The Athens
Chronicles – The History of The Sacred Heart’s Athens Foundation
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March 2002 (The Beginnings... Part 1).
Although at this point we do not know yet if we
will start a house (new foundation) in Athens, GA or not, I am going
to start jotting down the memoirs to have a full log of events for
history’s sake.
Margarita Martin, ACJ, started working at St. Joseph’s Catholic
Church (the only parish of Athens) on October 14, 2001. She was
hired to be the Pastoral Associate and Spiritual director ½ time.
The outreach of the ACJ to Athens was to respond to the pastor’s
plea for help, since he was just one priest to minister at the
parish. Margarita left her ministry site: St. Joseph’s Hospital of
Atlanta, mid August. She had been there since Oct. 2, 1985. She
had started the office of “Hispanic services” and “Mercy-van”
outreach of the Hospital. Two years later she became a full time
hospital chaplain in the ER and ICUW till she left.
The accepting the position in Athens until June 2002 was a 2 prong
response: 1) responding to the outcry of the Church (via Fr. Victor)
to see how to serve the English and Spanish-speaking (14,000)
Catholics of Athens, and 2) assessing the possibilities of vocations
in the “university town” environment of Athens. The contract was
till June since Margarita would then finish her term as the superior
of Atlanta, and her new assignment from there was uncertain.
Please note: Athens has about 75,000 inhabitants, 30,000 students at
UGA (University of Georgia), and there are also other campuses of
college extensions.
The industry of Athens attracts immigrants whose number in the last
10 years has grown 300%! At the moment there are an estimated
14,000
Latinos (mostly Mexicans) working in poultry industries, as well as
curtains, food (galletera), construction, maintenance, nurseries,
housekeeping, etc., etc. industries.
March 2002 (The Beginnings... Part 2)
In February of 2002, the archdiocese organized
a vocational retreat for Hispanics. This was one of the series held
to promote Hispanic vocations in the archdiocese. Sr. Carmen
Cabrejos, ACJ, had been very involved in preparations as a core
member of the planning committee. Margarita spoke at the 7:30 pm
Saturday Hispanic Mass and 30 young adults responded to the
invitation! And they attended!!! Eight women came to the Atlanta
ACJ convent and stayed overnight. After the retreat talks, we came
back to the ACJ convent, Margarita showed an ACJ videotape to the
young women. Impressed by the sequence of the French volunteer
depicted staying at one of our South American convents, Maria Duarte
(15) said: “Madrecita, do y’all have volunteers here?” “Well, we
are starting a house of volunteers in El Salvador,” Margarita
answered. “Madrecita, that is too far! Here, like Athens! You
see, we Mexicans have many needs… we need a place where we can
gather, a place where we feel welcomed and loved… Madrecita, why
don’t you gather us (discerners), teach us how to minister to our
people, and send us forth as we discern our vocation and learn more
about your congregation.”
Wow! From the mouths of babes!
“I cannot promise you anything, Maria, but let us pray, and see what
is God’s will in your proposal which you voiced in the name of the
group!
That evening Margarita emailed the provincial, Gloria Petrone, ACJ,
who at the time was in Rome for the General Congregation. Lord, are
you beckoning us to “launch out into the deep” in faith and trust
and toss the nets in obedience, try to have a big catch…?
By the end of the General Congregation, March 9, Gloria was told
that if there were 3 sisters willing to serve in Athens the
experiment would be approved...
March 2002 (The Beginnings... Part 3)
At the Province Council Meeting,
Margarita was
sent forth to find a place for the 3 sisters willing to go (Sr.
Angela Cordero, acj, Sr. Marietta Jansen, acj, and Sr. Margarita
Martin, acj) and four discerning volunteers willing and desiring to
live with the sisters.
The month of April was a month of writing grant proposals and
looking for a place. We wanted to live in the midst of where many
Mexicans would life. The options were trailer parks, apartment
complexes, or duplexes. … Living in a trailer park seemed the most
fitting since a trailer would offer some independence and had
sufficient parking area assigned to it. The largest trailer park
(210 trailers) with an almost 100% Mexican population, was “Pinewood
Estates North” in U.S. Highway 29 N.
Margarita trusted that if it was God’s will the money would appear
miraculously in the last minute!
June 1, Archbishop John Francis came to St. Joseph’s for the
Sacrament of confirmation. Margarita got the idea of inviting the
Archbishop to go to see the park and trailer, hoping that he would
point her to some possible donors. He accepted the invitation. He
became very enthusiastic about the project and he offered to help.
By Thursday that week a check for $25,000 arrived in the mail from
an anonymous donor. So, Marietta and Margarita came from Atlanta to Athens
to purchase the trailer the next day, Friday, Feast of the Sacred
Heart!!! Indeed, this is the Sacred Heart’s foundation, as Rafaela
would say!
These were the preparations and beginnings of the ACJ in Athens
living out Luke, 5:4… “set out into the deep.”
November 14
Two police officers came to our door to
investigate a report that “we were running some kind of convenience
store” at the Oasis. Margarita welcomed the officers to enter the
trailer to see the “convenience store.” She explained the outreach
we do in the park. The officers in turn were very impressed and
asked her if she would be willing to translate for the police at
other locations since they experience a great language barrier in
communicating with Mexicans. Promised to help however we could.
