Sept. 16th, 2010: Letter to the Mayor

This letter is written by a friend of mine, Rene Ronquillo, to Mayor Berry in Albuquerque. It highlights some of the issues that we in Albuquerque are facing. Feel free to comment. I know this is a hot button issue.


It could happen to anyone – all it takes is a small twist of fate.

A debilitating injury, an accident, a divorce, loss of a job…all of these could lead to homelessness.

The recent arrests of two men for feeding the homeless without a permit are terrible tragedies and a sad display of the priorities of our city and APD. Why would the honest giving of one person to another require a permit?

Poor and homeless people will always be a very real part of our society, and I know that if I ever became a person in need, I would be so grateful that someone cared enough to spend every Sunday afternoon for 4 years helping to make sure that my belly was full.

The police are claiming that feeding the homeless requires a permit and that that is why these men were arrested. Since when does kindness require a permit? Across all cultures worldwide, sharing a meal is one of the most basic examples of what makes a community.

APD and city officials are claiming that permits are required to protect the health of the homeless. But if the city were truly concerned about the health of the homeless, they would make public restrooms available. They would make public water fountains available. They would see that a man serving fresh fruit sure beats the health risks of dumpster-diving. In the 4 years that these volunteers have been serving the homeless, there has never been an incident of sickness. In fact, they do a public service by cleaning 4th Street after they serve and leaving it cleaner than it was when they arrived. I know this because I’ve seen it.

Let’s be real, Mayor Berry. These arrests were not about your concerns for the health of the homeless. They were about business and the bottom line – money! The easy (and callous) thing to do is to eliminate the sight of these homeless folks so that tourism and downtown business can thrive. Why else would Alfonso Hernandez, the man serving and caring for these people, be ordered to not come within 100 feet of 4th Street and be charged with criminal trespassing?? That’s not about a permit…that’s about keeping the homeless people away from downtown.

Stopping these volunteers from serving others is a violation of their constitutional and religious rights!

The hard thing to do…the Christian thing to do…the right thing to do is to try to educate the public and change the minds and hearts of those who avoid the downtown area because there are homeless folks down there. The homeless are not to be feared or shunned – they do not cause crime. I know because I’ve worked with them, and I know many of the folks who eat Alfonso’s meal every Sunday. I’ve seen more love and generosity from these people, who have nothing but the backpack on their backs, than from some people I meet in church or who have much to give and don’t.

Let’s invoke some commonsense. There are real criminals out there, after all – thieves, murderers, drug dealers, rapists…doesn’t Albuquerque’s finest (16 of them to be exact, who showed up on 4th Street this past Sunday the 12th) have better things to do and worry about than a man trying to serve his community by feeding the homeless and picking up garbage?

Homelessness can happen to ANYONE! How would you like to be treated if you were in their situation? What we need is more education, commonsense, solidarity, and compassion.

August 7th, 2010: Junk

In 2008-2009 I took my first JustFaith class at Risen Savior parish. At the end of that course one of my goals was to help the environment by stopping junk mail from arriving at my home. First, it is rare that I look through any of my junk mail. Secondly, the purpose of junk mail is primarily so people purchase what is being advertised. Well since I don't look through my junk mail I don't purposely purchase the things being advertised therefore defeating junk mails purpose. I do throw it into my paper recycle bin but what would be better for the environment would be to stop junk mail from coming to my house all together.

Did you know that: Each year in our country 4.5 million tons of junk mail is produced. It uses 100 million trees a year and wastes 28 billion gallons of water for paper processing each year. This is so sad considering there are places in our world that have difficulty finding drinking water. On average each person receives 1.5 personal letters each week compared to 10.8 pieces of junk mail. Then 44% of all junk mail is thrown in the trash, unopened and unread and $320 million of local taxes are used to dispose of unsolicited mail each year.

Here are the sites I found for you to navigate. Stop your junk mail from coming, save our environment, save trees, and water. Its an easy step towards justice.

http://www.donotmail.org/
http://www.ecocycle.org/junkmail/
http://www.stopjunkmailnow.com/

The process might take you a few hours but the environmental benefits will last a lifetime.

July 31st, 2010: Broken

This last week I shadowed the Center for Immigration & Citizenship Legal Assistance at Catholic Charities. Interesting enough parts of the Arizona SB-1070 law took affect on Thursday. It was a great week for me to ask a lot of questions and learn a lot about our broken immigration system. I have avoided the topic of immigration in previous blogs because of the tense political climate in the US around immigration for as long as I have known. So rather than feed the frenzy I am going to just tell a few stories.

Nine months ago Catholic Charities was introduced to a refugee Cuban family consisting of two people, a mother and her adult son. Legally, after one year and one day of being a refugee in the US (with proper documentation) refugees can petition for legal permanent resident (LPR) status. The paperwork process for Catholic Charities and the clients in these cases are usually not difficult because refugees have been with Catholic Charities for quite some time and Catholic Charities knows their histories. Currently the family of two is bringing in about $1,600 a month in income. I am not certain on how many hours a week they work but we are certain that they both have a job. This income is to pay for their rent, food, utilities, and anything to get by. However, now that they want to file for LPR status. Financially it will cost both people in the family, combined, approximately $3,000 to become legal permanent residents. What I did find out is that they don't loose their refugee status after one year and one day but eventually, I believe, and I could be wrong, if they wait longer than seven years they could loose their status. Regardless, financially they are barely getting by. What is the client to do?

