 Harbor of Hope:
St. Clare Journal
Volunteers from Old St. Pat's reflect on the experience of sharing their gifts with the people of St. Clare in Waveland, Mississippi.
Thank you, KATRINA.
By Tom Teel and Reilly Morse, attorneys in Gulfport, MS
Thank you for letting me understand homelessness, living without power,
without television, without cool air in the heat;
Thank you for letting me understand hunger, the leisure of dry clean clothes, and the relief of a place to sleep.
Thank you for letting me understand the deep and overwhelming sadness when forces, beyond our personal control, take the loved, the familiar, and the usual.
Thank you for my needfulness and for my newfound empathy for those homeless before the storm and homeless now, and for those hungry anywhere, for those in need everywhere.
Thank you for the opportunity you provided to help my neighbor, to be my brother's keeper, to serve food, to patch roofs, to clean yards, and to start mending that, which was broken.
Thank you for the chance to change ourselves, for a reprieve from the normal, commercial day, for teaching us to make do, to get by, to improvise, for drowning our conceit, complacency, callousness, for silencing the noise, for stopping the clock, and for the chance to act our best when the worst occurred.
Thank you for the people who reached in, pulled out the living, cradled the dead, comforted the broken and torn apart, wept for the splintered and uprooted.
Thank you for the people who didn't wait to come right away, who opened their homes, who emptied their shelves, their closets, who cleaned, fed, healed, held us, who told us our spirit was amazing, and who keep on coming.
Thank you for the people who measure their faith by their actions, and measure their actions by its consistency with their faith.
Thank you for all the people we have met, who are new friends, new loved ones, new brothers and sisters, new neighbors.
Thank you, Katrina.
Not for the wind, not for the water, but for the appreciation of the things no storm can shatter, no water can wash away, no wind can move.
What I learned In Waveland
By Barb Sertell, May 2006
As I prepared for my trip to Waveland, a lot of thoughts ran through my head and I must admit I had a little bit of apprehension. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, I wasn’t quite sure what I would be doing, and I wasn’t convinced I could really make much of a difference. What I learned from my week in Waveland were life lessons that will live with me forever.
The hope, the spirit, and the resilience of the residents of the Waveland area are more than any one could ever expect. These people have lost everything, but you don’t see them complaining or moping around. They have smiles on their faces, and a sense of pride that can be felt from miles away. I learned when the going gets tough; you’ve got to keep going with the grace of God, and the help of those around you.
On the second day we were there the winds blew stronger than I have ever seen. To a northerner like me, one would have thought another hurricane was coming! During Mass, the canvas walls of the makeshift church shook, and water trickled into the back of the church as we set up for a coffee hour. I learned there was something powerful and comforting about being surrounded by a faith community.
The week took us to several different job sites. With breathtaking views overlooking the bay, the home of Jackie and Ray Kidd had been a dream house for them. Knowing how hard they worked for everything they had accomplished keeps them going. With the help of volunteers, they were able to pull their cars into the car port, and look at a just cleaned out and organized garage.
Their short-term goals were to move into the second floor of the house, an area that did not sustain too much damage. We cleaned out the bedrooms, and made the bathroom look so pretty it brought tears to Jackie’s eyes. What seemed like a small task to us, was a huge help to them. I learned every small task we did brought them closer to the end result — getting back their home, and living out their dream of life in the big yellow house on the bay.
One of the most lasting memories of those we helped was of Betty Smith. Betty is an elderly woman who lives alone. Miss Betty, as I called her, has been stricken with many health ailments over the years but you would never know as her spirit, her mind, and her soul are as strong as ever. Miss Betty lost all of her belongings and is left with a shell of a house she is trying to rebuild. She lives in a FEMA trailer on her property with her dog, Honey.
After spending a day removing mold from the walls of her house with a few other volunteers, we decided Betty needed something else done to her property. It would be a long time before she could move back into her house. She needed some instant gratification, something else to look at besides her dilapidated home. A few flats of flowers, some mulch, some dirt, some remnants of old garden supplies found around the property, and a lot of digging turned into a Garden of Hope on Betty’s property.
I got a call on Thursday about 9 p.m. and it was Miss Betty. She had arrived home and witnessed what she described as her “Secret Garden.” Betty was ecstatic, talking about all of the wonderful things in her “Secret Garden.” She had even called a few relatives and friends to tell them all about her “Secret Garden.” She ended the conversation with the words that pretty much sum up my trip to Waveland, “you all gave me a reason to keep going.” I quickly learned rebuilding a person’s spirit is just as important as rebuilding their homes. And that is why we have this mission called Harbor of Hope, to give the people of Waveland one more reason to keep going.
