Conquering Death

Liz Engle is currently a Dominican Volunteer in Chicago at Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly

                I have a friend who is Greek Orthodox, and when Orthodox Easter comes around, she spends the whole day telling everyone she meets, “Χριστὸς ἀνέστη!” She is so excited about Jesus’ resurrection that she has to tell each person she sees, regardless of whether they’re Christian (or for that matter, whether they understand Greek). She wants everyone to know that, as she puts it, “Christ has conquered death.” This was, after all, the first gospel, the first good news that the disciples set out to preach, and which we are supposed to preach through our ministry. But how do I preach that Christ has conquered death to people who so often feel that death is conquering them?

                One elder lost her husband a couple months ago. The two of them met in a workshop program for people with developmental disabilities and had been married for 43 years. After she was placed in a nursing home, he came to spend the day with her every day. He was bringing cupcakes to her on New Year’s Day when he had a heart attack and collapsed in the middle of the road. She fought DNR recommendations and had him brought to her nursing home; the staff even moved her roommate so he could stay in the other bed. Now that he’s gone, she’s left with a new roommate and a clock that’s no longer set 5 minutes fast, the way he liked it.

                Another elder is terrified that she’s losing her memory. She writes a detailed daily schedule in her calendar, then forgets to look at the calendar. By the end of a movie, she is unsure of how it began. She once told me that, in between our visits, she can’t remember what I look like, so she always imagines me as the Channel 7 weather girl. It’s only a matter of time before her landlord evicts her for forgetting to pay rent.

                A third elder received a bag of birthday gifts which is decorated with images of hot air balloons. After we’ve gone through the gifts and eaten our cupcakes, she examines the bag, entranced. “I always wanted to go up in a hot air balloon,” she says. “Although I suppose it’s a bit too late for that now.”

                It is in these moments – these times when I can’t tell an elder that it will get better or it will be alright or keep fighting or we can fix it, when I am reduced to simply holding hands and acknowledging pains – that I feel I am most preaching the message of Easter. Christ conquered death not by fighting death, but by dying. Death is part of the story, and God chose to live it, feel it, and suffer it because God knows that it is part of our story, too.

To See Our Own Light

Kay Samuelson currently serves as a Computer Literacy / Job Readiness ESL Instructor with The Opening Word Program on Long Island. She lives at St. Hugh’s Convent in Huntington Station, NY where she shares community with four Amityville Dominican Sisters and fellow volunteer Angela Chiappone.

Before I entered life as a Dominican Volunteer, my Catholic education was reduced to what I had learned in History of Christianity general requirements, been told by my Southern Baptist friends, and picked up in my readings of Saint Hildegard. Mystic, botanist, and all around empowered woman, Hildegard’s work called to me in my years as an undergrad. I found myself returning to her words in my first weeks as a volunteer. A single quote stood out to me as I contemplated my purpose in ministry: “We cannot live in a world that is interpreted for us by others. An interpreted world is not a hope. Part of the terror is to take back our own listening. To use our own voice. To see our own light.”

The Opening Word Literacy Program aims to unlock the language ability of immigrant women, providing them the key to future empowerment. My ministry position is to travel between all three of The Opening Word schools (Amityville, Huntington Station, and Wyandanch) to provide the students computer, technology, and job readiness classes. As a mild perfectionist and Type A worker, I entered into this ministry with structured lesson plans, regimented worksheets, and sharpened pencils at the ready. By God, I was prepared to enrich and educate; my purpose was clear – gifting female empowerment. Little did I know, the women of The Opening Word, my 90 students hailing from El Salvador, Haiti, Turkey, Jordan, Mexico, Dominican Republic, and elsewhere, would be the ones to give me my voice, to show me my own light.

The education program at all three schools focuses on holistic approach: addressing the needs of the individual, so they may be at their very best, so they may reach their goals. This has privileged me to one-on-one time with the women and this is what broke down my strict barriers of what I thought it meant to be a teacher. I discovered that my students have become my ray of shining light. In our pedestrian encounters, those moments outside of lesson plans, with pencils down, is where the most profound education happens. My El Salvadorian mothers have taken me on as their own kin, asking about grad school applications and giving me relationship advice in broken English (“If he is good, be good to him. But know that you are good too”). I help conversationally with their sentence structure so they may communicate their stories of migration, loss, and growth. My young Turkish and Afghani students educate me on where to find the local mosque, Arabic cultural differences, and how to compliment the other women in their native tongue (“Shaista di mashallah!”). We scour job search engines and community college registrars during breaks to find their options for next year. The education is specialized and special to all who encounter these driven yet loving women.

The St. Hugh of Lincoln Community celebrates Halloween!

I was unaware, as a Mid-West redhead who had only ever heard Spanish on television, of the true realities of our immigrant sisters and brothers. I was unaware of the radical work being done by American Catholics to help those men and women who simply want to take part in this national dream, to earn a living for themselves and their children and to give back to the communities surrounding them. The women of The Opening Word truly embody Hildegard’s message and can act as an example for all of us: Catholic, black, American, straight, Korean, trans, Pagan, white… whatever!  You must first take back your own listening, open your heart and mind to the knowledge others have to give. Then, use your own voice to give compassion to others. Finally, see your own light - know that a small act, something as simple as a conversation between classes, can change a life.

For more information about The Opening Word Program, please visit our website http://www.openingword.org/ or follow us on FB https://www.facebook.com/theopeningword/ !

Insha' Allah Part 2

Chris Bargeron currently serves at Catholic Charities Atlanta in Refugee Resettlement as an employment specialist with Dominican Volunteers USA. He lives in community at the Penn Community in Atlanta, GA with two Dominican sisters of Sinsinawa, a husband and wife with a one year old boy, a former Peace Corps/Episcopal Volunteer, and one other Dominican Volunteer, Holly Sammons.

                  They say that if you look at a picture at a different angle, something new will speak to you. Maybe you didn’t catch that shade of blue in the sky when you looked at it before or you didn’t realize the true emotion of someone’s mannerisms until you looked at it in a different angle. Last year when I was serving as an ESL teacher in Chicago, I was moved by this phrase, “Insha’Allah” which means “God willing.” I think I have a different perspective of that phrase after some of my experiences in Atlanta this year.

                  As an employment specialist, there are a lot of different moving parts that I need to control at the same time in order for a refugee to be happy. “Is that job close to home? Is it accessible by bus? Does it pay well? Can I work second shift?” are a few of the many questions I get asked in deciding if this is a job that a particular refugee wants. It gets tough sometimes— having to reject a refugee’s desires to work in a sushi restaurant because you know that they will not be able to live off of the unjust wages that most workers working in Asian restaurants in Georgia receive. Sometimes, with all my might, prayers and power, I am not able to sway refugees in the direction that I perceive as correct. Are these the type of outcomes that God wills? Am I doing something wrong in not trying harder? There’s an incredible amount of pressure trying not to “drop the ball” on these refugees. At any given time, I am helping out 30-35 refugees, at different points in their lives, find gainful employment in order to be self-sufficient, a term that is highly taken for granted by many people in this country.

                  I’ve realized that there are many aspects of life that are taken for granted by Americans in general. I have come to this realization on a deeper level after the catastrophic attacks in Paris. I had no idea that I would continue to be mentally impacted by this event for weeks and months afterward.

Above is a photograph I took before the Paris attacks of a wonderful little picture showing Atlanta endorsing the lives of refugees moving and resettling here, making Atlanta their home. It says, “Refugees, Welcome… Bring your families.”

                                                 

                  

Here is a picture I took of the same place, three days after the Paris attacks.

                  As I drove past this, my heart sank. Not to mention, I’m living in a country that has condemned not only Syrian refugees, but all refugees. Syrian refugees were being denied to come into this country, to receive benefits, food stamps, to live. I thought, “What a disgusting moment in time for America.”

                  It was a rough time to wake up every morning and go to work knowing that I might be hated by many, many people that don’t even know me around the country. It was hard for me to also hear that fellow resettlement agencies had received death threats and cryptic phone calls in the weeks following the Paris attacks. I was wondering at the time if God willed these incredulous acts and responses, and if some kind of devastating attack on my resettlement agency would happen because of such hate towards ones that are what, escaping fear themselves and the ones helping them rebuild a new life? I also remembered that God also gave each individual free will. To me, the thought of each person having free will allowed me to be peaceful just the slightest bit and continue my work every day. I know that God will protect not only me but also all of us trying to rebuild the lives of those displaced.