A young man walks into the office. He is about 23 years old. His mother is petitioning for him to become a LPR. She became a LPR via a marriage with an American citizen. His mom brought him over from Mexico when he was three months old. He has grown up his entire life in the US. He has never been to Mexico. When he was younger on a I-9 form once he was employeed he claimed that he was a US Citizen; this is a serious crime so much so that this young man now has a ban that could either delay his LPR status for a really long time or potentially he would never get legal status. I am not saying what he did was right. He was young and wanted a job and did what it took. But now what he did for the job might cause him his legal residency status. Imagine a young man, 23 years old, his life ahead of him, only speaks English, and has never left the country...what is the client to do?

A young woman walks into the office. She is 18 years old and a US Citizen. Her mother is a Mexican citizen living in Juarez. She wants to petition for LPR status for her mother. The young woman is scared that the violence that is erupting in Juarez will affect her mother. There is no direct threat to her mother, merely, indirect, which is still scary. Regardless the young woman is turned away. For a child to petition their parent the child must be 21 years old. She leaves and says she will be back in three years. The 18 year old child is scared about her mothers safety. What does this client do for the next three years as she waits, in fear, for a phone call from a relative about the situation in Juarez?

The system is broken, and honestly, I am not so sure what the answer is. Its true we need comprehensive immigration reform in the US. But what does comprehensive immigration reform look like? And beyond what we need in the US, globally, we need peace and a way people can earn a living in their own countries to support themselves and their families. The majority of people who migrate, from what I have learned, if they had the resources (food, shelter, clothing, money) to live in their birth country they would. But because of lack of resources and/or war and violence they just can't 'live' in their country for fear of death either from no food or violence.

What can we do? Pray - first and foremost - that God work with our human laws and hearts so that people are treated with dignity and respect where ever they are. Also advocating for comprehensive immigration reform. If you look at the website created by the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops, Justice for Immigrants, http://www.justiceforimmigrants.org/, you will see some of the ideas the Bishops' believe are important for immigration reform in the United States. Talk to your local representatives and see what you can do to make immigration reform occur. Lastly I think one of the most important issues in any social justice matter is putting a face to the cause. Interacting with immigrants so that one realizes that they are human, they have families they love and are caring for, they are here to attempt to live...open your eyes, hands, and time so that God can work with your heart.

Leviticus 19:32-34
If a stranger lives with you in your land,
do not molest him. You must count him as one of
your own countrymen and love him as yourself -
for you were once strangers yourselves in Egypt.
I am Yahweh your God.

July 24th, 2010: Unsettled

This is the end of my second week at Catholic Charities in Albuquerque and I am loving it. I am learning a lot. My first week I shadowed the Center for Self-Sufficiency and Housing Assistance. This last week I shadowed the Center for Refugee Settlement and Support. I am shadowing all of the Centers at Catholic Charities so that I can go out and educate the community on Catholic Charities and Catholic Social Teaching - the tenants that are the mission and vision of the organization. For me to give these presentations around the Archdiocese of Santa Fe I myself need to know what Catholic Charities does, hence, my 5-6 weeks of shadowing and researching.

This week at the Center for Refugees my heart has been broken. A refugee according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) defines a refugee as a person who has fled his/her country of origin/residency and who is unwilling/unable to return because of a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a political social group. This definition excludes those leaving their country of origin/residency only to seek a more prosperous life. Refugees come to the United States through a long legal process that can take from a few months to many years; in some cases a refugee may be in a refugee camp outside his/her country of origin/residency for up to 15 years waiting entry into the United States. According to the UNHCR there are approximately 16 million refugees in our world today. The cap, ceiling not quota, of refugees admitted into the US for 2010 is at 80,000 people. Less that 1/2% of people that apply to come to the United States are admitted. In Albuquerque from July 2009-July 2010 208 people (adults and children) from around the world (Iraq, Cuba, Congo, Bhutan, and many other places) were settled here.

Bluntly, I have learned that the system to bring refugees into the United States and the system to keep them here in a dignified way is broken. In theory, and this is something I agree with, it is helpful that we at least have a system in place to settle refugees from war-torn areas. However once they enter the United States they have many obstacles to overcome before they can survive here. There are many reasons the system is failing.

First, the system was last re-designed in the 1980s when many of the refugees who were coming into US had more resources (money and connections to other family/friends in the US). Now, many of those coming into the country are coming from third world countries that need a lot more services and resources. Without going into too many details the government helps refugees financially for 120 days (four months). If they qualify, after 120 days refugees could qualify for food stamps and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (receive money). However due to lack of the English language (you cannot learn English proficiently in four months if you cannot read/write even your own primarily language) and the bad economy some families/refugees end up on the streets. In addition Catholic Charities has seen a dramatic increase in medical attention needed for refugees due to the nature of where they came from. A refugee will have a difficult time dealing with their illness, learning a language, and finding a job in a foreign country in a 120 period.

