A picture is worth a thousand words – or so they say – but even picturescannot capture the full impact of the devastation caused when HurricaneKatrina ravaged New Orleans Aug. 29, 2005. That was the feeling among

many of the Dominican communicators who visited New Orleans during the Janu-ary, 2007 OPCOMNET Conference. Seeing the devastation first hand, realizinghow much worse it must have been a year and a half prior, and hearing personalaccounts of life before, during and after Katrina brought to light the fact that thestory isn’t over even though it may have disappeared from the news.

Something terrible happened to the people of New Orleans, among them mem-bers of the Dominican family. Hope and Faith in New Orleans attempts to shedsome light on the untold story of New Orleans, how Hurricane Katrina affected theDominicans in the city, their battle to rebuild and how they are coping two yearslater.

During January’s conference the communicators compiled a series of storiesdocumenting the Dominicans from New Orleans as they attempt to rebuild theirlives post-Katrina. The stories are moving, but each contains a message of hopeand resilience.

A Beacon of Hope Lights the Road to Recovery in New OrleansThe Beacon of Hope Resource Center was chartered to “assist all New Orleans homeowners in rebuilding and

restoring their homes and communities.” Read the complete story beginning on page 4 to find out exactly how TheBeacon of Hope Resource Center is working to bring people and communities back to city one community at a time.

Different Lives Living in the Same World About 25 of the 40 members of the St. Dominic Chapter of the Dominican Laity returned to New Orleans to rebuild

after Katrina and whether in baby steps or in great leaps, they have helped one another in the long recovery effort –physically, emotionally and spiritually. Read page 6 to find out more to find out how this close-knit group has growneven closer.

Telling the Story The experience of Katrina didn’t change Sr. Noel’s ministry at the Spirituality Center at the Notre Dame Seminiary

as much as it added a new dimension as people seek someone to talk to not just about spiritual direction, but about theirown experiences during the Katrina ordeal. Read the rest of the story starting on page 10 to find out how the Spiritual-ity Center is helping others deal with Katrina and helping tell the story of Aug. 29, 2005.

St. Mary’s Dominican High School: A Wave of SuccessThrough “prayer, people, program, policy, property and preaching,” less than five months after more than 80

percent of the city was left underwater by the storm, the St. Mary's Dominican High School reopened. Read the com-plete story beginning on page 4 to see how dedication and determination helped reopen the school to 87 percent of itspre-Katrina enrollment.

Being Eucharist in a Hungry CitySrs. Diana Hooley and Alberta Schindler work for Serenity Hospice Center. Through reflection on the faith of the

people she encounters, Sr. Diane recognizes that many good gifts come in the form of prayer, emotional and physicalsupport and volunteers who help in difficult times – read the complete story on page 14 to find out how.

The Dominican Family Responds Dominicans were among those touched by the images of New Orleans shown on television and in newspapers. Read

page 16 to find out how other Dominican congregations offered assistance to our Dominican family and the city ofNew Orleans.

Home is Where Your Heart isOver half of the Eucharistic Missionaries of St. Dominic associates were impacted by Hurricane Katrina. After being

gone for several weeks, or longer, some were able to return to the city and repair their homes — others weren’t thatlucky. Read the complete story on page 16 to learn how the EMDs are finding that “Home is where your heart is.”

C’est Si Bon: Dominican Friars Fully Engaged in Post-Katrina RecoveryThe friars of the Southern Province see post-Katrina rebuilding as an opportunity to preach the Word of faith in God,

even in the midst of a massive and slow recovery from one of the country’s worst natural disasters. Read more abouthow the friars are dealing with the rebuilding efforts in their area on page 18.

Adrian Dominican Sisters Assist FriarsThe Adrian Dominican Sisters have been a visible and lively presence in the New Orleans area. Not only have the

sisters been providing a service to New Orleans, they have found their time there to be a blessing to them as well. Readthe story on page 20 to find out what the Adrian Dominican Sisters have been doing and how they have been assistingin New Orleans.

Water Memories Sr. Patricia Rogers was the principal at St. Mary Academy. The school was never rebuilt. Experience a first hand

account of how Sr. Patricia is coping with the devastation and loss during Hurricane Katrina by reading the completestory on page 21.

Faith and Hope In New Orleans

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There are certain days that wecan all look back on andremember where we were if it

happened in our lifetime. When PearlHarbor was attacked, when JFK wasshot, when the Space Shuttle Chal-lenger exploded or when the WorldTrade Center Towers fell are allinstances that come to mind. But doyou remember where you were whenHurricane Katrina made landfall?

New Orleanians know where theywere that day – a day that life as theyknew it stopped and started againdifferently. Many of them were noteven in the city at all. Forced out bythe eminent storm and mandatoryevacuations, residents fled to othercities while some were forced to areashelters like the Superdome. Somedecided to “ride out” the storm in theirhomes. What happened the morning ofAug. 29, 2005, will never be forgotten,especially by those whose lives itchanged forever. Their ongoingstruggle to rebuild their lives and thecity they call home, even two yearslater, is still a story that needs to betold.WHAT HAPPENED?

On Aug. 23, 2005, the NationalHurricane Center announced theformation of Tropical Depression 12.The next day it has strengthened intoTropical Storm Katrina. Less than 24hours later it was upgraded to ahurricane and made landfall in Floridaat 7 p.m. It was upgraded again to aCategory 2 hurricane the next morningwith forecasts that it would soon beupgraded to a Category 3 storm. At 11p.m. on Aug. 27, the National HurricaneCenter issued a warning that HurricaneKatrina was headed for New Orleans.Two hours later it was declared aCategory 4 storm before being up-graded just seven hours after that to aCategory 5 storm, the highest rating.Mandatory evacuation of New Orleanswas ordered by Mayor Ray Nagin.

Hurricane Katrina made landfall inLouisiana Monday, Aug. 29, 2005, at6:10 a.m. as a Category 4 hurricane, butit wasn’t the hurricane itself thatcaused the majority of the damage inNew Orleans. The Mississippi River

Gulf Outlet breached its levees in 20places. Other major levee breachesincluded three major breaches in theIndustrial Canal levee, one in the 17th

St. levee and two in the London Ave.levee. It was these breaches and risingwater in the canals that caused 80percent of the city to end up underwa-ter just hours after Katrina sweptthrough.AFTER THE STORM

The nightmare was just gettingstarted for the city of New Orleans afterthe eye of the storm passed through.While 80 percent of the city hadevacuated, there were residents whoremained. Thousands were housed inthe sweltering heat of the damagedSuperdome, what was termed the“refuge of last resort,” and there werestill survivors scattered on roof topsand in attics of homes in flooded areaswaiting to be rescued. There was noelectricity and no clean water to drink.Temporary morgues were set upthroughout the area. The entireSoutheast Louisiana region wasdeclared a disaster area by the federalgovernment.

Neighborhoods were gone and

people were scattered – they still are!The latest census data estimates thatapproximately one half of the city’spopulation has moved back, but manyof those are living in FEMA trailerswhile work is still being done on theirhomes.

Some of the hardest hit areas were:the Lower Ninth Ward, Lakeview andSt. Bernard Parish.

The Lower Ninth Ward is a lowlying area located in the easternmost,downriver portion of the city. While theUpper Ninth Ward flooded it did notsuffer the same amount of damage asthe Lower Ninth. It is reported that thisarea comprises the vast majority ofhurricane damaged territory stillwithout noticeable improvement andrebuilding. What was once a populatedportion of the New Orleans metropoli-tan area is now acre after acre of emptylots. Few buildings remain. The areagained notoriety shortly after thestorms when several national mediaoutlets broadcast from there. It hassince become something of a touristspot where visitors get a true sense of

The Day That Changed New OrleansThe Day That Changed New OrleansThe Day That Changed New OrleansThe Day That Changed New OrleansThe Day That Changed New Orleans

Continued on Page 9

On Aug. 29, 2005, the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet breached its levees in 20 places asa result of Hurricane Katrina leaving 80 percent of the city underwater.

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Like a mythological phoenixrising from the ashes ofdesperation and despair, the

city of New Orleans is slowly andpainfully starting to heal in the wake ofHurricane Katrina. Seventeen monthsafter the failure of the levees andpumping stations caused the devasta-tion of eighty to eighty-five percent ofthe entire city, there are still hundredsof square miles of gutted houses andabandoned neighborhoods. Eventhough there is a trickle of residentswho are starting to return, it is esti-mated that there are roughly 175,000former inhabitants who have not yetcome back. Many evacuatedhomeowners who still have jobs in thecity commute long distances on a dailybasis. “They might think about movingback, but when they look at the condi-tions of their old neighborhoods, theyrealize that they really do not evenknow where to begin,” said homeownerJohn Pippinger. Many property ownershave simply given up and relocatedelsewhere to begin new lives.

