South Texas Catholic (Corpus Christi, Tex.), Vol. 38, No. 21, Ed. 1 Friday, November 7, 2003 Page: 4 of 20
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T - South Texas Catholic
SHELTER
diocese/nation
November 7, 2003
From page 1
STC photos/Georgina Stark
Sister Barbara Netek, IWBS, and Cary Ramirez present Bishop Carmody with
a framed photo of himself with Mother Teresa during her 1972 visit to San
Antonio at the Oct. 16 blessing of the Mother Teresa Shelter.
the watchful eyes an audience of hun-
dreds who turned out for the event, as the
Gospel choir from Holy Cross Parish sang
in the background.
“The cutting of the ribbon represents
the breaking down of barriers,” said the
Rev. Ray Kiser of First United Method-
ist Church as he held a strip of the red
ribbon. He added that the shelter should
be a center of hospitality and “a light that
spreads through our community.”
Other religious leaders who helped
lead the blessing were Rev. Paul Meyer
of Parkway Presbyterian Church, Rev.
Carl Garmon, of Brooks Chapel African
Methodist Episcopal Church and Rabbi
Kenneth Roseman of Temple Beth El,
who read from the 58th chapter of the Old
Testament Book of Isaiah, which describes
a true fast as “sharing your bread with the
hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the
homeless” The rabbi then gave a Hebrew
blessing for all who come to the shelter
for help as well as those who work there.
Bishop Edmond Carmody said he hoped
that the public opening was just the start
of good things to come at the shelter. “The
work we have begun should enliven our
hearts and make us faithful.”
Sister Barbara Netek, executive direc-
tor of Catholic Charities, said the blessing
was “a great day for the city and a great
day for those of us who have been at the
shelter for the last month.”
Currently the shelter offers restroom
and shower facilities, a laundry room,
shelter from inclement weather and
individual storage lockers. Future plans
include basic health screening and as-
sistance, employment opportunities and
other services as the community responds
to the day shelter’s needs.
Sister Netek thanked the many people
involved in the project, including the ar-
chitect, Vernon Smith, the contractor, Art
Kaler, for overseeing the remodelling of
the building and Ellen Flood, a Catholic
Charities board member who became the
“project manager” and devoted her time
to many details, from paint to flooring.
Tinda McKamie, president of the Catho-
lic Charites Board of Directors also said
there are “so many people who need a big
thank you.”
The community effort of the project
was evident by the volunteers who turned
out to help, including the Knights of
Columbus and members of the Diocesan
Council of Catholic Women, who served
refreshments. “We have been thoroughly
humbled. We are honored to be helping,”
said Theresa Chavarry President of the
Corpus Christi area DCCW.
Sarita and Tom Donald of St. Joseph
Parish in Alice were among the out-of-
town guests. They are members of St.
Joseph’s St. Vincent de Paul Society, which
donated about 200 folding chairs used in
the shelter.
“St. Vincent de Paul is all about helping
people in need,” said Sarita. “It doesn’t
matter if they are in Alice, Corpus Christi,
or wherever.”
Sister Dympna Clark, pastoral associate
at St. Mary Parish in Aransas Pass, came
to the blessing because “I greatly support
the shelter for the homeless. I have a heart
for that and I had to show my support for
that.”
Ss. Cyril and Methodius parishioner,
J.B. Ayala, has been involved with help-
ing the homeless for the past few years,
specifically at the Maurin-Day day shelter,
which closed with the opening of the
Mother Teresa Shelter, and said the open-
ing was “beautiful. This is our apostolate
in action,” he added.
Father Jose Salazar, pastor of Sacred
Heart Parish in Mathis and a Catholic
Charites board members credited the
people who have been working with the
homeless for many years, including Ann
Fitz of the Catholic Worker Movement
who opened the Maurin-Day Shelter.
“Once again God has taken a mustard
seed and allows it to grow into a large
bush,” said Father Salazar. “The Maurin-
Day Shelter goaded the conscience of the
community and the church... that raising
of conscience has not only moved par-
ishes with large sums to give but also so
many who have given money they raised
from small fundraisers and raffles. It has
allowed us to be part of the prophetic call
to love the poor.”
For more information about assisting the
Mother Teresa Shelter, call Sister Barbara
Netek at 884-0651.
Rev. Ray Kiser was among the local
religious leaders at the shelter
opening.
New Texas organization bunks stereotypes of religious life
At 8:00 a.m. Suzanne Dancer has just
finished a 10-mile bicycle ride before
starting her day as a professor at the Uni-
versity of Texas at Austin. In another city,
Dr. Rosanne Popp is off to her medical
practice, caring for poor and immigrant
populations. Elsewhere in Texas, Wil-
liam Dooling is headed to his law office
to look over his cases for the day. Raquel
Newman is beginning her day of trouble
shooting computer equipment.
But these individuals have more in
common than their service to their com-
munities: they are also each members of
Religious Communities Alive in South
Texas (RECAST).
“When most people think of a Sister,
Brother or Priest, one of the first images
that come to mind is a person dressed in
long robes and kneeling in prayer. Or of
media images such as the Flying Nun or
Brother Guido. But, people in religious
life today are professionals in fields rang-
ing from health care to law to education,”
said Sister Walter Maher, CCVI, RECAST
co-chair.
For example, of the individuals men-
tioned above, Sister Suzanne is a Sister of
Divine Province. Dr. Popp is also Sister
Rosanne with the Sisters of Charity of the
Incarnate Word in Houston. Attorney
Dooling is Brother William with the Holy
Cross Brothers. And, Sister Raquel New-
man is a Sister of the Incarnate Word and
Blessed Sacrament in Corpus Christi.
In 1996, these and some 41 other
South Texas religious communities cre-
ated RECAST to help update the image
of people in religious life, but it hasn’t
stopped there. Today, the effort expands
to reach out to all people who are looking
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Goldapp, Paula J. South Texas Catholic (Corpus Christi, Tex.), Vol. 38, No. 21, Ed. 1 Friday, November 7, 2003, newspaper, November 7, 2003; Corpus Christi, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth856035/m1/4/: accessed July 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .