Dear Parishioners and Friends of St. Thomas the Apostle,
It has come to my attention that some parishioners have been inquiring amongst themselves about the parish’s response to the migrant crisis here in Chicago and more specifically in Hyde Park. As you recall back in November we held a coat drive for our neighbors in need with great success. Even now we continue to give out coats and other clothing that was donated by you.
Word has gotten around the neighborhood and the parish office gets visits from new arrivals almost weekly who need clothing and basics like socks and underwear as they transition to their new life in Chicago.
As I mentioned to you back in November, I understand this is a very real situation that requires a real response on our part but I’m also mindful of the political complexity around this issue. No matter one’s stance on the issue it does not negate our responsibility to do the right thing based on our Catholic faith and the mandate of the Gospel.
I realize that after the coat drive in November things seemed quiet. I can appreciate and understand the grumblings of the community to continue to bring this real issue to the forefront so that we as a church can address it as we are called to do. Part of the reason for my silence after the coat drive was to put our energy and focus on helping a particular family find a place to live.
Over the past few months, with the help of dedicated parishioners and our partnership with Catholic Charities, we have been able to secure a grant of $10,000 and we have partnered with the Hyde Park Kenwood Refugee Project to house a Venezuelan family here in our neighborhood for one year. This has been months in the making and I’m happy to share with you that they were able to move into their apartment this past Wednesday.
This past Monday the family came to the rectory and took some furniture out of my home for them to be able to furnish their new home. I found myself being very moved by the experience because, for them, this is a new beginning, a new chapter in their lives, and the beginning of their story here in the United States. I couldn’t help but think about my own grandparents, Brigido and Eugenia Rodriguez, who moved to the United States from Puerto Rico in the 1940s not knowing anyone here but had a desire to start a new and better life for them and for their family to come.
Part of the reason for my silence in addition to putting our energy and focus into this important cause was also, and if I can be frank with you, I didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up if something went south. As you all know real estate is at a premium here in Hyde Park and our parishioners who worked on this project looked at over a dozen apartments and more than a few fell through due to leasing issues, plumbing issues, or other barriers that kept coming up preventing us from being able to sign a lease for this family.
There were hundreds of emails back and forth to coordinate this effort and so many times we were almost there but something fell short. Every time that email came through when it didn’t work out felt like a punch in the gut and it felt like two steps forward and three steps back in the process.
But this story ends on a very positive note.
The family of three: Juan, Rosemary, and their teenage daughter who attends high school in the neighborhood now have a home of their own. This is one small drop in the bucket of a very large political issue. I realize that there will be challenges ahead going forward and I know that while we didn’t fix the entire system that is broken at least we made a difference in the life of a family. Part of my writing to you this weekend is not to celebrate our successes or to make “an ask, just simply let you know that your fellow parishioners came together and made a difference in the life of a family. That is the blessing of Saint Thomas: we are a community that cares for one another and supports one another.
I am grateful for those who stepped up and who worked to make this possible. One person I wish to mention specifically has returned to God. Dr. Sarah Wright, who recently passed away, was instrumental in getting this off the ground and worked tirelessly Until she went to the hospital to keep the momentum going forward. She, along with her fellow parishioners, did the intense but very quiet work of coordinating this effort and I am sure that she is very pleased with the results of our labors.
We continue to do the good work each and every day that God has called us all to do.
In all things may God bless our parish.
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Trail
Read it in our Sunday bulletin at https://stapostleparish.org/parish-life/current-bulletin/