Holy Family House

2012-02-20T10:58:00.001-06:00

RAISE THE ROOF AT HOLY FAMILY HOUSE!

Join us for a benefit pancake breakfast. We will serve delicious banana nut, chocolate chip, and health nut pancakes; with whipped cream, fruit compote, syrup, peanut butter, jelly, and yogurt toppings. There's a $10 suggested donation, all proceeds will go towards replacing our 20 year old roof.

Saturday, March 3 from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon at Holy Family House, 912 E 31st Street KCMO

2011-11-28T10:52:00.002-06:00

Watch Holy Family House Catholic Workers Mark and Rachael receive a wonderful surprise from housemate Amanda!

http://fox4kc.com/2011/11/28/pay-it-forward-family-helps-group-that-helps-others/

Game Night at Holy Family House

2011-09-12T10:51:00.001-05:00

2011-09-07T11:24:00.002-05:00

Consider joining us for our upcoming Clarification of Thought Series.

Spinning Wheels of Nonviolence is your chance to dig into an insightful conversation about nonviolent life.

Every other Tuesday evening, starting October 4th at Holy Family House, 7:30- 9:00 pm

Private graces in public spaces

2011-09-03T17:13:00.001-05:00

by Gina Cook (as seen in 9.3.11 Kansas City Star FYI Section)

Here at Holy Family Catholic Worker House, we don’t eat a lot of fast food. We don’t like the way it’s produced, shipped or sold, or the way the profits exit our community so quickly. We prefer to eat at local restaurants when we do treat ourselves.

So the last place I thought I would end up on Ash Wednesday was in a line at the counter of a McDonald’s on Independence Avenue. Mark and I had just helped our friend Amir find a different bed, one that we hoped would be easier on his back. We loaded it into the big van and drove it to his rundown apartment.

Amir is lucky to have any apartment. He was homeless when I first met him. He’d stay in motel rooms until his Social Security check ran out, then stay at the shelter until the next one came. He hated staying in the shelter. One day, though, he realized that if he stayed there for a whole month, the money he saved would allow him to get an apartment. He hasn’t been in a shelter for months.

Amir is a generous man, so he wanted to treat us after we helped him move the bed. He took us to McDonald’s and wouldn’t take no for an answer. So much for Lenten fasting!

To my surprise, we had a great time. We saw a number of our friends from the street come in while we were there, and I listened as Amir chatted happily with them. People filled up on coffee and chicken nuggets. The food wasn’t great, but the companionship couldn’t be beat.

“Are you all religious?” a gentleman near us wanted to know. That began a conversation about religion and homelessness.

I read in Psychology Today that Americans are suffering from a lack of public spaces, and so they are constantly upgrading and expanding their homes to make up for that essential need. That’s right — affluent suburban Americans are suffering from a lack of public spaces.

But those of us who cannot upgrade our homes, those of us who perhaps have no home at all, will continue to make use of whatever public space we can find. That day, that happened to be a couple of swingy-style chairs at McDonald’s.

Gina Cook is one of 13 contributors writing the Faith Walk column. Reach her at faith@kcstar.com.

Canning Success!

2011-08-18T12:30:00.003-05:00

I, Rachael Hoffman, am a self-proclaimed horrible follower of complex instructions. I don't bake for this reason (all those rules about mixing dry and wet ingredients separately . . .) So, I've always felt daunted and a bit fearful about canning. However, necessity is the mother of all invention, right?

I've recently mastered freezer jams- peaches and strawberries, that we serve for our morning breakfast. These are so easy to make because you don't have to worry about the technique of canning, and we eat jam fast enough here that it's gone in a week or two.

And then, I dug up our glorious beet harvest last week. So many beets! There was no way we could eat them all in one sitting, and space in our refrigerators is often at a premium. My fate was clear- I had to learn to can. I studiously read the Extension Office directions for how to can, borrowed a water bath canner from lovely volunteer Sandy, and gathered all of the necessary supplies. And then, I got started around 9 pm Tuesday evening. (I figured I'd be done in an hour or so). HA! Well, at midnight I heard the most glorious sound- the popping of the seals, indicating a successful canning venture!

So, we have 7 cans of homegrown beets in our basement, and I'm looking forward to beets in January.

Kansas City Catholic Workers Go to Court

2011-07-25T14:15:00.000-05:00

Twenty nuclear weapons activists found guilty

Convictions come after Vatican diplomat calls weapons 'no longer morally justified'

Jul. 20, 2011 By Joshua J. McElwee

Anti-nuclear weapons activists walk towards the construction site of the new Kansas City Plant May 2. (NCR photo/Joshua J. McElwee)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Twenty peace activists opposing the country’s first new nuclear weapons facility in 33 years were found guilty of trespass yesterday for a May action which saw 53 arrested for a nonviolent action here.
But the convictions, handed down by Municipal Judge Elena Franco, were just part of a two-hour court drama that saw activists place their action in the context of the continued funding of U.S. nuclear weapons and a recent statement by a key Vatican diplomat questioning nuclear deterrence.
Speaking in Kansas City July 1, Archbishop Francis Chullikatt, the Vatican’s ambassador to the U.N., said “there is no justification today for the continued maintenance of nuclear weapons.”
Steve Jacobs, one of those convicted yesterday, echoed the archbishop’s words in a statement before Franco.
“Catholic bishops tell us these weapons are immoral because if used they will continue to kill the innocent year after year from the effects of nuclear fallout and contamination,” said Jacobs, a member of the Columbia, Mo. Catholic Worker community.
“I am guilty of believing them.”
Jacobs and the other 52 activists were arrested May 2 after blocking the gate to the construction site for the new nuclear facility, which is to replace an existing one here that makes approximately 85 percent of the non-nuclear components for the U.S. nuclear arsenal. It is one of three major new nuclear weapons facilities planned in the U.S., and its construction is part of an investment of $80 billion in the arsenal announced by President Obama last year.

