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Oil Spill Still Has Underwater Repercussions

Monday, August 16th, 2010

By Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond
(Clarion Herald 8/7/10 – English; 8/21/10 – Spanish)

What are your feelings now that the oil well in the Gulf of Mexico appears to be capped?

It is good news that the cap is working and that the relief wells are ahead of schedule. But I don’t believe it is accurate to say the crisis is over. From the reports we have received, we have no idea how much oil is underwater. From what the parish presidents have said, there is still visible oil in the marshes that needs to be absorbed and cleaned. I would hope that BP remains faithful to its promise of cleaning up all of the oil as well as providing the needed resources to those in the fishing and oil industries who are out of work.

What does the church have to say about this crisis?

In our Catholic tradition, we call this response social justice. As people of God, we must be good stewards of the gifts that have been given to us and take responsibility for our actions, which have been not only an inconvenience but also a detriment to others who have now been exposed to an unstable livelihood. In a spirit of charity and social justice, I pray that BP officials will continue to provide the needed cleanup as well as financial resources to stabilize families.

What has the local church done during these last three months?

I’m deeply humbled by and grateful for the response of Catholic Charities. We have provided emergency assistance to nearly 7,000 families and more than 18,000 individuals through our five church-based emergency relief centers. We’ve distributed enough food to provide for 305,000 meals. The staff of Catholic Charities, especially those who are on the front lines, have provided a sense of hope and confidence to the people in the archdiocese who have been most affected by the oil spill.

What kind of feedback have you gotten from parishioners the last four weeks after having celebrated Mass in the hardest-hit areas?

It has been a powerful and moving experience to hear their stories of rebuilding from Katrina and Gustav, and now they are grappling with an unknown future because of the oil spill. I heard story after story that clearly indicate that these are people of deep faith, perseverance and resilience. One oysterman who has a wife and several small children said he was not at all certain of his future, but nevertheless, he said he would rebuild again. He told me, “We’ve done this before, and God is with us.” That kind of faith encourages my own faith and helps me see and appreciate the tremendous strength of the people in St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes.

BP gave an initial $1 million to Catholic Charities and Second Harvest Food Bank to provide direct assistance, food, household supplies and counseling. Where do those resources stand?

We have exhausted those funds. Nevertheless, in visiting the parishes I mentioned to parishioners that Catholic Charities will continue to be there until this crisis is over. Some would ask how I could make a promise like that when we have “run out of money.” I truly believe God is faithful and will provide the resources for us to continue to extend our love, care and charity to our sisters and brothers in this time of critical need.

Do you have any thoughts on the oil-drilling moratorium that could have an impact on the Louisiana economy?

I’m not good at politics, and I’ve never had any thoughts or ambitions to be a politician. At the same time, from my study and discussions with politicians and parish presidents, it seems as though the federal decision to ban deepwater exploration is unnecessary. When one person in a family makes a mistake, we do not punish the whole family. This decision, whether it’s short-term or long-term, could have a devastating effect on jobs in Louisiana and on the livelihood of our people. It would be far better to make sure that companies are acting responsibly and justly and have provisions to be able to address critical situations as they happen. It’s also very important to note that in the last 100-plus days, we have been understandably consumed by the spill, the ban on drilling and other ramifications from this crisis. In the midst of all of this, we must continue to remember the 11 men who died in the accident. It seems as though in some ways, they and their families may have been forgotten. Their families, in particular, need our continued prayers in this time of grief.

Archbishop Aymond welcomes questions from readers.
Please e-mail questions to [email protected]

Tags: Archbishop Gregory Aymond, archdiocese of new orleans, BP oil spill, clarion herald, daily mass, daily mass online, New Orleans
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Helicopter view of oil spill prompts more prayers

Thursday, July 29th, 2010

By Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond
(Clarion Herald – 7/24/10 – English; 8/7/10 – Spanish)

On July 7, you had the chance to celebrate the funeral Mass at St. Anthony Church in Lafitte for Mrs. Sharon Fabre, who for many years headed up the Louisiana Shrimp Association along with her husband A.J. And then after the funeral, you took a helicopter tour of the oil devastation in the Gulf of Mexico. What were your impressions?

It was very important for me to be in Lafitte for the funeral. As soon as Father John Ryan sent me a letter asking me if I wanted to come, I called him back and said I needed to be there. This was an opportunity to be in solidarity with people who are really going through a lot.

You took a helicopter tour of the coast, courtesy of Plaquemines Parish Sheriff Jiff Hingle. Deacon Patrick Becnel, who assisted you at the funeral Mass, has been the chief pilot for the sheriff’s office for many years, and he flew you over the devastated areas.

