Dodge City nuns help with rehabilitation of New Orleans parish

Sister Rose Mary Stein of Dodge City is no stranger to disaster areas or hard work. Each year she organizes a summer mission trip to help the needy or those in a disaster area.
    This year, Sister Stein, along with Sisters Clara Ann Fluech, Bernice Droste and Bernice Rebein, also of Dodge City, spent June 23-27 in St. Bernard Parish in New Orleans, an area hit hard by Hurricane Katrina.
    Sister Stein is a member of the Dominican Sisters of Great Bend and is the director of adult education/formation at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Dodge City. Organizing the summer mission trips is a real joy to her.
    “I always try to organize a group to go somewhere there are needy people,” she said.
    In New Orleans, the sisters worked on two different houses. The first needed  priming and painting, which was finished quickly enough that the women were moved to another project.
    The second house was occupied by a woman, her son and her grandson prior to the flooding that followed Hurricane Katrina. The family now lives in a Federal Emergency Management Agency trailer. Their home had to be completely gutted and is now being rebuilt.
    “We were putting in the baseboards and the finishing wood around the windows and doors,” said Sister Stein. "We used a stud finder to know where to nail the baseboard in, so we learned to use a nail gun and a miter saw and a table saw. We also put some trim around the attic stairs.”
    The volunteer work was a learning experience for all of the sisters.
    “We were amazed how much of what we were taught that all of us were willing to do and could do,” said Sister Clara Ann.
    Sister Bernice Rebein added, “Be willing to sweat and get dirty; it's not a beauty contest. God was good to us because we had no injuries … just sore muscles.”
    Conditions were hot and humid, but the sisters put in hard eight-hour days, taking several breaks along the way and drinking plenty of water and Gatorade. They brought their own sandwiches and picnicked near the work site.
    One evening, the nuns attended a dinner provided for volunteers once a month by a family who lost everything in the flood and is now giving something back. Sister Stein enjoyed meeting other volunteers.
    “I was impressed by how many young people were in New Orleans helping out, and they came from all over," she said.
    It wasn't all work for the sisters, however.
    “Even though we worked hard and got tired, we took time to have fun!” said Sister Droste.
    The sisters took the street car down to the French Quarter and enjoyed different kinds of shellfish and other seafood at local restaurants.
    In addition to the construction experience they gained, the women learned a lot about the experiences of the people of New Orleans.
    “ They are very grateful people, but they are still really in need of help,” said Sister Stein. “If it wasn't for the volunteers, they wouldn't be this far along building the houses and cleaning up.”
    Sister Stein said the experience was rewarding for her.
    “I just truly believe that there are blessings that come with helping people out,” she said. “I find bonding with the volunteers very rewarding."
    Anyone who is interested in helping with the mission trips planned by Sister Stein or wanting to learn more about the St. Bernard Project can contact her at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe, (620) 225-4802, or go to www.stbernardproject.org.
    “The St.  Bernard Project is very organized and will match you up with your skill level,” Sister Stein said. “I'd just like people to know that if they have any interest at all in caring for others and serving others, they can get on the Internet and get in touch with people and organizations that know how to help."