Before their arrests, protestors walked onto the main road leading onto the Kansas City construction site and formed a circle around a construction vehicle. After about ten minutes there, officers arrested them one by one.
Fifteen of those convicted yesterday -- which included Catholic Workers from as far away as Pittsburgh, Penn., and a number of members of religious congregations -- pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 25 hours of community service, a suspended sentence of 10 days in jail, and two years probation for the action.
Four others who pleaded guilty received fines of $500, along with court costs. Another who pleaded guilty, Nicholas Pickrell, was sentenced to two days in jail after he told Franco that he would not pay a fine, or complete community service, because he “lives with the poor” and “practices community service every day.”
Five pleaded not guilty and were given a Sept. 28 trial date.
Before issuing one of the convictions yesterday, Franco told the defendants they were “preaching to the choir.”
In his statement before the court, Frank Cordaro, a member of the Des Moines Catholic Worker community, told Franco that he would not pay any fines levied against him as a way to be open to jail time to “stand in solidarity with the poor,” who, he said, were disproportionately represented in prison populations.
Responding that she had been a defense lawyer before becoming a judge, Franco told Cordaro she had lobbied to increase funding for legal services to the mentally ill and wished activists would work within legal means to express their concerns.
“If you would connect with us,” said Franco, “we would connect with you.”
As she announced Cordaro’s sentence -- $500 fine, to be paid within 90 days -- Franco smiled and, referring to the activist’s unwillingness to pay fines, said “But I’m sure that you’ll eventually be found in contempt of court.”
Cordaro, who has been arrested twice before in actions over the Kansas City facility and has refused to pay fines, held his hands up and replied: “I already am, Your Honor.”
Speaking after the proceedings, Cordaro said he walked way from the courtroom with an understanding that he and Franco “have a lot of common values and concerns.”
While waiting for officers to place him into custody, Pickrell, a member of the local Cherith Brook Catholic Worker community, told NCR he was willing to serve jail time instead of doing community service because “I still don’t feel what I did was wrong.”
“Why would I do community service for something I didn’t think was wrong?” he asked.
The activist, who said this would be his first stint in jail alone -- he and the other 52 activists arrested in May were placed in holding cells together for a number of hours -- also said he saw his time in jail as a “statement of solidarity.”
“People fear jail, yet our guests go regularly in and out of them. So this is just as much an act of solidarity as it is an act of exploration.”
Twenty-three of the activists who did not go before the judge yesterday also had their cases continued to the Sept. 28 date. Five remaining activists didn’t show up for the hearing or request a continuance. Warrants were issued for their arrest.
The May action was part of a series of efforts hosted by local people opposed to the construction of the $673 million nuclear weapons plant, known simply as the Kansas City Plant. Construction is being subsidized by the city with $815 million in municipal bonds.
Activists recently gathered enough signatures for a local ballot measure they say, if passed, would compel the operator of the plant to cease nuclear work in favor of green energy production. Barring legal challenges, it is due to appear on a Nov. 8 ballot.

[Joshua J. McElwee is an NCR staff writer. His e-mail address is jmcelwee@ncronline.org.]

HOT HOT HOT

2011-07-24T16:13:00.002-05:00

It is the last day of vacation and some of our friends are ready to beat down the door--they must miss my menu planning. Well, I'll tell you what, folks, on Wednesday we're having cheesy triangle pastries (faux hot pockets), sweet potatoes, green salad and cantaloupe and no dessert! (the dessert delivery didn't come).
It is the last day of vacation and I'm feeling hot, hot, hot. We had a glorious break from the heat this morning, it even sprinkled a little bit! I ran around the garden with my arms spread out like an eagle and praised the earth for this overcast day.
We all had our arraignment last Tuesday. Mark and Robyn were both sentenced to 20 hours community service and Rachael and I have a trial on Sept 28.
See you all soon!

What a day!

2011-06-29T11:11:00.001-05:00

Days like today, I am so happy to be living here at Holy Family...
Today I:
Helped serve breakfast to around 40 people
Helped about 10 people with their prescription medication
Ate my own breakfast
Read a few selected stories from NCR, the National Catholic Reporter
Cut Rachael's hair
Boiled a bunch of potatoes for potato salad for dinner tonight
Weeded the strawberry patch in the garden
Got a few office tasks done...
all before noon!

Also, I don't know how to make it say that this post was written by Gina

Just thought I would share.

FYI: Holy House will be closed for cleaning and rest July 4 through July 24! Happy Summer!

The Hope of Easter and a Disarmed World

2011-04-25T14:37:00.002-05:00

Please join us for the 2011 Faith and Resistance Retreat, this Friday through Monday at DeLaSalle High School, 3800 Troost.

"The Hope of Easter and a Disarmed World"

We will be learning about nuclear weapons production especially in regard to the new Kansas City Plant which is being built at Hwy. 150 and Botts Rd. in Kansas City, MO. Our collective knowledge will move us into gospel obedience and nonviolent direct action against the new plant on Monday morning.

All are welcome; there is no need to register. All meals will be provided, although feel free to bring along any extra food you might have lying around.

Schedule
Friday April 29, Evening: Dinner and socializing, movie (I can't remember the name of the dang movie, but it is about...guess what...nuclear weapons)

Saturday April 30: Roundtable discussions, nonviolence training, Art Laffin of the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker in Washington DC and Jay Coghlin of NukeWatch New Mexico will speak.