“I Saw Hope in Their Faces”
By Patrick Anderson, Feb. 2006
I knew before I left for Waveland, Miss., that I didn’t have any idea of what the devastation really looked like. I had seen the coverage on the news. I had seen the pictures in the newspapers. It seemed the only way I could even attempt to assign some perspective to what I was about to experience was the realization that the distance from Biloxi to New Orleans is about the same as the distance form Chicago to Milwaukee.
A few days before our group left Chicago I had spoken to someone who lives in Gulf Port, Miss. He asked me if I had seen the images in the news and I said yes I had. His reply was, “It’s worse.” He was right. Still photographs only show the ruin in small sections, what we got was the panoramic view.
When we arrived at the home of our host family, Becky and Bobby and their children Hannah and Hayden, we saw the first example of the resilience of the people of St. Clare Parish. This family had lived in a FEMA trailer and worked diligently so they could be in their home for Christmas. Hosting us was their way of giving back for all the help they received. Hayden, a Pre-K student wrapped her arms around me and said, “Mr. Pat, I’m glad you are here.” My heart melted.
Our first assignment was working alongside a homeowner named Ron who was working on gutting his trailer. We took out the ceiling, the floor, insulation, the ductwork, and more staples and nails than I thought existed. When it came time for lunch, Ron’s wife Lois had prepared a wonderful meal for us. We prayed, we ate, and we laughed. As I reflected on the work we were doing to empty the trailer of its water-damaged insides, Lois asked me if I thought all this was worth it. After seeing what we were able to accomplish, we both believed that it was.
Our next assignment was with another homeowner named Mike who wasn’t sure exactly what we would be able to accomplish. He asked us if we would start by removing some of the nails left in the stud boards when the sheet rock had been ripped off the walls. He told us that even if we could do a room or two it would be appreciated. We completed most of the job that day and we told him we would be back to finish up the next afternoon.
When we returned to Mike’s house, we finished pulling the rest of the nails and then cleaned up the floor. We filled four-contractor size bags with nails and refuse! What a difference a little clean up effort can make! Mike was so pleased with what we were able to accomplish, we could see the feeling of being overwhelmed diminish. He thanked us and wanted our names and e-mail addresses so he could keep in touch. Once again I saw hope in the face of a man where there didn’t seem to be any a day earlier.
On the way back to our host family’s home that evening, we stopped at the home of an elderly couple that needed help removing a damaged floor and cleaning their yard. Unfortunately, the husband experienced a stroke and was incapable of any physical labor. Since we only had one more day left in Waveland and knew we couldn’t accomplish all that was needed, we agreed to return the next day and work on the yard.
This was no easy task. There were clothes in the trees. There were water soaked, rusted tools of all descriptions. There were pieces of glass, large and small. We wanted to do as much as we could because the date for the last free pick up of trash was fast approaching. Although we were unable to remove the large pieces of fence and the crushed metal storage, we made great progress. When we were finished for the day, the couple looked at the yard and said “It’s beautiful, it’s really beautiful, thank you so much.” More hope. A little clean up and a lot of hope.
For me it all came together at Mass on the last Sunday we were there. Three of the four families we had helped and our hosts were all there. There were lots of hugs and lots of cameras taking group pictures.
Without this experience in Waveland, I would never have known that a little cleaning up of a yard, or the pulling of a few nails, or moving some trash to the roadside could bring so much hope.
Four Days that Changed our Lives
By Nora Plunkett, Kara Plunkett, and Jeanne Plunkett, Feb. 2006
Motivated by the stories and images from the Gulf Coast, Jeanne Plunkett and her daughters Nora and Kara traveled to Waveland with the hopes of providing help and comfort. What they came back with was a deep appreciation of the courage and pride of the St. Clare people and memories that will be forever etched on their hearts.
From the time we stepped onto the airplane headed toward New Orleans, we were faced with stories of tragedy. A mom of three children seated behind us relayed that they had lost everything in Hurricane Katrina and had only returned for a brief visit to see the house they purchased on the Internet. Heartbreaking stories like these continued to emerge as we made our way to Waveland, Miss., to see the devastation that struck this part of the country.
