Hello friends,

The response I received after thanking one of our women survivors for helping to dry vac our flooded basement kind of took my breath away. She just smiled in an incredulous kind of way and said, “Of course! This is our home!” At the risk of sounding trite, that was truly music to my ears. It filled my heart with that kind of joy that starts in the heart and envelops your whole being. Yes, I thought, this is home. Additionally, it was this same women, that when we faced the disappointment of an admitted new woman survivor not showing up stated “That is really too bad. we need this place full. Every women deserves to live in a community like this.”

We have been working hard to fill our home in a thoughtful manner that both respects the integrity of our community while increasing the number of women who live here. Over the next month one women will launch into her new apartment after two years of healing and a continued one-year engagement as a live-in Catholic Worker. Another women will be moving up to the third floor as a Catholic Worker following two years of hard work and healing all while going to school for the first time. Since last Fall, we have successfully admitted and retained four women. Unfortunately, we admitted two additional women who left. It is our hope that even their shortened stay gave them a taste of what it is like to be in a community of love, health and healing.

As we travel through the next few months we will work to expand these opportunities to an increasing number of women. As a community holding up the life witness of St. Josephine Bakhita we remember what she said “The Lord has loved me so much: we must love everyone… we must be compassionate! “ We are committed to living that out as we continue forward in a spirit of welcome and grace. After all, “we need this place full.” Amen to that!

Blessings and peace,
Anne