since we are in Post-Katrina New Orleans, we reflected on the impact of Hurricane Katrina. During the workshop, when doing the social analysis we specifically considered the reality of poverty, environmental issues, and violence. At first I thought I might have little to contribute since, unlike most participants I had not been in this city prior to Katrina and had not experience the trauma of the storm and its immediate aftermath. Their stories and perspectives were invaluable for me to hear. Because I have direct contact daily in my ministry to the homeless I actually felt I was able to contribute well to the discussion about poverty and people asked my perspective. Discussion inevitably lead to the need for both direct service to meet people's basic needs, ways to empower people to meet their own needs, and the need for policy change at all levels of government to create a more just world where all people's basic needs are adequately met and that allow the earth to thrive.

During the lunch break all "newer members", defined as those in formation and those under the age of 50, were encouraged to sit together. We had a wonderful discussion, which I found insightful. It was helpful to realize that many of us as new members (even though we are in different communities with different charisms and ministerial focuses) have similar struggles, questions, desires and concerns for ourselves, our congregations and the future of the church and world.

It was intersting to attend this workshop in a different "region." Next week the RFC workshop will be take place in Philadelphia. I am curious as to what you will use as the focus of the praxis for social analysis and theological reflection. Those of you who attend, please let me know. Please send greetings to all my "Insearch" friends who will likely attend.

Thank you!
As usual, I am behind on thank you notes. Many have sent me letters, feast day cards, small gifts, even valentines. Thank you also for donations especially from the provinciate staff around Mardi Gras it will surely be used to help those who are living in poverty here in New Orleans. Please know that I am truly grateful and appreciative and some day I truly do intend to catch up on thank you notes and more officially acknowledged your kindness.

Someone asked me yesterday if I feel supported, as sometimes in religious communities people who are working at a distance from their congregation and or those doing something different than most of the congregation, do not always necessarily feel well supported. I did not hesitate to say that I feel very supported. I am grateful that I experience support from my entire province (including lay associates, health systems and prov. staff, current and former lay volunteers and of course especially the sisters) from many other people (family, friends) as well as from the sisters I am currently living with. If you are interested enough to read this, than I feel that you are supporting me and I thank you!

During this season of lent, may you experience greening and growth at your center, the neutral ground of you life.

the poor are poorer

It seems to me that the poor are perhaps a little poorer in Louisiana then they are in the places up north where I have previously resided. People who get social security disability receive only just over $6oo a month. Cash assistance (welfare) for four children totals $284 for the month; I naively asked a worker if that was per child. I know for a fact that rent has increased dramatically post Katrina. Based mostly on logic and anecdotal evidence it seems the cost of living in general has increased too. Prior to Katrina I think the cost of living was probably lower here than in a lot of other places. This, is no longer true, yet benefits which are decided on a state by state basis even though they are essentially federal programs (like welfare and social security) seem to pay less here. At a meeting recently, someone from a legal aide agency (which assists the poor with legal problems) stated that it takes longer in Louisiana for people to be processed for social security disability benefits than it does in most other places and that more people are denied; they also receive less. I have heard women say that they do not bother to try to get welfare benefits because it is so little money for all the requirements. I am hopeful that the federal minimum was will increase, but doubtful that it will be high enough to really enable people to support themselves and their families.

I had a busy few days at work. This week as much as the bureaucracy and injustices frustrated me, the resilience, generosity and gratefulness of people who have so little amazed me.

After Mardi Gras things really did quiet down a bit in New Orleans. The green, purples and gold decorations, (which had replaced red and green Christmas decorations) came down. It is lent. But, to me, it feels like summer today!

Have a good week.
Love, Kathleen

Mardi Gras

Happy Mardi Gras!
I am late updating the blog because since Friday evening until this afternoon, I have been spending most of my time uptown by the parade route.

In Philadelphia, people call today, the day prior to Ash Wednesday, Donut Day and someone will typically bring donuts to work.
The Irish call today Strove Tuesday and eat pancakes.
Well, while I deeply respect the cultures of my community and my family, neither tradition compares with Mardi Gras as it is celebrated in New Orleans. Prior to coming here, I had a vague and inaccurate image of the holiday (I actually did not even think of it as a holiday.) It is so much of a holiday that my office was closed today and everyone also had the choice of taking either Monday (Lindi Gras) or Ash Wednesday off as well (since we were not at work nobody could bring in donuts, but not to worry we have been eating king cake for a month at work, and someone brought delicious donuts to the parades this morning.)
My previous inaccurate image of Mardi Gras was of a crowd of drunk people wearing beads. In reality, It is an experience which one must have to understand. It felt to me like a giant family party that the entire city celebrated together which lasted days. Most of the time is spent sitting outside waiting for the parades while meeting people, eating, cooking outdoors, laughing, catching up with others, walking up and down St. Charles Ave, and watching children play. It is a peaceful and happy occasion.
Many locals, especially the sisters here, have pointed out that much of the publicity for Mardi Gras, for example what is typically shown on the national new, shows the French Quarter. There are no parades in the French Quarter and most of the people there are tourists, who tend to get drunk and act crazy. The real celebrations however, are the parades which are truly family events.