Established in the months immedi-ately following the devastating storm,The Beacon of Hope Resource Centerraises the hopes and quality of life forthese desperate families by providinginformation and resources to help themrebuild. Founded by Lakewood Southhomeowners Denise and DougThornton, flood survivors themselves,Beacon of Hope was chartered to“assist all New Orleans homeowners inrebuilding and restoring their homesand communities.” Today, Beacon ofHope has branched out from theThorntons’ flood-damaged home toeight satellite locations concentratedwithin the Lakeview district of NewOrleans.

As a non-profit organization entirelydependent on volunteers and dona-tions, Beacon of Hope takes agrassroots approach to rebuilding thecity. By improving general neighbor-hood conditions first, property ownerswill be encouraged to consider return-ing and working on their individualproperties. The first group of Beaconvolunteers to enter an abandonedneighborhood is there to pick up debris,mow lawns, remove dead trees, and

A Beacon of Hope Lights the Road to Recovery

improve the general appearance of thearea. “It mentally impacts people whenthey look at their yards and see thetires, storm debris and garbage allcleaned up, and they kind of step backand think to themselves, well maybe,just maybe, I can come back,” said LoriBird , Co-Administrator of the St. PaulBeacon, during a recent orientationsession for high school volunteers. Birdadded, “By cleaning up the neighbor-hood, we are also sending a message tocriminals [looters] that — hey, some-thing is going on here, people livehere.”

The Beacon volunteers also perform“block surveys” which are assessmentsof the conditions of individual houses,neighborhood infrastructure (sidewalks,streets, manholes, trees and landscap-ing, fire hydrants, abandoned vehicles,etc.), street lighting, and the city waterand sewer system. The surveys are thenpassed along to property owners andcity officials to give them a startingreference for what needs to be repairedor replaced.

According to Beacon SatelliteAdministrator Linda Pippinger, theobstacles facing the returning residentsare many. “Toxic flood debris every-where, no utilities, wind and water

damage to building structures, mildewand mold growth and a lack of basicservices like mail delivery and tele-phone,” she said. Peppinger and herhusband John, their children and theirfamilies were all living within a four-square mile area of the Lakeview districtwhen Katrina hit. Each family member’shome was seriously damaged or de-stroyed, and Linda and John wereforced to cash in their retirement andlife savings to purchase another, lessseverely damaged home and rebuild it.Now the Peppinger family members areliving under one roof until the childrencan re-establish themselves. “No oneever thought that it was going to be thisbad. When we left [evacuated], wethought, we’ll be back in a few days andclean up, and everything will be allright,” Peppinger said. So far Linda andJohn have made no decision as to whatthey will do with their original home.

Another obstacle to drawing theresidents back to the city has been thepoor administration and distribution ofrelief funds and services that wouldallow the homeowners to repair thedamage to their properties. One of themajor relief initiatives, dubbed theLouisiana Road Home Program, wasdeveloped by Louisiana Governor

New construction fostered through the efforts of The Beacons of Hope programsprings up amidst the lingering devastation.

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Kathleen Babineaux Blanco in conjunc-tion with the Louisiana RecoveryAuthority and the Office of CommunityDevelopment. The program was de-signed to allow eligible homeowners upto $150,000 in compensation to covertheir losses and help them get back intotheir homes. Critics are quick to pointout that in 2006, the $756 millioncontract with ICF International ofFairfax, Virginia, to manage the fundsproduced only about $176 million inrevenue and only 177 people out of99,000 applicants have been awardedgrants. The abysmal figure represents aresponse rate that is only .0079 percentof the total that applied. “It is a com-plete breakdown of the infrastructure,”John Peppinger said. “The stategovernment is bogged down by bureau-cracy and is not distributing the RoadHome money, and the city governmenthas taken a wait-and-see attitude abouteverything else.” Beacon of Hope offersresidents assistance in identifying therelief programs that are available tothem and information on completingeach of the application processes.

Besides offering the initial cleanupand damage assessment services andassistance in obtaining relief aid andgrants, The Beacon of Hope ResourceCenter offers a variety of additionalservices to recovering communities inNew Orleans. These include providinginformation on how residents can obtainconstruction licenses and permits,negotiate contracts, and inspect for andremove mold, to actually acting as acommunication link between residentsand city agencies in restoring servicesand utilities, such as electricity, maildelivery, telephone, cable, sewage andwater, and trash removal. The ResourceCenter has also developed a referralservice for licensed and approvedbuilders, plumbers, electricians, alarm

and communication technicians, poolcleaners, landscapers and other skilledprofessionals.

Volunteers at the Resource Centeralso provide mental health services forchildren and adults, assistance for theelderly, free notary public renderingservices, pet registration, neighborhoodwatch resources, rodent and insectcontrol resources, FEMA referralinformation, and assistance in applyingfor Increased Cost of Compliance funds(ICC). Among the major supporters ofBeacon of Hope are Ray Woolridge(former owner of the New OrleansHornets basketball team), United Way,Blue Moon Fund, The Woldenberg andGoldring Family foundations, andCatholic Charities.

The long-range strategy for TheBeacon of Hope Resource Center is toeventually expand out of the Lakeviewdistrict and to bring neighborhoods inother areas of the city back one at atime, in the hope that as the recoveredneighborhoods start to normalize, theywill reach out to surrounding areas untilevery community has been helped. Themost successful element that has madeBeacon of Hope a reality is the winningcombination of hard-working local andvisiting volunteers, along with a core ofdedicated donors. With this winningformula, the Center will undoubtedlykeep bringing the citizens of NewOrleans back to their neighborhoods,eventually healing their broken city.“Without our volunteers and contribu-tors we would have nothing. They areour silver lining. God bless them for allthat they have done for us,” LindaPeppinger concluded.

The Beacon of Hope Resource Centeris located at 319 W. Harrison Avenue,New Orleans, LA 70124. Telephone:(504) 872-9873. Web:www.lakewoodbeacon.org.

Before & AfterBEFORE

Lakeview area residents enjoynormal conveniences and municipalservices

• Neighbors telephone each otherto arrange carpooling for soccergames

• Grandparents read and send e-mails that connect them with grand-children

• Adults come home after workand watch their favorite programs onTV

• Teens play video games on theircomputers when they get home fromschool

• Children come in from playing inbackyards and local parks to raid thefamily refrigerator for juice andsnacks

• Mail delivery brings birthdaycards, monthly bills, catalogs, lettersfrom family/friends

AFTERThe entire Lakeview area is

damaged when the levees and canalsfail to hold back the floodwaterscreated by Katrina. Beacon of HopeResource Centers address residentialconcerns facing residents andhomeowners who have not yetreturned.

• Provide a communication linkbetween residents and city agencies

• Guide residents to get servicesand utilities restored to the Lakeviewarea

• Coordinate resident and volun-teer groups in the work of debris andtrash removal

• Provide educational seminars onmold remediation and contractorcontracts

• Offer a complete resource list ofcompetent local contractors andprofessional service companies whoprovide quality work at reasonable

Linda Pippinger stands inwhat was once the living roomof her Lakeview home. Linda

and her husband John havenot yet decided on what to do

with theflood-ravaged structure.

Group Members:Lead Reporter:Christopher

Bareck, Contributing Reporter:Deborah Payne, Photographer:

Ray Casey, Driver:ShirleyBodisch

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DifferentLives

Living inthe Same

WorldIn some ways, one could not

imagine two more differentwomen.

Shirley is a tall black woman with astrong voice and an even strongercountenance. A now-retired inner-citymusic teacher, she speaks with greatpassion for her field and for children. Arobust laugh and contagious smile offera glimpse of the influential educatorshe must have been. Lou’s slightfigure, pale complexion, and quietdemeanor stand in stark contrast. Herstrawberry blonde hair frames a softface, revealing the calm, gentle charac-ter of a grandmother and professionalartist.

Even their experiences in theaftermath of Katrina have been mark-edly different. Shirley’s family home ofmore than 40 years – paid for withsweat and sacrifice over time first byher parents, then by Shirley and hersister after their deaths – stands in theabandoned Upper Ninth Ward in aneerie time-warp state, where block afterblock of homes remain as they weremore than a year and a half ago whenthe waters first receded from their peakat 13 feet. Living in a cramped apart-ment in another part of town, Shirleystill awaits information as to whetherany funding through HUD will beavailable to replace her home.

