New Orleans Community

The Adrian Dominican Sisters’ Congregation Initiative in New Orleans is beginning to take shape. Sister Mary Keefe, OP, moved to New Orleans in November and has been engaged in ministry in the St.

Bernard Civil Parish, east of New Orleans. This area was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. It is estimated that only four buildings in the entire area escaped flooding. Before Katrina the population of the Parish was 67,000 and there were eight Catholic churches. Presently, the population is between 25,000 and 30,000, with only one church and one mission serving the people. The mission church is St. Bernard, which was founded in the late 1770s and is the “mother” church of St. Bernard and Plaquemines Civil Parishes.

Sister Mary, with the assistance of the Dominican Eucharistic Missionary Sisters, has focused her ministry on assisting the members of St. Bernard’s Church. The parishioners of St. Bernard and San Pedro have courageously restored St. Bernard Church and now have regular Sunday Mass. Sister Mary organized an Ash Wednesday prayer service in which 75 parishioners attended. They also have Stations of the Cross each Friday. On Good Friday, there will be a procession along the highway to the church.

Sister Diane Odette, OP, has joined Sister Mary in this ministry. They will begin an extensive visitation project, hoping to visit every home in St. Bernard Civil Parish. They would like to reach out to the people who have returned, assess their needs and provide them with information on all the resources available to help them rebuild their lives.

In August, 2008, Sister Kitty Bethea, OP, and Sister Pat Harvat, OP, joined Sister Mary and Sister Diane. Before joining the community, Sisters Mary and Diane, with the help of volunteer Sister Maria Goretti Browne, OP, were a presence and a sign of hope to people who have experienced so much death, destruction, despair, and loss.

Reflections of New Orleans Volunteers

Sister Virginia Corley, OP:

From November 14, 2007 until the beginning of March, 2008, I experienced the blight and viability of New Orleans as a volunteer with the Beacon of Hope, a non-profit agency founded by Denise Thornton to rebuild and restore the city of New Orleans. Each day, I gratefully began with Mass at St. Dominic. Living and celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas with the St. Mary Dominican Congregation kept me grounded and firmly aware of the Dominican frontier spirit.

God’s grace and guidance poured out in numerous ways as I helped bring about the Lakeview Golden Community Luncheons in January and February. As I became acquainted with the people of Southeast Louisiana, numerous coincidences happened that made my time in New Orleans meaningful and filled with wonder over their culture and resiliency.

Sister Ellen Schmitz, OP:

It was an honor to be a part of the Adrian Dominican mission commitment to the people of New Orleans. While there, I worked with Strive, Inc., which serves adults with developmental disabilities. As a volunteer, my first thoughts were, of course, “I’m going to be doing a good thing.” While I may have done so, I realized that all my preconceived ideas needed to be set aside. I was not going to be able to measure my success with projects completed. Everything is ongoing.

I was needed for clerical assistance, organizing, or assisting with fund-raising. Often, I substituted for staff so that they could attend a class they needed. Frequently, I found that people still needed to tell their stories to someone who could be a listening presence. I was able to join with other volunteers working to help a church or individuals with their needs. One of the most humbling experiences I had was the constant thanks I received from the people of New Orleans. They say that when all is said and done, it will be noted that the generosity of the volunteers coming from across America was a major resource in rebuilding New Orleans. It was a gift for me to be a part of the mission.

Sister Mary Miday, OP:

My three months in New Orleans turned out to be less of a challenge than originally expected. The Sisters at St. Mary’s Dominican Motherhouse were all gracious to us and tried to make us feel right at home. My volunteer time was at the Chatteau de Notre Dame nursing home, in the therapy department with five very pleasant therapists. They all expressed profound gratitude, as did the St. Mary’s Dominicans, for our presence there and our help. I was impressed at the patience of each of the therapists as they worked to adjust to the situation. Having had the opportunity to listen to stories of suffering, loss, and heartaches was my gain.

Sisters Virginia, Ellen and I viewed some of the most devastated areas, and also the reconstruction of homes in various sections of New Orleans. Some people were still living under bridges and in makeshift tents. We also enjoyed some of the finer things in life; attended Mass at different churches, visited the Longue Vue House and Gardens and the New Orleans Museum of Art, among other enjoyable experiences. Not to be left out is the christening of our new house on Short Street, where several of our Adrian Dominican Sisters now live, with room for several more short-term volunteers.

Much more could be said and stories told, but mainly I believe we were truly appreciated for the offering of our time, and the generosity shown was superb.