Sunday May 1st: Worship, planning for action

Monday: Nonviolent direct action

A Lenten Feast

2011-03-09T12:05:00.003-06:00

Things have felt kind of same-old, same-old recently. Meals have been going fine, the family is stable and healthy, the community dealing with the usual ups and downs. So in the everydayness of living at the house, the last place I thought I would end up on an Ash Wednesday was in a line at the counter of a McDonald's on Independence Ave.
Mark and I had just helped our friend Amir find a different bed--one that hopefully wouldn't hurt his back. We loaded it into the big white van and drove it to his tiny, run-down apartment. Amir is lucky to have any apartment, he had been homeless for quite a while when I first met him. Two years ago I remember counseling him on strategies to put his social security check to better use. He would stay in motel rooms until his check ran out and then stay at the mission until the next one came. He hated staying in the mission, he'd tell me all the time. So one day I just said to him as forcefully as possible: "Amir! Why are you staying in the motel rooms? Stay in the mission for a whole month, save up your money so you can get an apartment and then you'll never have to stay in the mission again!"
I don't know if it was my advice that did it, but now he has an apartment and has been stable there for a number of months.
Amir is a kind and generous man, and so he wanted to treat us after our hard work of moving the bed. He took us to McDonalds and wouldn't take no for an answer. So much for Lenten fasting!
It was the McDonald's House Catholic Worker there for a few hours. We saw a number of our friends come in and out while we were there, and I talked and listened as Amir chattered along about all kinds of subjects. People filled up on coffee and chicken nuggets. The food wasn't that great, but the companionship couldn't be beat. A gentleman who was sitting next to us struck up a conversation about religion and homelessness with Mark that started with the loaded question, "Are you all religious?"
I had been reading in Psychology Today that Americans are suffering from a lack of public spaces, and so they are constantly upgrading and expanding their homes to make up for that essential need. Yes. Affluent, suburban Americans are suffering from a lack of public spaces. But those of us who cannot upgrade our homes, those of us who perhaps have no home at all, will continue to make use of whatever public space we can find. Right now, that happened to be a couple of swingy-style chairs at McDonalds.
I don't know how Amir eventually ended up in an apartment. If I can get him to listen long enough, someday I will ask him. But I bet that however he got there it took some sacrificing along the way.
We can all spend our lives in motel rooms, spending up our check every month and having no place to call our own. I guess the lesson is the sacrifice of Lent, giving up some things in hope of the Resurrection. Letting some things die so that others can live. Eating some Chicken Mcnuggets as a sign of our humility, our reliance on others and therefore our reliance on God.

Check Rachael out on NBC news!

2011-01-27T21:59:00.000-06:00

Hi friends- I got an unexpected media plug today, NBC news interviewed me and played on the 5 pm news. I've included the story, and you can learn more about my deodorant by going to the website: www.holyodors.blogspot.com Thanks! - Rachael

KANSAS CITY, Missouri - Living simply is part of the mission of Holy Family House in Midtown and a new product at the house aims to continue the sweet-smelling mission.
Breakfast is over at Holy Family House, but Rachel Hoffman is already busy working up a sweat cleaning up the mess.
Most consumers wouldn’t work up a sweat about a deodorant to knock down that sweat, but Hoffman worries about the aluminum contained in most brands that can clog up skin pores.
Using the Internet, Hoffman found an alternative recipe for homemade deodorant that is organic and most importantly, aluminum free.
“I live in a un-air conditioned house in Kansas City and I’ve survived a summer with this deodorant,” Hoffman said.
Family and friends started taking an interest in Hoffman’s homemade scents, which gave her the idea of marketing the product to others, giving birth to Holy Odors Deodorant.
Now, the product is still made by hand in a room at Holy House. Hoffman softens shea butter and mixes in corn starch, baking powder and vitamin E to create the basic deodorant. A quick squirt of fragrance and time to cool into a stick is all that keeps the product from arm pits.
“I’m a social worker by trade, ‘What do I do with my hands?’” asked Hoffman.
Not forgetting who she serves, Hoffman donates a third of all her sales back to Holy House, fulfilling her commitment to living simply and in solidarity with the poor in the neighborhood.

http://www.nbcactionnews.com/dpp/money/consumer/woman-sells-homemade-deodorant%2C-benefits-holy-family-house

Work & Home: a reflection

2011-01-27T12:44:00.003-06:00

I have been thinking a lot about work recently. A few weeks ago, I got up early and started my usual Monday morning breakfast routine: 6:20 am get up and get dressed, make sure the coffee is going and the boiled eggs are on, figure out the napkins and towels, help Patty with toast, keeping workspaces clean, etc. Around 7:45, I finally meandered out to the front room where I helped myself to a much needed mug of coffee. I stood peacefully stirring creamer into my coffee when I was pretty much verbally attacked by a woman sitting near me.
"Don't you work here!?" she said with a scowl.
Now, I don't really like to say that I "work" at Holy Family very often. The word and its meaning today simply does not express the relationship that I have with this house. I would rather say, "I live at Holy Family," or "I belong at Holy Family."
She didn't give me time to respond, she went right into it. "Why can't you do the dishes? You're the one who works here. You get paid to be here!"
It took me a minute to realize that this woman must have just been asked if she would like to volunteer to do the dishes. Pat had been asking people but hadn't found a volunteer yet this morning.
Never mind that my hands were still wet from rinsing dishes, never mind that I had been up since 6:20 preparing the woman's breakfast. I was suddenly a layabout that expected other people to do my work for me. But is it my work?
I often have a hard time responding in situations like this. I tried to say to her as calmly as possible, "I do not get paid to work here. This is my home. I live here." I admit that I failed. She was still angry, and I wandered off to do some more dishes.

We always say that Holy Family is our home. We have to reaffirm and reaffirm, because when have you ever heard of a home where around 100 different people have keys to the back door?

True, most people have to pay to live in their home today. But I like to think of myself as a pioneer: out on the prairie, people didn't pay to live in their homes. They worked to live in their homes. All of their work centered on the home, keeping it livable and viable. That is what I do, I work at Holy Family to keep it livable and viable. I am not in charge of making sure that every dish gets washed, and I am humble enough to admit I need help in this endeavor. Every day I need help.
I should have apologized to the woman and told her that she was not expected to do the dishes. She was a guest in my home and she need not worry about those things unless she chose to. I should have sat down and asked for her name and welcomed her to my home. I can understand why she was confused and upset. But my own unsettled feelings got the better of me.

Everyone works in their home and everyone relaxes. Sometimes it feels like I do these normal things at Holy Family, but I do them under a microscope. Am I working enough? Am I relaxing enough? Who knows? All I know is that I am called to be here, to "hold down the fort." A homesteader with a dirty house, a raggedy garden and unkempt animals didn't have any less right to live on his or her homestead. Let's just let God be the judge. It is easier that way.

Why I Sit and Eat with our Guests: A Reflection on Breaking Bread at Holy Family House

2011-01-20T16:33:00.000-06:00

“And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:19

As Christians, we strive to follow in the example of Jesus during the Last Supper – as he shared himself deeply in the breaking of the bread. I am bold in saying that we attempt to the do same during supper time at Holy Family House. We spend hours planning menus, sorting food, rinsing fruit and veggies, cooking meals, serving meals, and enjoying the fruits of our labor. Indeed, our work centers on this sacred act of eating- this is how we recognize each other. I have learned that sharing a common meal, sitting down face to face with a volunteer or guest, is the easiest way to see Christ in another. This is when I hear about a new job or place to stay, an ill friend or relative, worries and joys.

But we are at Holy Family House to serve, right? There isn’t enough food to go around, is there? I have food at home, can’t I just wait till I get home? I’m so different than the guests, will we have anything to talk about? I feel guilty about how much I have and how little the guests have, isn’t it just easier to keep my distance? Whatever your reasons are- we ask that you take a leap of faith with us and join in the breaking of the bread. Listening is a form of ministry, there’s plenty of food to go around, just take some salad and sit down if you’re not hungry, and we promise there are plenty of things that you have in common with anyone who walks through our door—we are all human after all!

We at Holy Family House are hoping that people from all walks of life can build relationships with one another, understand in little ways how we each think and feel, enjoy each other’s company and in the words of co-founder Dorothy Day; “build a new society out of the old.” This means doing things differently than we have in the past, sharing resources and time, and interacting in new ways.

So please, humor us- take a break from serving and sit down in our dining room during supper time. Strike up a conversation, or eat slowly in silence. Just be with us and our guests in a new way. We look forward to breaking bread with you soon.

“Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?” Corinthians 10:16

By: Rachael Hoffman

Photo by Glenna, of Jay and Brother Louis

Here I Am

2011-01-14T11:38:00.000-06:00

[This is a recent journal entry I wrote as I was thinking about how to tell the story of where and how I'm living these days... who am I, and how do I explain that to people?]

So, these days I live at a homeless shelter; help run a soup kitchen out of my house.

It's a big change, perhaps, from going to a top-ranked college, or even from growing up as a priest's kid.

I don't know that I could ever have imagined living here -- here in a shelter, here in the inner city, here in Kansas City (where I don't know too many people), here in an intentional community, here in a house of peacemaking & social justice, here where I work to feed, clothe, assist, listen to, shelter, get yelled at by, and befriend anyone who comes to the door (day and night). Homeless, out-of-luck, drunk, drugged, mentally ill (perhaps all of the above)... another image of Christ. Another night at the Holy House -- at my house.

It's wonderful to finally feel settled in here, like this really is my house and my life. The radical difference between this and anything that I had done before, or seen as much of a focus in the church I'd grown up in, made me pretty conflicted for a while.

But on the other hand, maybe this isn't so much of a change. I've been searching for a long time now to understand who I am, what I'm called to. Moving here was certainly a leap, but also just the next great experiment in learning how to live.

Pumpernickel

2011-01-06T15:51:00.005-06:00

It has been a long road to freedom for our little cat Pumpernickel. A couple of months ago we had to start locking her up while the house was open because she would inevitably sneak out. She was just a little kitten and she didn't have all of her immunizations and she wasn't spayed yet. She hated being locked up, but what could we do?
Two weeks ago Pumpernickel had her surgery and she is now spayed. She had two agonizing weeks of recovery but today is her first day of freedom! This morning during breakfast she went right out the door and up the first tree she could find. She loves climbing trees, chasing leaves, watching birds and playing in our yards and garden.
Some people think that cats should stay indoors, especially on busy streets like ours. "There are so many dangerous animals out there!" they say. It is true that Pumpernickel is trading a lot of risk for her freedom. She'll have to contend with the cold, rain, snow, cars, raccoons, opossums, and dogs as well as many sharp metal objects. She's so little, I suspect that some rats could overpower her. Who knows what dangers are lurking around every corner!
The truth is, I as a parent to this little kitty want her to get out there and get down to the business of surviving. Pumpernickel had a difficult first two months of her life on the street. Fred found her shivering in a storm drain with no mother in sight. Then, she was brought into the warmth and safety of Holy Family. But Pumpernickel's infancy is over. She has to face the world. She has to do it. And so do we.
We have to recognize the world as a dangerous place, but dare to live in it anyway. We ought to go boldly to the dangerous places of our city and our world. Because if we all went to those places, they wouldn't seem so dangerous. And we could realize that the danger is created by our fear, our ignorance and isolation.
We are all called to be instigators of peace, no matter who we are. Pumpernickel is a little kitten, true. But she is not called to be cooped up in a house for her entire life. Hallelujah! She is called to be a part of this drama of creation on 31st Street. Hallelujah!

The Two Catholic Workers

2011-01-03T17:16:00.003-06:00

Today at morning prayer, Robyn read us a parable from the book Feathers on the Wind by Ed Hays. Los Dos Carreteros tells the story of two oxen drivers who were trying to get their oxen to climb a steep hill with heavy loads. One of the oxen drivers works hard: he whips his cattle and pushes and swears like a sailor. The other, seeing that the steep hill would be next to impossible to climb, lays himself down, prays that God will help him and takes a little nap.
Jesus and Peter happen along the scene and they see one driver inching up the impossible slope and the other napping peacefully in the shade. Jesus and Peter immediately help the man who is driving his oxen with all his might, and finally they make it to the top. Peter stops to ask Jesus why they didn't help the man who prayed and napped, but the one who was cursing rather impiously. Jesus replies, "The man we helped did not curse from his heart. His anger came out of his intensity and frustration. He is a good man who works hard and cares about the welfare of his family. The other man, however, is simply lazy! He is a hypocrite who only remembers me when he is in trouble."
This parable makes me feel good about myself. Sometimes I get angry. I get angry at guests, at volunteers and community members. Sometimes I yell and curse like a sailor (it's true!). I am well on my way to the title of House Curmudgeon. But at least in some way the Holy One could take all this as signs that I care. If I didn't care, why would I bother to curse? Why would I bother to do anything at all? I could be napping instead of answering that damned doorbell. I could be going to the movies instead of standing in the cold cursing the Honeywell nuclear weapons plant.

