November 22nd,
2001, Thanksgiving Day! A feast day this year, yet so sad; a day to
help one another, to share, to welcome, when one can be received among
family.
“That your faith be translated by your works”. Holy Scripture
tells us. How is this realized in our place, at Fraternite Notre Dame?
Of course, in offering a copious and delicious meal to all the poor
and our children. But this year, this day is completely unique for
Msgr. Jean Marie has chosen it to be the opening of the new Soup Kitchen.
This day was highly
expected by all! Our old Soup Kitchen on Chicago Avenue having closed
the end of December 2000, here it is nearly a year that we’ve
been distributing sandwiches and drinks at the door of the church.
So much to say what a great event it is, to finally be able to welcome
them in a spacious area, agreeable and fully renovated! The first
to be surprised were those very poor persons, who did not believe
their eyes.
But let’s
go back a little in time… when this magnificent place was but
a humid and sinister cave, it was necessary to break it up and clear
it away entirely. This was no small task. It was then difficult to
believe that one could have the ability to transform such a sad place.
But a wave of the magic wand passed by there: meaning the insight
of Msgr. Jean Marie, the work relentlessly pursued by the Brothers
and the Sisters, with the help of our volunteers and certain parents
come from Europe to give of their time; and the very great generosity
of our benefactors. As everyone was honored by helping us, that we
should finally be able to serve the needy.
Private donators,
different churches of faiths, organizations or food banks, each one
did their part. One gave us a superb commercial stove with 10 burners
and a cold storage compartment allowing us to stock there our bread
and vegetables; another gave us a long table of hot chafing dishes,
permetting us to display in a self-serve manner so that each one can
choose his own dish as in a restaurant. One friendly church furnished
us entirely with the paving tiles, another with the complete plumbing
system.
A friend of the
Congregation devoted herself to the electrical system to be re-made
from A to Z, in the name of her late husband who was an electrician.
There were others who would carry magnificent industrial sized pans
and kitchen utensils. Finally, we can say that heaven had overwhelmed
us and each one saw that God is the inspiration of all these outbursts
of sympathy. How grateful we are! Towards the Good Lord and towards
our benefactors for whom we pray everyday.
It is a recompense for Msgr. Jean Marie Roger Kozik, whose bold faith
and trust began this enterprise starting with nothing, just 4 years
ago. No car, no oven, no refrigerator for the first religious of the
Fraternite Notre Dame. Only faith and courage, only the wish to devote
oneself to the most destitute. But so many changes have come about
since then. One would have to talk about miracles…
Once the principal
work of the Soup Kitchen achieved, the Msgr. decided to invite all
our friends and benefactors for an inauguration ceremony. The room
was full. Our long-time friends, our assiduous volunteers, and even
some Pilgrims came from France to support us.
The red ribbon
would be cut by the Bishop assisted by State Senator Rickey R. Hendon,
Alderman Emma Mitts, Reverend Lewis Flowers from the Westside Ministers
Coalition, and Ronald Mc Donald in person, in formal dress and armed
with an enormous pair of scissors. Following, plaques and medals were
given to all the benefactors, by our dear Father Jean Marie. A moment
of joy and friendship.
Three weeks came
and went to achieve the last necessary preparations to open it to
the public. What hustle-and-bustle! The priests and brothers pierced
together the new door that faces Race Ave and that will be the entrance
to our harbor of welcome. How many feet will pass under this threshold.
Little feet of children who are hungry and begging for a little love;
feet of old people rejected by their families; staggering feet of
those wandering through life, the rejected and marginalized of Austin
and of the streets of the world…
On the other side,
the little sisters busy themselves as they must feed a great number
of visitors on this Thanksgiving Day. Joe, our chef “cuisinier”
will be there. He came last year to prepare a sumptuous meal at Thanksgiving
for our children. But this year, because of the difficult situation
we are in, he could not furnish the food. Also, we made a call to
all our faithful. And each one gave us 2 turkeys with cranberry sauce,
corn, etc., without forgetting the famous pumpkin pies; in fact, all
that constitutes an array of a traditional dinner!
We finished under
a great avalanche of turkeys. Joe told us “bring me 30 birds,
and I will cook them”. By “bird”, one should understand
turkey for sure!
Red Letter Day, he would bring all the pleasing meals, prepared with
care.
If the sisters
who cook had been discharged of their usual work on this day, they
were not left however without work. All of them decorated the refectory
in orange and yellow. Sister Marie Fabienne would construct a large
banner of autumn colors, with the name of Fraternite Notre Dame. All
is gay and joyous for the opening.
At last the great
day of Thanksgiving arrives under a tickling sunlight, unusual for
the season. At 10:00 the Msgr. would celebrate the Great Mass in giving
thanks and asking divine blessings for the United States of America.
And at 1:00 p.m., behold the doors of the new Soup Kitchen opened.
A long line was waiting outside.
All came happily and filled with wonder. For us too, it is a very
emotional experience to see all those that we have served for so many
years and who at last have received the honor in “their”
Soup Kitchen.
Each one is served
copiously and… surprise, Congressman Danny K. Davis would come
in person to give a hand at serving, assisted by Senator Rickey R.
Hendon and the Reverend Gordon Charles from the Austin Community.
Nevertheless the least of these cooking chefs would be but our little
Michael (10 years old), who proudly served, coiffed in a superb chef’s
hat and belted with a little white apron just like the cordon bleus.
Much joy, many
smiles on the faces on this day which tells of so many others like
it, when we will serve, thanks to your help and that of Divine Providence,
hundreds of these poor, these souls cherished from the heart of God.