This brings me to my second point. 120 days is too short of a time for a refugee to acclimate and be self-sufficient. Imagine you moving to a foreign country where you don't speak the language, don't understand the culture, have a medical need, and their economy is bad. In the US I have known of people, who speak English and are in great health, who take six months to find a job to sustain themselves. Funding is therefore an issue. It falls on the state, local government, and Catholic Charities as an unfunded mandate to help refugees do the close to impossible in 120 days. Granted, sometimes 120 days is all a refugee from Cuba might need but a refugee from the Congo has very different needs and barriers to cross. The US government essentially says that "yes" we welcome you to our country but the money or time is just not there to support the "yes". It disturbs me to read that some say its better for refugees to be homeless in our country than to be in their war-torn country. Is that really how we want to treat someone who has already suffered enough? Is that really how we want someone who waited 15 years in a refugee camp to be treated? Granted the system that is in place is premised on full employment in our country but even with full employment in our country the demographics of who a refugee is has dramatically shifted.

This brings me to my last point. Advocacy is needed. Those who are coming from different countries don’t have the political capital to get their agenda on the table in DC or even locally. A Congolese Lobby Group does not exist. We must use our voices to advocate for those who cannot speak for themselves because they are attempting to merely live. We need to talk to our representatives about fixing the refugee system. Some of the basic things you can bring up are, 1) increase funding for refugees or say yes to less refugees so that the refugees that are admitted into the US get more funding, 2) increase the amount of time refugees get funding - 120 days in just not enough, 3) increase the resources for refugees - help them educationally and with the English language, and 4) when placing someone somewhere in the United States account for their needs (health, social, etc). I am unsettled with the current system. Catholic Charities is working so hard to work within the parameters given to them. Catholic Charities is doing amazing work (teaching them English, giving cultural awareness classes, providing them a home to live in for 120 days, funded by the government, that is fully furnished, in-kind donations, and much more). However, Spending time with families and children of different countries around the world, seeing them attempting to acclimate and learn English, seeing them trying to rush to do all that they need to do in 120 days to build their homes leaves me unsettled.

If you have more questions about the refugee system I can provide more details. Leave me a comment and I can email you. I am not an expert but if I don't know the answers I can ask sources that do know them.

I also want to thank those who taught me a lot of this information in the Refugee Center at Catholic Charities.

July 11th, 2010: Cristo Rey Albuquerque

It's been a while since I have posted a blog! So many good things have happened in the last few months that have made me quite busy! I got married to the love of my life, Mike. We went on a wonderful honeymoon to Maui. I discerned to leave Newman as the Director of Campus Ministry to pursue my passion and deep calling for social justice. And by the grace of God, tomorrow, I am starting a new job with Catholic Charities as the parish and faith community outreach liaison. In this position I will be teaching Catholic Social Teaching and spreading the mission of Catholic Charities to both Catholic & other Christian Churches in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. I immensely feel the love of God.

One new thing that I am involved in is starting a Cristo Rey High School in Albuquerque! There are 24 successful Cristo Rey High Schools in cities throughout the country. These schools provide a private, Catholic, college preparatory education to students who otherwise cannot afford this type of education. In this model students go to school four days a week (the school day is extended so to meet regulations of hours students are in school) and the fifth day they work in a "work study program". The corporations who sponsor the work pay one salary to the school for each four students working at their organization. 70% of the funding for the entire school comes from the work that these students do in their work study programs. What I am really moved by with the corporate work study program is that students are given a sense of hope that they can become something greater than they previously imagined in their society via the avenue of a good solid education and working along side professionals in their communities.

Why does Albuquerque need a Cristo Rey High School? Did you know that the number of people living below the poverty level in the South Valley is over three times the national average? In 2009 the drop out rate for high school students was at 46%. These are just two indications that we in Albuquerque are in desperate need for additional educational resources for our residents.

Currently Archbishop Sheehan, two Marist Brothers, and a Task Force of over 30 individuals are conducting a feasibility study in Albuquerque to get Cristo Rey Albuquerque open for a freshman class in the Fall of 2012. Various sites in the South Valley have been evaluated and a decision on the location for the school is expected soon. We are going to be hosting a major event to be held on October 1st at the Hispanic Cultural Center to more widely inform the community about Cristo Rey where one of our special guests will be Fr. Foley, SJ, the Jesuit who helped establish the Cristo Rey model. These are just a few of the things that are occurring from the group conducting this study. If you would like to learn more information about Cristo Rey Albuquerque please look at our website, http://www.cristoreyalbuquerque.org. If you would like to learn more about the Cristo Rey Network please look at that website, http://www.cristoreynetwork.org. If you would like to make a donation to get this much needed high school started or if you know someone who would like to provide a job for the corporate work study program please contact Br. Jim Adams at jefajr@aol.com.

April 29th, 2010: St. Catherine of Siena

Ever since I was an undergraduate at the University of California, San Diego I have had a deep devotion to St. Catherine of Siena. She is someone that I have always had deep admiration for and have found deep spiritual companionship with. She was born in 1347; a time that was challenging for women to be in roles of authority. Yet, because of her deep desire to seek God and truth, veritas, she found the strength and courage to speak truth to power when she noticed injustices occurring in front of her. For example Catherine, during the Avignon papacy, through letter writing, implored that Pope Gregory XI move the papacy back to Rome. Her deep spirituality and love of God guided her to move in the direction in which the Spirit was moving her.

