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Hope of the Poor
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Members of St. Josephs and St. Stephens joined together with Hope of the Poor to serve in Mexico City this past October. Danny Leger, the Director of Hope of the Poor, also blessed us at our conference, "Called to be Saints" with his witness, and his music. Cindy Codi, Deacon Dan Codi's wife, wrote the narrative for the photos below. Please take some time to read and pray over Cindy's words.
We are also including a link below to learn more about Hope of the Poor.We stayed at the convent with the Sisters once again. They are so very special - they cook for us, send us off with sandwiches when we head out for the day, and most importantly pray for us. You can feel their prayers, praise God! They allow us to pray in their chapel, and we have Holy Hour and Mass there each day. Fr Giuseppe was our spiritual leader once again this year (he has joined us all 4 years) and we all felt truly beyond blessed. He tended to our group as well as magnificently serving the people of Mexico City that we encountered.We went to the orphanage again this year...These children / young adults have been abandoned, with some of them being severely disabled. They have a few people who work there, but essentially the people who reside there serve one another - it's a beautiful thing to witness. It was very special as many of the residents remembered us from last year!
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Here is Fr Giuseppe who gave a blessing to each of the beautiful people there.
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And here is Dan with one of the special young men who was so excited to spend time with us again this year!! Behind him in the crib is a beautiful 17 year old named Lupita - a most special girl
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We also served the homeless on the streets outside of the Basilica. We brought them food and clothing, but most importantly spent time talking and praying with them. A common "drug" on the streets is paint thinner, which they inhale off of a rag. The extremely sad thing is that they are not simply doing this for a "high" but rather this quells the hunger pains they experience way too often.
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The gentlemen who are pictured here were sharing with us how they came to live on the streets. Very sad series of events that leads to this. We gave the man who is seated here with me a rosary, and as we began to pray with him, he fell to his knees and outstretched his hands in prayer. Brought us all to tears. We have learned that our presence and physical touch is even more important than meeting their physical needs. They feel valued, as they should.
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We celebrated Mass in the dumps again this year. The chapel there is the only concrete structure in the dump and is only used a few times a year for Mass, when a priest comes to celebrate for them. There is a large Cross that hangs in this chapel that apparently was found in the dump, but Jesus was without an arm. It was discarded by someone, and this gentleman who resides in the dump was telling some of our volunteers how he found it and fixed it - bless his heart. This meaningful and beautiful Cross now adorns this chapel building for Mass.
If you look behind Dan, you will see some of the people's homes; however, most of the families residing in the dump (from young children to elderly family members) live in simple tent-type structures. Beyond humbling.
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After Mass, we serve food and distribute clothing to the people there. We then stay to visit with the people and play with the children. Such joy and gratitude these beautiful people display, it's always a humbling lesson for us all! At the end of the day, I couldn't resist taking a picture of this beautiful sky - absolutely surreal!
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We spent much of the week with a community that was formerly homeless (this community being one where the Moms were supporting their families thru prostitution). Hope of the Poor has helped these families get off drugs, and off the streets into apartments. They also help them to secure jobs so they can support their families and move forward - they truly give them a hand up, not simply a handout. Over these past couple of years, Hope of the Poor has provided counseling and catechism to these families each Saturday morning, as they realize that meeting both the spiritual and physical needs of the people simultaneously is critical. Many of these people have already been baptized into the Catholic faith.
There were (about 20) children and young adults who were ready to receive the sacrament of Communion, so we were privileged to be present at this Mass that Fr Giuseppe celebrated. After the Mass, Fr Giuseppe exposed the Blessed Sacrament and brought Christ to each individual kneeling at the altar. Was a most beautiful thing to witness. There were many tears shed that evening !! (And this picture brings me to tears every time!)
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And this little boy stole my heart, praying so reverently in his pew after receiving his First Holy Communion.
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Above is a picture of our group this year, and this picture was taken in the Convent chapel. It was most special as Dan (and John, who was ordained with him in June) got to serve with Father at Mass each day, no matter where we were! Unfortunately, not everyone is in this pic...but our group ranged from 16 years old to 70! The young man kneeling in the front center is 25 years old and a most talented musician. He brought his guitar everywhere we went, and his music brought such joy. Especially in the orphanage, many children who had been just sitting or lying in their beds / cribs were suddenly smiling and clapping; it was beyond heartwarming!
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Such a tremendous privilege to serve the people there, and many thanked us for taking time from our families and jobs to travel to be with them. As God works, we go there to serve each year yet receive so much more than we could ever hope to give. So grateful!I could truly write a book about our time there (!) but I hope this gives you an idea! Each year is "different" but always so powerful!Please keep our friends from Mexico City in your prayers.Peace and blessings,Cindy
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