The streets of Waveland were lined with FEMA trailers where homes once stood. Beside the trailers, were ruins of what remained of these peoples’ lives. Aside from the arrival of the trailers, time looked as though it had stood still since the hurricane struck.
When we arrived at St. Clare the waters of the Gulf, the church’s nearest neighbor, were so calm that it was unfathomable to think it gathered enough force to rip apart this town and cause such heartbreak for these people. A sign posted on the church grounds read: “But God is Bigger.”
Our first assignment brought us to the shell of a former home. A sign on the front door read, “Welcome Friends.” The sign was indicative of the warmth and Southern charm that greeted us in Waveland. The home belonged to a woman named Gail, who graciously welcomed us into her life. This mother of eight provided us with a tour of what had been deemed a salvageable house.
Surrounded by the remnants of her former life, which included waterlogged baby pictures of her children and grandchildren, we spent some time helping Gail clean up the dirt and destruction from the hurricane. As we worked, she regaled us with stories about her family and friends. Gail’s sense of humor and resilience during this difficult time are what seemed to get her through each day. Despite the condition of her house and the loss of much of her belongings, she repeatedly told us how blessed she felt because all of her family members were alive and well. Gail’s appreciation for the few hours we spent with her, and of the others that we were privileged enough to meet, is incomprehensible considering their lives touched us more than we could ever have helped them.
We attended Mass on Sunday, which fell only days after the parishioners had been told their school would be closing. The heightened sensitivities surrounding this most recent loss for these people led to a forthright discussion during the homily where emotions were raw and feelings of abandonment were apparent.
During our four days, we were struck by the pervasive sense of hope and optimism from everyone we met. Perhaps the handmade sign perched at the edge of this tight-knit beachside says it all: “We shall return.” We know with the continued help of the volunteers from Old. St. Pat’s, this will gradually become a reality.
What is so important about St. Clare?
Harbor of Hope volunteers raising the human spirit
By Francie Scott, Oct./Nov. 2005
I was in Waveland, Miss. for the re-opening of the St. Clare School on Oct. 31, 2005. My work as a school social worker had prepared me to provide intervention services to schools where there has been a tragedy or loss.
It had been two months since Hurricane Katrina. I had loaded my car with every child’s book, resource materials, and supplies that I could imagine I would need to provide a week of trauma intervention, educational and mental health service.
As I drove closer to Waveland, the first thing I noticed that was out of place was the number of wrecked and abandoned cars along the side of the road. At first it appeared that there had been several major accidents that had not yet been cleared away. Then came the realization that the cars were only a small part of debris and devastation that is overwhelming the region. I heard later that the cars left along the highway were parked at what was supposed to be high ground and safe from the hurricane. The unclaimed cars may belong to individuals who are still missing after the hurricane. The enormity of the devastation is beyond description. A picture doesn’t even adequately capture the whole picture of ruined homes, stripped trees, and piles of debris one sees all around.
I arrived at St. Clare’s on Monday morning and was greeted by the controlled chaos that is the hallmark of a first day of any school. Parents, teachers and students were jubilant. The greetings of staff, parents and students echoed the happiness, relief, and comfort of being able to begin again at St. Clare.
Off to the side of the lunch tent was a group of volunteers from another state that were planning a Halloween party for all the students that afternoon! The contrast between the devastation of the hurricane and the resiliency and determination of this community could not have been more evident.
The principal and the school secretary were in constant demand. They were inundated with managing the daily needs of the school, intervening to help their teachers who still did not have housing or utilities, graciously receiving new volunteers, locating and welcoming students and learning to operate a school from a Quonset hut with limited resources.
I spent the day listening and planning my week. I heard from teachers that their students were alternately doing fine and did not seem to have been affected by the hurricane or conversely there was concern about the emotional trauma and legacy from what they had experienced.
I scheduled daily visits to each classroom. We read books including: “The Way I Feel, When I Feel… I Know What to Do”, and “Double Dip Feelings.” The messages from these books and in our discussions focused on the fact that we all have feelings, all kinds of feelings that are okay to have, and that makes us human.
We also made a poster (inspired by the “Laugh at Me” program) with a big heart and the number “plus 4” at one end and a picture of a broken heart with the figure “minus 4” at the other end. We talked about the things in life that hurt and the things that help us with the hurt.
Everyday we read, drew, talked, and listened to each other. Children from kindergarten to 6th grade made pictures and talked about ruined homes, lightening storms, found or lost pets, destroyed toys and prized possessions, the fear of losing family and friends, living in someone else’s house, getting clothes from the Red Cross, and even losing everything. The teachers and I asked questions, listened to the children’s answers and offered them reassurance.
