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Report from New Orleans
(May 2007)
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We recently received a letter from Sheila
Fonseca, expressing her thanks for the
generosity you have shown to those whom she and
her husband, Deacon Rod, have been called to
serve in the post-Katrina Greater New Orleans
area.
Ø
They were able to send $100 checks to all of the
displaced Little Flower parishioners.
Ø
They sent additional funding to the elderly and
infirm to assist with their daily needs.
Ø
They were able to send contributions to a local
organization that helps residents with housing
and utilities. Some people returned home to
face extremely high utility bills due to broken
water pipes and gas mains.
Ø
They provided water, cleaning supplies and
nonperishable food items to those who were
returning home.
Sheila and Deacon Rod expressed their gratitude
for your friendship and love.
(The DCCR will no longer be able to collect funds
for this ministry. Contact the DCCR for further
information if you wish to
make this ministry your own personal charitable
cause.) |
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St. Theresa of
the Child Jesus Church Update
New Orleans
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Donations
totaling $331.00 were sent to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish
in Kenner, Louisiana, in June, 2006.
The parishioners of St. Theresa of the
Child Jesus Church in New Orleans, Louisiana, have relocated to the
parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, 1908 Short St., Kenner,
Louisiana, 70062. On April 11, 2006, we received this letter from the
pastor of that parish:
“Dear Supporters:
We
cannot thank you enough for your generous gifts….Praise the Lord!
Happy Easter!
We have found some uses for the funds already and we will be making
good use of the balance as the needs arise.
Yours in Christ,
For the month of February, our generous readers from the Detroit, Michigan
area made it possible for us to send a check for $586.00 to help these
suffering people. We will continue to send funds to these parishioners of
St. Theresa Church, and will report when and where they find a new parish
home.
Due to the generosity of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Community in the
Archdiocese of Detroit, the DCCR was able to send a check for $693.00 to the
parish of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus in New Orleans, Louisiana, for
January, 2006. May the Lord look kindly upon our donors for their exercise
of Christian charity to those in need.
(from February 2006 Bulletin)
Due to the generosity of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Community in
the Archdiocese of Detroit, the DCCR was able to send a check for
$3,174.00 to the parish of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus in New
Orleans, Louisiana, for December 2005. May
the Lord look kindly upon our donors for their exercise of Christian
charity to those in need.
* * * * *
The DCCR Center received the
above letter from our contact in New Orleans, Louisiana, Sheila Fonseca, making
us aware that her parish, St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Church, is in dire need
after the hurricane, Katrina, slammed through that area, and flooded the church
with three feet of water. St. Theresa parish is located in an economically
depressed, high crime area of New Orleans. The Assembly of the DCCR, in prayer,
determined that we should adopt St. Theresa Parish for a year, and send monthly
financial support to them to help in the rebuilding and rehabilitation of their
properties. Donations and love offerings will be accepted at the DCCR to support
St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Parish. Make checks payable to the DCCR, and
notate “St. Theresa Relief” on the memo line. In November 2005, we sent a check
to St. Theresa Parish for $690.00, thanks to your generosity and compassion.
Click to See 10/20/2006 letter
St. Theresa of
the Child Jesus Church -
New Orleans |
January 7, 2006
Dear Arlene and fellow servants of the Lord,
Just a note to keep you posted on our doings here.
We are giving $100.00 grants to our parishioners, based on
need, until the money is gone. The city infrastructure is
still damaged, so folks are hesitant to come back.
Emergency services are nonexistent in our neighborhood
(#911, police, fire). Red Cross will stop bringing food at
the end of January. And we will learn of our parish’s fate
by the end of the month. Thanks for all you’ve done for us
in this time of testing. Please express our thanks to all
who are praying and supporting us. We love you!
Sheila Fonseca, Deacon Rod Fonseca,
& the Parishioners of Little Flower Parish
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St. Theresa of
the Child Jesus Church
3810 Leonidas St., New Orleans, LA 70118
c/o 513 Bellview St., River Ridge, LA 70123
Phone: 504-305-1878 Cell: 504-920-9687
................................................................................................................
October 20, 2005
Detroit Catholic
Charismatic Renewal
1390 Quarton Road
Bloomfield Hills, MI
48304
Dear Brothers and
Sisters in Christ,
I write
you on behalf of the community of St. Theresa here in New Orleans, which has
been devastated by Hurricane Katrina. We scarcely know where to begin, the
needs are so overwhelming, the opportunity so great for healing and restoration.
St.
Theresa Parish, or Little Flower Parish as it is known in the neighborhood, is a
primarily African American Parish in an economically depressed, high crime
area. Before the storm, our outreach was to the youth through our CCD Boot Camp
and to the poor through our Social Welfare Ministry. Our gospel choir was vital
and our Sunday celebrations vibrant, and every other Sunday we would share a
meal together and celebrate the Month’s birthdays. What we lacked in funds, we
made up for in spirit. We had about 172 registered families, and our Sunday
attendance was about 160. Many were elderly, underemployed, single parent, and
marginalized persons; the beloved of the Lord.
On
August 28th at 6 am the order for a mandatory evacuation came for all
of the Greater New Orleans area. We then planned to evacuate and instruct each
person at the 10 am Mass to leave. We did not have a priest for Mass, so had a
Communion Liturgy and gave keys to the rectory to those parishioners who would
not leave. They evacuated to the rectory and, when the water started to rise,
had to be rescued from the second floor. The stories of so many of our people
are a source of hope and a tribute to their great faith.
