Hurricane Ida volunteers celebrated as ‘Champions for Catholic Charities’

MANVILLE – Redemptorist Father Stanislaw Slaby was celebrating the 7 p.m. Mass in Polish at Sacred Heart Church, a worship site of Christ the Redeemer Parish, on Sept. 1 when the heavy rain began to fall.

Like many of his parishioners, he heard the alerts urging residents to heed local flood warnings, but the remnants of Hurricane Ida were advancing quickly through the area, dumping nearly nine inches of rain in almost as many hours and flooding the nearby Raritan and Millstone rivers.

The pastor sent his parishioners home, before they could pray their usual novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help after Mass, and well before the Blessed Sacrament was set to be reposed at 9 p.m.

“During that time, the town became an island,” said Father Slaby. The church is only minutes from their homes, yet “those who live on the north side of town reported that they barely made it because there was very heavy rain and flash floods,” he recounted.

While the flooding in Manville is nothing new for Father Slaby, who began his ministry there in 2009, just months before melting snow led to flooding in the area in March 2010 and only a couple years shy of when Hurricane Irene devastated the low-lying community, he said “nobody expected such great damage.”

“We pray for people and we help as much as we can, doing our best, but when you see the extent of the damage, nothing you are able to do seems to be enough,” he said. “It’s just the beginning of a long, long process of recovery.”

Some parts of the parish’s campus received as many as four feet of water. Even their building on higher ground was deluged with two and a half feet of water, he said. But the damage there was minimal compared to that of neighboring homes and businesses, which had their foundations washed away and had gas leaks that led to explosions, rocking the small, already devastated community.

In the days that followed, as mountains of waterlogged furniture and personal belongings clogged curbs throughout the town, lining the streets for what would be weeks to come, the parish clergy, staff, and volunteers worked to clean up the wreckage and respond to the immediate needs, both in the parish and in the community.

Aided by donations from nearby parishes and individuals of goodwill, some of whom were also affected by the flooding, parishioners and volunteers distributed cleaning supplies, nonperishable items, fresh and frozen food, towels, and socks. Volunteers spent hours at the parish campus and in flooded homes, helping to clean and to remove damaged items. The parish-run food pantry, Caritas, prepared and delivered plates of stuffed golumpki, kielbasa, and other Polish foods. Donated by an importer of Polish foods and also by a parishioner who owns a Polish deli, the food was prepared and delivered to those affected by the flooding and to those aiding in the recovery efforts.

“It is something that we should do and will continue to do. It is what we as a Church do, not only what we do on the parish level, but also what we as Catholics are called to do,” Father Slaby said of the local Church’s response to the disaster. “So, there is a constant flow of prayers and help.”

The work of response and recovery is enduring but it is not done alone, said the pastor. He expressed his gratitude for the many who volunteered and assisted in the relief efforts, helping to provide housing, clothing, food, financial resources and procedural guidance, in which Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen has played a large role.

With too many names to individually account for, it is those same staff members and volunteers – those in Manville and the many others who, like them, served those suffering in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida – who were honored collectively with the Spirit of Saint Francis Award, presented as part of the 2021 Champions for Catholic Charities virtual gala which premiered on Oct. 28. 

From when the rain first began to fall, to when the full extent of the flood damage could be seen in the daylight, and now even months later as the recovery continues, Catholic Charities’ executive director Julio Coto said he and his staff are there to aid the needs. To date, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen has helped more than 350 families affected by Hurricane Ida.

“Many of the communities in our diocese were devastated. Our staff reached out to all the parishes and we went out there and started giving gift cards, since they’re going to need almost everything. And now we’re making an assessment of what the future needs are: do they need rental assistance; are they going to need counseling,” Coto said during the virtual gala. “Recovery is going to take months and we’re still there now. We’re there for whatever situation arises.”

Held virtually again this year due to many circumstances, the gala’s documentary-style video follows the story of Scott Smith, a 17-year veteran of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen. Initially a client of Catholic Charities, after the death of his first wife led him down a path of alcoholism and homelessness, Smith now serves as a resident attendant at the Ozanam Inn Men’s Shelter in New Brunswick, operated by Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen. 

Smith’s story, though told through the lens of his past, highlights the needs which Catholic Charities works to address and tend to every day in the present, including those needs now being felt by the flood victims of Hurricane Ida.

With footage of Ida’s devastation rolling throughout the Champions for Catholic Charities virtual gala video, “the 2021 Spirit of Saint Francis Award is presented to all volunteers in recognition of their selfless commitment and dedication to the betterment of all people – especially in service to those suffering in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida,” according to a statement in the video.

Addressing the virtual audience, Bishop James F. Checchio of Metuchen, said, “we are especially remembering and honoring, with the Spirit of Saint Francis Award, so many people throughout our diocese who have responded to needs, to their brother and sister in need, during this pandemic and during Hurricane Ida, where the needs became even greater amongst our people in our four beautiful counties. I am so grateful for them and our awardees and for their generosity in responding.”

Listing the many services provided by Catholic Charities in the four counties of the Diocese of Metuchen – Middlesex, Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren – the bishop said, “it’s all because of you that they’re able to do all these different things and that we’re able to make Christ present in these counties, to respond to people in need.”

Before concluding, Bishop Checchio recalled the words of Jesus: “Whatever you do for the least of my brothers and sisters, you do for me.”

“That’s what Catholic Charities is about, it’s loving God with all of our heart, soul, and strength, by loving our brother and sister in front of us in need,” said Bishop Checchio. “Let’s love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, and strength by contributing what we can to the works of Catholic Charities, to helping the army of volunteers, who day in and day out, love the brother and sister in front of them who is in need, thanks to your generosity. It brings us all together in this great work. It brings us all together in loving the Lord our God.”
 
To watch the full 2021 Champions for Catholic Charities virtual gala or to donate, please visit: diometuchen.org/champions.