It was amazing to take the helicopter flight because it gave me the opportunity to see the tragedy and pray over the waters. I have flown on jets many times before, of course, but this was the first time I had ever been in a helicopter. I wasn’t fearful, and because the helicopter flew at about 300 feet above the ground I was able to see a lot more. I would never have been able to get a true perspective of the tragedy otherwise. I can see it on TV or talk about it over the phone, but it’s not the same. It was also important for me to be here for the funeral of a woman who devoted her life to the shrimping industry and then to make the wider tour to see how this tragedy is affecting thousands and thousands of others.

What were your initial impressions?

It was worse than I had imagined. You can see the big oil slicks on the news, but to see it up close as the oil rolls into the marshes and literally kills the land is a powerful experience. The other thing I did not fully realize was how much destruction there had been from Hurricane Katrina five years ago. There’s been incredible damage to the marshland. Now, five years later, we’ve got oil in the marshland that was just beginning to regenerate, and we’ve got people unable to pay their mortgages on their houses and boats. The fishing industry is in peril and the environment could be upset for decades. What also struck me was the sight of a thousand people out there trying to fight the effects of the oil, and it seems like an infinitely bigger problem than we can humanly handle. When you see someone in a little bitty cubbyhole of the marsh just trying to protect that one little area – and then you look at the vastness of the spill – you realize how immense this challenge is.

Deacon Becnel said as he flies over the spill almost every day, he sees the cleanup efforts going on, but the frustration is that an area might be cleaned up one day and then hit with another wave of oil a day or two later.

It does seem like the task is infinite. The cleanup workers can do only so much. The solution is to cap the well for any real progress to happen. Yet, even though the people I spoke to at the funeral have a lot more questions than answers right now, they have a sense of hope and a belief in God. They believe their faith will lead them through tough times like these. It’s important for me to be there with them in these tough times and to share in their questions and suffering. I spoke to one man who had retired from his job and had taken up oyster fishing, which has now become his livelihood. Now he’s saying that at his age – and with a possible moratorium of two to three years on his oyster leases – he’s not sure if he can recover. We have to continue to work and pray to help our sisters and brothers recover. We are pleased that Catholic Charities is present in five locations on the Gulf Coast and offering assistance to those affected. It is a tough time. We must pray. We must act in charity. God is faithful and walks with us in this storm.

Archbishop Aymond welcomes questions from readers. Please e-mail questions to [email protected].

Tags: Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond, archdiocese of new orleans, BP oil spill, clarion herald
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Deanery Visits Have Been Educational, Fruitful

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

By Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond

You have visited all 10 deaneries in the archdiocese to meet with priests and deacons, get feedback from them on some of their pressing issues and share with them some of your future plans. How have those visits gone?

It’s been wonderful visiting each deanery, and I’m planning to make this an annual practice. It’s been enlightening to me that each deanery has different issues that it considers the most important. For example, when I visited the St. Bernard Deanery last week, the three pastors expressed to me how they were reaching out to the fishing families whose lives have been turned upside down by the BP oil spill. Their incredible ministry at the parish level cannot be taken for granted. I am well aware that the real ministry of the local church does not take place at the archdiocesan administrative offices on Walmsley or Howard avenues but in our parishes, schools and Catholic institutions. One of my goals is to help our administrative staff – whom I like to call coworkers in ministry – realize that their main role is to work for and support our parishes, schools and institutions. We in administration need to provide the proper resources and embrace the attitude that we are here to serve.

You said last August at your installation that you would wait about 10 months before making any major decisions. Can you share some of your plans for the coming months?

There are a few hopeful things in the planning process. We have been in discussions with the Benedictine monks at St. Joseph Abbey on a plan to restore and upgrade the buildings at Camp Abbey. I believe Camp Abbey is sorely needed as a year-round facility for school, confirmation and parish retreats and also as the site for the boys’ and girls’ summer camps that were extremely popular in past years. We plan to lease the Camp Abbey buildings from the Benedictines and begin an extensive renovation in September, with the hope of having Camp Abbey reopened for the summer of 2011. We have received a major gift from a donor and a gift from a foundation to allow us to begin the renovation. The abbey has the Christian Life Center to accommodate married couples retreats. Sometimes couples can’t get away for a retreat because they can’t find someone to care for their children. With Camp Abbey coming on line, perhaps the children could be cared for there, and the entire family could get together for a dinner or barbecue on Saturday night. That would allow the entire family to get away for a spirit-filled experience.

You’ve been a big proponent for continuing education, especially among priests. Do you have any plans in that regard?

