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November 6, 2020LIVING IN THE NATURAL WORLD
Over the course of my 67 years on earth, I've known of and experienced many natural episodes of disasters. With the help of Google, I can even attach dates to them.
First, while I was in grade school, was the Good Friday (Mar. 27, 1964) Alaskan earthquake--9.2 on the Richter scale. Alaska was a new state at the time. Then on November 9th, 1968 was the New Madrid earthquake--5.4 on the Richter scale. I was 15, at home alone watching a Charlie Chaplin movie when the house in Granite City, IL began to shake. I thought the furnace was blowing up and ran outside. I looked down the street and saw many of our neighbors outside their doors, then I realized it was an earthquake.
“A worldwide tragedy like the Covid-19 pandemic momentarily revived the sense that we are a global community, all in the same boat, where one person’s problems are the problems of all. Once more we realized that no one is saved alone; we can only be saved together”
Pope Francis, Fratelli TuttiI was living in Franciscan community in Chicago during the winter of 1978-1979 when the "Blizzard of '79" [Jan. 12-14] dumped 20" of snow on the city in two days. The Bilandic Administration did a poor job of keeping the city open, and in April, Chicago's first woman mayor, Jane Byrne, was elected promising to keep the city open and operating in future snowstorms.
I lived in Las Vegas with Fr. Mike Blackburn, ofm, for 7 years. and he told me the story a few times that he was in Portland, OR for his postulancy year with the friars when Mt. St. Helen's blew its top on May 18, 1980. The whole city of Portland and the surrounding area was covered with inches of ash for many days.
In October 1989 I made my first trip to the Bay Area, to apply to join the St. Barbara Province of Franciscans. The vocation director took me all around San Francisco and Oakland visiting Franciscan friaries and ministry sites. It was during the Bay Area World Series (Oakland A’s vs. S. F. Giants) and I remember going by the stadium watching the fans entering. Then I took the Greyhound bus down to Las Vegas to move into the friar community to begin my formation. The next day, Oct. 17, 1989, the Bay Area earthquake occurred--6.9 on the Richter scale.
After our formation year in Guatemala, I had a chance to spend time with the family in St. Louis. It was the Great Flood of '93. The Mississippi River crested at a record level of 49.58' on Aug. 1st, 1993. I remember the newly elect- ed President Clinton and Vice President Gore coming to St. Louis with their shirt sleeves rolled up, to personally oversee some of the disaster help.
But now, we are in a pandemic. It is not a disaster over in a day, or a two day snowstorm. It is lasting months, may- be years. It is ongoing. Seemingly, the only thing that will "end" it is a vaccine, once distributed to the whole popu- lation, not just of our nation, but of our world. Is there a "Silver Lining?"
I think Pope Francis' new encyclical gives us a hint. Experiencing this pandemic gives us the opportunity to learn this lesson: We, of the human family, are all brothers and sisters. Thank you all for your continuing support of our work, especially now, in this time of pan- David Buer, ofm
Poverello House is grateful to Midwest Food Bank for supplying us with many of the things that would be on our shopping list every month, especially coffee, bottled water, and energy drinks. Thank you, Midwest Food Bank.
Poverello House is grateful to the folks who attend (virtual) daily Mass at St. Patrick's parish in Scottsdale. They have collected over $900 to help us buy jeans for our guests. Thank you, St. Patrick’s in Scottsdale.
Thanks are due to the City of Tucson for providing hand washing stations and a port-a-potty and to Pima County for supplying us with PPE and hand sanitizer for use in the yard. Thanks City of Tucson and Pima County.
Thanks to a generous donor, we will be providing a special Thanksgiving treat to our guests for the during Thanksgiv- ing week. The yard will be open extended hours (8:00 am to 4:00 pm) on Wednesday thru Saturday. As well as receiving a hot breakfast, the men will be treated to a special lunch. It will be turkey with all the fixings or fried chicken plus depending on what most tell us what their preference is. Included with the lunch treat will be a generous portion of pie. Thank you, to our special donor and to all who continue to support the mission of Poverello House.
Poverello House costs about $6000 a month to operate. Any donation that you can contribute will be put right to use to help pay for our rent, utilities, supplies, and food.
Checks may be made payable to Poverello House or you may donate on our secure web site
