Serving Others During the Pandemic

A Drop in the Ocean

by Karen Miller, Pastoral Associate

This pandemic has consumed our headlines and our conversations.  It has altered our work, our worship and our lives. Some families have found themselves together too much and some just long to be together. For others, being alone is suddenly magnified.

Facing an ocean of hardship, our hearts long to help, to make a drop in the ocean, to affect for the good and so many of you have been doing just that… 

Tighe Hall would have been a lonely, empty space had it not been for Katie Hall, a Visitation parishioner and Director of Development for St. Luke Foundation and her team! They transformed the Faith Formation Room, Retreat Room and Brides Room into a headquarters for material cutting, sorting and mask kit making. When the organizers realized they needed twist ties for the nosepiece, they asked and you responded! Twist ties poured into the newly placed basket that first afternoon. Other parishioners and members of the community helped by delivering materials to the people who sewed and transformed the kits into surgical grade masks! The effort infused over 60,000 masks into the health system, 20,000 of which came from our hub, Tighe Hall! How humbling that this space was able to support such a fruitful effort.

Our 8^th grade class has faced a most unusual year-end and most of them are still mourning what would have been. However, when a request came to find ways to boost the morale for hospital workers, they rose to the challenge and stepped outside of their own grief to encourage and support these workers. They submitted photos of themselves holding encouraging notes. Parent Jenny Legg helped coordinate the effort while 8^th grader Lauren Legg put the video together. What a gift to have this thoughtful gesture modeled for us here.

 As a way to support the clinic workers at St. Luke’s, some of our parishioners baked homemade goodies and attached beautiful words of encouragement and prayers which were delivered to over 60 clinics at St. Luke’s. One of the bakers, Julie Olivas said, “My daughter is a nurse in Chicago and since I can’t bake for her there, I want to bake for you, to encourage you through this difficult time.”  Mary Gigliotti, Jenny Legg, Julie Olivas, Barb Truta, Jill McGee, Marty Dakan and Susan Reid were the love of Christ poured out for those tired workers.

Feeding the hungry has been a longtime commitment of Visitation. We are grateful, especially this year, for Community Garden chair, Allison Dudley, and the other gardeners who will tend the soil and plant the seeds that will produce fresh food for those in need. Many of our parishioners are still involved packing to go meals for One City Café and Morning Glory who have stayed open to distribute them to their guests. Many of the food pantries we support are still doing what they do best, feeding the hungry. They expect and anticipate the demand to continue to increase and your response to the Emergency Food Fund plea raised $7,000 to help make sure they are able to stock their shelves with food. Thank you, Visitation!

Finally, there was the parade organized by Visitation School. Many of you participated to shower love onto our pastor who struggled openly during the beginning of our isolation. Hundreds of cars honked and people waved at Monsignor that day. The small high-pitched voices of the children yelling, “Hi, Monsignor!”, “We miss you, Monsignor!” were almost too cute to handle and the grin on his face was something to behold. I know that all of you participating and planning were doing it for Monsignor first, but we all benefited. What a glorious reminder of the community we share and the love we have for one another.

I know many of you are doing things that inspire others and make a difference and the world may never know about your contribution. While the virus may not be eradicated by these kindnesses and gestures, it helps more than you know. As Saint Teresa of Calcutta said, “We know only too well that what we are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean.  But if the drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something.” Thank you for the ways you are alleviating the suffering in our midst.