December 13
Margarita met with an ecumenical team at the
Methodist church downtown. This was to answer a concern about Hispanic
young men voiced by a Protestant seminarian who had
called St. Joe’s. We will continue to meet to make some kind of
coalition in town to address the roots of the challenges (alcohol,
immigration status, employment) the Hispanic Athenians are facing.
Marietta’s family arrived to celebrate her **th birthday.
December 25
Christmas Day. Got up late (about 10:00 am),
had breakfast, and opened the gifts. We all were very touched with
the gifts the Gallegos family gave us: one blanket each with the
picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe! … Around 1:00 pm the children
from the neighborhood started to come to practice and get dressed
for “La Pastorela”: living Manger, with Angela reading the story.
Angela had been very busy sewing and preparing the costumes. She
did a wonderful job! We did not count heads, but probably about 70
people gathered in our trailer convent. One of the parishioners
also joined us with his family (wife and 2 boys). We promptly
improvised some attire for the boys, too. After the presentation we
sang carols and gave children and adults candy, atole (made by a
Mexican woman), and some toys. Margarita also displayed in the back
of the trailer used clothing and other items. Many helped
themselves since the back was a private area and they did not feel
“pena” (vergüenza). They all left by 6 pm. Margarita had a good
talk with Daniel and Yolanda planning the following feasts at the
Oasis: Three Kings’ (January 5th ), February 2nd,
and Rita’s visit in April. We seem to be putting down roots!
January 24, 2003
Marietta filled out the application papers to
become a notary public, so that she can witness contracts and other
legal documents as needed. Margarita and Marietta went to the
courthouse for that. Second day for the after-school program.
Three UGA students came and Margarita rounded up about 14 children.
Several boys displayed disruptive behavior. They were only 10-11 year olds! A wonderful opportunity for
conversion!!! Margarita responded to an emergency request to go to
a viewing “representing the Church.” Since the priest could not go,
Margarita squeezed a short visit to funeral home before the Friday
rosary-adoration gathering at the Oasis. About 15 people came for
our Friday prayer. Maria Elena led the rosary. Angela prepared the
readings and songs.
January 27, 2003
Angela and Marietta helped a couple,
translating the purchase transaction of a trailer in another trailer
park. They felt that the transaction was honest and safe. To get
the criminal background check required by the park, Angela learned
that Clarke County requires the social security number. But they
got it done anyway, at another county. The after school
program went very well with 9 UGA students taking care of and
helping about 20 children of various ages. In the evening Margarita
went to the rosary for a 20 year old who died in an accident at
work.
February 18, 2003
Today the bookmobile stopped at the Oasis. We
sent all the children (who were coming to the tutoring) there first.
The librarians were busy! Tutoring session as usual.
“Tuesday at the movies” library day in the evening. They brought
“Babe” in Spanish. Over 30 were with us!!! We had 12 teens among
the adults and children. All enjoyed the pizzas, snacks, and the
door prizes (gift cards for Wal-Mart). One of last week’s winners
showed us the sneakers she bought for her sister and herself. The
librarians were touched.
April 25, 2003
About 30 people came to our weekly Friday
rosary-adoration. It was to accompany Jessenio and Costa in their
grieving process for their stillborn baby girl Ashley. After prayer
they shared the food they brought such as tacos and horchata. They
stayed till after 10:00 pm. It was a wonderful Mexican community
gathering. A family also brought their son to be prayed over.
May 6, 2003
We bought 3 folding tables for the CCD classes
/ ESL / parties, etc., with money from the $500 grant we got from
the Episcopal church: getting ready for summer activities! It was a
$150.00 expense.
May 24, 2003
Marietta went to Atlanta for a meeting with
Sagrario and the Associates’ coordinators. Margarita went to buy a
grill for cookouts with the Episcopalian grant. She also bought an
8’ ladder to be able to clean the roof with greater ease. This
weekend, things were on sale.
Mike called, they had bread. Margarita went to Winder to pick it
up. Then she distributed it around the park, aided by 3 girls who
would knock on the doors, offering the bread for free. It was
moving to see the grateful faces. We also handed out baby clothing.
June 4, 2003
The three of us went to a teleconference on how
to manage non-English-speaking immigrants in health care services.
One of our associates had invited us. She works in the hospital
(St. Mary’s)…
July 16, 2003
We had Mass outside for the first time. There
were so many people with babies and children that we were not
fitting inside and the room was getting very hot. All seemed very
happy to be outside. People did not seem bothered by the flies or
mosquitoes.
July 26, 2003
Deacon Jim Gaudin came at 10 am to work with
“the boys” to enlarge the soccer field. They worked on the field in
the summer heat till the early afternoon. We provided pizzas and
soft drinks. They paid the maintenance man with the big dinger.
After their work there, they came to the Oasis to put the metal roof
on the porch (See pictures). It was beautiful to see these boys
working as a team having good healthy fun instead of getting in
trouble with other activities. At the end they gave us as a gift a watermelon they
had purchased and not eaten. As we thanked them for their volunteer
work helping us with the roof they said that they are the ones very
grateful for all we do for them and the Mexican community at
Pinewoods!!! God bless them! ~One of our volunteers and Margarita visited briefly
one of the families who were celebrating the baptism of their
daughter. Margarita fixed a frame with the picture of Jesus
lovingly holding a baby. This will be a meaningful gift (and
economical) which we will be able to use for the many baptisms from
the Pinewood barrio community.
