Dear friend,
In Mark 2:1-12, friends of a paralyzed
man lower him through a hole in the roof of a house in Capernaum
so that he may be closer to Jesus’ healing. His friends strategically
lowered him so that he came before Jesus who was teaching in that
house. Jesus was impressed by the man’s faith as well as the faith
of his friends and so He healed the man, commanding him to “get
up, take your mat and go home.” To everyone’s amazement, the paralytic
rose, took his mat, and walked out in full view of everyone and
to everyone’s amazement.
I
take great comfort in that story because you are a true friend in
my life who brings me closer to Jesus. All of your wonderful
acts of generosity bring the power of the love of Jesus to me and
to all my children. Thank you for your faith in our work and for
your support. It refreshes my faith and reflects the healing powers
of God’s grace.
I come to you today again in need. I
need your faith to bolster mine as I go forward in my work. Our
needs today have to do with our group homes. These are residential
homes in the community where we provide housing and care to children
who can’t live with their own families.
Imagine eight to ten teenagers
living in a home, all with special needs and all with traumatic
pasts that bring the best and worst
behaviors
out of them. Housing so many kids in buildings originally constructed
as single family homes takes its toll. Because our group homes are
in continual use by a large number of teens, they quickly show their
age and need frequent maintenance. (To left,
a view of one of our simple, tidy group homes)
One building is experiencing many problems,
but the main problem with this group home is a roof leak. The hole
is not big enough to lower a person through it, but it is big enough
for water to find its way inside!
We also have to repair a sidewalk that
is crumbling and buckling. This sidewalk is used by staff, students,
and the public and could cause injury. We
also have a garage that is in need of structural repair at another
group home. And the list goes on!
We want to keep our group homes safe,
comfortable, and looking acceptable to the community. In addition
to our safety concerns, we want our youngsters to have pride in
their surroundings. We
want our group homes to be safe havens for our kids, homes they
take pride in.
However, our needs are many, and our
resources few. Therefore I turn to you, my friend, and ask you to
search your heart.Can
you send a gift that will help us as we help our kids? With
your help we will see the true face of Jesus. With your gift you
bring Him into our presence.
Please
make a gift today to Saint Cabrini Home to support our Group Home
Repairs Fund. Your gift will enable us to maintain the health
and safety of our youngsters and keep our facilities looking respectable.
Thank you for your faith and generosity your gift brings to each
of our kids.
Sister Damien Ciminera, MSC