                 To make it even better, during those 4-6 weeks of what I want to consider as a dark moral time in America, I had the incredible honor to place a Syrian refugee in a job. That was the moment in time that made everything worth it. And it continues to drive my passion to continue to help these refugees gain employment, live a life that they deserve to live and not have to fear anymore.

                This is a time in America to become more educated about who lives around us and about the refugees that come to this country to live a better life, to live a life without fear. It is not the time to be shunning the existence of those who haven’t even committed crimes. If things were to turn for the worst in our own country, I’m sure that many of us wouldn’t want to be denied entrance into other countries. I continue to be blessed everyday with refugees that come in with different stories and journeys with the same common goal. They want to be able to provide for their family. They want to be able to know the feeling of living how an average American feels, without fear. So I will continue to advocate for refugees and to be their rock and their helper in their continuing journeys, Insha’Allah. But I know that God will always will my actions.

For more information about refugee resettlement and other services Catholic Charities Atlanta provides, please visit catholiccharitiesatlanta.org

Both Chris Bargeron and Holly Sammons, work in Catholic Charities Atlanta serving in refugee resettlement.

In the Shoes of a Victim

Current Dominican Volunteer Francesca Pisano lives and works in Chicago, IL

My name is Francesca Pisano and I am an advocate and counselor at Sarah’s Inn, a domestic violence agency. I work with women and children who are victims and survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault. I’d like to take the time to transport you to a world you may have never visited before.

Sitting Amongst the Clouds

This morning you woke up to your friend’s dog on top of you because you are sleeping in his spot on the couch. You look across the room to see your children asleep on the pullout couch surrounded by bags full of whatever you were able to grab from your house before you left. Justin, your friend’s husband, is making coffee in the kitchen; you get up to go get some. He wasn’t awake when you got here around 2 am, just a few hours ago. Right before you reach the kitchen door, Karen’s voice travels into the hallway, “…but don’t overreact when you see her. I’m sure her bruises are going to be a lot worse this morning.” If Justin didn’t already know your husband beat you, he sure does now.

Your handsome, successful husband came home from work at about 7 o’clock last night. The kids were almost done with their homework, you were cooking in the kitchen and he went to get changed out of his suit before joining the rest of the family. He finally came out of the bedroom once the workbooks were put away and the table was set. In between plating the dishes, you were texting one of your few friends about the PTA meeting last night that you weren’t allowed to attend because your husband wouldn’t let you use the car. You could tell his eyes were on you every time you touched your phone instead of putting more pasta in the next dish. You knew you’d be getting an earful later…

While the girls were getting ready for bed, your son and husband sat in front of the TV to watch the day’s sports recap but you were still in the kitchen cleaning up the meal’s aftermath. Your husband decided to come reprimand you about your disrespectful behavior before dinner. He started in a calm voice saying that you should be less worried about texting people and more worried about feeding your family. Little by little, his voice got louder… meaner. His words began to get hurtful as he started cursing at you, calling you worthless. You knew where this was going, so you tried to leave the room.

That’s when he grabbed you. “Don’t you walk away when I’m talking to you!” He held you in a chokehold up against the wall. The kids were used to the yelling, so they didn’t bother to come out of their safe spaces, but they never saw him put his hands on you, even though it has happened before. You knew your son saw blow after blow, slap after slap. All of a sudden you heard sirens soon followed by a knock on the door. The officer said, “Your son called and said his dad was killing his mom. The dispatcher heard the commotion and sent us here immediately.” Those words meant many, many things. First and foremost, they meant “safety”…followed by “struggle,” “disaster,” “embarrassment.”

Now, sitting on the floor of the hallway in Karen’s house at 6:30 in the morning, you hold back tears while you think of where you’ll be sleeping tonight, how you failed your beautiful children, what will happen with the police report and the courts, if Child Protective Services will get involved, and when you will truly feel safe again.

*Note: All names are fictitious.

Open These Doors

Current Dominican Volunteer Alandra Scott ministers with the Dominican Leadership Conference at the United Nations in NYC.