Today at breakfast the coffee was cold. It was coffee alright, but for one reason or another it got cold. After ten or so guests loudly informed me of the coffee's undesireable temperature, I was ready to lay down right there and take a nap. But I didn't. I gruffly kept serving the eggs, collecting dirty dishes and seeing to people's wants and needs. Maybe the Holy One helped me through, I don't know. But just hours later I was singing as I swept and scrubbed and wiped the dishes.
The title of this blog entry is kind of a trick. Because there are no "two Catholic Workers." There is only the one struggling up the hill, cursing everything in sight but caring for creation with all of his or her being. Although Catholic Workers do take naps, we are called to be awake, aware and working our butts off. Unlike the oxen driver, though, we're pretty sure we'll never make it to the top of the hill. But we're crazy enough to try. Really, what else is worth doing?

Holy House Coffee House!

2011-01-01T14:02:00.002-06:00

Oh, the joy and frustration of Thursday variety nights! For the past eight weeks on Thursday nights we had cooking class which was sponsored by Harvester's. It was a great thing for a few of our guests, people looking for more information and skill in nutrition and cooking. But our other guests and volunteers felt left out of the cooking class because Harvester's requires that individuals sign up for the class in advance. So although the cooking class was helpful, it was a bit stressful for us and disappointing for our guests who just want to drop in.
Well, we don't want to stop having Variety Night. We feel our reasons for having a night where we don't serve a meal but are open to guests are well grounded in Catholic Worker thought. We wanted a time for new ideas to flourish, a night when we weren't running around serving, but a night when we could really get to know people. We wanted a night based on relationship with people in contrast to what often seems a transaction-based, agency-like meal. And we wanted a time that the live-in community could express its creativity and interests with the guests without interfering with a meal.
So, for now each Thursday we are making coffee, pulling out games and crayons and opening our doors for the "Holy House Coffee House!" Come and hang out with us every Thursday night from 4:00-6:00 pm with our house liturgy following at 6:30. We aren't planning on doing much, we're just going to see what grows out of a bunch of great people getting together and shooting the breeze.
Finally, the Holy House Coffee House is our response to our society's ever-increasing anonymity and hectic lifestyle. Come and hang out with us, forget what society says about success, about productivity, leisure, worth and acquisition. Forget that society tells you to hang out with the "cool crowd." Oh wait! We are the cool crowd. And all are welcome!

Dumpster Dancing!

2010-11-28T15:36:00.001-06:00

Sometimes you've just got to dance that trash down...

And... We're Back!

2010-09-04T13:22:00.000-05:00

We're open again!
We had a wonderful first few breakfasts Wednesday and Thursday, and a great first dinner (tacos!) on Wednesday evening.
Join us this afternoon and evening (4:00-7:30 p.m.) for an open house--come say hi to the new live-in staff, see the shiny floors, play dominoes, enjoy dinner. See you there!

We are Hope-filled People!

2010-08-17T21:15:00.006-05:00

Photo by Josh McElwee, former staff member of Holy Family House Catholic Worker

On Monday morning, August 16 we refused to give in to our fears, refused to cooperate with the world as it is, and dreamed a better world. 100 hope-filled friends, 14 willing to risk arrest including Holy Family House staff members Gina and Rachael and Holy Family House volunteers Beth and Donna. What a witness! What a rush! When is the last time you did something with conviction, acted on your beliefs, joined with a community in hope of the Kin-dom on Earth?

The truth is that once you sit down and really think about atomic bombs, hear stories and see pictures of the singed skin of the Japanese, once you really get it--- this is madness after all; it's not all too difficult to put your own body on the line.
Kansas City is building a new nuclear bomb plant. Our city is helping to create more nuclear bombs. Do you hear me? Do you care?
We know you do, because you care about your fellow human being. Even the fellow human being across the ocean, right? Next time, we hope you'll join us with your body. We're planning on returning to the groundbreaking ceremony on September 8, 2010. We'll see you there.

Hope Changes Everything

2010-08-10T13:33:00.002-05:00

"Hope changes everything." This is Catholic Charities of Kansas City/St. Joseph's most recent tag line. Although I worked for them for a few months this spring (and I did enjoy working for them) I always thought the tag line was a bit trite. Hope, to me, is just hope, most of the time it seems you hope your whole life and nothing changes.
I can remember times in my life when I had very little to almost no hope. Last March, for example, I was living at Harrison House and desperately hoping that my community (Holy Family) would pull through this transition with grace and fortitude. I saw very little progress in the way of that happening. Frank had pulled out: he couldn't move into the house with Rachael and I. We were afraid we had scared Robyn away from joining us. We suffered from a lack of communication between the two houses. Rachael and I knew that Louis would be leaving in 8 short weeks but we couldn't find the time or energy to get up to the house to gather the bits of information we needed. We were both overwhelmed with the prospect of quitting our jobs (yet again) and plunging ourselves back into voluntary poverty. As well, we were having monthly (sometimes bi-monthly) meetings with the Planning Committee which were taxing and slow-moving. On top of it all, we were struggling with internal strife in our community surrounding a long-term guest at Harrison House. Every day I questioned Rachael and my ability to "take over" Holy Family. And it felt like such an awful, violent phrase: "to take over."
My bit of hope in that time did not change everything. But it did change a lot. I have carried that little bit of hope inside of me throughout these months. I carried it when I had to take the cats to the pound; when we had to call the police in response to the violence of guests. I carried it as I slept alone at 908 while Rachael was in Chicago, I am carrying it now through this heat wave.
Little things make my hope grow and grow. Every time I walk into the kitchen with its beautiful coat of paint, my heart bursts with hope. As I watch and participate with Rachael in her meetings with volunteers, hope bubbles up inside me. Robyn has arrived permanently now, and having her here is having a living, breathing source of hope for me. Jane reading her statement against nuclear weapons in front of the judge; her bravery speaks so clearly of the hope she has for the peace of a world without nuclear weapons.
Hope changes everything. This very phrase has a little bit of hope dangling inside of it. True, if we simply hope and do not act little will be accomplished. But hope is what gives us the power to act. In reality, hope was the very thing that allowed me to move into Holy Family. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "The arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice." We must carry hope inside of ourselves our entire lives and quietly know: it really is changing everything.