Each child had individual time with us too. They told us about the experiences that gave them a broken heart (the minuses from the heart project) — the loss of the things that made up the fabric of their lives. Most of the experiences they shared were related to Hurricane Katrina, some were the heartaches of daily life that children face everywhere: missing a dad because of divorce, the death of a grandparent or other family member. We wanted to reinforce their strengths and resiliency so we asked the children the following questions: what helps when… you’re not able to go to your room and hug your pillow, the bed and room are gone, the favorite stuffed animal or toy is gone, and you can’t ride your bike or meet a friend? When your house is gone, your friends are gone, your mom and dad are doubly busy? When there is no favorite food, family meal, and you can’t play outside because it’s dangerous? We asked them to identify the things that are sustaining and replenishing them.
The answer I got over and over again was St. Clare! They talked about the hug or smile from their teacher or from their principal, being able to go back to their school, re-connecting with friends they had known since starting school, all of this was curative. Again and again students said to me, that being back at St. Clare’s is the big heart...a “plus 4!”
I also met and talked with the teachers who came back to work with no assurance of getting paid, and witnessed the hours that parents and volunteers work to organize the church and school. We have all seen pictures and heard from the groups of Old St. Pat’s volunteers that have made commitments to and relationships with the St. Clare community. I am grateful to have been able to contribute to that effort.
Note: The Biloxi Diocese announced on February 1 that it has decided to combine the St. Clare school with Bay Catholic School, in nearby Bay St. Louis. The St. Clare’s community has been the dynamic force that is rebuilding the fabric of life for its members and is a vital element breathing life back into the community of Waveland, Mississippi. Although the school will not be part of St. Clare, the efforts to help the St. Clare’s parishioners rebuild their lives and their faith community will continue through the generous gifts of time, talent, and treasures of the Harbor of Hope project.
Reflection
By Denise Power, Jan. 2006
In this article, Denise describes her visit to St. Clare in Waveland. She was accompanied by her husband, Tom, as well as Sue and Tim Evon who lead the Old St. Patrick’s/St. Clare Cleanup, Repair/Rebuild Team. More than 100 parishioners are already dedicated to this five-year recovery campaign. If you are interested in helping this team, please call Denise Power at 773.549.3848 or Sue Evon at 708.771.5839.
Our foursome descended upon Waveland, Miss., the town dubbed “Ground Zero” for Hurricane Katrina, with a clear objective: to assess the cleanup needs at St. Clare parish so we could prepare and dispatch future Old St. Patrick’s work crews to help resurrect the buildings and lives that were devastated by the storm’s wrath.
No first-time visitor to Waveland can prepare for the visual assault that lies in wait. Towering piles of debris that fill one homeowner’s lot create stark contrasts to the eerily empty adjacent property, where only a slab remains. Equally disturbing are plaintive cries for help such as: “FEMA: Where are you?” and signs of hope: “We shall return” spray-painted on homemade signs for passers-by to read.
The spooky silence in the streets vanishes on St. Clare’s property. In a flurry of activity, scores of parishioners are steadfast in their determination to rebuild their beloved church and school.
After Sunday Masses on Dec. 11, we were greeted with warm smiles, hugs, tears, and devastating stories of chaos. Parishioners freely detailed an imposing list of needs: removal of trees impaling homes and threatening neighboring lots; removal of waterlogged debris, house gutting, mold remediation, and sheetrock installation. Almost as an aside, they’d also mention personal tragedy that compounds despair: the recent death of a spouse or a mother; onset of serious health complications; or an insurance company’s meager $3,000 payout for a home’s total loss.
Old St. Patrick’s parishioner Tom Murray, who’d arrived the week prior, arranged a meeting with Biloxi Archdiocese Bishop Thomas Rodi on Dec. 12. Tom and I appealed for the rebuilding of St. Clare’s school and outlined Old St. Pat’s commitment to help. The Bishop said a decision on whether to rebuild St. Clare’s School, or merge it with Our Lady of the Gulf parish in Bay St. Louis, would be made in January. Bishop Rodi also shared his grave concern for people’s mental health, expressing particular worry over the well being of the area’s youth and the potential for suicides and divorces.
