Peru Immersion Experience

Peru: Life On The Hill, Elizabeth Dellinger, January 2013

 

This past January, a group of twelve traveled to Peru to embark on a life-changing experience. Although this was a planned mission trip, it actually was an immersion trip.  Immersion is defined as involving oneself deeply in a particular experience. Our team traveled to a district of Lima, Peru named San Juan de Lurigancho where we specifically lived and served in the Canto-Grande neighborhood. Our ‘home base’ was the school, Fe y Alegria No. 26, where we ate, slept and worked with the local children. Our service was to the entire community, not just the kids.

The communities are divided up by hills-- this is how they identify where their home is located. It is called a ‘hill’, but it is more like a mountain with the steep incline, loose dirt and multitude of rocks all shapes and sizes. The hills are sometimes named, sometimes not and have a makeshift numbering system for the different divisions among the hill. These are their addresses. A daunting number of cement stairs with brightly painted yellow railings run from the bottom of the hill to the top- or as far as they have built them serving as different division points as well as reference points for the locals. The specific community that we had the opportunity to become a part of for 10 days was the Hill named El Misti, which is named after a volcano in Peru.

 

The conditions of the hills are shocking. I remember turning to Brian, one of the twelve, after walking the kids home one evening, and saying “It looks like a war zone. It is as if it is the aftermath of a bombing and huge tanks just came rolling through the debris. And they are just living within the rubble”.

 

I will never forget the determination and strength of the community both physically and mentally. I will always remember watching the entire community pull together to build a house in 5 hours and seeing that same community celebrate a little girl’s birthday with a feast of goodies to drool over. You can’t describe the generosity of a family that gives you and your group their last four bananas to share due to their customs, no matter that they only eat one full meal a day.

 

The school’s name, Fe y Alegria translates to “faith and joy”. Let us find the lost faith in humanity and lost joy within ourselves.

 

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Go New Ro 2013: Get to Know the Leaders!

                                                                                                                 

Name: Areini Arzu

Birthday: November 6th

Involvement: 

President of Students of Caribbean Ancestry, National Student Speech & Hearing Language Association Club, CSTEP, Edmund Rice Society, The College Council for Diversity, UPA 13'-14'

Hobbies: Running, Nature Walks, and Shopping

Why do you participate in Go New Ro?
I was apart of the first Go New Ro here at Iona, and it had such a great impact on both my involvement and spiritual growth here on campus. I was introduced to both service projects and great friends. I met my roommates at Go New Ro, I went on my first midnight run and I was able to tour the town on New Rochelle. I’m very excited to be apart of this journey again with the new coming participants.

Favorite Thing About Iona?
Thanksgiving Day Parade in New Rochelle.

Favorite Iona Tradition?
Culture Feast during Weeks of Welcome, all the diversity come together with food and music.

Favorite Thing To Do in New Rochelle?
I like to eat at Applebees, (which is on the meal card) then go watch a movie in New Roc City; it’s very fun with a group of friends.

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Go New Ro 2013: Get to Know the Leaders!

Name: Michele Nelson                                                                          

Birthday:  March 8th 

Position at Iona:  

Director of Off-Campus Housing

Hobbies: 

Dancing, listening to music, and trying to cook new recipes...I emphasize trying!

Why do you participate in Go New Ro?

This will be my fourth Iona in Mission: Go New Ro!  I have participated each year because my office is focused on helping students transition successfully as citizens into the greater New Rochelle community.  Go New Ro helps nurture young student leaders who understand their rights as members of a community and their responsibility to give back!  I also love showing incoming students all that makes New Rochelle so special!

Favorite Thing about Iona?

My favorite thing about Iona is all of the amazing professionals that I work with who love to help students succeed at Iona and in life!  It’s a wonderful, collaborative environment. 

Favorite Iona Tradition?

Aside from Go New Ro....I love Make a Difference Week…an annual week of service early in the fall semester!

Favorite Thing to do in New Rochelle?

I love going for walks by Glen Island, a beautiful Westchester County park that is right on the Long Island Sound.  As a matter of fact, I love all of our parks along the water including Hudson Park and Five Islands Park!  

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Go New Ro 2013: Get to Know the Leaders!

Name:  Kate Ann Gonta                                                 

Birthday: April 13^th

Position at Iona: Go-New-Ro Student Leader

Hobbies: Listening to music, Reading books, taking Road Trips and I may be slightly addicted to Candy Crush =)

Why do you participate in Go New Ro?  I participated in Go New Ro the summer coming into my freshman year at Iona because I wanted to get involved at Iona as quickly as possible.  I’m so happy I was a part of this great program.  It was so beneficial to me because I met two girls who would not only turn out to me my freshman year roommates but also my best friends.  I also helped the less fortunate and I learned how it felt to become part of a team.  I wanted to lead Go New Ro this summer because I can’t wait to welcome the incoming freshman and be a role model to them.  I’m looking forward to being able to welcome them to the Iona community and become a family.   I hope to give them the same experience that I had while participating in Go-New-Ro. 

Favorite Thing about Iona? Without a doubt the Pipe Band!

Favorite Iona Tradition?  Coffee House hosted by Mission & Ministry every semester!

Favorite Thing to do in New Rochelle? I love to go to Glen Island.  It is a great place to walk around and just relax.  It also has a great view of the long Island sound!

