In October Living Wages volunteers Tom Dodd, Ed Prendergast, and Jerry Hoskins along with Bob Crittenden, Betsy Hartson, RSCJ, Alumna of St. Charles Susie Bleyaert from Petoskey Michigan, and Kit Collins, RSCJ traveled to New Orleans to help the city in a small way. Arrival at night in the Crescent City offered a stark reminder of Katrina’s destruction. Fewness of streetlights and road signs delayed reaching sleeping accommodations for well over two hours.

Setting in for a weekend of physical labor cleaning out the rectory of St. Rose of Lima Church in the 7th Ward, Living Wages volunteers found excellent breakfasts and lunches in neighborhood restaurants. Although the Washington visitors found a very damaged city with less than half its population returning, the volunteers also found a cautious optimism and hope among its beleaguered inhabitants. The hardest hit area, the lower 9th Ward, looked desolate, but other parts of the city have been digging out the rubble neighborhood by neighborhood.   

The Religious of the Sacred Heart are in the midst of planning for a community residency in the old St. Rose of Lima rectory, which will house volunteers who are in town to help rebuild the city. The project is moving forward under the able and generous leadership of Marie-Louise Wolfington, RSCJ and Muriel Cameron, RSCJ. Vigorous cleaning out of the former rectory, with breaks to tour the old French quarter and have coffee at Café du Monde, and a visit to St. Louis Cathedral, reminded the visitors that New Orleans remains one of America’s great urban treasures.

Our time in New Orleans included a Mass at the Sacred Heart Academy chapel which was followed by brunch for the whole group at the home of Betsy’s sister Lise Anne and her husband Parham. Virginia Boullet, a mayoral candidate in this year’s election who is now working with Mayor Ray Nagin’s administration, attended the brunch to discuss efforts to rebuild the city and restore health care to hundreds of thousands who are currently struggling without it. Later that evening we were welcomed to a wonderful red beans and rice dinner and further conversation at the home of Betsy’s brother Bubby and his wife Joanie Hartson.

The oldest part of the city, with its columned ante-bellum homes and wrought iron fences reminded everyone that New Orleans is a place where many cultures and races have created a unique culture. Although beaten down by nature’s force, slowly, gradually people are organizing to rebuild their city.  We were glad to have a small part of the effort.

Tom Dodd, Living Wages Volunteer