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Jesuit Colleges and Universities Continue their Katrina Relief Efforts

Washington, DC - January 11, 2006 - When Hurricane Katrina devastated the City of New Orleans last summer and caused Loyola University New Orleans to close its doors last semester, the network of U.S. Jesuit colleges and universities swiftly responded by welcoming Loyola students to their campuses for the fall term.  As the new year begins, and Loyola opens its doors for the spring semester, Jesuit institutions continue to show their support of their sister institution by sending students, faculty and staff volunteers to New Orleans to assist with the "resurrection of Loyola" and the recovery of the region.

In keeping with the Jesuit motto of educating "women and men for others," students, staff and faculty from Jesuit institutions have made or plan to make their way to Louisiana, in many cases teaming up with Catholic Charities of New Orleans, to participate in the general cleanup of neighborhoods and individual homes, removal of debris and home repairs.

• Forty students from Saint Louis University went to New Orleans over the Thanksgiving break and worked with volunteers from Celebration Church, a Christian church in New Orleans with a membership of 3,000, serving on a food line that provides 4,000 meals a day, helping with rebuilding and clean-up projects in the hardest hit areas and distributing supplies to local residents.
• Student volunteers from Santa Clara University, who were in New Orleans January 2-8, were greeted by familiar faces when they arrived.  Students from Loyola who spent the fall semester at Santa Clara were on hand to welcome the volunteers and show them around the city.  Many of the student volunteers spent time talking with hurricane survivors and listening to their stories.
• Loyola College in Maryland will be sending a team of faculty, staff and administrators to New Orleans January 15-18 to participate in the recovery.  Along with the physical volunteer work, there will be a spiritual component to the experience as the group will participate in daily reflections throughout the trip and afterwards.
• Loyola University Chicago is establishing a long-term relationship with New Orleans' Good Shepherd Jesuit Nativity School, a tuition-free school serving at-risk kids who live below the poverty line.  Student volunteers will take turns providing tutoring and other services in the school, which strives to empower children and break the cycle of poverty.
• Some institutions, like Marquette University, sent students to New Orleans this past fall and are planning more trips this spring.  The Marquette Action Program (MAP) is coordinating four to five service-immersion trips to the Gulf region over spring break.

The volunteer team from Saint Joseph's University, who spent their winter break in New Orleans, used the Internet to communicate with the wider world about their experiences.  They created a blog, "Hawks in New Orleans," to share their daily reflections, http://sjuneworleans.blogspot.com/.  Similarly, 12 students and administrators from Wheeling Jesuit University kept an online diary chronicling their service trip to New Orleans January 1-8, www.wju.edu.

In addition to the service trips, Jesuit institutions are also making donations and sponsoring fundraisers. Xavier University is donating an estimated $50,000, 10 percent of annual fund gifts received from September through December, to help Loyola.  The College of the Holy Cross raised close to $20,000 for hurricane relief while the University of Scranton raised more than $7,000 to support Catholic relief efforts.

"We are very proud of, but not surprised by, the way Jesuit institutions have responded to the relief efforts, and we know that their good work will continue," said Fr. Charles Currie, S.J., president of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities.  "Loyola has a few challenges ahead, but we are confident that they will overcome them and continue to exercise important leadership in the region."

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