As more and more St. Clare parishioners came to understand that Old St. Patrick’s commitment to recovery is long-term, they stepped up to become a part of it, offering their time and talent in any way they can. Many of these people have full-time jobs, families to care for and astounding rebuilding burdens of their own. And yet they happily offered to partner with us.
The remainder of our visit was spent at parishioners’ properties. While the Evons split off to install PVC piping at a home in Waveland, Tom and I headed to Bay St. Louis to begin gutting a parishioner’s home there. A phone message from that homeowner exemplifies the appreciation expressed by everyone we meet here: “Please don’t leave before I can hug you again.”
Reflection
by Tom Murray, Dec. 9, 2005
I began the day at the Office Depot in Gulfport, getting the donation acknowledgement card printed, and then went to Home Depot to get some plastic to make windows out of the openings in the Quonset parish office. With the flaps closed, there is no outside light in the office. The office is about 40 feet long and 20 feet wide with a total of eight light bulbs. Yesterday, I adjusted door latches on the hut so that the doors would stay closed.
Returned to St. Clare through Bay St. Louis. One house had the name, “Favre” on it. May only be important in Green Bay.
I met with Dan Miller, a volunteer who has been in the Waveland area for three months, volunteering at St. Clare. He is leaving for the holidays and will return in January. Though his doctorate is in leadership, he has been doing computer installations and building maintenance at St. Clare. In addition, he has coordinated participation of volunteer groups including the Boy Scouts and others who have come to St. Clare. He notes that even though he’ll be gone for a month, he will be as close as his cell phone and e-mail. He has the trust of all at St. Clare and is a good link to the needs of the community. Dan also has served as a substitute teacher when needed.
One of Dan’s major interests for St. Clare is the rebuilding of the school. The Bishop of Biloxi has approved the rebuilding of the church, but the decision about the school’s future hasn’t been made.
We discussed some of the reasons for rebuilding the school:
- It is the lifeblood of the parish and brings people back to Waveland.
- Hearing children playing in the midst of the debris is very moving and speaks to the renewal of the community.
- The parishioners of St. Clare want to re-build the school
- Many donors from across the country have donated or expressed the intent to donate money for the re-building of the school. The school is the poster child for renewal of Waveland.
We discussed questions about the school that remain including: what other options are available for Catholic education if the school was not rebuilt?
There has been some mention about combining with a school in Bay St. Louis. I mentioned the Frances Xavier Ward Schools example where one campus is designated for the primary grades, and the other campus houses the upper grades.
I asked about donations for the school if it is not rebuilt. About $250,000 is needed just to get to the end of the present school year. Perhaps, a Friends of St. Clare Corp. could be created to hold donations for St. Clare School. It might also be possible (I don’t know the status in MS.) to create a charter school adjacent to the church campus.
On another topic, Dan also told me that the Morell Foundation (sp.) has leased the state park campground for volunteer workers. I’ll go over there tonight or tomorrow and include report in this journal.
Fr. Marty Gillespie celebrated the Immaculate Conception Mass at 11 a.m. His homily was on saying “yes” when called upon, as Mary did. The new, larger Quonset hut church is supposed to arrive next Monday and be installed on Tuesday.
Dan Miller said any volunteer who comes to Waveland should be ready to do whatever is needed, so I just told the principal of the school, Mark Cumella, that I’d sub if a teacher needed to be somewhere else.
A fly swatter is an essential desk tool!
Saturday, Dec, 10, 2005
Reinforcements arrived from Old St. Pat’s. Denise & Tom Power and Sue & Tim Evon arrived in Waveland and their presence helped me realize how important it is for a volunteer to have someone to reflect with on the events and emotions of the day. We went into Slidell for dinner at the Outback Restaurant (only franchise restaurants seem to have reopened after the hurricanes). Home Depot is absolute chaos. Everyone inside the store is buying everything to replace what he or she has lost.
Sunday, Dec. 11, 2005
Today was beautiful in Waveland. We attended both Masses at 8:30 and 11 a.m. Sue Evon spoke briefly at each Mass, informing parishioners that Old St. Pat’s will be here for the long-term, helping as needed. We hosted coffee and donuts after each Mass. I’d estimate that as many as 250 people attended the Masses and about 150 people joined us for coffee after Mass. Sue and Denise took notes on what people need. One person said that this was the first time that Catholics were around to help out. Most of the help has come from other denominations such as Baptists and Adventists.
I recommend that the Old St. Pat’s volunteers host Sunday "coffee and donuts", for visibility and fellowship. About Us | Mass Schedule | Events | Membership |