Lou’s spacious residence, whichshe and her husband purchased whenthey relocated to New Orleans afterretiring a few years ago, sits along theriver. Soft hues of paint on the wallsand imported tiles in the floors maskthe fact that not long ago, five feet of

water filled thehouse. Thecouple did notbegin therenovations totheir home untilafter repairs totheir otherproperty – anart studio andthree rentalapartments inanother area ofNew Orleans –were com-pleted. But, byThanksgivingtime last year,both construc-tion projectswere finished.

In spite oftheir differences, Shirley Stewart andLou Jordan are friends – and have beenfor years. And, their friendship runsdeeper than their mutual love of art andtheir experience of utter devastation inKatrina’s wake. They share a commonCatholic faith and a common identitywithin that faith: they are both LayDominicans. As Dominican Laity, theyare members of the international branchof the Dominican Order where laywomen and men profess vows andchoose to live lives based on theDominican pillars of prayer, study,community, and preaching. They aretwo of about 25 members of the St.Dominic Chapter who have returned toNew Orleans to rebuild their communi-ties, their churches, and their lives.Theirs is a close-knit group that hasgrown even closer in the wake of thepost-Katrina devastation.

Prior to the storm, The St. DominicChapter of the Dominican Laity hadabout 40 members. They formally metat St. Dominic’s Church on a monthlybasis to study, read scripture, pray theLiturgy of the Hours, and support oneanother as they strived to live out theDominican ideals in their daily lives.The disaster that tried each member’sfaith individually also tried the Chaptercommunally; the group not onlyweathered the storm, but the experi-ences have strengthened their bonds toone another.

The story of each Chapter member isunique. Maureen and Gregory Wright,

moderator and formation director forthe Chapter, respectively, lost theirhome to mold and water damageresulting from the more than nine feetof water that consumed their neighbor-hood after the levees broke. In aneffort to foster stability for theirteenage daughter, they made thedifficult choice to purchase a newhome, rather than re-build their old one.Jo Ann Cotterman, vice moderator forthe Chapter, said goodbye to her two-story house near the 17th Street Canalbefore evacuating, but remarkablyfound upon her return that just a fewinches of water had permeated thedownstairs. Fires that burned housesjust a block away spared her property,and she was able to move back inwithout much ceremony. Situatednorth of Lake Pontchartrain, provincialmoderator Bruce Trigo’s home re-mained largely undamaged. Immedi-ately after the storm and even now, heand his wife and children have openedtheir home to friends and family whowere not as lucky as they were.

But as these members of the chapterrelate their separate experiences duringand after the storm, their stories soonintersect. All express the profoundrelief they encountered when they werefinally able to connect with oneanother. “You worry about yourChapter just as you worry about yourfamily,” Jo Ann expresses. As modera-tor, Maureen tried various times toinitiate contact with chapter members

Lou Jordan displays many of her own paintings in her newlyrenovated house, with several depicting water motifs. "I have not

been able to paint since the storm," she shares.

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through blanket emails. “I can’t explainthe excitement the first time I heard thatcell phone ring,” she explains, notingthat especially in the beginning, theyfound they were able to communicatevia text message, even as cell phonecalling coverage was inconsistent andunreliable. Little by little, they wereable to confirm one another’s where-abouts and begin helping one anotheras they were able.

Initially their contact took the formof prayer, support, and just connectingwith one another. As the city openedback up, they were able to accompanyone another through the process ofreturning and discovering the devasta-tion of their homes. They helped eachother in recovering items from theirproperties and in finding suitableplaces to stay. At one point, Gregorywas one of Bruce’s grateful guests,with a one-month stay that enabled himto continue working in the city and tolook for other accommodations whilehis family remained in a hotel hoursaway. Whether in baby steps or ingreat leaps, they have helped oneanother in the long recovery effort –physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

“Being a Lay Dominican, you knowyou are part of a family,” sharesShirley. “But you never realize justhow big that family is until you experi-ence a disaster like this.” In recoveringfrom Katrina, Shirley and others foundfamily bonds not only within theirchapter, but also in the larger Domini-can Family. She expresses profoundgratitude for the prayerful support shehas felt and for the concrete gestures

of aid she has received, includ-ing financial assistance throughthe Dominican Foundation thathas helped her get back on herfeet again. Of greatest treasureand meaning to her is a hand-made quilt she received fromDominicans in California, whosent numerous quilts to Katrinavictims in the aftermath of thestorm.

As in any strong family,members of the St. DominicChapter of the Dominican Laityhave seen one another at theirbest and at their worst. Theyhave celebrated triumphstogether and carried one anotherthrough the worst of tragedies.They share tears with oneanother as easily as they sharelaughter, and they are able to bethemselves in one another’spresence. In the company offriends, outspoken Shirleyshows her timid, vulnerable sideas she describes the fear, frustration,and grief she has endured. Soft-spokenLou reveals the strong woman insideher that has made tough decisions andmanaged two major constructionprojects in the name of recovery. Evenamid their outward differences, Shirleyand Lou – and the whole group offriends – know their common bondshold them more tightly together thanany societal stereotypes.

And so, almost two years after thedisaster, the recovery work continues,personally and communally. Like somany, members of the St. Dominic

Chapter of the Dominican Laity saythey have learned what really matters inlife, and they count one another andthe larger Dominican Family amongtheir most important treasures. Theyrecognize that not only with the city ofNew Orleans never be the same, neitherwill they. And some of that is not allbad.

Before & AfterBEFORE:

· 40 Lay Dominicans prepare toattend their 3:00 PM monthlyChapter meeting

· Candidates in formation meetwith their directors at 2:00 PM

· Some professed members arriveearly to catch up on news of eachother’s families

· At 3:00 PM everyone gathers inSt. Dominic’s Church to prayDominican Office, share reflectionon the Scriptures, discuss thecommon study topic, conduct thebusiness section of their meeting

– damaged but not destroyed –becomes “The Trigo Hilton” forhomeless Chapter members andneighbors

· Shirley lost everything to theflood waters

· Greg and Maureen cannot rebuildtheir flooded home

· JoAnn’s home and career areboth damaged

· Lou’s sense of sadness since thestorm blocks her artistic talent

· The remnant 25 members of theChapter meet wherever they can forcommon prayer and Dominicancommunity support

and enjoy some social time together

AFTER:· Family decisions to evacuate or to

seek shelter scattered the members ofthe Lay Chapter of New OrleansDominicans

· After several weeks, by using cellphones and text messaging, the leadersof the Chapter contacted all theirmembers only to learn that many aresurviving in dangerous, over-crowdedsituations, often with insufficient foodand water

· People, transported out-of-state,live separated from family members

· Chapter Leader Bruce Trigo’s home

Group Members:Lead Reporter: Karen Clay,

Contributing Reporter: PeggyRyan, Photographer: Dusty

Farnan

A sister-in-law plant has reestablished itself in apink bucket amid the debris and stench behind

Shirley Stewart's Ninth Ward townhouse.

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In the midst of the HurricaneKatrina aftermath, there in theflooded basement offices of the

Spirituality Center at Notre DameSeminary, sat a small Pueblo clay“storyteller” figurine virtually un-touched as if to proclaim that Sr.NoelToomey, OP, and others at the centershould continue their ministry and keep“telling the story.”

“As Dominicans, as preachers, weneed to keep reverencing the story buthelp people focus on what’s theblessing right now,” said Sr. Noel, aEucharistic Missionary who is in her25th year as the center’s director.

The story, by now, everyone knows.On Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hitthe city of New Orleans causing abreach in the levees submerging 80percent of the city in floodwaters.What is hard to see in the devastationstill evident 17 months later is theblessing, but Sr. Noel encourageseveryone to seek it.

“The wonderful thing in all thissadness is the feeling of what’simportant … What lasts and what driftsaway – that’s the preaching giftthrough the disaster,” she said.

TTTTTelling the Storelling the Storelling the Storelling the Storelling the StoryyyyyDespite losing 25 years of her

classroom notes and professionalresources as well as many personalitems in the offices, Sr. Noel doesn’tlook at what was lost but what wasgained by the center in the storm’saftermath. “We’ve come out very well,”she said. The center was moved fromthe basement of a building at NotreDame Seminary to the second floor of abuilding next door. This is the result ofa lesson the seminary learned from thedevastation … a classroom with chairsand tables can be replaced much easierthan offices with years of notes andpersonal items. What once served as achapel now serves as teaching andoffice areas for the center.

Flood insurance covered the actualstructure of the building, but not thecontents. Sr. Noel and the staff at theSpirituality Center were left to rely onthe generosity of others for itemsnecessary to continue the ministry –another blessing.

“Everything inside had to bereplaced but the generosity of peoplebrought us pretty close to where wewere before,” she said.

