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FRANCISCAN SISTERS OF PERPETUAL ADORATION

FSPA respond to flooding in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

The Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration are praying for those devastated by the recent flooding in Iowa. FSPA close to the flooded areas are volunteering their time and space to help restore "some normal." As the sisters share reflections on the devastation, we will post updates here.

by Sister Joann Gehling
7-3-2008

FSPA launches Cedar Rapids Relief Fund

by Sister Nina Shephard
6-28-2008

The parish manager at St. Wenceslaus, one of the two parishes where I was working, showed me a video of photos with music that he got from a boat on two different times of day June 12. The last ones show the flood at the parish and neighborhood before the water rose another 16 inches. It can be found at www.stwenceslauscr.com/News08.html There still isn't electricity in the flooded areas, though downtown hopes to get it back in some buildings this coming week. The places where the wires are were not only flooded, but filled with mud. The sewage plant won't be working again for some weeks, and all waste is going directly into the Cedar River. The water pumps are at about 75%, but with the industries not able to work, we have plenty of water for the time being, though we are asked to conserve. (A good idea at any time!)

by Sister Joann Gehling
6-25-2008

Today Sister Nina Shephard and I attended a training session for Catholic parishes coordinated by Catholic Charities. They will have a couple more training sessions so that people can train their volunteers.This is for long-range recovery.

This afternoon I worked for two hours going door to door with another volunteer for Matthew 25. Lots of houses are yellow tagged: enter at your own risk - but lots of those homes are vacated for now. We did speak to a few people to see what they need. The closer you get to the Cedar River, the worse it is. The Vista volunteers were helping and the man in charge said that the Taylor and the Time Check areas are the worst. Heartbreaking.

by Nina Shephard, FSPA
6-21-2008

I want to write a little more about the flood here in Cedar Rapids.

Sisters Joann Gehling and Maryam Gossling and I went to a meeting of non-profits, but also of folks from one neighborhood who were hit hard, the Taylor neighborhood. To get to the meeting we drove through some of the disaster areas. We saw St. Wenceslaus Church (one of my parishes) from the outside, with piles of debris taken out of the basement, and all the kneeler pads awaiting disposal. Chihak Hall lost all of its contents, though the school pictures from the old days were removed before the flood hit. The nave of the church had water up about eight inches, so all the pews had to sanitized around the bottom. The river water had, and still has, raw sewage going into it, because the plant was damaged. There are professionals in there today, to do the special decontamination and cleaning they do, in the church, the rectory basement, and the former school gym/kitchen, which was hard hit.

There is still no power to these areas, or water. People are using generators where they can. There are many helping agencies, including the Red Cross, of course, and there are places and vehicles providing food and drinking water to people working. It is quite obvious that this is a tremendous disaster, with very long range effects. The newspaper has kept up operations, though they were hit, too. One article said there is no "normal," and we will never get back to normal again. It will be different.

Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center (Hiawatha, Iowa) didn't have flood damage, but staff are very involved with allotting what space they have available to a counseling group, and temporarily housing a woman minister of a small church, plus some other folks.

Resources
"This video shows the aftermath of the flooding in Cedar Rapids at the Matthew 25 Ministry Hub.

" For breaking news and in-depth coverage visit: The Gazette

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