Justice and Peace Calendar 2011-12

We strongly encourage all Catholics to take the time to come to know this “greatest secret” of our Catholic faith and become involved in social justice.

Call the rectory for someone to contact.

What’s holding you back?

To learn more about the current work of Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI), go to  http://www.dsni.org.

                                                                                                     By Jean Gorczyca

 In the woods / barely hidden off a major highway/ bone chilling, cold, rainy day / path into the tented city covered with planks / the passing smell of raw sewage as I walk down the planks / Oh lord this is going to be harder for me than I imagined / the smell is gone as quickly as it came /  we are greeted by one of the homeless men / oh no, my mistake, he is the pastor of a non-denomination church in the area who is helping out here today / wow-an interesting mistake / confusion / who is homeless & who is not here / I am having trouble making the distinction.

 Organized chaos surrounds us / wet mud is everywhere as the rain becomes heavy /  tents-different sizes & shapes / lots of men & women roaming around / larger tent towards the back with a sitting area in front / seems to be the main gathering place / a grill & card table sit in front of it / rules on a tree / are they really followed?

 Eyes discretely watch us as we walk in / we get various reactions / some are friendly, eager to share / most a wary friendliness / & one a simmering anger from a voice inside the tent- his eyes & part of his face only can be seen from an opening towards the top of the tent / but above all a deep awareness of our presence & us of theirs.

 I am uncomfortable /out of place / I only feel good when I am talking to the residents who are living here / when they are not talking / I feel awkward / the men in our group are actually working / they are helping to put up a donated tent / I wish I were them / I want to be doing something, not just standing around gawking!

 I become  aware of other outsiders in the group / we are introduced to a couple pastors from churches in the surrounding area / all different denominations of churches working together for the good of these homeless people / no distinction between faiths / WOW-I like that.

 Camden is like the forgotten city / high drug & crime rate / 3 prisons, but no homeless shelters / sewage problems / poor education for the children… / all the public hears about is the horrors of the city / but here we see the community working together to help change the way things are / I look around / it is hard to see people living this way / especially so close to where I live so comfortably.

 My feet are frozen / I feel chilled to the bone / we’ve only been out here a couple of hours / how do these people stay out here 24/7 / I could never spend the whole winter outside / I would die out here / freeze to death / how do they make it through the winter / tears sting my eyes as I realize some of them make not / this is too much to comprehend / how did they end up here / why aren’t they going into shelters to get away from this bitter cold weather / most importantly what can I do to help??????

 I feel guilty that I am relieved when we are told it is time to leave / I look eagerly forward to the warmth of the Romero Center /once back, we talk about our experience as the rain outside changes to a heavy snowfall / we are all thawed out from the cold / the day deeply ingrained in our thoughts / challenges are given to us-subtle ways to help (editorials / education of the children) / We say our goodbyes– forever changed by what we have seen & by the volunteers at the Romer0 Center.  Later that night –back home in my warm bed, the tears come as I think of all the hours that have passed / the homeless people I met are still outside in that bitter cold…

I pray often for them / but the picture is fading slightly and that scares me / how can I keep their lives & the lives of all the homeless in my heart?

In the midst of this hectic and commercialized pre‐Christmas season, we invite you to learn more about our immigrant sisters and brothers who, like Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, find no room for them in the inn. Come and look at Immigration through the lens of our Catholic faith! Tuesdays – 7:30 – 9 PM December 1, 8, and 15 St Anthony of Padua Parish 436 Port Reading Ave Port Reading, NJ 07064

To Register, Call the rectory at 732‐574‐0150 or e‐mail: mjorgensen@sjvs.net