Through the assistance of Notre

Before & AfterBEFORE

• Sister Noel Toomey, OP,Eucharistic Missionary of St.Dominic, in her 25th year as thecenter’s director, ministers from herbasement-level office

• Within easy reach are her 25years of classroom notes, profes-sional resources, files and personalitems

• Among personal items is a smallPueblo clay “storyteller” figurine

• An extensive library serves theneeds of seminary staff and students

AFTER• The Spirituality Center office,

devastated by the flood waters,moved to a higher location on thesecond floor of a nearby building onthe Notre Dame campus

• All of the Spirituality Centermaterials were destroyed by water,but through a gift from Ave MariaPress, the Center has a new libraryof contemporary spirituality re-sources

• The “storyteller” figurineescaped virtually untouched as if toproclaim that Sr. Noel and others atthe Center should continue theirministry and keep “telling the story”

• Spiritual direction continues,but with an added challenge oflistening to people’s stories ofsuffering inflicted by the hurricaneand its aftermath, and of helpingthem move forward in their lives,recognizing the enduring presenceof God with them

• In working through loss andpain of the Katrina experience,people must tell their story over andover. Sr. Noel encourages the tellingof the whole story - the pain oflosses and also the blessings ofgood people who were generouscompanions through the ordeal

• Sr. Noel’s ministry of listening isshaped now by a key lesson fromthe devastation: when people are“pushed to the edge,” they knowdeeply what is important. Thisgraced awareness of what is mostvalued “must stay in the retoldstory, for this is the wisdom thatcomes from tragedy”

Communicators Elaine Osborne, OP (Great Bend) and Dana Lear Brantley (Ken-tucky) look at the photos made by Sr. Noel Toomey, OP (EMD), of the damage the flood

waters did to the basement offices of the Spirituality Center.-8-

Continued from Page 3

the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.The storm and subsequent flood

damaged virtually every structure inSt. Bernard Parish and water stoodfive to seven feet throughout.

Lakeview was the second mostdamaged area of New Orleans. It wasunder 14 feet or more of water.

The water is gone, but the storyisn’t over for the residents of NewOrleans who desperately want toreturn home. Basic needs and ser-vices most Americans take forgranted are difficult to come by forsome New Orleanians. Many utilitycompanies don’t want to run lines toneighborhoods unless there areseveral houses in that area in need. Insome areas there are no street lightsmaking it difficult to maneuver atnight. Some are even finding it hard toregain mail delivery at their home.

Dame, Ava Maria Press donated booksto the center providing “better contem-porary spirituality resources” than theyhad before the storm. Thanks to thegenerosity of others, the new books arestored on nine new bookcases.

Even though the offices themselveshave changed at the Spirituality Center,their work continues as before. But, Sr.Noel said, the experience of Katrinadidn’t change the ministry as much asadd a new dimension as people beganto rebuild their lives and homes. Peopleneed someone to talk to not just abouttheir spiritual direction, but what theyexperienced during the ordeal, Sr. Noelsaid. The center provides that listeningear for those still dealing with theeffects of Katrina.

“I didn’t cry over the devastation, Icried over the experience of people,” Sr.Noel said as she recounted stories ofthose she’s spoken with since return-ing to New Orleans in October 2005.

She told the story of a formerstudent who is now a chaplain for theNew Orleans Police Department.Haunted by gruesome images of peoplehe tried to rescue, their pleading voicesplayed ceaselessly in his head as hestruggled to sleep at night. She toldhim: “You’ll never lose those images,but you also need to keep the pictures

of life andhope you madepossible.”Pictures likethat of a week-old baby hefound turningblue in itsscreamingmother’s hand,its tiny armshanging limp.He knew thatinfant wasdying oralready dead,but carefullyhe breathedinto its mouthand gently ashe could,pressed two fingers on its fragile chest,almost futilely urging it to come back.Finally, he saw a little arm pop up, andthe child began breathing on its own.Sr. Noel urged him to always rememberthat little arm popping up showingsigns of life.

Stories like this one are too numer-ous to count, but they must be told, Sr.Noel said. “People can’t forget thestories of sadness because it is out ofthose stories that the blessings come.”

SEEING IS BELIEVINGA picture is worth a thousand words

– or so they say – but even picturescannot capture the full impact of thedevastation caused by Katrina. Thatwas the feeling among many of theDominican communicators who visitedNew Orleans during the 2007OPCOMNET Conference in January.Seeing the devastation first hand,realizing how much worse it must havebeen a year and a half prior, andhearing personal accounts brought tolight the fact that the story isn’t overeven though it may have disappearedfrom the news. Something terriblehappened to the people of NewOrleans, among them members of theDominican family. This project attemptsto shed some light on the untold storyof New Orleans, how Katrina effectedthe Dominicans in New Orleans, theirbattle to rebuild and how they arecoping two years later.

Story byDana Lear Brantley

Sr. Noel Toomey, OP (EMD), shows off the new shelving put inplace in the new office of the Spirituality Center.

Just like that clay storytellerfigurine, Sr. Noel and the others at theSpirituality Center made it through thestorm so they can continue to tell theirstory.

Group MembersLead Reporter: Dana Lear

Brantley, ContributingReporter: Jean Mullolly and

Elaine Osborne, Photographerand Driver: Rebecca Peak

These homeowners, like the otherresidents, believe in the city's desire

and determination to bring NewOrleans back.

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St. Mary's Dominican High School:A WA WA WA WA Waaaaavvvvve of Succee of Succee of Succee of Succee of Successssssssss

After HurricaneKatrina tookNew Orleans

by storm on Aug. 29,2005, a tsunami oforganizational skills roseup from the ranks of St.Mary’s Dominican HighSchool administrators,teachers, staff, andalumnae. This visionarystorm created an unprec-edented wave of success-ful rehabilitation at theschool.

Seventeen monthsafter Katrina, except forthe stack-less library orthe lack of shelving in theband and art rooms,visitors who wereunaware might not realizethe school sustained $4.5million in damages afterthe hurricane, whenlevies holding back LakePonchetrain werebreeched flooding much ofthe city, including the St.Mary’s New OrleansDominican-sponsoredschool on Walmsley Streetin the Carrollton district.

The day after the storm a schoolparent reached its president, CynthiaThomas in Atlanta, where she evacu-ated before the storm. “‘Do not beoverwhelmed,’” she recalls him sayingto her. “‘You will have a lot to face andwe are going to be with you.’”

About 18 inches of water filled theschool, minimal in a city that hadsignificant portions under 10 feet ormore of fetid, toxic sludge. But it wasearly October before administratorswere let back into the school. By thattime, mold had colonized the onceproudly immaculate building, so thatnearly all of the schools’ contents werelost.

By September 2006, barely 13months after Katrina hit, the schoolcommunity dedicated Siena Center, abrand new, collegiate-level athletic

facility that sports a state-of-the-artdance studio and training facility. Priorto the storm, Thomas said, she wasfrustrated with the construction projectbecause it was falling behind schedule.What should have been an enclosedbuilding by August 2005 was at thattime only a concrete and steel frame.

“Thank God we were late withconstruction” Thomas says, as shefumbles with a ring of keys to grant herguests entrance to the new facility.

The delayed construction projectbrought another hidden blessing to theschool. The Siena Center contractorquickly switched projects, transferringto recovery efforts and securing theservices of a professional recoveryservice. The school reopened on Jan.17, 2006, less than five months after thedisaster.

Group membersLead Reporter: Beth Murphy,Contributing Reporter: JanetBrown, Photographer: Joan

Smith, Driver: Jo Ann Neihaus

Before & AfterBEFORE

• This school is a community inthe Dominican tradition of prayerand blessing

• 1,065 students study and growhere

• A close bond with alumnaeenriches the community spirit in St.Mary’s

• Faculty and students makegood use of the peaceful chapel,the well-equipped library, technol-ogy centers, band and art rooms.

• President Cynthia Thomasexpresses frustration with the lackof progress on the construction ofSiena Center; what should havebeen an enclosed building byAugust 2005 was “only a concretebase and steel frame”

AFTER• 18 inches of water filled the

school; the mold grew, causing$4.5 million in damage

• In Atlanta, President CynthiaThomas received a phone call froma school parent, “You will have alot to face and we are going to bewith you.”

• The administration, faculty andstaff located and created an on-going personal connection withevery student in their evacuationsites

• The Siena Center contractorswitched projects, transferring torecovery work with a professionalrecovery contractor

• The library had to be re-stacked; mold destroyed all thebooks and resource materials

• Shelving had to be replaced inthe band and art rooms

St. Mary's Dominican High School suffered $4.5 millionin damages at the hands of Hurricane Katrina, but with

dedication and determination the school was able toreopen less than five months after the storm.

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Thomas acknowledges that it wasthe professionalism of the school’sadministrators, teachers and staff, andthe dedication of Dominican families,alumnae and other supporters thatmade such rapid recovery from crisispossible.