Sights from the Garden

2010-08-02T12:46:00.000-05:00

the squash vines have bee-utiful yellow flowers!

the raccoons seem to be enjoying our corn...
but the stalks are still shining in the morning sun,

and these baby tomatoes are like candy -- yum!

To flea or not to flea?

2010-07-03T14:07:00.000-05:00

We have fleas. A lot of fleas. In the basement of 912 E. 31st Street. These dictatorial denizens of all that is itchy have brought my cleaning/painting and general sanity to a screeching halt. I cannot even think about going into the basement without at least 20 of the little buggers attaching themselves to my legs, biting and sucking with joy. Doing laundry? Like risking your life. Finding paint brushes? Impossible. Running down for that oh-so-coveted bag of sugar? Don't count on it.
Meatloaf and Jude (the cats) lived in that basement for over two years. Their flea-control regimen can't even be described as "spotty." It was all but non-existent. Last week, on account of their bowel-control problems, I took Meatloaf and Jude to Halfway Home Pet Adoptions for a sad but necessary goodbye. Little did I know that I would be saying hello to hordes of hungry fleas.
Yes, yes I have called the exterminator. He bombed down there last week, the same day we moved Meatloaf and Jude out. But fleas have a special way of hiding from bug bombs: each female flea lays over 500 eggs in her lifetime. The fleas love to lay their eggs in dark, soft places like carpet, fabric or...get this...cardboard. Hmmm. We don't have anything like that in the basement, do we?
Luckily, there is an end in sight. Flea eggs take two weeks to hatch, so in about 6 days the biggest wave will be over. The fleas that are hatching right now need blood to survive and lay more eggs, and trust me, no one is going in that basement right now. I also have the exterminator scheduled to come this Friday afternoon and bomb again. I keep having dreams that when this is all said and done, I will be sweeping up dead fleas like...I can't even think of a metaphor. Like piles of dead fleas.
Please don't let this discourage you from coming to our work day on Sat. July 10. I plan on braving the basement for necessary items (paint brushes, scrubbies, buckets, soap) this Friday after the bug bomb air has dissipated. No one else will need to go in the basement, unless they have forgotten what pain is like and need a reminder.
I have not had a problem with fleas anywhere but the basement. Under no circumstances will you be required to go into the basement. Please come to the work day. We will be painting the kitchen and scrubbing down the dining rooms and putting up some more work in Louis' room. Your help and bravery is greatly appreciated. I am willing to hose you off afterward.

Reminder of Events

2010-06-24T11:13:00.000-05:00

Things are going well so far here at the house! Just a couple of updates:

First, we will be having a Clarification of Thought concerning drug and violence issues at the house on June 29th at 6:30 pm. This is a very important discussion and we hope as many weekly and monthly volunteers and friends can be present as possible. This is a kickoff event which will set in motion a 7 step plan for addressing these issues, including discussions with the police and people who are experienced in nonviolent communication and conflict mediation. This event will happen at the house.

Next, we are planning a Work Day for Saturday, July 10th from 9 am to 4 pm. We will be focusing on the kitchen and dining rooms, possibly painting the kitchen and scrubbing down chairs, tables and baseboards. All abilities are needed and welcome. Come when you can and lunch will be provided.

As always everyone is welcome at Liturgy at the house on Thursdays at 7:30 pm with a light dinner at 6:30 pm for all who are interested in attending liturgy.

Also we encourage your participation in an upcoming resistance rally against the nuclear weapons plant on Bannister Rd. A conference and resistance activities will be August 16-18. Please contact the house for more information.

Finally, we are currently meeting with all of the weekly volunteers to talk about their future involvement in the house. In the next months, we will be meeting with all of the monthly groups as well. If you are a monthly coordinator it would be helpful if you would like to begin looking for a time when your group could meet with us. We will be contacting you shortly.

Four citizens arrested in protest against the US Nuclear Complex

2010-06-19T10:29:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Friday June 18 around 50 people gathered at the intersection of Bannister and Troost in Kansas City, MO to protest the insanity of building nuclear weapons. The Kansas City Plant provides 85% of the non-nuclear parts for the US government's nuclear weapons. The rallying cry was "Clean it! Close it! Don't repeat it!" referring to the current plan to build a new plant further south at Highway 150 and Botts Rd, as well as grievous signs of toxic contamination at the old plant and nearby urban and natural areas.
The march began at the intersection of Bannister and Troost and processed quietly east on Bannister to the gates of the Kansas City Plant. Once there, we boldly blocked the entrance to the plant with our bodies and proclaimed it to be shut down! We hammered wooden crosses into the ground to commemorate the KCP workers who have died from cancers related to toxic and radioactive exposures.
Four of our friends were arrested by Homeland Security for obstructing the plant's operations. The energy of the rally was high and hopeful that as our numbers swell we can make it clear to the City Council and to the US government that this plant and all nuclear weapons are dangerous, destructive and immoral.

If you have any questions or want some information on future rallies please call or e-mail the house.

A lesson after closing

2010-06-12T16:23:00.000-05:00

I recently finished reading Earnest J Gaines' novel A Lesson Before Dying. It is the story of a young black man, Jefferson, in the 1940s who is sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit. In the story, the only educated man in the town, the schoolteacher, visits him in jail in the months preceding the execution. The teacher is pressured by Jefferson's mother and his aunt to help "make him into a man" before he dies.
I was very struck by one scene in the novel. The older women, the teacher and a minister have convinced the sheriff to allow them to meet Jefferson in the day room at the prison instead of in the tiny cell. At first it seems they simply want to be able to meet with Jefferson sitting down. Later, the reader realizes that what the women really want is to share a meal with Jefferson, to bring him home cooked food and sit with him in a way that feels normal to them. Embedded in this meal is a lesson that he is a man, not an animal. The sharing of food around a table is a purely human act, a symbol of our interdependence and our unity.

We are not sharing a lot of meals with guests right now. But what we are doing is preparing the way. Just as a jail cell is not the most approachable way to celebrate the Eucharist that comes to us as a simple, nourishing meal, neither is a dirty or chaotic house. We must all calm down, quiet down and sit at the table together so that we might see clearly each one's humanity.
The same is true for our family shelter. I heard yesterday of yet another family that we could be housing in our empty rooms in the house. And it's true, we could be sheltering these families' bodies. But if you know what a sacred act sheltering someone is, you also can understand why we wait and we prepare the way. We want the space to say to our guests, "this is our home and we welcome you."