A week ago there were tornadoes which touched down in parts of the city. I was fortunate not to be in an area directly effected. There was some serious devastation in neighborhoods which are in the process still of rebuilding from Katrina. My initial reaction to this was a sense of discouragement. A week after tornadoes people are celebrating Mardi Gras. This may have seemed strange to me before, but I am realizing more and more that while we should not deny the pain of such events, we also need to celebrate whatever we have that is worth celebrating and there is always something to celebrate. I believe that healing happens when people come together to be together, and Mardi Gras seems to be that for the city of New Orleans.

Celebrations of Life

So much has gone on since my last update.

On Tuesday and Wednesday of last week, at work we participated in the point in time survey, where we along with many other agencies and volunteers attempted to count the number of homeless and "precariously housed" persons in the city of New Orleans and nearby Jefferson Parish. This was an interesting experience. I do not yet know the results of the survey and suspect that it is far from accurate, however from the people I interviewed it is clear that there are many unmet needs. People are lacking housing, health care, food and opportunities.

On Thursday of that week, my paternal grandfather passed away. For the past few years, I have been acutely aware at times of my unusual fortune of having all four of my grandparents at my age. So many people do not ever get the opportunities to meet grandparents; I consider myself one of the luckiest people in the world for having them. Papa Sean and Nana Nealon moved into my parents home when I was ten years old and lived with them until October when due to illness and decline they needed increased care and moved into a nursing home. I have so many fond memories of them. I recall, when they first lived with us, how every night my two sisters and I, would knock on the door to their section of the house to say goodnight before we went to bed.

On Friday morning I flew to Rhode Island. The wake was that evening. How bittersweet, to see so many relatives and family friends I had not seen is so long while at the same time considering that I would never again see my grandfather alive.

On Saturday morning we had the funeral. The liturgy was well done. I think Papa Sean would have enjoyed it. After the cemetery, everyone was invited back to my parents home.

There was a bit of a lull after most people left Saturday afternoon, before other people (and some of the same people) began arriving that evening for the surprise 80th birthday party of my other grandfather. It was truly a day of celebrating life.

Sunday was spent at my parents' home with relatives. I enjoyed seeing my cousin's children.

On Monday, my mother's parents returned to Florida and Nana Nealon went back to the nursing home. Although it was hard to leave her there, it was helpful for me to see where she is now living. There are two recliners in the room that were facing each other, one now empty, was my grandfather's.

On Tuesday, I drove to Philadelphia, in a car my family is lending my community to save us the expense or renting one. I stopped by my community's provincilate for a brief visit. It was wonderful to see some members of my community. Mary, a lay associate, became my faithful travel companion for the rest of the journey. We made it as far as northern Virginia on Tuesday evening when falling snow encouraged an early stop over.

From quarter of seven Wednesday morning (eastern time) until nearly ten pm (central time) we traveled from winter, through spring, in between mountains and through valleys, arriving in flat New Orleans.

On Thursday afternoon, Anne Marie (our provincal) and Ellen (formation director), arrived at the New Orleans airport to visit. I toured them around showing them the some of the still devastated areas.

On Friday morning I dropped Mary off at the airport for her flight back to Philly. Ellen and Anne Marie came to see where I work at Unity and St. Jude Community Center. We had lunch in the French Quarter. Friday night we went with some of the Marianites, as well as a couple of sisters from other communities who are also in the area to volunteer, to a Mardi Gras parade. It was great fun. I imagined that parade goers would be fortunate to catch one or two items thrown from the floats; we caught hundreds of them! I took some pictures I had hoped to post here, but when we were leaving the parade I could not find my camera even after a thorough search of the neutral ground (grassy median where one stands for parades.) The parade is something pictures can not accurately capture anyway, it is an experience; in its unique way, it too is a celebration of life.

I am grateful to so many of you for your prayerful support at this time. The loss of my grandfather reminds me of the importance of relationship and increases my appreciation for all of the people I am fortunate to know.

Have a good week.

From the Wall to the Ball

Yes, I am actually doing my weekly update about five days early! Don't worry next week's will likely be late in order to balance it out.

One of the sisters who lives in the convent next door had received an invitation to observe a Mardi Gras Ball, called Sparta, which was held lat night. Since I had never had such an experience, I was invited to go along. It seemed like something out a fairy tale, or maybe a ride in Disney World. First a band played, then everyone stood for the Star Spangled Banner, then the show began with introductions of last year's court, than junior courts, krewes, a knight and his shadow, princesses representing different gods of different ancient cultures, and others before finally this year's "king" and "queen." After each one was introduced they promenade around the room gracefully in gorgeous gowns, or tuxedos and masks in the case of the men (people really do wear those mardi gras masks; in retrospect I'm not sure why that surprised me, but it did.) There is a lot of bowing and clapping. There was a performance by a dance group from Ohio which was quite entertaining. I am grateful for having had the experience. As it was very long, and somewhat drawn out, we left before the very end. I really felt as though I was immersed in a different culture and different time. In many ways it seems light years away from the situations I encountered today doing outreach on the streets.

The pictures and my description can not adequately capture the reality of the pageantry.

Eucharistic

Groups that seem to come from different worlds, come together, they share resources, they bring what they have to the table giving of their very selves, when there is no table, they sit on the ground while breaking bread.

There is a place on the edge of the river wall, near the French Quarter where on several evenings each week meals are served to those to people experiencing homelessness and or hunger. Sometimes there are about 100 or more people who come, most of whom are living on the streets or in abandoned buildings. My office has decided that we will try to be present on these nights to do outreach.

On Thursday evening, I arrived at "the wall" as people were gathering and the group serving that night (I think a Baptist church but I'm not sure) was setting up. A group of traditionally dressed Mennonites, who I later learned were from Pennsylvania, of varied ages were starting to sing peaceful religious songs, setting a pleasant tone for the evening meal. The people who come to eat at the wall included chronically homeless individuals, new arrivals who came into town seeking work but could not find housing, young people who live on the street (sometimes referred to as "gutter punks,") and others who are impoverished in multiple ways. Different groups prepare and serve the warm meal on different nights of the week. Once a person is served he or she usually sits on the ground, sometimes leaning against the river wall while eating. Thursday was a "freeze night" which made our job a little easier because with extra shelter spaces open, we did not have to tell people that there were no options for them to get off of the street, which on non-freeze nights is now the norm, since shelters are typically full. Going to the wall is an effective way to do outreach because we encounter so many people in one place who may be able to benefit from our services. Yet, what impacted me the most was the reality that this meal brought together so many people of various backgrounds and circumstances: those serving, those singing, those of us doing outreach, and those eating a warm meal who otherwise would have gone hungry. The way those who come to eat, seem to help, support and care about one another is often beautiful.

During the end of this week, my office was involved with a conference given by one of our funding agencies (UMCOR affiliated with the United Methodist Church, which provided funding through Katrina Aid Today grants.) Case workers and supervisors both local and from all over the country came together. It was interesting to hear from people who are working in other states with those displaced because of the storm and the perspectives and challenges they face. I suspect that it was interesting for them to actually see the city where their clients have come from and witness first hand the lack of housing and other resources that are preventing their clients from being able to come home. The agencies that are all receiving money from UMCOR for hurricane survivors are themselves quite diverse. It is inspiring to me, that agencies associated with a variety of religious faiths and denominations are cooperating and even providing funding to one another, working toward a common goal, in the interest of the common good.

Sharing of resources, sharing of selves, sharing a meal,
is transformative, is Eucharistic.

no creative title comes to mind this week

Monday, the office where I work was closed in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King. I was able to spend the day with my parents and their friends, taking them on a tour of the area. On Tuesday, after work, I went out with my parents and their friends to Brennan's, which is a very nice restaurant in the French Quarter, where I had delicious salmon. Early Wednesday morning (even before morning prayer), I dropped my parents off at the airport and said farewell. I am so grateful for their visit.

The work week went quickly. On Friday, at work, we attended an annual meeting for all of the agencies in the Unity Collaborative. A woman from the Alliance to End Homelessness spoke, which was informative and inspiring. It was good to hear about current trends and "best practices approaches in terms of service to those who are homeless. I am aware that homelessness is quite a problem everywhere, but the current situation in New Orleans is unique because of the impact of Katrina.

Last night, at the convent where I am staying, we had liturgy and a celebration afterwards, because it was a feast day for the marianites, the anniversary of the death of the founder. I was in solidarity with my community in Philadelphia since they were partying at the same time, celebrating birthdays of three our our sisters. (I hope y'all had a great time!)

Today I went to another convent with a couple of the sisters I live with, to watch the Saints football game; as you probably know they lost, but making it as far as they did was a victory in and of itself. As of writing this the Patriots have a chance of winning their game, but I am not watching it; sitting down and watching one game is unusual for me and anyway I need to update this blog to keep up with my goal of weekly updates.

Included are pictures which either I took, or my father took on Monday .

The first is Musician's Village, a Habitat for Humanity Project, which is building affordable houses for musicians. The second is of turtles at Audubon Park. The third is the Causeway Bridge which spans Lake Pontchartrain. Finally the city skyline, taken from the other side of the river, just before it started to rain.
Have a great week!

Surprise!

Friends of my parents who I have known most of my life, came into town on Friday. I was invited to go out to dinner with them that evening. When I arrived at the time share where they are staying, they began showing me around the lovely apartment in the French Quarter. When they opened the door to show me the second bedroom, and turned on the light, there were both of my parents! What a wonderful Surprise!!!

Yesterday, we went on the Natchez, which is an old steam powered paddle boat, which gives wonderfully informative tours of the area along the Mississippi River. As I walked through the French quarter in New Orleans with four other Rhode Islanders, I noticed a lot of tourists wearing Philadelphia shirts, in anticipation for football game (for a moment elements of all of the places I call home converged.) In the evening, my parents and their friends came to meet the sisters I am staying with, and got a tour of the house, had chili (not dad) and King Cake. The piece of King Cake I ate, had a little plastic baby in it; next year between Epiphany and Mardi Gras, everyone is invited to a party I will host in Philly!

I am not a football fanatic, in fact I generally don't follow the game at all. However when I heard that team from the city I am currently living, would play the city where I have lived for the past 10 years and officially still do, I felt excited. I decided I would cheer for both teams, as I did, a couple of years ago when the New England Patriots played the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl. In reality I did find myself cheering more for the Saints, because they have never ever even made it to the Super Bowl and were previously in the playoffs only one time in their entire history; I think it is in my nature to root for the underdog. I often question the amount of money and resources that go into professional sports when they are many basic unmet needs, however, although I would probably prioritize things differently myself, the Saints doing so well is providing hope and a sense of excitement and a pride to a city that is still in many ways in shambles, which is a very good thing indeed. When the Saints won I witnessed tears of joy in the eyes of some very faithful fans who have stuck by them for years despite their lack of success. I, who usually could not care less about such things, hope the Saints make it to the Super Bowl and win, if for no other reason than this city needs something to celebrate.

I am so grateful for my parents' visit. After a very draining week at work, I feel like I have been on vacation yesterday and today, which is truly a gift! Included are a few pictures I took this weekend.

From Epiphany to Mardi Gras!

Happy Epiphany Sunday!

Now that the Christmas and New Year holiday are ending, talk is turning towards Mardi Gras!
Dinner conversation the other night turned into an educational session for me, about the upcoming festivities (still over a month away.) I even practiced yelling, "throw me something mister!", which is what one hollers as the floats are going by apparently even if the person throwing things from the float happens to be female. This is a picture of what I was thrown during our practice. The colors the bear is wearing are the official Mardi Gras colors of course.

Yesterday my (N.O. LA) local community had a wonderful time at the home of a a woman who stayed with the sisters before I came. We had a delicious gumbo dinner. For desert we had King Cake which is eaten in New Orleans from the Feast of the Epiphany until Mardi Gras. There is a small plastic baby doll baked into the cake. According to tradition, the person who discovers the doll in his or her piece wins the prize of either hosting the party the following year or of at least bringing the cake. I did not get the prize; if I had, we would have had a lot of guests in Philly for Epiphany next year.

It was a short work week since my office was closed on both New Year's Day and the following day. In some ways the week did not feel short because a lot happened in those three days. There is never an easy time to be homeless, but this time of year may be the hardest.

I am doing well and hope you are too.
May the star that guided the wise ones to the Christmas crib, guide you on your journey during these days as we travel from Epiphany to Mardi Gras!

New Year

I returned this afternoon from a fun weekend away. The Marianite sisters have a house on a lake about an hour and a half from here. I celebrated the arrival of 2007 with seven of the Marianites (including three whom I live with) at a vacation house about an hour and a half from here, on a lake. It was wonderful to have time to walk, play games, and laugh. We had a very nice prayer service. As midnight approached fireworks from multiple directions lit up the night sky above the water.
A year ago I had not even imagined that I would be in Louisiana for the beginning of this year. I am grateful for all that happened in 2006. As I reflect, I realize that it was a year filled with new experiences, adventure, surprise, and growth. I welcome with open arms this new year! I wish all who read this ( and those who don't), all those I know and love (as well as those I don't know or find difficult to authentically love) a happy and blessed 2007!