Key to the success, she suggests,were the six organizational principlesthat guided her team through therecovery process: “Prayer, people,program, policy, property and preach-ing,” Thomas enumerates. “And alwayspeople first.”

Thomas worked long distance withher administrative team and theschool’s board of directors to coordi-nate recovery efforts. Her prioritieswere to make contact with schoolfamilies, ascertain the level of damageto the school, and craft a plan forrecovery.

Within three weeks of Katrina nearlyall of the 1,065 Dominican studentswere located by school staff, and theprocess of visiting the school familiesin their evacuation locations began.Thomas and the other administratorswanted to be sure the school familiessaw a face from Dominican in their timeof need.

Weekly board of director’s meetingsvia teleconference began the recoveryprocess. It was at one such meetingthat the board made the daring decisionto continue paying salaries for all oftheir employees while simultaneouslyeither refunding or deferring tuition forschool families. “It made no sense,”Thomas acknowledges, yet she and theboard were convinced it was the rightthing to do. “We’ve been blessed bythat decision,” she adds. A year and ahalf after the tragedy, school enroll-ment stands at 87percent of pre-Katrinalevels, most of the faculty and staffreturned, and the esprit d’ corpscouldn’t be higher.

The generosity of other supportershas been a major factor in the schoolrecovery process. Grants came fromsuch sources as the Laura BushFoundation, Ford Motor Credit and thepop singer Josh Groban. A develop-ment consultant who had previouslyworked with the school offered theservices of his firm, pro bono. With hishelp, within three weeks of the stormand before most other institutions hadbeen able to assess their damages,

Dominican had an emergency appealletter in the mailboxes of their alumnae,who responded generously.

Dominican also benefited from thegenerosity of other Dominican highschools and communities around theU.S. About 180 students from St.Mary’s Dominican transferred to twoschools in Houston run by the Hous-ton Dominican Sisters, St. Agnes andSt. Pius X. No one was turned away forlack of ability to pay and the studentswere provided with uniforms and freemeals for the duration.

The technology staff at St. Pius wascrucial to successful student locationefforts. They hastily built and hosted awebsite that became the centerpiece ofthe efforts to contact the DominicanHigh School diaspora. Students atRosary High School in Aurora, Ill.,raised more than $10,000 to replace thebooks in the library, everyone of whichwas destroyed by mold. Other Domini-can congregations also reached out,supporting the students and facultywith prayer, fundraising efforts or probono grant-writing.

In her own reflection on her experi-ence of Katrina and its aftermath,Thomas says she feels like the Domini-can High School community is doingtheir best to preach the message of

paschal mystery by their response tothe crisis, immediate and on-going.

Perhaps the greatest challenges theschool faced as a result of Katrina arebehind them, but by no means is thestruggle over. Enrollment is in goodshape but is not yet at pre-Katrinalevels. It may be a challenge to keepteachers as families are faced withmaking other choices based on eco-nomic necessity, energy bills are threetimes the level they were in the fall of2005, and it is still an open questionwhether the city will be able to work itsway back to life.

One of Thomas’s ongoing frustra-tions is that “the system is not work-ing” on behalf of the well-being of thecity of New Orleans. She can point tothe reality of the school community andsee that. Thirty-four of her teacherslost their homes in Katrina and some ofthem are still living in FEMA trailers.She says she doesn’t have all theanswers, that she and the school staffare still finding the way through thepost-Katrina reality, but she is sureabout one thing. “I am doubly commit-ted to Catholic education,” she saysemphatically. “We need people with thepower and the morals to make adifference and change systems.”

Principal Cynthia Thomas shows Janet Brown, OP (Grand Rapids) and Beth Murphy,OP (Springfield) photographs of damage the flood waters caused to the high school.Eighteen inches of water flooded the school causing mold to colonize inside before

administrators were let inside in October 2005.

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“Everybody has a story,” or sothe saying goes in New Orleanstoday. Every person’s narrative

adds a special dimension to under-standing the impact of HurricaneKatrina. Here are two such stories fromthe Dominican High School community.

Looking at the girls today in thehalls of Dominican High, you wouldnever know there had been a Katrinaand a flood. Everything is so normal!

But talk to senior Erin Grefer andyou hear a story that is fresh and easilyre-lived in the telling. “My familyevacuated first to Mississippi and thento Keller, Texas, where my aunt lives.We spent two months there, fourteenpeople in the house, three of them ages2, 3, and 5. I bet my aunt was thinking:When can I have my house back?”

The thin 17-year-old shook herponytail with an easy laugh as she said“How blest we were. We lost ourhouse, but I was never hungry. And wehad a home to stay in. And I made newfriends that I still call today and keepup with. If anything good could comeout of that storm, it did for me. Whenasked what she missed most from herlost house, she said: “Of course it wasthe family pictures, videos of mymother who died when I was seven.”

Erin commuted to Arlington toattend Nolan High School, a catholichigh school run by the Marianists who“did their best to make me feel wel-come. It meant a lot to me whensomeone asked me to sit with her in thecafeteria. But I missed the sense ofbonding that I had with the other girlsback at Dominican High School.

“Losing the material things showedme how unimportant they are, but beinghome and with my family is what reallycounted, and that’s something I usedto take for granted. If I’ve learnedanything from this experience, it is tobe grateful, and I want to try to live outmy gratitude by doing for others theway someone did for me.”

Beverly Gaines, the attendantsecretary at Dominican also considers

herself blessed. “I got a frantic callfrom my mother, who is usually verycalm, to say we had to evacuate. So mymother, father, brother, sister, husbandand my little son Forest, caravanned toHumble, Texas, just north of Houston.Another sister thought she was safe onthe third flood of her condo, and had tobe airlifted by helicopter as the watersrose. We picked her up in BatonRouge.”

Gaines’ son cried every day as hewent into his second grade class in astrange school.

“When I talked to someone fromDominican, I would always say: ‘Tellwhoever is doing attendance not to gettoo comfortable because I am comingback.’”

Gaines and her family came back inSeptember, in time for Forest to start

Everyonehas a story

third grade at St. Anthony of Padua,the Dominican-run parish and schoolwhere Sr. Ruth Angelette, a member ofthe St. Mary’s congregation, is princi-pal. The Gaineses are living in anapartment while their house in Gentilly,which had to be gutted, is being rebuiltfrom the inside out.

But no matter what, Gaines is happyto be home. “When students saw me inthe halls at Dominican, they wouldsqueal with delight, ‘Miz Gaines!You’re back!’ That made me feel sogood.” When asked if she felt safemoving back to New Orleans, she said:“This is home! Houston was wonderful,but you want to be home.”

A student from St. Mary's Dominic High School tells the story of her experi-ence during Hurricane Katrina's aftermath to the writing team.

Sr. Frances Sullivan,OP, principal of MountSt. Dominic Academy inCaldwell, N.J. brought aposter with the greetingsfrom her students to theNew Orleans studentswhen she came to helpout with the cleanup

efforts.

Group membersBeth Murphy, Janet Brown,

Joan Smith and JoAnn Neihaus

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New Orleans -- After the Storm

A City's Cry!

The reisdent of this house cried for help when the flood waters hitNew Orleans.

Ninth Ward Disaster

It is reported that the Lower Ninth Ward com-prises the vast majority of hurricane damagedterritory still without noticeable improvement.

What's Left?

Downed power lines, empty lots, guttedhouses and houses in need of being torndown line the once populated streets in

the Lower Ninth Ward.

Sr. Diane Hooley, Op, isdevoted to very vulnerablepeople, in a service sur-

rounded by an almost unimaginablesituation. She is a hospice chaplain inNew Orleans. She is a spiritual com-panion to people who are facing theirown death in a city that itself is tryingto come back from the brink of deathafter Hurricane Katrina.

Diane, along with chaplain AlbertaSchindler, OP, works for SerenityHospice Center, a small private hospiceservice through which they are com-panions for people in the throes ofterminal illness, who are on the ultimatelife journey. Diane cares for thespiritual and pastoral well being ofpeople who, in some cases, losteverything they had in the hurricane,and then have to face the final mostpersonal loss of all. Their loved onesreceive the support and care of theseDominican sisters who help them makeit through the loss of someone theylove.

Diane is a Eucharistic Missionary ofSt. Dominic, so that means she brings amissionary’s heart to a city that lookslike a war zone in many places. Wholeneighborhoods stand empty, decayingand dark. City services are sparse, mailservice in some sections, non- existent.FEMA trailers stand on the front lawnsof homes that look abandoned, buthold some measure of promised rebirth.Other parts of the city look almostnormal, if you discount the noticeablenumber of houses with scaffolding orgreat sheets of blue tarp covering roofsor sides of buildings. Don’t let theSuperdome or the French Quarter foolyou – New Orleans is not back tonormal by any stretch of the imagina-tion.

