Written on: February 22, 2019
Sister Eileen sent posts during their time in El Paso. You can read them here.
After the experience, Sr. Eileen posted this reflection From a Faith Perspective: The Stranger
Last fall, the Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart sent a donation to Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley to assist them in their efforts to support the men, women and children coming to our southern border looking for safety and a better life, free from the horrific violence they are confronted with in their home countries, especially Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. Since January, we have received further requests for financial help and volunteers through the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, and the LCWR Immigration and Justice groups.
Sister Denise and the Leadership Council have decided to send two volunteers, Sisters Diane Bardol and Eileen White to El Paso, Texas for two weeks. We are grateful to Sister Mary Lee Farrell, who contributed her frequent flyer miles, cutting our transportation cost in half. Sisters Diane and Eileen will leave March 14th and return at the end of the month.They will receive hospitality at a convent of the Sisters of Loretto in El Paso, TX and have orientation and supervision at Annunciation House, which oversees more than ten temporary hospitality centers, all staffed by volunteers. Exactly what their tasks will be they will learn while there.
LCWR reports that over 200 members of religious communities have volunteered at border towns, assisting in a variety of ways the hundreds of immigrants seeking asylum or trying to connect with relatives who already live in the U.S.
Please join with us in praying for all those at the border and for Sisters Diane and Eileen as they prepare to serve in our name.
Sister Denise and Leadership Council of the Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart