Lay Carmelites in Southeast Region, Quick to Answer the Call

The smell of fresh paint, the sound of tarp flapping in the breeze and construction workers moving in and out all serve to remind me that progress is being made toward recovery following hurricane Katrina. As I sit at my computer writing this article I know that I am among the fortunate Lay Carmelites in the area that has a roof that could be repaired, with ceilings and walls that were only damaged by rain water. I have been luckier still that I have managed to find a contractor that is licensed, fully insured and willing to take on a job that will net him less than $15,000 dollars.

Just over seven months ago, I sat with 235 Lay Carmelites from Louisiana and Mississippi and enjoyed a day of reflection lead by Father John-Benedict Weber, O.Carm. It was a wonderful day filled with love, laughter and learning. Six months ago, the fourteen Lay Carmelite communities in my region had their lives turned upside down as catastrophic winds and rising water resulted in failed levees and property losses hard for most to imagine.

One of the quickest ways to appreciate fully your Carmelite community is to have it snatched away from you. The average community member left their home on August 28th with family members, pets, three days of clothing, some cash, a few important papers, and perhaps a photo album or two. Two days later most began to realize that everything they owned was gone and life as they knew it would never be the same. Just to give you an idea of the magnitude of what has happened consider the following:

• In the Archdiocese of New Orleans, only 107 of 142 parishes have been reopened.
Communities that previously met in well appointed parish halls are now meeting wherever they can find room.

• Members are scattered all over the U.S. with many located in areas where Lay Carmelite communities do not exist. While they know they are part of the Carmelite family, the feeling of isolation is overwhelming. Some communities have not accounted for all of their members. Not knowing if someone you love is alive or dead is a heavy cross to carry.

• In some cases, all community records and libraries have been lost while stored in homes that were destroyed by 10-14 feet of flood water.

• Even six months after the storm, members of some communities do not know if they will ever be able to return to the place they called home. This is due in large part to government agencies failing to decide if electricity and other utilities will be brought back into their neighborhoods. While they wait, they still pay mortgages on homes they cannot live in while paying rent on hotels or apartments. We even have one Lay Carmelite living on a cruise ship docked in Baton Rouge during the week and staying with family in Mississippi on the weekends, all the while worrying about a home back in New Orleans.

• Some Lay Carmelites have lost jobs while others have had to relocate as companies they work for move to higher ground. They don’t know when they will be able to come back home. In some cases, a husband’s job relocated in one direction and his wife’s job relocated in another.

• Other Lay Carmelites with school aged children are delaying moving back home because their neighborhood schools are closed.

• Hurricane Rita affected six Lay Carmelite Communities in western Louisiana. While New Orleans is on the mind of the nation, we also have Lay Carmelites in other parts of Louisiana and Mississippi dealing with varying degrees of damage.

Learning to live in the spirit of poverty has taken on a completely new meaning as Lay Carmelites take stock of what is important. Two members who have lost all their material possessions are currently living and working in a halfway house helping substance abusers rebuild their lives. Others have taken family members, friends, or even complete strangers into their homes to live. One member spent days working on a road crew cutting trees to clear rural roads, while many others were bringing ice and food to people who could not get to Red Cross distribution centers. Lay Carmelites have been quick to answer any call for assistance as they live out their vocation as lay contemplatives in action.

The road to normal living will be long and hard but the burden is made much lighter when shared within a loving Lay Carmelite community. For now those communities are rebuilding one day at a time. On behalf of the more than 400 Lay Carmelites that call the Louisiana and Mississippi Regions home, I extend our heart felt gratitude for your continue prayers.