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August 11, 2007Fr. Joe Campion is the Pastor of St. Maurice & St. David Catholic Church in the lower 9th ward of New Orleans. Our Youth Group has traveled there for the past two years for 3 mission trips, the past two summers and last Christmas. Each trip seems to have a more profound impact on our youth. Below are reflections from two youth who attended our first mission trip, Summer 2006.
We thank Fr. Joe for his hospitality each visit we make to St. Maurice and welcome him to our home with open arms!
Reflections of an 8 year old on the mission experience:“We went to New Orleans. The high school kids went with my family. We helped Katrina (victims) with their homes. We bought tools so we could help. We had to sleep in a church and it was very hot so we got some fans. We stayed there for five days. We cleaned up (for) people and I felt good. We went onto boats to eat (and) it was so much fun. I saw lots of other big boats. We went to lots of stores that were lots of fun. We were so proud of ourselves. It was so much fun and (we) were so tired. The next day we mowed the grass and it looked pretty. New Orleans rocks!”
Reflections of a high school student on the mission experience:“...then we took a tour of the ninth ward, the place hardest hit by Katrina. No possible words can explain the true horrors there; cars flipped over, collapsed houses, flat land where houses stood and the X. The top stood for how many people were found in the house, the right, pets, the left, the signature of the inspector, and the bottom, the date the house was inspected......We got to bed early and the next day we met Father Joe, who we had seen first the day before, and split up. Three guys including myself went to the church that Father Joe worked at before the hurricane. Father Joe would be working at a different church, but had a hard time letting go and wanted to see his old church cleaned up. The church had a school, and we needed to clean out the rooms, we started with the kindergarten on Tuesday. We had to bust out doors, and clean all of the trash out, which was still drenched; the smell was that of decay and death. ‘Oh my gosh!’ I thought, but refused to say out loud, everyone was thinking the same thing, ‘We have to clean this?’ We managed to clear out half of it, and called it quits about 2:00......Friday, we picked up and cleaned the Jesuit house, had Father Joe take us on a tour of downtown, and take us out to eat. We spent our last night talking, laughing, joking and eating with the man who we had come to know in 5 days. We went back and packed dreading the leave tomorrow, wishing we could stay there longer.Saturday was somber as we said our last goodbyes, the drive back was silent. I know that not only I but everyone was thinking back; knowing that they would never be the same again.”