The Benincasa lay intentional community

         In the Benincasa Community we focus on all four pillars, but study has been particularly important for the community during this season of Advent. We were discussing study and how to frame social justice actions around the fruits of our contemplation and study. We ended up concentrating on a very hard to ignore injustice happening in New York City: the evident number of people who are experiencing homelessness.

As we began running the Blessed Sacrament Parish soup kitchen, studied and discussed, we felt called to action. We learned that the Archdiocese of New York is one of the largest landowners in Manhattan. With the amount of vacant space in the city there is enough shelter for all those who go without. I was surprised to find this out. In addition the archdiocese closed 40 parishes on August 3rd, 2015 just before Julie and I moved into the house. This was the archdiocese’s second round of church closings.

We looked into what parishes had been closed, why they were closed and what the diocese was doing with empty churches and convents. We found they were selling many of the properties for profit. Some space had already been sold to NYU, to transforming a homeless shelter into an arts and acting center, and into luxurious condominiums in Nolita. Pope Francis expects the Church to use its properties to serve the poor. He states; “Empty convents and monasteries should not be turned into hotels by the church to earn money… [The buildings] are not ours, they are the flesh of Christ, which is what refugees are.”

After learning all of this and spending time planning, we decided this was the direction to take for the first action. We invited others we thought would have interest and began brainstorming. We decided to call the action “Open These Doors,” and it coincidentally coincides with the Jubilee Year of Mercy when the Holy Father will open the Door of Mercy (the Holy Door in the Basilica of St. Peter at the Vatican). The Door of Mercy will be left open for the duration of the Holy Year.

We found a list of the closed churches from the NY Archdiocesan website and created posters which read “Open These Doors for Refuge” with a QR Code that sends users directly to the website we created! We went to each closed church, put a sign on the door and took pictures of it. The action is mainly a social media campaign meant to draw awareness to the facts we had come to be cognizant of surrounding homelessness. We run a twitter feed, instagram and the website. On the website are facts about homelessness in New York City and a letter addressed to Cardinal Dolan alerting him to our action and a call for justice.

Photo from http://www.openthesedoors.com

On all social media facets we put up three pictures daily throughout Advent. First, we post the door with the address; second, a quote; third, a question or a call to action. The action concurs seamlessly with Advent, so was dubbed “an Advent action insisting that the church open all its vacant spaces for refuge.”

It has been and continues to be exciting to bring our study to life in a way that can hold large systems accountable to justice. As a community, we are continuing to transform our study into the New Year!

Follow the Advent “Open These Doors” action at http://www.openthesedoors.com/

Nicole's Light

Grace Urankar (left) is a second-year Dominican Volunteer serving in San Francisco.

Any Dominican Volunteer will tell you that ministry is not easy. As our mission statement dictates, a DV “searches for new frontiers for the faith.” We are asked to bring the light of Christ to the darkened corners of our world. Completing this mission in ministry placements while living in intentional community demands a form of relationship that is both deeply fulfilling and exhausting. It is something both awful and beautiful that few people experience in this lifetime.

In the quotidian routine, ministry can be very frustrating. It’s frustrating to feel like the people you serve are doing the best they can, and you are giving so much of yourself, but no one is “making progress” or “moving forward.” In my ministry last year, I saw many students work hard all semester only to remain on academic probation after a bad exam. I saw my students, despite being engaged in class, repeatedly neglect to do their homework. Most of all, I saw myself drag along as a first-year teacher, often in a panic about what the next day would hold. But in many ways, these frustrations are only setbacks; they are opportunities to remain hopeful and shine light. They are not the ache of true disappointment.

My first disappointment in ministry happened in January. Several of my students were absent from school for two days in a row. For some, this comes to be expected behavior, but for Nicole, it was not. I looked forward to seeing her in class again; I thought of her routine disorganization but otherwise friendly presence. The following week, I found out that Nicole’s parents were in a custody battle. Although her mom wanted her to stay at our school, her dad enrolled her in a school near his home, some 20 miles from ours. The previous Friday was recorded as her last day of school. I never knew she was leaving, and I never got to say goodbye.

