Blessed Savior Catholic Parish
Our parish, working with Project Return hosted the third in a series of gatherings on April 6th titled “Connecting Back Into the Community”, a Human Concern and Evangelization effort to support individuals who have been incarcerated and the families effected by Wisconsin’s prison policies. Turnout was the best yet and there are many pictures. There were a lot of people who enjoyed taking ‘selfies’ with our life size Pope Francis!
Over 50 people joined in, including presenters, resource organizers/givers ... and those returning to society/community. People were signing up for resources and to hear and discuss problems and hopes.
Presenters and those offering resources shared stories of hard work over long time periods and frustration with difficulties faced to give help or seeing help not given when it should have been. Many "simple fixes" were spoken of but apparently hard to implement as most seemed faced with overload but determined to make it better.
Most notable was State Senator Lena Taylor who kept asking for changes and asked us to all help as we can to make it happen. It was lively! The Senator also has a selfie with our Pope Francis now!
" Thank You !!" to the USCCB Black and Indian Mission Office who funded the grant that is making this possible, knowing we had never done anything like this before.
We are beginning to grasp the needs and heart of those involved. It is good to have these gatherings but there is more that needs to be done. All these people are of good heart. Is the next step to gather all the resource leaders, politicians and media to lay out a path to coordinate the various efforts. Make are seeking to better Milwaukee & Wisconsin and to become an example to others. Really help others and change the spirit and mood making the city safer and lives better for all. Give hope and respect … and perhaps make God smile
The opening prayer for the gathering started with the words from the song "All Are Gathered" which starts with "Let us build a house where love is found ... ". Maybe that song, spirit, could be our parish song? Is it not a cry to love our neighbor as ourselves as Christ commanded us to, as Pope Francis prays for us to do?
