Responses by New Orleans Province Jesuits to Hurricanes Katrina & Rita

Support of our Jesuit works:

• Two funds were established to support the traditional Jesuit works of the Province (Pedro Arrupe Fund) and the affiliated social ministries (St. Peter Claver Fund). Nearly $1.8 million was donated by Jesuit communities, provinces and institutions from around the world. These funds were distributed in the form of grants to approximately 20 different works. A small committee of staff and two lay supporters reviewed grant applications and made recommendations on funding amounts in three different funding rounds.
• A separate family fund was established to provide direct support of the clients/students of our works and their families as well as employees of the works who were financially strapped as a result of Hurricane Katrina.
• The Province set up a Katrina Working Group committee made up of the heads of the works impacted by the disaster. This group informed each other about their recovery progress and needs.
• Jesuit universities and high schools from around the country took in students from Jesuit High School and Loyola University for the Fall '05 semester. Many did not charge tuition to these students. In an extraordinarily generous response, Strake Jesuit welcomed over 450 Jesuit High School students to their campus for much of the Fall '05 semester.

Status of our Jesuit works and affiliated ministries:

• Loyola University did not flood and reopened in January '06. With a decreasing enrollment, decisions were made to reorganize departments and cut programs resulting in the lay-offs of some faculty and staff. The student make-up has shifted — it is now 50% local students as compared to 30% pre-Katrina. All faculty and staff received pay during the Fall '05 semester
• Jesuit High School experienced major flooding of its first floor that is still being repaired. The campus reopened in November '05, but without classrooms or administrative offices on the first floor. The vast majority of students — 1400 of 1450 — returned to the school. Jesuit still has $3 million to raise to cover repair costs. All faculty and staff received pay during the Fall '05 semester
• Loyola Law School opened at the University of Houston; the Law Clinic provided assistance to evacuees in Houston Astrodome. Through the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC) and the Poverty Law Center, many migrant workers have received legal assistance and "know your rights" seminars.
• Spring Hill College took in a number of Loyola students and has been very active providing volunteers in Alabama and eastern Mississippi.
• Immaculate Conception church basement and rectory flooded. The Church reopened in January '06 with a reduced congregation.
• Holy Name Church roof was damaged, and the church just reopened in late January.
• With the assistance of a $50,000 grant from the Province, Good Shepherd Nativity School reopened in January '06 with only one-third of its student population. In the Fall of '06, the school had 75 of 90 slots filled. Nearly every family in the school was displaced.
• Boys Hope home was flooded. The boys spent the '05-'06 school year in St. Charles Parish and returned to live in FEMA trailers. The home finally opened in August '06. The Girls Hope home was completely destroyed and will be rebuilt with some significant support from the Province. The girls are currently living in a rented house in New Orleans.
• Reconcile New Orleans Café reopened about 8 weeks after Katrina. It did not flood, but the kitchen had to be completely redone. Initially the Café served meals to first responders. The Province provided the salary of the executive director for one year. Reconcile recently began a construction training program for adjudicated youth to prepare them for the many construction jobs developing in New Orleans.
• Manresa Retreat House, Our Lady of the Oaks and the Jesuit Spirituality Center all had a decrease in the numbers of retreatants in the Fall of '05. The Province provided grants to offset financial losses from revenues.
• The Thensted Center in Grand Coteau became a temporary home to about 20 refugees from New Orleans for 3 months. The Province provided funds for the increased food and utility bills incurred.
• The Harry Tompson Center for the Homeless will reopen in June '07 as part of the St. Joseph Rebuild Center. The Tompson Center is supporting two Jesuit volunteers currently working with Lantern Light ministries at St. Joseph Parish. The Province recruited the University of Detroit Mercy’s School of Urban Design to assist with the architectural design of the Center; it also provided staff assistance in the nearly year-long absence of both the board president and executive director.
• The New Orleans Jesuit Volunteer Corps community had to be relocated for all of '05-'06. The Province provided a grant which allowed two houses of JV’s (11 volunteers) to work this year at a reduced cost to their financially strapped agencies.

Spiritual Support:

• Immediately after the storm, several Jesuits were assigned to work in the evacuee shelters in Lafayette and Baton Rouge.
• A Day of Reflection on the Katrina experience was held for Jesuits in New Orleans on Good Friday '06.
• A Province staff Day of Reflection was held in June '06, and Mass was offered on the anniversary of Katrina.
• Manresa Retreat House is offering 3 Ignatian Retreats for First Responders (police, firefighters, EMS workers). The Province provided a grant of $7,500 for scholarships for participants.
• Holy Name Parish offered a day of reflection for parishioners.

Volunteerism and Advocacy

• The Province established a Katrina Relief Office and has hosted well over 1,000 "Ignatian family" volunteers from all over the country including students, faculty, young Jesuits in formation, and former Jesuit Volunteers. They are working not only in New Orleans, but in Mississippi and Alabama (the latter in collaboration with Spring Hill College). We assisted with the renovation of a dorm type facility to house volunteers. We provide education, tours and theological reflection for each Jesuit group that comes in.
• Province staff have done a great deal to educate people about the reality and needs of the area through hosting and touring visitors, writing articles and speaking to groups of students, other religious orders, and the Ignatian Family Teach-In in Georgia.
• We have been involved in advocacy efforts on hurricane related issues through participation in Common Good (to whom we also provided funding) Interfaith Worker Justice. The Jesuit Conference Office of Social and International Ministry has monitored legislation on hurricane relief for us and is posting information on Jesuit Advocates USA so that people from around the country can get more involved in advocating for and with us. Loyola’s Law School has provided legal assistance and advocacy to migrant workers, public housing tenants, and Orleans Parish prisoners who have been detained without adequate public defense.
• The Ignatian Solidarity Network held its first Ignatian Family Teach-In in New Orleans March 9-11, 2007. The focus of the teach–in was on poverty and racism. Over 500 students from Jesuit schools attended.
• Province staff assisted in organizing two separate 3-day meetings of representatives from the Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility. This group of faith-based investors could potentially bring up to $10 million into the Gulf Coast Region for low-income housing. They are also working to develop shareholder resolutions with insurance companies around issues related to Katrina and Rita.