As some of you might have already heard after serious discernment and prayer I have decided not to return as the Director of Campus Ministry with the Aquinas Newman Center for the 2010-2011 academic year. This prayerful decision was difficult. I truly enjoy working with the students. Yet I know deep in my heart and soul that God is asking me to trust Him to move on. These last four years at Newman have been a true blessing. I have truly enjoyed walking with the students on their journeys of faith; I see it as having been sacred time to minister with and for the students. I will miss them all tremendously, but, I am certain that God will continue to watch over them and guide them all. I do trust that through my discernment with God, I am being asked to move on, even though at this moment I am not sure what that will look like. I find strength in this moment not only in my relationships with God, family, and friends, but also in women like Catherine of Siena who trusted and loved God so much that she gave her life to Him. I hope that I can give my life as fully to God as Catherine did.

March 30, 2010: Sight

A barren island. This is the sight we encountered when we took an air boat on Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 to a barrier island on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana. What is a barrier island? A barrier island is an island that is a buffer for the land when hurricanes come through. These barrier islands, not only help as a buffer, they also have wildlife that live on them, therefore keeping the ecosystem of the wetlands alive and vibrant. Barrier islands in Coastal Louisiana are also called wetlands. These wetlands/islands are also important because they prevent flooding by holding water much like a sponge. As stewards of creation (Gen 1:28) we must be aware of what we are doing to our earth and attempt to remedy the wrongdoings.

The barrier islands of coastal Louisiana are slowly deteriorating. This erosion is occurring because of several factors such as: hurricanes, human made levees to direct the Mississippi River from flowing in its natural course, and the drilling of natural oil in Coastal Louisiana. To uphold the dignity of those living in Louisiana and to uphold the tenant of Catholic Social Teaching, Care of Creation, we should work with them in helping rebuild not only their homes and cities but also their land.

What can we do? This is where our delegation came in. The first two days we were in Louisiana were dedicated to sorting long grass and planting these bunches of grass onto a barrier island. The barrier island that we planted on was human made by dredging the bottom of a lake to the top of the water so to create an island. Even though this is an expensive process, to dredge, it is a necessary to create land so that both the city of New Orleans can be protected and that the ecosystem in the wetlands can continue to exist. When we arrived to the island it was barren. When we left the island on Tuesday late afternoon new life was planted (the picture on the top right of this blog entry shows the island with what we planted). Our group planted 6,600 small plants that day. We left and saw a big change both in what we did and in our hearts. It was a blessing that God was using us as His vessels to continue life in New Orleans.

March 21, 2010: Touch

From March 14th to 20th, 2010, I was in New Orleans, Louisiana on a spring break service trip with college students from the University of New Mexico and resident parishioners from the Aquinas Newman Center. On Thursday night Jocelyn Sideco, the executive director of Contemplatives in Action (http://www.contemplativesinaction.org/), the non-profit that helped to plan our trip, led us in a evening of reflection. We had been having very deep evening reflections as a team, but this evening, Jocelyn gathered all forty of the participants staying at the location we were staying at for prayer. We lined up in four straight lines of ten. She had us stretch and then close our eyes. She had us reflect upon our senses and what we had experienced in New Orleans via our senses. The next few blogs will highlight a sense and give at least one example of how that heightened my experience of New Orleans.

Touch. On Thursday morning we went to the Lower Ninth Ward Village Community Center. Mac, a man who prior to Katrina stated that he was on the path towards living a very materialistic and self-centered life, post Katrina found his life worth living and decided to start up a community center so to be a beacon of hope in the Lower Ninth Ward. It was as if Katrina had cleansed his soul. From what I experienced, even though the community center was not completed, one could see that it was already flourishing as a center for change and hope to the community around it. One of the projects that we were put in charge of for the day was helping to dig up soil and to sift out debris so that the soil could be used to plant fruits, vegetables, and herbs. In the process we also were digging out the space where the garden would exist. Touching the soil and sifting it was a very holy and spiritual experience. As I sifted I prayed for the community of the Lower Ninth Ward. I prayed that this garden and community center would continue to elicit volunteers and bring the community together. I was standing and working in holy ground.

On a deeper level I also thought and prayed about the soil and its erosion in Louisiana. Did you know that Louisiana is losing about the size of a football field of land every 45 minutes due to erosion? (To learn about the land loss in Louisiana look at this website: http://www.americaswetland.com/) How will this affect all of us around the country? Why should we care? To name just a few things, Louisiana is one of the biggest port cities in the country, it is also one of the biggest manufacturers of natural gas, and it is one of the biggest producers of fresh seafood around the country. If coastal Louisiana is depleted the entire country will feel it. There was a study done that if just one of the approximately fifteen oil refineries in Louisiana were shut down, gas prices around the country would more than double. Not only should we care about Louisiana because our pocket books might hurt or because we might not have as much seafood to eat but we should care because of the people and the culture that reside in Louisiana. Imagine your home being wiped away by a natural disaster or by erosion. I think of my home state of California. I have thought about how I will feel when a huge earthquake, known to Californians as the big one, will strike and change the way California looks to me today. My family is there. My best friends are there. All of my memories from when I was born until I was 26 are in the state of California. To uphold the dignity of those living in Louisiana we should work with them in helping rebuild not only their homes and cities but also their land. (In a later blog I will discuss how we can help re-build the land.) Soil is a source of life and is sacred.

March 10, 2010: Rice Bowl

"They will know we are Christians by our Love." Today I heard a speaker, Thomas Awiapo, speak upon his experience with Catholic Relief Services (CRS). The first sentence I wrote was how he started his talk; a Catholic hymnal. He spoke of the beauty of his country, Northern Ghana, the moon, the simple things like brushing ones teeth with twigs, and the tragedies of poverty such as hunger. Mentioning that poverty and riches can both be beautiful and difficult; that we must live in harmony and not in constant struggle with the powers that be. Thomas did not know his parents. They passed away before he could remember. He was left with three brothers. They would cry a lot because they were so hungry. He talked about how at times the four of them would crowd over a small bowl of food and fight over it; survival instinct. He saw two of them die of hunger right in front of him. Then one evening his older brother said to him that this life was too hard, by the morning, his brother was gone. He was alone and hungry. One day he smelled some food being cooked not too far away. He walked to the food and it was a school that was built by CRS. They were enticing kids to come to school by giving them a snack and a hot lunch; both of which were provided by the project Operation Rice Bowl. He went to school not because he wanted to learn but because he wanted to eat. Thomas stated that he would sometimes try and trick the teachers in giving him the snack without having to learn. But CRS and the teachers they hired were too smart. Eventually Thomas, due to the snack, graduated from this school then went as far as going to get his masters in California. He now has a family and is working for CRS. He sees the value in education and how being educated can help people empowered so that they can get themselves out of the cycle of poverty. Thomas now works at creating systems to get people out of poverty in his country, for example, building schools for kids to become educated and eat. Because people donated money through CRS, specifically Operation Rice Bowl, Thomas was able to come and talk to us about his experiences. What this experience left me with was the necessity for the sense of giving. Working in the Church, I don't make a salary that gives me a lot of flexibility in how I spend. However, hearing the story of Thomas today has empowered me to give out of what I don't have. I don't mean that I am going to go in debt giving to people who need it. What I mean is that I will give up something I want to give to someone who needs. I am living in wealth, whether I realize it or not, and others are barely living. Giving from a place where it might hurt a little bit for me will help someone eat and survive.

March 8, 2010: Saint of Second Chances

St. Dismas and Jesus

On Saturday, as part of the Newman Justice Walking group, we went to Dismas House. Dismas House, as mentioned in another blog, is a home for motivated people who are on parole and probation to successfully transition into society. While we were there one of the social workers told us who the patron of Dismas was. Although not a lot is known about St. Dismas the little that is known is powerful. St. Dismas was the man crucified next to Jesus in Calvary. He repented to Jesus before he died and then Jesus said, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise" (Lk 23:43). This penitent man is therefore known as the saint of second chances.

About fifteen minutes into eating lunch with the residents of Dismas House a man came in and sat right in front of me. Outwardly he seemed not put together. I judged him immediately. Then he started to eat. He ate as if he had not eaten a meal in days. Food was flying everywhere. I judged him again. After this second judgement I sat back in my seat and asked myself, "if I am called to see Christ in front of me all of the time, what do I need to do to stop judging and be more compassionate?" I started to ask him questions. He told me he had been in the house for two weeks. He also said that he was college educated. We did not get into a deep conversation but I did recognize that I prejudged. I must attempt to go into every experience with a beginners mind; a mind that is not placing judgements or presumptions rather a mind that sees things simply as they are. A beginners mind does not block Christ midst in front of us. This man in front of me that day, like St. Dismas, was on the road to his own salvation.

March 4, 2010: Justice Walking

An image I took from a housebuilding trip to Juarez a few years back with UNM college students.


Below is an article I wrote for the People of God, the Catholic Archdiocesan Newspaper for the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. It will be published in April.

College Justice Walking: A Journey of Faith and Transformation

Do you know what Catholic Social Teaching is about? Catholic Social Teaching has been said to be the best kept secret of the Catholic Church. Twelve students at the University of New Mexico’s Aquinas Newman Center are embarking on a journey to learn and live the Church’s social teachings with a program called College Justice Walking. The Newman Center has been asked to be a pilot group for this program in the country. This seven week series, including an opening and closing retreat, opens up the rich treasure of the Church’s social teachings through prayer, praxis, and the educational components of reading, the bible and supplemental books, and discussion. These students will be learning the tenants of Catholic Social Teaching and how to integrate these tenants into their daily lives.

One of the elements of the Justice Walking program is that the participants volunteer at one location four different times so to build relationships amongst those whom they are serving. The group from the Newman Center will be volunteering at Dismas House. Dismas House is a home for motivated people who are on parole and probation to successfully transition into society. The group will be cooking and serving a meal to those in need. These bonds allow the participants to become more compassionate in the face of our suffering God and will therefore help to transform these students to make even more compassionate choices in the future.

