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Zenovia,

This was written back in 2001 and reminds me of your statements.

Oh New Orleans, shed ye the darkness or face disaster [spiritdaily.org]

Dear Pani Rose, thank you for clearing this up for me! Since I don't have cable TV, I only know what I hear or see on the TV at SEARS in our mall. I was very moved Friday, before I went to the high school to pick up my son, James. I saw a homeless man, he walked into the Red Cross Thrift Shop and I for some reason decided to follow him, his dog, he left outside. This man stood at the cash register and pulled out a really brand new winter coat and told the volunteer he wanted to donate it to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina! This homeless man was wearing poor-average clothing and he chose to give a new winter coat to a victim of Katrina. When he walked out I asked him why he did what he did? His reply: "Jesus needs that coat more than I do!" His answer was simple and powerful at the same time! I asked this man when he had his last hot meal, "three days ago!" was his only reply, I asked about his dog, "what I can get him out of the garbage!" I bought this man a meal, of course he wanted a "doggy bag" I assume for himself or maybe his dog. We left the restaurant, the man asked why I bought him lunch? I told him as his coat is going to Jesus, I just fed Jesus! We walked to the pet store in Henderson Center and I got his dog a 5 lb bad of dog food. By my car while his dog ate, and I must say I've never seen a dog make dog food look so inviting! So he was hungry also. This homeless man pulled out a prayer rope that was so worn and used, most would think it wasn't anything. I asked if he knew how to recite the rosary? He said he did, I gave him one. He then asked if I had a prayer rope, I gave him one. This homeless man asked me if I could take him to St. Bernards downtown, I told him I would, we went in and he took his dog in and held him the whole time. For a long time, I noticed this man stood for a long time before the statue of St. Anthony, he asked me to come up to the where he was, he asked if I knew that St. Anthony of Padua is the patron for finding lost objects? I told him I did know this, he then looked at me and told me it was time for he and I to part ways, because he needed to go to the parish office next door and see if one of the priests would hear his confession, he said it was time he was reonciled to the church. I asked him why today? He told me I showed him there are still kind people in the world and I led him back to God. He then asked if I would take care of his dog while he confessed. I took a medal of St. Francis and put on the dogs collar. When he came out from the church, he shook my hand and told me had I not done what I had done, he was ready to forget the church totally. I asked him if I could share this, he said I could, but he preferred I not write his name and he made me promise that the last comment will be his: "one person can make a difference in another person's life, we just got to reach out more often!"

Dear Seraphim,
A friend of mine - who was wearing clerical when this happened - was stopped by a poorly-dressed man, slightly the worse for drink, on the streets of Seattle; the man told my friend that had had been an altar boy and needed my friend's help. My friend checked him on a couple of Latin responses; the man passed that test, so my friend said "All right; you've got me. How may I help you?" The man responded "Father, I need you to say a Mass for my mother - this week is her anniversary and I don't have any money for a Mass in the parish!"
My friend nearly dropped dead from shock, obtained the mother's Christian name, promised to say the Mass (which he has done faithfully every year since then) and tried to take the man for a meal. The man refused the meal, would not accept money, thanked my friend for the Mass and went on his way.

No, I am not making this up.

Incognitus

I was listening to NPR's "This American Life" on the way home from work today. They didn't do their usual quirky stories but instead interviewed people who were stranded in New Orleans last week.
The tales they told gave a very different impression than the news stories. One woman told of hoodlums who looted stores and then brought juice and water to the children and old people in the convention center. She also said these same armed criminals were the ones who brought some order to the place, stopping the rapes and robberies. She said they were like Robin Hood, and though she never had much use for "thugs" [her word] she respected these young men.
Another woman told of a man who hijacked a truck of water and brought it to an encampment of evacuees and then loaded the oldest of them in the truck and brought them to safety.
At the same time there were tales of government action that went beyond inept to culpably evil: stopping people from crossing a bridge to the west bank of the Mississippi, where it was dry, even shooting at them [this was local sheriff's deputies] and the National Guard also stopping people from leaving the hellish convention center.
It was clear that the disaster brought out the best and the worst of people, not only among the impovershed victims but those sworn to uphold the common good...
-Daniel

Thank you guys, I am in tears with joy from the testimonies you have given.