Nicole was not the best or brightest student in my class. She often lost both her homework and her focus; her tests made me wonder if she heard anything at all in class. But Nicole might have had the biggest heart of anyone I knew. She never got angry or displaced her frustration on me, as many students did; I was even more impressed by this after learning about her challenges at home.

Nicole’s ability to love was shown to me distinctly only a few weeks before her departure, when we had a transfer student join our class after the Christmas break. Our new student, Camila, was cold, closed off, and adamant about not participating -- understandable defenses to a new environment. But Nicole brought her out of that, shining the light of Christ in the darkness, offering hope and love to Camila by offering to work together with her at the board. When I checked in on them later, Camila was writing, talking, and laughing. Thanks to Nicole, Camila finally became engaged relationally and a member of our class.

I wondered what Nicole would need to survive at her new school, and if anyone would reach out to her in the same way that she reached out to Camila. I prayed that she wouldn’t lose her spirit or her will to succeed. Most of all, I hoped that despite the difficult changes in her life, she would continue to shine her light.

In mid-September, Nicole stayed behind after class. After a few pestering questions from me, she broke down in tears, saying that our school was too hard for her and she couldn’t keep up. I talked her down, offering some solace, and tried to illustrate that our entire staff was on her side. I remember that moment as my first real experience of ministry at my placement. Nicole showed me what it meant to be vulnerable and to share in relationship. She made me realize that I have the capacity to bring hope to the hopeless and preach the good news of Christ in the smallest ways each day. I was able to shine some light into her life, but, if anything, I must thank Nicole for allowing me to witness to her.

To lose Nicole was heartbreaking, and one of my first lessons of love in ministry. I think of Nicole once in awhile, and her memory is tinged with the sting of never telling her how much she meant to me. This Christmas, I offer prayers for her and her family, so like the newborn Jesus, her light may shine to the world in the same way it shined in mine.

It is so easy for us to lose focus, to forget what really matters. It’s tempting to turn inward rather than continuing to reach out to others. Nicole did this so beautifully, and I hope I can honor her by doing the same. This Christmas, may we each share the light of Christ through our kindness, our hope, and our love.

Merry Christmas, and let your light shine!

Resurrecting the Blog!

Here we go! We are going to resurrect the blog! It was dormant for a little time there due to transitions within the organization. But now it's back! Please stay tuned as there will be new posts coming soon from wonderful current Dominican Volunteers.

Happy Advent to you and yours from Dominican Volunteers USA!

Alumni Spotlight: Jessica John

  We are excited to introduce you an interview with the chair of our annual auction committee and a Dominican Volunteer alumni Jessica John. Jessica served as a volunteer at St Pius V school in Pilsen as a Physical education teacher and reading specialist. Currently, she works at the University of Chicago Medicine as a Benefits and Wellness Specialist.

What were some of the unexpected hurdles and benefits of your volunteer experience with DV USA?

Becoming a Dominican volunteer was an experience that helped to shape the last 12 years of my life. I really thought I was coming to Chicago for a year and then I would go back to Las Vegas (where I grew up) and figure out what to do with the rest of my life. But that year changed all that! During my DV year I learned more about my Catholic faith than I had learned during all of my years of attending CCD classes.  I learned how to be a housemate, a neighbor, and a fellow human on this journey to understand our place in the world. I was taught about the Catholic social teaching, because the sisters I lived with were living them day in a day out (without trying!). I made friends who I consider my soul companions, helping me to find God and understand God more and more each day. I learned about heartache, about love, about compassion and about really hard truths. I learned that life is not fair, but it is still worth living, and that when we pay attention...God works...sometimes in really weird ways, but God is there.

What motivates you to be the chairman of the fundraising committee of DV USA?

Because I had such an important experience with DVUSA, I wanted to make sure my kids were going to have the same opportunities to volunteer (someday). Becoming a co-chair in 2010 was fun. Brenda Butler and I were excited to show off our party planning skills. We had a great celebration (and earned a little money too!) The next year was Mike Chapuron's first year as the ED and he was an amazing leader and persuasive! Year after year, I just kept doing it and became better and better at it. Don't think for one minute that I did it alone, though. I had amazing, dedicated committee members who worked their butts off to make these auctions successful.

 Since you are a wellness specialist, what’s in your playlist during workouts?