Today, there are five EucharisticMissionary Dominicans working in NewOrleans. The affectionate shorthand fortheir congregation is "EMDs." They arefive of 33 members of the congregationof Dominicans whose lives were alteredforever by the breach in the levees inAugust 2005. Other EMDs in NewOrleans include Noel Toomey, OP, who

is a spiritual director at the archdioceseof New Orleans; Kathy Brussard, OP,who is a forensic social worker, aperson who assesses the needs ofpeople who are convicted of a capitalcrime and Suzanne Brauer, OP. an EMDwho serves on the congregation’sleadership team as treasurer and at St.Paul the Apostle Parish in New OrleansEast.

Diane and Alberta see about 70patients, a little more than half of themin a nearby nursing home. The rest ofthe hospice patients are in their homes.Many of them are senior citizens whohave lost their homes and cannot talkabout the loss; some cannot even lookat where the remains of their homesstand. Still others are traumatized justto hear an occasional heavy rainstormon the roof. The stress of HurricaneKatrina’s aftermath has increased thedeath rate. People are hungry for whatfeels like normal, are hungry to know'how’d you do?'– the greeting manyreturning residents use to catch upwith friends and get news of progress.Social conversation is about recovery,about FEMA, about forms and applica-

Being Eucharist in a Hungry City

tions for services.“No words make this easy,” Diane

said. “I am learning to have the samefaith as people here.” Diane described aheartbreaking story of a family whosefour-year-old child is terminally ill, thefather, in a wheelchair after a motor-cycle accident. One child had alreadydied of a congenital illness. They livein a one bedroom FEMA trailer. This ismissionary territory. The missionarytakes up the task where the work isneeded. Thus, the Eucharistic Mission-aries are alive and well in New Orleans.

The FEMA trailer family did nothave money for a funeral, and friendsand neighbors pitched in. This is thestory of New Orleans now; friends andneighbors are helping each other withthe added encouragement of volunteersfrom around the country. You get thefeeling the city government is in a semi-comatose state, overwhelmed by redtape, lack of personnel and mismanage-ment. Other solutions are emerging,slowly, very slowly.

Dying is hard enough, but the ideaof a dying child in a one bedroomFEMA trailer? That escapes your

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CAPTIONGOESHERE

Sr. Diane Hooley, OP, speaks to members of OPCOMNET about her experiences as achaplain with Serenity Hospic Center

Where Are They Now?The other story of the EMDs in New Orleans is their own evacuation and

resettlement with the Dominican Sisters of Catharine, Ky.Three days before Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and the levees broke

spilling a wall of water the city streets, the Eucharistic Missionaries evacuatedtheir most vulnerable members to Kentucky, home of the Dominican Sisters ofSt. Catharine. “We were overwhelmed by the welcome and goodness of thepeople who helped us,” said Diane Hooley, OP, hospice chaplain working inNew Orleans. The Kentucky Sisters gave them a place to stay, to pray, andgave them clothes and books. “We were prepared for three days, nothingbeyond that.” The Adrian Dominicans donated six automobiles to give themthe mobility they needed.

Since then, 17 EMDs have settled in St. Catharine. Of the total 33 members,five are in New Orleans, five others in Louisiana, four in Arizona, two inMichigan and one in Florida. Recently, all seven Dominican Cluster congrega-tions voted to petition Rome for permission to become one new congregation.So the Eucharistic Missionaries, along with their sisters in the other six congre-gations, are looking toward beginning yet another journey together.

BEFORE• 22 members of the EMD’s

minister daily by bringing theirmissionary hearts to NOLA peoplein need of medical assistance,spiritual comfort, emotional support

• Hospice chaplain DianeHooley, OP works with chaplainAlberta Schindler, OP for SerenityHospice Center

• Diane and Alberta minister toabout 70 patients, about 60% ofwhom live in a nearby nursinghome and the rest in their own orfamily members’ homes

• Three days before Katrina hitNew Orleans, the EMD’s evacuatedtheir most vulnerable members tosafety with the Dominican Sistersof St. Catharine in Kentucky

• The Adrian, Mich. DominicanSisters donated six cars to providetransportation for the EMD’s

AFTER• 12 retired EMD’s relocated in

Kentucky and Michigan• 8 live in New Orleans; 5 in

Louisiana; 4 in Arizona; 2 inMichigan; 1 in Florida

• Diane and Alberta spentcountless anxious days trying tolocate their hospice patients

• Their patients – mostly seniorcitizens – have lost their homes andcannot talk about the loss

• Many seriously ill patients aretraumatized just to hear an occa-sional heavy rainstorm on the roof

• Not all of their patientssurvived Katrina’s devastation; thepatients’ families now receive thesupport and care of these Domini-can sisters to help them throughyet another loss

• Diane’s presence with oneparticular family “feeds their soullike Eucharist.” The family lives ina one-bedroom FEMA trailer; the 4-year-old child is terminally ill; thefather uses a wheelchair (in a one-bedroom FEMA trailer?); whentheir other child died of a congeni-tal illness, friends and neighborspaid for the funeral

Before & After

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imagination. The child’s father is in awheelchair after a motorcycle accident.How does one maneuver a wheelchairin a one bedroom trailer? Diane showsup just to check in, to listen, to visitand to pray, to let them know they arenot alone. That presence feeds a soullike Eucharist.

Diane reflects on the faith of thepeople she encounters and recognizesthat many good gifts come their way inthe form of prayer, emotional support,physical support and volunteers whohelp rebuild. They all express tremen-

Group MembersLead Reporter and Photogra-

pher: Anne Lythgoe, Contribut-ing Reporter: Kathy Nolan

Sr. Diane Hooley visits many people in FEMA trailers just like these during her workwith hospice. Imagine how a man in a wheelchair maneuvers through a one room

trailer.

dous gratitude. Everyone recognizesthat there is always someone else theywill meet who suffered more or who lostmore. And the devastation of the city isstill more than evident there, everyday.You cannot miss it.

Thank God the Dominicans are stillthere.

The Dominican Family Responds

For some of the EucharisticMissionaries of St. Dominicassociates, there may be

some truth to the cliché “you can’tgo home again.” Over half of the 48associates were directly impacted byHurricane Katrina with 14 of thosefrom the Greater New Orleans areanot being able to return to theiroriginal address, and they have noplans to return.

EMD Sr. Jeanne Moore, OP, saidthat the majority of associatesevacuated and were gone for severalweeks or longer. “Some were able topatch their roof and go on,” she said.Others weren’t that lucky. Moststayed away months, some in otherparts of the state or country withthree in other countries, while theirhouses were gutted and underwent

Home is Where Your Heart ismajor repairs.

“We are finding it harder now thanwe originally thought it would be,”Moore said. With only six of the 24EMDs who were in New Orleanscurrently in the city, the associates andsisters are not able to connect in thesame way. Associates, as well as othersin the city, are finding that theirparishes are closed. Their city, theirlives, their homes have been foreverchanged by the events in August 2005.

“The sisters are using most of theirenergy to recommit to their ministryunder these trying circumstances,”Moore said.

The whereabouts of all the associ-ates is now known, but the fate ofeveryone wasn’t immediately known.

“It took several months to findwhere everyone landed and many times

that address was just temporary,”Moore said of the fact that often timesthe associates we staying with friendsor family until more permanent arrange-ments could be made or until theycould move back to the city.

The Internet was the key in locatingeveryone, she said, and remains a vitaltool in staying connected. Twice amonth a mailing called "EMD Update"is sent out to keep everyone informed.

Unfortunately many of the EMDassociates, like more than half of thepopulation of New Orleans beforeKatrina, are finding that you can’t gohome again. But, they are also findinganother cliché to be just as true –“Home is where your heart is.”

Story by:Dana Lear Brantley

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It would not be possible to nameall the ways in which theDominican Family responded to

the disaster of Hurricane Katrina. Weare very aware of the visible examplesof compassion, support and actiontaken by Dominican sisters, friars,associates, nuns and laity in the UnitedStates and around the world. One goalof the Faith and Hope in New Orleansseries is to share what did happen tothe Dominicans in New Orleans wellafter the events of August, 2005. Someefforts may not be described here, butthis is a simple illustration that theworld is indeed connected and we arefamily to one another.

Many sent email messages ofsympathy and encouragement, contrib-uted donations and volunteered timeand talent to assist not only theDominican Family in New Orleans, butthe whole city.