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Kairos Reflection

Being a part of the Kairos retreat at Iona has been an incredible journey. Kairos to me is a new beginning, an opportunity to celebrate life, love and friendships (new and old). It was amazing this year to work as the director for the retreat. My favorite part about being the director was to see the leaders (who I saw as retreatants) inspire those on the retreat. It's been a remarkable learning experience and a journey that I wouldn't trade for anything. I know Kairos will keep growing and touching the lives of Iona students and I am so excited to see what will come next! To all those who have experienced Kairos, LTF. To those who have yet to experience Kairos, give it a try- it may surprise you!

 

-Lauren Zanfardino (Director) ‘13

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Go New Ro 2013: Get to know the leaders!

Name: Steve Hill                                                                     

 

Birthday:  February 28^th 

Position at Iona:  

Coordinator, Iona in Mission 

Hobbies: 

Being a diehard Yankees fan; cooking…eating; walking; listening to public radio; reading anything and everything 

Why do you participate in Go New Ro?

This will be my first Go New Ro as well!  I look back to a very similar program I did as freshman at Fordham and see how that was the transformative spark of my college life. I learned about the local community, fell in love with service, and began feeling at home in college.  I am so passionate about Go New Ro, because I can see the impact on the participants as they become leaders and do-ers at Iona. 

Favorite Thing about Iona?

Hands down, the Make a Difference Week Kickball Game between the Best Buddies and Success Center children.  We have the Pipe Band, an MC, the Dance Team and Cheerleaders and the participants and crowd have a blast enjoying an old fashion kickball game. 

Favorite Iona Tradition?

The Pipe Band! 

Favorite Thing to do in New Rochelle?

I love eating at Posto 22, which is a great local Italian restaurant that you will experience too.

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Lenten Reflection

Lenten Reflection, Wednesday, March 27, 2013- Paul M. Beaudin, PhD

 

Each Lent, it seems, I am asked to reflect upon a passage of scripture that in some way references having a beard plucked out…this year the passage includes the added imagery of buffets and spitting.  As a former urban school principal, Isaiah’s imagery conjures up my recollections of breaking up playground skirmishes on the asphalt in East Harlem.   But my personal recollections of that time are not why we break open the scripture today as a worshipping body during this Holy Week 2013. 

 

I would, rather, call our attention to two verses of this 26^th chapter of Matthew’s gospel.  In verse 18 the evangelist captures the words of Jesus as the apostles begin to prepare for Passover:  “My appointed time draws near…”  Subsequently, in verse 25 he references Judas’ response to the prediction of betrayal:   “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?”

 

It seems to me that these two verses capture much of the essence of Lent, Holy Week, and Easter…. and of our lives here at Iona…. and in our relationships with others and our world. 

 

Our lives are dictated by appointed times...a time to be born, a time to take attendance, a time to pay the credit card bill, a time for one’s dentist, a time to get to the Murphy lot in order to find a parking space, a time to post grades, and, ultimately, a time to die. 

 

For many of us, as well, the times of our lives are spent avoiding trouble, or trying to get out of it when we perceive we are caught in the muck and mire, or trying to deny responsibility by fibbing, or stretching the truth, or downright lying when we get caught, as my mother would say, with one’s hand in the cookie jar.  We paraphrase Judas at such junctures, turn our head ever so slightly, and with downcast eyes, respond, Surely it is not I?   

 

But Holy Week reminds us that the appointed time is really about something greater.  It is about a time to be courageous, a time to free ourselves from those fears which cause us to betray or deny the truth about that which is right, good, and holy.   Christ’s appointed time was his appointment with betrayal…and spitting… and buffeting…. and crucifixion… and death.  Not an appointment any of us would want to keep.  His amazing act of courage for the benefit of mankind models for each of us that our time is best spent, well spent.  By that I mean spending time raising our hearts, hands, and voices to the service of the gospel.

 

The recent selection of our Holy Father Francis I, has stirred so much

conversation in the media on Catholic social teaching and our corporate

Catholic response to the plight of the poor.  This is indeed the appointed

time to consider our role in addressing it in a personal and systemic way.  It

is not the appointed time to shrink away from the struggle for economic

justice and respond with Surely it is not I?  because we fear in some way

that the care of others would, perhaps, diminish our own wealth.  The care

of the poor is not the job of those students and campus ministers who go on

mission trips or of Brother Devlin who brings food and clothing to the

homeless or of those who work in the New Rochelle Soup Kitchen.  Now is

the appointed time for all of us.  The time to matter, a time to move the

world.

 As our new Holy Father stood on the balcony in St. Peter’s, he lowered his head and asked for the prayers of the gathered throng.  During the Last Supper, the First Eucharist, Christ knelt before his disciples and washed their feet.  These two acts, acts which overturn traditional relationships of people and power, remind us, too, that it is the appointed time to invert the pyramid of power.   It is the appointed time to, as Beatrice Bruteau suggests, to continue the Holy Thursday revolution, a movement of in which our power, leadership have nothing to do with feeding ego, but everything to do with feeding, clothing, and serving the poor.    So, today, the day before we reenact Christ’s act of humility and service, let us remember that this is, indeed, our appointed time here at Iona, in our local community, and in the lives of the poor.  For surely, Judas was wrong….for Surely it is I.

 

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