This is a great question! I only listen to music when I'm on the treadmill or elliptical - so I usually need a lot of motivation to keep going. My playlist has songs from Beastie Boys, Eminem, LMFO, Mumford and Sons, Shakira, and I usually finish up with Stevie Nicks.

What makes you really happy?

Well, here is a short list of the things that make me really happy:

Making the first footprints in the snow after a heavy snow fall, summertime baseball games, long bike rides to new coffee shops, deep conversations about God and God at work in our lives. Seeing people do something they didn't think they could do, and seeing how proud they feel, and flirting with bartenders. These are just a few of my favorite things.

Meet A Dominican Volunteer- Shani Toor

Shani Toor ministers with Siena House in the Bronx. She builds community with the women and their babies who are living at the shelter. She shares community in the Bronx Lay Community. As her volunteer year comes to end, she answered our questions about her year in Dominican Volunteers program.

Why did you decide to become a Dominican Volunteer?

I loved the fact that I would be serving a grossly under served population. I have always wanted to work with mothers and babies so it seemed that dedicating a year of service with DVUSA would give me that opportunity as well as the structure and security of community living.

What was the most surprising thing during your volunteer time?

The most surprising thing for me during my volunteer time was how much I fell in love with the women and children I work with. They bring me so much joy, As I am writing this response I find myself fighting back tears by the thought of leaving them but they will forever be in my heart and I will always remember them.

What was the one thing you wish you could change?

Community life was very difficult for me in the beginning because I didn't fully understand it but now that it is so close to the end I am really enjoying the time that I spend within community.

What was the most important lesson you learned in your volunteer time with DV?

I have learned to accept all things in the form that they come to you because although it may not come in the way you want it to, every lesson is important.

Do you have any special moments you would like to share with us?

Recently, this year my mother was diagnosed with a Glioblastoma, a very aggressive form of brain cancer. It is by far the most devastating news that I have ever received but this program and all of its affiliates have been so unbelievably supportive throughout the whole process. I have felt loved.

How this year changed you?

I am sure it has but I wont know in what ways until I leave NYC and get a chance to look at this year through from an aerial prospective.

 What would you say to volunteers of 2015-16?

Enjoy yourself and go with what is in your heart

Meet A Dominican Volunteer-David Gayes

David Gayes currently serves as an English Language teacher at the Tolton Center in Chicago. He also serves at Casa Juan Diego, an after school program. At the end of his first year of service as a Dominican Volunteer we asked him to share with us his experience with the program.

Why did you decide to become a Dominican Volunteer?

I attended Dominican University in River Forest Illinois. My major was in Spanish Studies and my two miners were Theology and Social Justice & Civic Engagement. At my university, I was shaped by the importance of service, social justice, and the Dominican way of life. I knew I wanted to put them into practice and serve my community. Dominican Volunteers USA offered a way to do that and a way to grow.

What was the most surprising thing during your volunteer time?

When I came to my ministry to teach English as a second language With the Tolton Center in Chicago I didn't know what to expect. The people that surprised me most were my students. I was surprised at how welcoming they were to me as a new teacher. I was moved by their willingness to share their powerful and profound life experiences. And I was impressed by their strong desire to learn and embrace United States culture. 

One story illustrates my students’ generosity. After teaching for only a few weeks, one of my students gave me an apple, a symbol for a teacher. I was moved by this simple gesture of love, and appreciation from my students.

What was the one thing you wish you could change?

 As an English as a Second Language teaching assistant, I serve many immigrants and people who are undocumented. Through their stories and experiences, I receive a firsthand look of the injustices of the United States immigration system, as well as the many obstacles my students must overcome. I wish that I could do more to fix this unjust and broken system. I remind myself that teaching English is a needed service that makes a substantial difference in in the lives of my students.

How this year changed you?

 One year into the program, I now have a better understanding of struggles people go through in learning English and American culture. I have cultivated long-lasting relationships and friendships with people different than myself both in my community, and in my ministry. I have learned so much from Sister Beth Murphy, and Sister Martha Marie Kirbach, two sisters who dedicate their lives to serving others.

 What would you say to volunteers of 2015-16?

I would say keep an open mind. You are embarking on a life-changing journey in your community and your ministry. Be open to wherever that journey may lead you.