Bittersweet Farewell

2010-06-07T17:54:00.002-05:00

The green Carolla rolled down the alley followed closely by the final cheers and well wishes of our community, those of us who are left to experience the house in an entirely new way. There were a few tears but mostly laughter as Brother Louis shared his last chuckles with each of us.

It was less of an ending and more of a beginning. We all know and love what Holy Family is with Louis around; we all know and love Louis as he is here at Holy Family. These things will be in our memories forever. What we cannot conceive is what the two will be like apart.

Brother Louis has been gone for approximately 72 hours. The house hasn't spontaneously combusted, although I have been jerking awake at night with some disaster or another on my mind. Last night I dreamed that we had not gotten rid of the donuts that sit in the corner by the back door in their big Rubbermaid containers and a million ants were devouring them. When I awoke I made my way to their spot, and there the containers were, empty, neatly washed and stacked. (I believe Kaitlin took care of that). A little voice caught up with me, "Silly Gina! Everything will be OK!"

We have spent the last two days breathing, cleaning up after ourselves and doing our best to adjust to the reality of Louis' departure. I have been practicing driving the big van a lot, redistributing items we will not need while we are closed. Rachael has been adjusting to her new job at the thrift store. Kaitlin and Josh are working on packing. And Glenna has been cooling off from a year of hard work.

We must all remember that Brother Louis and the house are separate entities. That both can live and thrive without the other. There have been rumblings that Holy Family is what some people might call a "storefront church"; a religious organization with a charismatic leader who gathers the flock. When the charismatic leader leaves, the organization cannot stay afloat. Its inspiration is gone. Is Holy Family a storefront church? In as much as the Catholic Worker movement is one. November 2010 will mark the 20th anniversary of the death of Dorothy Day. Yet today some claim that our movement is 185 houses strong. Dorothy, our charismatic leader, continues to inspire us from legend and the written world. Will Holy Family cease to exist? Yes, just as someday all things will cease to exist. But until that day and as long as these houses stand as Catholic Workers there will be a spirit here that cannot be compromised.

Perhaps you can place your faith in the documents that bind Holy Family into a land trust. As long as the government recognizes them, Holy Family, the houses and land, belong to the community. They belong to the community for the purpose of service to the community. Maybe someday a beautiful urban forest will grow on these two lots, and what a divine service that would be!

We must think of things beyond ourselves in these difficult times. We must remember the Osage who were here long before us and their trade route which ran where Troost is today. Or the slave plantation which flourished on this land. We must remember that the span of time is so much bigger than a loaf of bread or a slice of Louis' famous quiche. Yet we here at the house know that when these things are given away to those who hunger, the world and the span of the universe is returned to us. The smile on his or her face is God's smile, thanking us for the gift of the world on a plate.

Heat Wave and Musical Houses

2010-05-25T18:03:00.000-05:00

This weekend in the Holy Family community we are all playing Musical Houses. This is an exciting game where you pack up all of your belongings, throw out all the papers that need to be recycled and switch your life around yet again as God has called. As for Rachael and I, we are sweeping away the lingering dust bunnies which have gathered on our Catholic Worker ideals and reminding ourselves of what it really means to live in a house of hospitality.
We also have begun meetings regarding the repair work on the house. We are so blessed to have a number of skilled and knowledgeable people who are willing to help care for our community's greatest asset: our homes. We thank Harold and Tony in advance for all the work they are planning to do.

Our first work day will be Saturday June 12th from 9am to 4pm. We are hoping to tear down the fence and stone wall between the shelter and the garden, so we will need some strong human beings to help. Everyone is welcome to come when they can and we will be providing a delicious and nutritious lunch. I hope to see you there!

A Rare Success

2010-05-20T18:27:00.000-05:00

We don't really have successes in the Catholic Worker movement. We have so many high ideals, such a lofty list of goals that often our successes are revealed in the small and everyday: a child's smile, one more person speaking out against war, a hot shower which restores human dignity. We rarely see or understand success as our larger society does: big events, big movements, major change. But we had this kind of success in thanking and celebrating Brother Louis, Glenna, Kaitlin and Josh last Saturday.
We wanted the celebration to genuinely honor Brother Louis' commitment to the Gospel and to our community. All were welcome, and I hope all felt welcome. Although we had to move the event away from the house because of rain, a number of people helped shuttle guests back and forth to Cristo Rey HS which was our rain site.
The school assembly room was packed with people and permeated by the delicious aroma of home-made lasagna donated by over 20 volunteers. Beautiful flowers (also donated from volunteer's gardens) graced the tables. It was a classy Catholic Worker inspired evening, right down to the hodgepodge of tablecloths borrowed from here and there and musicians who had never met before coming together in song. We picked up stacks of real plates from St. James' Church, we used our soup kitchen trays...estimates on the number of guests we had range from 250 to 400.
The budget for this event was a whopping zero dollars and zero cents. Praise the Lord, we don't need a lot of money to say thank you to this man who has taught us all about giving so freely. Truly, our celebration was a modern multiplication of the loaves and fishes. It was a celebration of life amidst the persistent drizzle. It was a gift to Brother Louis whose life is gift to us all.