The Dominican Sisters of Hope sentteams of medical volunteers andsupplies in the spring of 2006. Thevolunteers set up shop at AudubonZoo in uptown New Orleans. TheRemote Area Medical group of RAM

became an “oasis of hope” and reliefto those with myriads of medicalneeds. RAM provided over 9800 unitsof care. The Dominican Sisters ofGrand Rapids sent sisters to workamong us during Holy Week of 2006.The sisters were awed and humbledby their experience, especially thecross made from wood from thestorm’s debris and used for GoodFriday services.

Great Bend Dominican volunteersarrived in the summer of 2006 to assistin restoring Resurrection of Our LordChurch and School in New OrleansEast. Ten young women and theirchaperones, including four Dominicansisters of the ministry Mission ofHope arrived in the heat and humidityof the deep south.

Springfield Dominicans also sentaid in the form of medical assistanceto residents of the Gulf coast settingup shop outside the First BaptistChurch of Biloxi, MS. St. Dominic’sHealth Services of Jackson, MSreceived and treated displacedpatients from affected hospitals alongthe coast . St. Dominic physicians,

clinicians and staff traveled to Biloxi toserve at makeshift primary care clinics.

Adrian Dominicans began arrivingin the fall of 2006 and committedthemselves to two to three months ofwork to help with rebuilding commu-nity.

Dominicans from the Northeast Sixcongregations visited in July, 2007 tovolunteer in a number of projects. Theyincluded Dominicans of Hope, Sparkill,Amityville, Caldwell and Blauvelt. Overa five-week period, 26 sisters served inhousing, food pantry service, tutoringin a summer children’s camp, homevisiting, clerical assistance, libraryassistance and special services. Theyspent time visiting affected areas of theregion, particularly the Lower 9th Wardwhere the Eucharistic Missionariesserve.

When the Dominican Communica-tors’ Network visited New Orleans inJanuary of 2007, over and over againwe heard the same reminder: Don’tforget about us, don’t forget NewOrleans.”

We haven’t and neither has the restof the Family.

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New Orleans --After the Storm

Hometown Nightmare

What had been predicted by some weather experts for yearsfinally happened. The levee's protecting New Orleans breached

causing the city's worst nightmare to come true.

A Familiar Sight

Debris lining the streets as well as For Salesigns such as these are all too familiar sights

throughout the city.Sign of Progress

Despite the storm that left 80 percent of the cityunderwater, the people of New Orleans are rebuild-

ing and moving home in some areas.

What isC’est sibon

(translation: It’s sogood)? Is it apopular songrecorded by EarthaKitt? Is it the nameof a restaurant onSt. Charles Street?Is it a positive spiritto be found in NewOrleans amongthose committed torebuilding aseverely damagedcity? The answer is:all of the above.

Signs through-out the city bravelydeclare, “We’ll beback.” Meanwhilethe presence ofDominican friars inLouisiana continuesas it has since 1911 and now, seventeenmonths after Hurricane Katrina and itsaftermath of flood, the men seem trulyundaunted by the monumental chal-lenges that still lie ahead.

OPCOMNET, a network of communi-cators serving the Dominican provincesof men and congregations of women in

C’est Si Bon:C’est Si Bon:C’est Si Bon:C’est Si Bon:C’est Si Bon:Friars Fully Engaged in Post-Katrina Recovery

BEFORE• 30 friars lived and ministered in

New Orleans• Friars preached the Good News

in two parishes, through two campusministry centers and in variousoutreach ministries

• The Provincial Office in NewOrleans coordinated Dominican lifeand mission among the friars

• St. Dominic Parish facilities,home for 10 friars, and a strong basefor a thriving Catholic community of2500 families with a vibrant Chapterof Lay Dominicans was served by 4friars on staff; parish weekly incomeof $18,000

Before & AfterAFTER

• All thirty New Orleans brothers, sixemployees and their families accountedfor and physically safe but 25 friars lefthomeless after Katrina

• Friars displaced to other cities,other states; they lost all of theirclothing and personal items

• Two OP churches, two priories andthe provincial office building sufferedmajor damage from flooding and looting

• Wind and water destroyed mostvehicles used for ministry

• Campus ministries at TulaneUniversity and Xavier University areindefinitely suspended

• All 1st floor facilities at St.Dominic Parish have to be guttedand restored; every pew in thechurch has to be replaced; schoolfurnishings and instructionalsupplies have to be replaced

• The St. Dominic parish commu-nity now numbers 1200 families, hasonly 2 friars on staff, parish incomeof $9,000, had to cut 1 staff memberand 1 maintenance man

· St. Anthony of Padua Churchalso sustained a major loss ofcongregational membership, struc-tural damage, loss of most of theinterior furnishings

the U.S., met in New Orleans in Januaryto experience the state of the Domini-can Family since the disaster. One ofthe teams visited five Southern Prov-ince friars to get a sense of what theirexperience had been since August 29,2005 and what they see movingforward.

The SouthernProvince has itsProvincial office inMetairie. Thebuilding sustainedwind damage, butdid not flood. Fr.Emiiano Zapata, OP,Socius and VicarProvincial, sharedthat there arecurrently 19 friarsliving and minister-ing in the city. Theylive in two prioriesand lead twoparishes: St. An-thony of Padua onCanal Street in Mid-City and St. Dominicin the Lakeviewdistrict. The parishbuildings, includingthe schools, belongto the Archdiocese

of New Orleans, and were woefullyunderinsured for the water damage theysustained.

We caught up with Bro. HermanJohnson between classes at XavierUniversity, an institution that isCatholic and historically serves theBlack student body. With its purpose

Fr. Charles Latour, OP at St. Anthony of Padua Priory, explains the damage doneto the priory as a result of Katrina.

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to promote a more just and humanesociety, Xavier prepares its students toassume roles of leadership and servicein society.

Bro. Herman, professor of Spanishin the Modern Languages Department,is a native New Orleanian who electedto remain in the city and assist hisneighbors: 33 sick and elderly peoplewho were trapped in their homes. Aswas reported by Claudia McDonnell ofCatholic New York in October 2005,Bro. Herman recalled that “Many ofthem were lying in bed when werescued them. The mattresses werealready floating. After we swam tothem, we would walk in the water,dragging the mattress. We floated themto our house.”

For a time, Bro. Herman, like somany others, had to learn to copewithout many of the things most of ustake for granted: a clean, safe place tolive, a regular job, a sense of normalcy.“But,” he said, “it’s helping me todeepen my prayer life, to come to knowwho I am as I am, (apart from) theexternals that humans use to definethemselves.”

Bro. Herman is thrilled that XavierUniversity was reopened as of January2005 and hopes the school willbe able to regain the studentsand teachers who were forcedto leave and have not been ableto return. “I wanted to return tocontinue our 75 plus yeartradition of Dominicans atXavier.”

“I’m hopeful that we’ll againbe a great city and a greatuniversity, but it will take time.The city was racked with socialills before Katrina. Racism is aperennial problem in NewOrleans. In rebuilding the city itwon’t work to ignore the poor.”

We asked Bro. Herman whathe would wish for if guaranteedthat he could be granted three.He told us he prays that theinner city parishes and schoolsthat were closed will be re-opened, that there will be moreassistance for Xavier Universitystudents, 90 percent of whomrely on financial aid, and that thepriory will be restored so that hecan return there to live with hisbrothers.

As he left us to administer a test tohis class downstairs, he assured us,“Every day I do see grace to do thingsin a new way.”

A trip to St. Dominic Parish meant asobering ride through Lakeview whichwas flooded when several wall panelsof the 17th Street Canal levee failed.What was once a lovely middle-classneighborhood of 12,500 householdsnow looks like a war zone. Some lotshave been scraped clean, some homeshave been gutted, some are beingrebuilt, but many more stand, badlydamaged, rotting and abandoned.

We were fortunate to find Fr. PaulWatkins in the trailer being used as theparish office at St. Dominic, and hegenerously took time to show us thepriory and the church. “We had 3,600families here before Katrina; now wehave 1,200,” he told us. He showed usthe windowless second-floor stairwellwhere the Prior Provincial, MartyGleeson, OP, and a friar, Chrys Finn,OP, had taken shelter, set up an altarand prayed before being rescued byboat.

Fr. Paul smiled as he showed us thework that is being done to restore thepriory where eight to ten feet of water

Group MembersLead Reporter: Kate Martin,

Contributing Reporter, DonnaBrunell, Photographer: Al Judy

and Lucy Sanchez, Driver:Isabelle Williamson

flooded the first floor. He was stillsmiling as he outlined the massivecleanup that had to be done in thechurch, and the plans for new lightingand new pews. The parishioners makedo for now with folding metal chairs. Itwas beginning to occur to us thatsmiling is what one does in this phaseof the recovery of New Orleans,because what is the alternative? If onehad any doubt, one only needed to seethe children on the playground at theschool to recall that they count onhaving their lives rebuilt.

