The following is taken from the Summer 2020 issue of Vision.

There is an unforgettable image with which most of us are familiar: Christ on the breadline standing along with a line of impoverished men and women who are suffering through the Depression. He is there, one of them, offering only his presence and love to those around him. 

Presence, though at a distance, is the gift Sisters Jean Bocian and Terese Mc Elroy are offering the women who have been their students at Casa de Esperanza. They have kept in touch with them, providing the women an opportunity to be listened to with respect and love. 

Sisters Terese McElroy (pictured) and Jean Bocian continue to make arrangements to safely provide assistance to families in need.

A note of thanks from a grateful young Casa beneficiary.

The women, many undocumented, have few resources on which to rely. Their situations are, in many cases, desperate. Family members who have had work have lost their jobs or have had their hours reduced. 

But presence in the Charity tradition always has a practical side. Sisters Jean and Terese have been able to give each family a small amount of money to help them get through these hard times. It is a loving gesture extended to those who have returned this generosity with their thanks and prayers. 

The ministry at Casa may undergo challenging changes when the pandemic is over. What will never change is the bond uniting our sisters with the women who have called this House of Hope their home away from home. 

By Mary E. Mc Cormick, SC