When we
returned and saw the parish for the first time, it seemed like a black and white
photo. There was no sound, no color, everything covered in a gray pallor. The
pervasive odor of death and mold hangs thick in the air. The ground crunches as
dried scum gives to the weight of our shoes, and inside the floors are slick and
buckled. Furniture is tossed about the room like pillows and jams doorways,
refrigerators floated across rooms. As some have seen their homes, they decided
that they cannot return. Others have decided to begin again. They have lost so
much, yet are valiant in the face of overwhelming devastation. They need all
the love and support we can give.
Because
the city is uninhabitable and housing is scarce, some are living in outlying
areas with relatives, in motels, in trailers or tents, or wherever they can in
order to have easy access to what is left of their homes. Currently 47% of our
parishioners have either not been located or have not decided whether to
return. Approximately 9% will definitely not be returning, and we know of one
confirmed fatality from the storm. Three families are already home (they live
outside of the geographical area of the parish). As people are returning, we
have been driving in the area with cold water and gloves, a small gesture of
support. With your help, we will be able to do so much more. Thank you for
your kind consideration.
Your servants in the
vineyard of the lord,
Dcn. Rodrigo A. and
Sheila G. Fonseca
Pastoral Coordinators
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NEW ORLEANS ALERT!
The DCCR Center received the
above letter from our contact in New Orleans, Louisiana, Sheila Fonseca, making
us aware that her parish, St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Church, is in dire need
after the hurricane, Katrina, slammed through that area, and flooded the church
with three feet of water. St. Theresa parish is located in an economically
depressed, high crime area of New Orleans. The Assembly of the DCCR, in prayer,
determined that we should adopt St. Theresa Parish for a year, and send monthly
financial support to them to help in the rebuilding and rehabilitation of their
properties. Donations and love offerings will be accepted at the DCCR to support
St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Parish. Make checks payable to the DCCR, and
notate “St. Theresa Relief” on the memo line. In November 2005, we sent a check
to St. Theresa Parish for $690.00, thanks to your generosity and compassion. |
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NEW ORLEANS
Notes:
Donations
totaling $331.00 were sent to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish
in Kenner, Louisiana, in June, 2006.
NEW ORLEANS
The parishioners of St. Theresa of the
Child Jesus Church in New Orleans, Louisiana, have relocated to the
parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, 1908 Short St., Kenner,
Louisiana, 70062. On April 11, 2006, we received this letter from the
pastor of that parish:
“Dear Supporters:
We
cannot thank you enough for your generous gifts….Praise the Lord!
Happy Easter!
We have found some uses for the funds already and we will be making
good use of the balance as the needs arise.
Yours in Christ,
Father Richard M. Miles”
(from April 2006 Bulletin)
Deacon Rod & Sheila Fonseca have notified us that the New Orleans
Archdiocese has decided to close St. Theresa of the Child Jesus
Church, because the damage to the facility is irreparable. They and
their parishioners are looking for another parish in which to make
their home.
Meanwhile, as Sheila reported in her January letter, the donations
that they received have been distributed as $100.00 grants to the
parishioners, based on need. “…their homes devastated, and their
families are scattered; but, there is such a spirit of resurrection
in their speech and a deep faith in their hearts. We have so little
control over our circumstances, but underneath the crud and the
mold, our faith is our treasure. Let’s not forget!”
For the month of February, our generous readers from the Detroit,
Michigan area made it possible for us to send a check for $586.00 to
help these suffering people. We will continue to send funds to
these parishioners of St. Theresa Church, and will report when and
where they find a new parish home.
(from March 2006 Bulletin)
January 7, 2006
Dear Arlene and fellow servants of the Lord,
Just a note to keep you posted on our doings here.
We are giving $100.00 grants to our parishioners, based on
need, until the money is gone. The city infrastructure is
still damaged, so folks are hesitant to come back.
Emergency services are nonexistent in our neighborhood
(#911, police, fire). Red Cross will stop bringing food at
the end of January. And we will learn of our parish’s fate
by the end of the month. Thanks for all you’ve done for us
in this time of testing. Please express our thanks to all
who are praying and supporting us. We love you!
Sheila Fonseca, Deacon Rod Fonseca,
& the Parishioners of Little Flower Parish
(from February 2006 Bulletin)
Due to the generosity of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Community in
the Archdiocese of Detroit, the DCCR was able to send a check for
$3,174.00 to the parish of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus in New
Orleans, Louisiana, for December 2005. May
the Lord look kindly upon our donors for their exercise of Christian
charity to those in need.
* * * * *
The DCCR Center received the
following letter from our contact in New Orleans, Louisiana, Sheila Fonseca, making
us aware that her parish, St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Church, is in dire need
after the hurricane, Katrina, slammed through that area, and flooded the church
with three feet of water. St. Theresa parish is located in an economically
depressed, high crime area of New Orleans. The Assembly of the DCCR, in prayer,
determined that we should adopt St. Theresa Parish for a year, and send monthly
financial support to them to help in the rebuilding and rehabilitation of their
properties. Donations and love offerings will be accepted at the DCCR to support
St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Parish. Make checks payable to the DCCR, and
notate “St. Theresa Relief” on the memo line. In
November 2005, we sent a check
to St. Theresa Parish for $690.00, thanks to your generosity and compassion.
Click to See 10/20/2006 letter from
St. Theresa of
the Child Jesus Church -
New Orleans |
|