Next we drove across town to St.Anthony Priory, where we came uponFr. Charles Latour, OP, busily oversee-ing the restoration of the three-story,80 year old building. “It’s a great day,”he told us, “because today the friars’mattresses were delivered. No furnitureyet, but the mattresses arrived!” Whenthe three story building is ready, the 11friars assigned to St. Anthony will beable to live in community once again;for now they meet for evening mealsand three friars live in a rented housenearby.

The pastor, Fr. Ian Bordenave,waved as he came from one meeting onhis way to another and expressed hisregret that he couldn’t stop to chat.While the school was flooded, thechurch was not, and only about60families have not returned sinceKatrina.

At the end of the day, we were tired.It wasn’t that the day had beenphysically taxing, but because we hadseen and heard so much that expressedfear, confusion, loss, sadness andfrustration. But at the same time, wehad witnessed many signs of hope. Thefriars of the Southern Province we metare sincerely energized by the workbefore them. In fact, they see it as anopportunity to preach the Word of faithin God, even in the midst of a massiveand slow recovery from one of thiscountry’s worst natural disasters.

Father Al Judy points to the high water mark onthe statue of St. Dominic in front of the church at

St. Dominic Parish

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Sr. Patricia Rogers was principalat St. Mary Academy in NewOrleans when Hurricane

Katrina hit. She had been in that schoolfor three years. The school was notrebuilt. She left New Orleans with fiveother sisters. After 11 hours on theroad, a man and woman they had nevermet offered their home to the group,providing food and needed medication.After a week, the sisters were invited tostay at a convent in Rayne, LA. Sr.Patricia is now Director of VocationMinistry for the Sinsinawa Dominicansin the United States and living inChicago.

Water brings to mind differentthoughts and memories for differentpeople. Listening to or watching a slowmoving stream, a waterfall, or waves ona lake or an ocean is a spiritual experi-ence for many. The calming effect ofwater can create positive energy andinner peace and helps some commune

with God.Water’s many properties and

characteristics are what make water sospecial. Its beauty and calming effectare so romanticized in our culture thatwe overlook the damage poor waterquality has on life and water’s power todestroy.

Hurricanes are storms that form overa body of water. A hurricane is com-posed of high winds, rain, and thunder-storms. The reported by-products of ahurricane are tornados, floods, windand hail storms, mass destruction, anddeaths.

Aug. 29, 2005, marks the date of theworst flood in U.S. history. Mostpeople name this event HurricaneKatrina, but the fact is Katrina itselfwas not responsible for the devastationin New Orleans. Inadequate levies werethe cause of these devastating floodwaters. All who witnessed the rising,rushing water fill the city first hand or

Water Memoriesthe aftermath a few weeks later have anew understanding and respect forwater.

The TV accounts of the flood inthose first few hours could only coverthe destruction of property and life.The real devastation in those first fewdays of the flood was the loss offamily. As time and days moved on, thedevastation was loss of community,friends, and livelihood. Water hadcaused the separation of familymembers, displaced neighbors, parish-ioners, schoolmates, and coworkersand friends and left people without themeans to survive. Many family mem-bers, friends, and neighbors have beenreunited. Some were never found, andsome will never be reconnected orreunited. The loss of people throughdisplacement and distance is hard forthe non-natives who became part of theNew Orleans’ community. Our lack offinancial or family ties to the city andour unwelcome need to live elsewherehave created feelings of hopelessnessin returning and reconnecting.

As a non-native who was privilegedto “move on” away from the everydaypresence of devastation, the loss isdifferent but painful. Living without thepresence of those who surrounded medaily or the folks I looked forward toseeing in the market places and inchurch is my devastation. Most peopleplan a move away from family, friends,or a city. Most people have the optionof a farewell party, or how and if theywant to say goodbye. Even if one leftin a hurry, often there’s a chance toreturn to familiar faces and places. Mystolen chance to say goodbye and theimpossible task of locating familiarfaces created a hole that only time canfill.

The threat of storms will forevercause me to think of the children inNew Orleans who cry each time it rainsand of the community I loved. I praythat those affected by storm waters willsomeday soon remember the romanticwater thoughts they once had.

Story by:Patricia Rogers, OP

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Ruben and Sandra Blancas welcomed Sr. Patricia Rogers and co-workers intotheir home during Hurricane Katrina. Front, center: Ruben with grandson, Alex.Back, from leRuben and Sandra Blancas welcomed Sr. Patricia Rogers and co-workers into their home during Hurricane Katrina. Front, center: Ruben with

grandson, Alex. Back, from left: Sr. Cynthia Marie, Sr. Maria Consilia, Sr.Patricia Rogers, Sandra, Monica holding Mya, and Sr. Marie Antoinette, and Sr.

Jennie Jones.

(The Adrian Dominican Sisters,through the generosity of theirprioress, Sr. Donna Markham, OP,have been a visible and livelypresence in the New Orleans area.They are here assisting the Eucha-ristic Missionaries, the St. Mary’sDominicans, the friars of the South-ern Province and the people of NewOrleans They have volunteered theirtime and energy to help in any waythey are needed.)

There is a time and a seasonfor everything, saysEcclesiastes. And the image

of seasons has deep resonance forSr. Mary Ann Caulfield, OP. Caulfieldis one of several sisters from theAdrian Dominican Congregation whohas come to New Orleans recently toassist in the recovery efforts andministry of the Southern Province. Sr.Mary Ann says that in her time hereshe sees the people experiencing theseasons of life - sometimes theyexperience dryness and difficulty ofwinter, other times it’s the newness,growth and hope of summer.

Sr. Mary Ann has been missionedto Xavier University of Louisiana towork in Campus Ministry with JefferyOtt (Chaplain) and the campusministry staff. She ministers to theneeds of the faculty by being a

Adrian Dominican Sisters Assist Friarspastoral presence in a time of greatchaos and upheaval in their lives. “Iwanted to share my gifts of listeningand emotional support,” says Caulfield,who is still on sabbatical after beingChapter Prioress for six years. “Ithought I could be of some assistance,especially since I lived in nearby Slidelland worked in education there.”

Other Adrian sisters are workingwith the friars in their various minis-tries. Srs. Margaret Lane, OP andMarilyn Uline, OP are ministering withthe friars at St. Thomas More Parish atTulane University. Srs. Carol Johannes,OP and Celine Regan, OP work in thecommunity of St. Dominic Parish. Notonly here to assist the friars, Sr. CarolLouise Hiller, OP serves the communityat St. Mary’s Dominican High School.Sr. Joan Mary serves the elderlyresidents, including retired priests andreligious at Chateau de Notre Dame. AtSt. Maria Goretti, a parish in NewOrleans East, Srs. Eileen Meyers, OP,Noreen O’Connell, OP and MaryElizabeth Crimmins, OP minister withthe Sisters from the Eucharistic Mis-sionaries of St. Dominic in a door-to-door effort to support the people whoare rebuilding in the area.

In the outpouring of help to NewOrleans, Sr. Donna Markham, OP,Prioress of the Adrian DominicanSisters, sent a letter to the whole

congregation asking for sisters tohelp the Dominican Family and thepeople of New Orleans. There was agreat response to the call, says Sr.Kathy Nolan, OP, Councilor of thecongregation who was asked tomission or send the sisters to variousOP ministries in the City. “The sistersreally want to be here,’’ said Nolan.“All of them are very gifted womenwho bring a diverse set of skills andabilities from their years of ministry.”

The sisters have found their timein New Orleans to be a blessing. “It’samazing to see the people here atXavier,” says Sr. Mary Ann. “Theyhave been overwhelmingly open andgracious with their hospitality.”Among the things that have im-pressed Caulfield the most is the faithof the people here. “These people areliving that faith to the fullest in orderto get through it. They need God whois greater than all the heartache andtragedy they are going through,otherwise they wouldn’t make it,” shesays.

“It’s the faith of the people thatkeep this City alive,” said Caulfield.“And this is a time for me of rever-encing their lives and their witness.”

This is all that remains of a lot where ahouse in the Lower Ninth Ward once

stood. This area was the hardest hit bythe flood waters. In January 2007 therewere few signs of rebuilding efforts in

this are.

Story by:Jeff Ott, OP (St. Martin)

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New Orleans -- After the Storm

Forgotten Toys

Toys, clothing and other personal belongings such asthis little Teddy bear can be found amid the rubble in

the Lower Ninth Ward.

Lost Treasures

It's hard to imagine losing virtually every-thing own, but that's what happened to

many people who suffered the wrath of theflood waters.

Molded Memories

Because water remained in structures for several months, mold oftencolonized inside ruining items such as photos and furniture.