The Justice Walking leaders manual provides some provoking questions of the students, “What would happen to our lifestyle if we tried to live out the Gospel teachings together? What would happen to our friendships if we let the Gospels guide us? If we put God’s justice first, what and who would we care about? What would we be looking for in life?” One of the main teachings of Jesus is the following, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me… whatever you did for one of these least brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matt 25:35-36, 40). Justice Walking forces participants to look critically at their lives and what the Gospel calls us to be. The hope with this program for the students at Newman is for them to finish the Justice Walking program more compassionate in their actions and more active within the realm of social justice in whatever career they decide upon. Please pray for the students embarking on this journey of faith. This journey will break their heart so that they can fall in deeper love with the body of Christ and the face of God.

Feb. 28, 2010: Haiti & Chile, Our Response

People walking in rubble in the market area in Port-Au-Prince in Haiti on Jan. 18th, 2010
Picture taken from the Internet

Yesterday I was watching a documentary on Canada's response to what happened to the United States on September 11th, 2001. Within two hours of the time that the second plane hit the second tower in New York City all of the airspace in the United States was closed. Every plane in the United State was on the ground. This meant that the planes that were flying to the United States over the Atlantic Ocean, whom could not turn back to Europe, had to continue on their air route but be redirected. Most of them were directed towards Canada. The documentary focused on the city of Gander. Gander in on an island named Newfoundland on the far East of Canada. The city of Gander has a population of 10,000 people. NAV Canada, the equivalent of the United States FAA, redirected 239 air crafts to Western Canada. On September 11th, 2001 the city of Gander, within hours, received 39 redirected jumbo jets, carrying some 6,600 passengers. Imagine the city you are currently living in almost doubling in size in a matter of hours! The city of Gander did not have enough hotels to house people so they as a city opened their churches, schools, and gathering hall doors to the new influx of people. They came together as a community and fed people. They opened their grocery and clothing stores free of charge to the people who were stranded and distressed about what was going on in their country. The city of Gander, for two days, was a safe haven for people in the face of a national disaster. The city of Gander needs to be an example of how people should respond in the face of fear, disaster, and hurt. We need to have an open heart to Christ whom is present in front of us.

How should, we therefore, respond in the face of natural disasters around our world? Yesterday, Chile was hit with a 8.8 earthquake. For those of you who do not know what an earthquake feels like an 8.8 is a huge earthquake. The largest earthquake I have felt in California was in 1994. The earthquake was a 6.7, centered in Northridge, about 50 miles away from my hometown of Oxnard. On the earthquake scale each .1 multiplies the shake by 10. The 6.7 I felt shook my entire house, things were knocked off of the walls, electricity for a short amount of time was not working and I was so scared I ran into my parents bedroom. I cannot imagine what an 8.8 earthquake would feel like. The advantage that Chile has is that economically they are more sound than a place like Haiti. Also, since 1973 Chile has had 13 tremors greater than 7.0, their government has forced builders to adhere to rigorous building codes. However, regardless of the socioeconomic status and the preparedness one has for earthquakes the people of Chile need our prayers and whatever we can give in aide.

What about the people in Haiti? How are they doing after their 7.0 earthquake? The country of Haiti is a much different scenario when it comes to how well they were prepared for natural disasters. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere. Its infrastructure is bleak and its government (from what I have read) is corrupt. I have a friend who just got back from doing some relief work in Haiti and he said it was one of the most powerful yet difficult things he has done and seen in his lifetime. At the end of March the United Nations in New York City will host donors in a discussion to formulate a plan on what the next steps they will take to help the people of Haiti in their recovery. However, I wonder if the end of March will be a little too late. The rainy season in Haiti begins in March. With all of the rubble and the uplifted soil flooding is not merely a concern it is going to occur. What are the Haitian people going to do? From my studies I know that countries cannot be fixed by outside countries. People from within need to make the changes. Power and money from the outside are only temporary fixes. The nation and its peoples need to come together to build their country. And honestly I trust that the people of Haiti have already begun this journey. They will make their country viable and sustainable. Where there is death there is a resurrection. However, I am not going to pretend I know all of the answers. I don't know much of Haitian history or politics. And poverty in general is something I don't quite understand or fully grasp, even though I have seen it face to face. Intense poverty, like that of Haiti, is complex, and attempting to fix that deep of an issue perplexes me. My heart and prayers go out to them. However, in the face of this issue, what should our response be? Again, my mind goes back to the way the Canadians, post 9/11, treated us. How can we be hospitable and loving in a time of deep grief, sadness, and disaster? From what I have learned donating money to Catholic Relief Services, Jesuit Refugee Services or similar organizations seems to be the most helpful. If there is a money transaction the nonprofit organisation can purchase what they need over in the country of disaster, or at least closer to the point of destination, without or with little cost in shipping. At the Aquinas Newman Center in Albuquerque there is a woman, Deborah Thomas, and a group of volunteers who call themselves, "Comfort for Haiti's Children" whom have made and received donations of blankets to send to the children of Haiti. They have sent over at least 100 blankets with delegations headed to Haiti. However I know they are in need of funding to send these blankets. If you can make a donation please email Deborah at adthomas74@msn.com. These are two ways in which you can help the people of Haiti. It is obvious that this country still needs our support and prayers. What are you going to do when you see Jesus in front of you?

Feb. 24, 2010: Power

"Not by might, nor by power but by my Spirit, says your God" (Zechariah, 4:6).

Power. What is it and why don't we acknowledge we have it even though we do? As middle class citizens of the United States (really if we look globally we are much richer than middle class) and as people who "have", even if we don't realize it, we have power. We have the power to make choices, power to go to school, power to spend money the way we want to, power to vote, power to choose how we are going to spend our day, power to say who can and cannot cross our borders...and the list goes on. We are blessed to have this power. But to have power means that we also bare the responsibility of using the power when appropriate.

The easiest place for me to start discussion about the issue of power is when it comes to social justice issues. Many people who are in poverty throughout our world do not have the resources to advocate for themselves due to the fact that their worldview is dictated by what occurs to them hourly. They are trying to figure out what and when their next meal is going to be versus trying to access their situation to get them out of the cycle of poverty. I, therefore, being a person with power, have the responsibility, time, and knowledge to care and do something proactive to help those around me who live in poverty. I would go as far to say that this is a mandate from God, "to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me (Mt 25:45)". If we ignore those in need we are negating the power we have to change the system in which people are entrenched in or something as simple as feeding someone who is hungry. Both systemic changes and charity are needed to make our world a better place for all to live. This cannot occur if us, the people in power, do not change our behaviors, our way of spending, and our selfish way of being in this world.

Our families. This one is complicated because a family is a unit where one thinks that power should not be a topic of concern nor should it be a way in which to be in relationship. In our faith the family unit is one of the most sacred aspects. It is where we first learn about our faith. It is supposed to model the Holy Family. There are teachings in our faith that talk about upholding and taking care of the family unit because it is where being a Christian community first begins. If there is disunity in family how are we supposed to model community in a broader sense as church? In our society, I know, this is not an easy one to swallow. There is a lot of disunity in families. Some of that disunity occurs due to power. When one person has power over another person relationships stagnate and people are not able to reach their full God given potential. Now when a child is small it makes sense for a parent to set rules and teach their children about morality. In that sense a parent has the responsibility of helping to shape the morality and being of their child. It is a form of power. And even this type of power must not be abused. Ultimately, I believe that we should not have power over our sisters, brothers, or parents. Prayer, discussion, and openness to love must take precedence. However I also believe that we should have the strength to speak out and discuss issues within families that are difficult, especially in the arenas of morality and faith. This is where integrity comes in. We must use our voice, our power, to discuss with family members what is in our mind and hearts so that we can grow closer to the image of whom we are called to be. If we bottle up what is in our hearts and mind then truth will have a more difficult way of coming forward. As stated earlier I believe that God put us in relationship to our families so that we could embody the Holy Family. Even though the scriptures skip over Jesus teenage years I bet you that Jesus, Mary and Joseph, had some heart to heart conversations where they did not all agree. Yet, listening, heart to heart, they allowed the power of God, truth, to seep through their discussions and ultimately came to decisions. Power in the sense of "having power over" is not healthy in any relationship but power in the sense of using your knowledge and heart to have discussions that can lead to conversion is where power in families can be useful. I think what is key, however, is you being open to conversion instead of you attempting to convert another. It is when we are open for conversion when others feel safe to also be open for conversion themselves.

Before and when we acknowledge we have power we must pray. We must ask God for the guidance on how to utilize our power to God's glory. When in discussion with others we must not worry about being right or wrong. Instead we must focus and feel the consolation of God and God's truth. That in itself should give us the inner peace we are all seeking. Why do we focus so much on ourselves, being right, and trying and control so much around us? I believe its fear. Fear of both not being in control and not knowing what is going to occur if we don't try to attempt to carve out the future. I think fear instigates us to use our power in ways that are not beneficial, either by misusing our power or by neglecting to use our power. If we truly trusted God there would be no need to fear because we would know and trust that God is in control. Who better else to trust?

Feb. 23, 2010: Where is God Calling Me?

I have been interacting with a lot of people lately who are discerning what their next step in life should be. Discernment about what our true vocation is, from my experience, seems to be somewhat never ending. This is not to say that those who are currently seeking what their next step in life should be are in a place that is not important. What I think is ultimately important is that we continuously remind ourselves that God is in control. We can make a decision and it could be right or wrong (although in my book things are not as clear as right or wrong). If the decision is not the right decision God will steer us back if we truly listen to what God is saying.

Ever since I was a small child I dreamed of being a pediatrician. I love kids. I wanted to work with them and heal them. That is why I wanted to go to University of California, San Diego and be pre-med. UCSD is one of the best schools in California for pre-medical education. I remember vividly laying in bed one night in high school and asking God to help the admissions people at UCSD accept me. I bargained with God saying, "if you get me in to UCSD I will go to church every Sunday". Little did I know that this bargain would cost me my life, in a good way.

I got into UCSD and decided to be pre-med with a major in psychology. The first year was a struggle on many levels. I was not good at chemistry, biology, or math. I was doing horrible academically. Socially I was struggling also. My best friend from high school and I decided to room together. That was a mistake. We clashed a lot. In the midst of trying to find ourselves in college both her and I were holding onto who the other person was in high school. We were changing in good ways but we were not allowing the other to grow. It was a very hard year.