Baking our own bread

2010-05-12T15:20:00.003-05:00

It is difficult to imagine why anyone would want to bake bread at Holy Family House. It seems that every week a title wave of old bread comes crashing down on us. We can't eat it fast enough, and often some of it grows moldy. Yet baking bread is a Holy Family House tradition that has gone by the wayside. When Brother Louis is in the mood to reminisce he will tell you stories of yeast rising, ovens full and the smell of fresh bread wafting through the house.
A potential new community member named Robyn visited us last weekend. She went through the first in a series of discernment meetings and the outlook continues to be positive. We are excited to have her moving in with us at the end of July. We really enjoyed her visit.
Robyn is a young woman who recently graduated from Washington University in St. Louis. She spent her first year out of college as a Vincentian volunteer working with urban youth at a bakery called Angel Baked Cookies. Currently, she is an Americorps volunteer working with a community radio station in St. Louis. Robyn will provide the house with interesting new perspectives: she belongs to the Eastern Orthodox Church. Finally, Robyn has spectacular bread-baking skills and I hope she revives the old tradition at Holy Family: baking our own bread.
Baking bread in these days of abundance of store-bought preservative-injected "probably isn't that good for you" bread is a quiet sort of radicalism. We will have to baby the yeast, allow it to rise, work the flour and dough with our hands. If we choose this activity, we must be present from beginning to end, coming to know the slow work of providing the things our bodies need (and knead...he he).
We are now doing the similar slow work of welcoming Robyn into our community. And the yeast is multiplying; she is returning this weekend for Louis' farewell party. We are so grateful for her: herself and her interest in our community. Thanks be to God for sending her to us.

Drastic Measures

2010-05-05T21:48:00.000-05:00

I was at the house a few days ago when one of our volunteers expressed concerns about the "drastic" changes we are making at the house. I had just reminded her that we would be down to three evening meals a week and four breakfasts come September.
There are many reasons why we are making these changes. I will reiterate them on this blog so that people can have a reference.
Reason #1: Changing Needs. We really see a shift of need in our neighborhood. True, people will always need food. But through the Planning Committee we identified a number of places in our neighborhood providing hot evening meals, lunches and goods from pantries. What we have realized as a greater need than evening meals is shelter for homeless families. One of our goals in the coming years is to shelter families in a way that really lifts the family up from their current situation. This kind of hospitality takes a lot of work. It may not be as immediately gratifying as serving someone hot food, nor does it require the same number of volunteers coming into the homes. But it is still important and necessary work.
Reason #2: Changing staff. We have cut back on meals simply because they are so taxing and time consuming. As Louis will tell you, when the house first opened very few people came to the meals. In the 80's, however, the house saw an influx of hungry people. What used to be a casual evening meal which was prepared as quickly as any meal for a regular household ballooned into the four-hour affair that we know today. And that is just when the house is open. Depending on the menu, Louis will sometimes begin preparing the meal as early as 2 pm. When I cook, I usually start scrubbing potatoes around 2:30. (I like to take my time.)
Unfortunately, none of us are as singly dedicated to the house as Brother Louis is. It is unlikely that we will find another religious brother or sister to live at the house, most of us are young people who see marriage, children or careers of some sort in our future. But I speak for myself when I say that I also see living in a Catholic Worker as part of my future. I am and always will be a Catholic Worker. And so the buzz word is sustainability. How can we make the house a place where an average person can live and work and be healthy? One of the ways we are working on this sustainability is keeping a number of nights open for leisure, community interaction and other interests.
Reason #3: Personalism. We want to take a critical and constructive look at how we are serving meals and our neighborhood. We want our house to be rooted in the personalism Peter Maurin taught us in his lifetime. This means paying real attention to everyone who comes in the door. This means truly being present during meals, eating with the guests, spending time with them. This means the more staff and volunteers we can have at the house at once, the better! We would also like to make the house a safer place to be by addressing the drug and violence issues. Again, these things take a lot of time and energy.
Reason #4: The many facets of the Catholic Worker Movement. Although Holy Family has always been a House of Hospitality, it also has a background in another facet of the Catholic Worker: peacemaking. 912 originally was the headquarters for the Kansas City Peace Foundation. As a Catholic Worker I am interested in all the different aspects of the movement and how they fit together. I am interested in farming, crafting, resistance, publishing, voluntary poverty, war tax resistance, and speaking truth about the "systems and structures" (a Louis phrase) which keep people in poverty. On top of all of that, I am interested in hospitality.
So yes, these changes are drastic. They are jolting people out of what they know, jolting people out of their comfort zone. We are asking you monthly volunteers to step out from behind the silver table and meet the people you have been serving for so long. We are asking weekly volunteers to consider new ways of involvement. We are asking ourselves, "What are we doing here? What are our values and ideals? How can we express them?" We are looking to that old Catholic Worker adage: "afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted."

Reminder of Upcoming Events

2010-05-05T21:47:00.000-05:00

All are welcome at any of these upcoming events at Holy Family:
Sat. May 15: Brother Louis' Farewell Party 4-9pm
Fri. May 28: Roundtable on the Future Directions of Holy Family at Nick, Laurie and Teresa's house 7 pm
Also, please join us for liturgy every Thurs. at 8:30 pm

Holy Family Transition

2010-05-05T21:37:00.002-05:00

"We need Houses of Hospitality
to show what idealism looks like
when it is practiced."
Peter Maurin
We have been practicing a lot of idealism recently in the Holy Family community. In an ideal world, the needs of the marginalized and hungry could be put on pause while the community mourns, dreams and negotiates over this transition. (In an ideal world, there would be no marginalized or hungry!) So we practice idealism in that we are putting hospitality on hold to attend to the survival and re-awakening of the house. We look toward a future where the house is a safe and welcoming place for all who enter. And we are grateful for the people and places that will continue to serve our neighborhood while we transition and grow.
The house will be closing for growth, repairs, cleaning and focus on live-in community beginning Thursday, June 3rd after a final liturgy. We anticipate being closed most of the summer with a re-opening scheduled sometime before September 1st.
Believe it or not, I have fielded two replies to our community-member want ads in the last week! One was a woman who was interested in living in the house for a month or so over the summer, another a man who might be interested in a longer-term committment. Thanks be to God for this trickle of hope!
We are also very excited about our growing extended community houses, which look to have upwards of 8 live-in members in the coming months! For those of you who don't know, extended community houses are homes in the neighborhood of Holy Family whose residents live in intentional community with one another. The houses are great sources of support for Holy Family.
On May 1st, 1933 the first edition of The Catholic Worker was published. On May 1st, 2010 I begin this blog with the hope that it will be a source of good and clear communication in the future as Holy Family's transition becomes reality. (I also pray I can channel some of Dorothy's spirit and agitate you all into action!) If you have any questions or comments about the transition or the extended community houses, please contact Rachael or Gina at holyfamilycw@gmail.com