We need to cultivate unity among priests and honest communication between priests and bishops. I hope to offer a dialogue for priests that will require about a year to lay the groundwork. The process will start with small group meetings among priests to talk about their expectations. We also will survey priests about what they think are the best ways to foster unity. Then, in the fall of 2011, we will hold a three-day workshop for all the priests of the archdiocese. It will truly be a celebration of priesthood. As males and as priests, we tend to have an independent streak, and I think that has grown after Katrina because we’ve all been in survival mode. This is an opportunity to see ourselves as brothers and collaborators. I’m very excited.

Anything else?

I have begun to look at the administrative structure of the archdiocese, and it seems to me we could benefit from something along the lines of a Ministerial Council, which would do strategic planning across a multitude of departments to determine what our top priorities should be as an archdiocese. Also, I hope to use Lent 2011 as an opportunity to invite inactive Catholics to come back to our family and be active in the church. The present and future of the Catholic Church in New Orleans is bright. It is a privilege for me to serve as shepherd and to collaborate with so many dedicated clergy, religious and laity in ministry.

Archbishop Aymond welcomes questions from readers. Please e-mail questions to [email protected]

Tags: Archbishop Gregory Aymond, archdiocese of new orleans, Catholic Church, clarion herald, daily mass, daily mass online, deanery
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Archdiocese to Help Oil Spill Victims with Direct Aid

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

By Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond
(Clarion Herald – 5/22/10 – English; 6/5/10 – Spanish)

You have authorized a special collection to be taken up at churches throughout the Archdiocese of New Orleans for the purpose of helping families affected by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. What will the money be used for?

The money will be used for direct assistance to the people most in need. Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans already has helped more than 1,000 people by providing food, direct assistance, crisis counseling and case management, but we know the needs are going to increase. Our Catholic community always has been extremely generous in helping others whenever the need is great, and this certainly is the case now. Some people might wonder why we didn’t take up a special collection sooner. We could have, but we really wanted to evaluate what the specific needs were. We’ve also asked other people besides parishioners to make donations to this effort.

What sites for relief services have the archdiocese established?

Catholic Charities and Second Harvest Food Bank have set up three sites at St. Bernard Church in St. Bernard, St. Thomas Church in Pointe a la Hache and St. Patrick Church in Port Sulphur. Mary Queen of Vietnam Church also has hosted seminars for the Vietnamese fishermen. We’ve had incredible leadership not only from Catholic Charities and Second Harvest but also from the pastors whose people have been most affected: Father John Arnone at St. Bernard, Father Joseph Man Tran at St. Thomas, Father Gerry Stapleton at St. Patrick, Father Vien The Nguyen at Mary Queen of Vietnam and Father John Ryan at St. Anthony in Lafitte. Our gratitude goes out to them and their staffs for being pastorally sensitive and for standing by their people. This environmental crisis calls for prayer. We are on the front lines offering food, counseling, case management and whatever else we can to the fishing families, but also we want to offer them our spiritual support.

What are your thoughts right now on the oil spill?

One of the difficult things to assess is the effect on the coast. I believe it is a miracle thus far that more of the oil has not washed ashore and gotten into the marshes. That easily could have happened in the last three weeks. So many of us have been asking God to preserve our coastline. For the most part, with some exceptions, the wind shifts have been to our advantage and not to our disadvantage. And so, once again, I ask people to continue to pray to God and to ask Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Prompt Succor, to pray for us and with us that we will be spared this great tragedy.

Have you spoken with civil authorities?

Our staff has been in touch daily with the civil parish presidents and I have visited and spoken with St. Bernard President Craig Taffaro and Plaquemines President Billy Nungesser. They know we stand ready to help in any way we can.

Some have suggested that the oil below the surface is almost like a Godzilla, lurking and ready to be washed ashore in the next tropical storm or hurricane.

The uncertainty has everyone on edge. In uncertain times, we are called to put our trust in God and to know that God walks with us in the darkest times as well as in the brightest times. It’s never easy to say, “Let’s wait and see.” Those of us who are simply watching the news at night and getting reports about the spill are affected in one way. I cannot imagine what it is like for those families who have to deal with the prospect of putting their lives on hold. They realize that if the oil does come ashore, the destruction could affect many future generations. Some have suggested this calamity could be as bad as Katrina.

So, keep praying?

We need to pray – and take care of our neighbor. Those who miss the special collection at their parish can give directly to our relief efforts at www.ccano.org.
Archbishop Aymond welcomes questions from readers. Please e-mail questions to [email protected]

Tags: Archbishop Gregory Aymond, catholic charities, clarion herald, oil spill aid, oil spill relief
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