Then I met a Cuban girl, Michelle. She noticed that I was struggling so she invited me to go to church with her. To get out of my dorm and out of my head I said yes. We went to the Catholic Community, Newman Center, at UCSD that Sunday. I stepped in and I remember immediately feeling at home. It did not hurt that there was a really cute guy in the choir that caught my attention. God works in mysterious ways. I always joke that the cute choir guy is what hooked me to come back to church every Sunday. Obviously it was God that was helping me keep my promise.

Academically, as stated above, I was struggling. I did not know what to do. I started to discern (without even really knowing that term) what my true vocation was. I decided to not be pre-med and instead go into nutrition and dietetics. Then I realized I still had to take those science and math classes so I was not sure what to do. My gifts and talents were not in the sciences. I decided to stick with my major of psychology, drop the pre-med, and see where that would take me.

At Newman I was thriving. I became a student minister (similar to a peer campus minister) my sophomore year and I was also confirmed my sophomore year. My best friends were at church. I was praying like I had never prayed before. I had a relationship with God that was new-found. I began to own my faith. It was an unbelievable feeling. God became the center of everything for me. This is when I started to pray about where was God calling me instead of where I was feeling I should go. For two years I discerned what God was calling me to do. Part of that discernment took me through considering religious life. During my senior year after much prayer, discussions with my close friends, and family, and really reflecting upon my life with God I discerned that I still was not sure where God was calling me. So I decided to volunteer for a year since I have always had a deep passion for social justice (topic of another blog). In prayer I decided that this opportunity would give me time to discern where God was truly calling me as well as give me a sense of full time ministry in something I was passionate about. During that year I felt called to do full time ministry but I knew that to do full time ministry in the Catholic Church I needed to become educated in our faith. While volunteering I applied for my Master in Divinity (the same degree priests get before they are ordained). Throughout this whole discernment there were two things that were truly sticking out for me, 1) my wonderful experience at the Newman Center in San Diego, and 2) my passion for social justice. After much prayer and discernment I felt God was calling me to provide a good campus ministry experience for others somewhere else. How did I know this was where I was called? As a student at UNM's Newman Center said this weekend, in the best possible way, God is the best nagger out there. God was nudging my heart and I could not get rid of the nudging.

How do I know this was the right decision? I knew God was calling me to where I am today because I truly have a sense of joy when I see God working in the lives of the students. My heart leaps when I hear students say that Newman is a home away from home for them. I cry when I see them get excited about their faith. I know I am in the right place because when something is said about the students that is unjust I am the first to stand up for them and defend them. At the start of this blog I wrote that discernment is something that is ongoing. What do I mean by this? Every day I wake up and I ask myself do I still feel as if God is calling me to do campus ministry? Today I can say I do feel called to campus ministry. However I do feel that God is also calling me towards something that is more focused in social justice. Where and when this nudge will take me I am unsure. God will make things clear in God's own time.

(This is only one aspect of vocation. There is also the aspect of how is God calling me to be in relationship with others? Am I called to be religious, single, married? These aspects will probably be discussed in another blog.)

Feb. 17, 2010: Fasting

"In my fast, make me an empty bowl - that you may fill the hallow space in me with love." - a portion of "In My Prayer" by Attique Swati of Pakistan from the book Prayer Without Borders, page 32, published by Catholic Relief Services in 2004.

I just got back from my JustFaith group at Immaculate Conception parish in downtown Albuquerque. In the session we talked about Catholic Relief Services (www.crs.org) and what they do as an organization. We also read a part of Pope Benedict XVI's Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth). Appropriately, on Ash Wednesday, one of the main themes for this evenings JustFaith was world hunger. How can my "empty bowl" be filled with God's love?

Those who have recently met me would never know that I actually was one hundred pounds heavier about seven years ago. I was gluttonous when it came to food. I ate to feel loved. Food was my constant comfort. When I was in graduate school something clicked in my heart. Why was I allowing food to fill my heart? How could I, a person so passionate about justice, consume more than my fair share when others go hungry every day? How could I let food take the place of God in my heart? Thank goodness God blessed me with the revelation that food cannot love me the way God can love me. To love God was to respect and to take care of what God has blessed me with. Seven years go to let go of my obsession with food was to literally empty my bowl so that I could allow God into my life in a deeper way.

Lent is a time of conversion. A time where we allow God to work in our lives so that we can become closer to whom Christ created us to be. To allow ourselves to convert we must let go of something in our lives that is "sinful". We must let go of something in order to convert our lives towards becoming more Christ-like. One of the three pillars of Lent is fasting(fasting, prayer, almsgiving). We fast so to change our behavior. Fasting can aid us in prayer. The pangs of hunger can makes us more acutely aware of our hunger for God. It also makes us more aware of people who go without food and who live in poverty. It links us to our Baptismal call to show and share the love of God with others in our world who are suffering. Fasting should move us towards alleviating the suffering of others.

Jesus, before he entered into his public ministry, fasted in the dessert for 40 days (Matthew 4:1-2). During this time Jesus was preparing Himself for the journey ahead, relying solely on God to sustain Him. During this season of Lent how are you allowing God to solely sustain you? How are you allowing your fast to fill you with the love of God?