Fr. Rick Andrus, SVD
Pastor, St. Elizabeth Parish
Chicago
 

The devastating effects of the tsunami that swept over parts of Asia and Africa half a world away on the day following Christmas 2004 are still on the minds and in the hearts and prayers of many people, including the students of St. Elizabeth School. Regardless of when they became aware of it, the effect was much the same. The students spoke about the sadness they felt as they heard stories and saw news clips of countless families without homes, children who had lost parents and parents who had lost their children. They saw people who were in danger of contracting diseases and children who needed clean water to drink and food to eat. They were horrified as they watched people running from the tidal waves, having nowhere to hide, and being swept away. They felt heartbroken by stories of parents who had to make instant choices about which child to hold on to and which to let go of as the torrents of sea water pushed and pulled with a force greater than life itself.

Immediately they became aware, perhaps for the first time, of the awesome power of nature and how life can be so swiftly changed and forever swept away. They felt they needed to do something to help. The adult parishioners had already taken up a collection to be sent through the Mission Center in Techny to an area in India where the SVDs and Holy Spirit Sisters were most directly assisting the rebuilding efforts and providing for the urgent needs of people whose lives had been most affected.

Our school has an enrollment of 276 students with ninety-four percent coming from families whose incomes fall below government standards for poverty. Yet, when the students found out that there was a way to connect with and help the victims, they offered to find a way to raise some money. They chose a simple project, knowing that most of their classmates would participate. After speaking with the principal, they decided to have an “out of uniform day”—an exception to the rule which most students in Catholic schools love. They would be allowed to come to school on a chosen day without having to wear their uniform, but they would have to give money for the tsunami victims to do it. In the end, they collected $225 that went along with our parish donation to help the SVD work with the tsunami victims.

They were committed to doing something to help as many victims as possible with what they had, hoping their donations would help provide food, or enable a family to rebuild their home, or provide medical attention for children facing sickness or disease.

Our students found a way to make a connection to the tsunami victims. This helped some of them to realize how blessed they were, even in what little they thought they had. Some got a glimpse of their own selfishness and, being touched by the reality of the effects of the tsunami, felt that they had become more generous and caring even though their gifts were small and they would never meet any of the people they had helped. Some realized as well that disasters can strike anyone—anywhere at anytime—and if they were the victims, they would hope that someone would care about what happened to them too.

Reflecting on how people were responding to the tsunami from around the world, regardless of what faith or nation or language, one of the eighth grade students said, “Fr. Rick, isn’t this what we are supposed to do as Christians? I just don’t understand why it takes something so dramatic to bring people together and do what we should be doing for one another all the time. Look at the generosity that is coming from all over the world from so many people and places and no one is asking a question about who is giving or who the money is going to. They are giving because there is a need. Isn’t it enough that it’s just the right thing to do?”

What we could all learn from that!