Catholic Charities’ bus tour open eyes, touches hearts

   
    New Orleanians are famous for their love of jazz, beignets and Mardi Gras, but many do not realize this beloved city is also home to far greater treasures – the people and ministries that devote their lives to serving the poor and marginalized.
    Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans (CCANO) is one of these gems, serving as an umbrella agency for 36 programs and one affiliated ministry that deliver health and human services to the city’s most vulnerable.
    Desiring to witness CCANO’s ministry up close, the archdiocesan Office of Religious Education and Office of Justice and Peace teamed up Aug. 1 to take a group of 20 Catholic educators, youth ministers and young adults on a bus tour, creating an immersion experience that highlighted how the archdiocese puts into action the tenets of Catholic social teaching.
    Catholic social teaching emphasizes building a just society and living lives of holiness amid the trials of modern society. Themes include a call to family, community and participation; solidarity; care for God’s creation; the dignity of work and the rights of workers; life and dignity of the human person; rights and responsibilities of humans; and having options for the poor and vulnerable.
Theology in action
    Paula Taylor, an associate director for the Office of Religious Education, envisioned the immersion experience when she reflected on Matthew 25, which asks, “Lord, when did we see you?”
    “We hear it, but sometimes that’s it,” Taylor said. “A lot of times we don’t have other opportunities to talk about it or live it out.”
    “Catholic Social Teaching is much more integral to sacramental theology than we think,” Tom Costanza, director of the Office of Justice and Peace, said. “This is not ideology. This is our theology.”
    Eager to witness work done by the ministries of CCANO, the group loaded a yellow school bus and began with a tour of the Head Start and Isaiah 43 programs, which aim to foster the family and create opportunities for community involvement. Head Start works to educate children, build better relationships among families and offer prenatal care to expectant mothers. Isaiah 43 was established in 2011 by Archbishop Gregory Aymond as a parenting and mentoring program to assist the needs of vulnerable families.
    The group also saw the ministry of Cornerstone Builders, which focuses on finding jobs for ex-offenders within 72 hours of their leaving prison.
    “They get to say, ‘I’m working for Catholic Charities. I’ve got a job,’” Costanza said. “It does something within them. What can we do as a Catholic Church to make sure that their inherent human dignity is shown?”
    Along with finding jobs, the program works with the ex-offenders to build a relationship with God and experience an inner conversion. “Once they see themselves as servants, it helps the process,” said Ronnie Moore, director of Cornerstone Builders.
    Some of the work found for ex-offenders has been reconstructing St. John Berchmans Manor into a retreat center and nurturing a community garden for the Sisters of the Holy Family.
    “We fell in love with the group, and they fell in love with us. And look at what love can do,” Sister of the Holy Family John Mary Jackson said as she reveled in the beauty of the newly renovated chapel at St. John Berchmans Manor.
Peaceful inner-city haven
    The next stop was the Rebuild Center, a place for the homeless to congregate during the day, wash clothes, shower and share a meal.
    “They are so grateful for the services,” said Presentation Sister Vera Butler. “Our goal is to be a place of peace for them.”
A focus on Catholic social teaching even extended to the lunch. The group experienced fine dining at Café Hope and learned how the restaurant teaches young adults exiting the juvenile justice system customer-service and life skills and, eventually, finds permanent employment for them.
    “We can have a lot of theology, but they just need to see concrete actions of love,” Costanza said. “Seeing someone believing in them does something to them. It’s just a little community of love at Café Hope.”
    After three years of working under Catholic Charities’ umbrella, Café Hope has extended its wings and they are “flying on their own,” said Don Boyd, founder and operations director of Café Hope.
    The final stop for the little yellow school bus was at Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), where the group observed the loving community at Shirley Landry Benson PACE Center in the renovated former St. Cecilia Catholic Church. The purpose of PACE is to help senior participants remain in their homes while offering health services and day programs to keep them active and healthy.
Opened her eyes
    Initially, Judy Carter was unsure of her reason to venture onto the immersion bus tour, but the religious studies teacher at St. Katharine Drexel understood her call after witnessing the CCANO programs.
    “I understand why I’m on the bus now,” Carter said. “At first, I didn’t know how this connects with what I’m doing. I’m both Catholic and from New Orleans and I’m part of this, but I didn’t have an understanding on all that we do. I have to start with my knowledge before I can share it with anyone else, before I can share it with the youth.”
    Like Pope Francis’ message for Catholics to get in the streets and make “a mess” in their dioceses, the CCANO immersion bus trip allowed participants to find new ways to serve their community and cultivate Catholic social teaching within their own lives.
    “Y’all are getting out in the street and messing up some stuff,” Costanza laughed.
    “This is you,” Taylor said. “The people volunteering are part of us as the body of Christ. And you can join them.”
    Lindsey Frechou can be reached at [email protected].