GARY – To celebrate the Jubilee year, the Diocese of Gary, along with Christ in the City and the parish community of the Cathedral of the Holy Angels, invited the faithful to participate in a Day of Service on May 31. The event included a brief training in which attendees learned more about Christ in the City and working with the poor, before setting up a free neighborhood cookout.
Those who showed up to volunteer were greeted by members of the Christ in the City team who were in the middle of a three-week mission trip within the diocese. Missionaries Irene Campos and Holly Norha gave a brief presentation explaining the purpose behind their visit to the region and the luncheon that followed.
Wherever they go, missionaries with Christ in the City, a non-profit Catholic organization, walk the same street routes, Monday thru Friday, building friendships with the homeless. Their sole purpose is to bring love where there is no love, to bring relationship where it does not exist.
“The reality of homelessness is that, for whatever reason, whether it be a layoff from work or a mental health crisis or an addiction or many other reasons, or just poverty, our friends on the streets have nobody to help them,” Campos said. “The common denominator and the reality of homelessness is isolation, just being completely and utterly alone, having nobody to call. This is where all of us can actually enter in and do something in friendship and in reminding people that they are not alone.”
Norha asked the group to consider what it would be like if no one knew their name and shared how the smallest encounter with someone who is struggling can make an important impact.
“It can be just as simple as remembering someone’s name, remembering anything about them, caring for them, listening to them, not treating them as if they are an object,” she said, “and just how human that is for our friends on the streets.”
Fintan Sullivan is a second year missionary with Christ in the City in Denver. Last year, he came to Gary not knowing much about the city. He listened to the warnings about the dangers and possibility of theft in the area and admits he wasn’t sure what to expect. He ended up having a different experience from anything he had heard.
“I had one of the most incredible experiences of my life last year,” he said. “It was definitely the highlight of my year. It was because of the community we had, because of the ministry we are doing, and very specifically because of the people of Gary. It brought me a lot of hope.”
Sullivan’s time in the diocese left such an impact on him that he requested to come back to Northwest Indiana for another year.
“The people of Gary are very strong and very resilient, and I feel like there's a lot of community there already,” he said. “It seems like there's such a desire for community and all that is needed is a catalyst to get things to happen.”
Frank Villareal, a parishioner at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, shared that he did have an opportunity to meet a group of young adults from Christ in the City approximately three years ago when they visited Michigan City. He had dinner with them and learned more about their mission at that time.
“I didn't realize they were here last year, I missed it,” he said with some disappointment.
Villareal, however, did not miss the opportunity to help the community this time. He recalled that the Diocese of Gary recently held a Mass after the passing of Pope Francis which was followed by participation in service projects. On that day, he worked with other members of the diocese to clean up a park across from the Cathedral of the Holy Angels.
“I was born and raised in Gary, so this is my hometown,” he said. “Whenever I can get back here and help out in any little way, I try to do it.”
Clark Gloyeske, of St. Patrick in Chesterton, also assisted in a previous Day of Service organized by the diocese but noted this one was different, having a special focus on getting to know those in need.
“Being with the homeless or being with the poor, that is different from a Day of Service, where you go fix something,” he said. “This is a different twist on that. I feel like going out into the streets and letting everyone know we are here.”
Gloyeske will be part of a group of local faithful heading to Mexico as part of a mission trip in September.
“I thought (being here today) would not only be great because it’s the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, but also as kind of a primer for the trip, working with the poor we might encounter there.”
Among others who showed up ready to volunteer, helping to set up the table and chairs and serving the food, were students from Bishop Noll who arrived by bus with teacher Maria Patino.
While initially signing up to participate for the purpose of earning service hours, Juniors Brianna Ballesteros and Camila Berumen said the activity quickly gained their interest.
“I like helping out the community,” Berumen said.
“This will give me the experience of what I can do in the future as well to help the community,” added Ballesteros.
