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| Feel the pride of a job well-done at CIA 2012. |
Making a difference
June 24-26
at Catholics in Action!
CIA 2012 will bring together 80-100 youth and adults from across our diocese
for three days of service, learning, prayer and fun!
Want to know more about what happens at CIA?
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| CIA participants make an assembly line to remove flood-damaged items from a house in Cedar Rapids. |
Let's look back
"I am so glad that I said 'yes' to my calling to CIA. God sent me
there on a mission. After seeing the devastation of the flood, I am more thankful for what I have."
These words of Ellen VanderBleek, a CIA youth participant from Clinton, speak for many who were
part of this year's diocesan service retreat.
More than 80 youth and adults participated in Catholics in Action 2008. We made special effort this
year to respond to needs in "our own backyard" that have made national headlines.
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| Alicia Brock, an adult leader from St. Pat's in Iowa City, helps move clothing out of a flooded home |
“Our group was
helping an elderly couple clean their home after the flooding in Cedar Rapids,” said Chuck
Brock, youth ministry coordinator at St. Pat's in Iowa City. “After a few hours of hard work in poor conditions,
our group felt inspired to sing a few uplifting songs. As we shuffled through our mental playlists, we decided enough
people knew how to sing ‘Go Make a Difference.’
“When we came to the end of the song (and had our moment of awkward silence) the homeowners' son, who hadn’t
taken a break since we arrived, stopped and said to me
‘you guys really are making a difference.’”
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| CIA youth salvage a door from a flood-damaged home. The masks protect us from the bad air and water. |
"One thing that vividly stands out is the way the youth formed assembly lines to get
items out of the home. The youth starting singing songs of praise. The family members really enjoyed
the songs. Even with the masks the students sang louder to make sure the words were heard. The owners of the home extended
their appreciation torwards the kids for giving them light that they so desperately needed."
~ Tanya Scholtus, adult leader, Albia
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| Yes, people actually had time to take showers and put on clean clothes! |
We interrupt
all these depressing, muddy photos for a quick happy, clean photo.
These are a couple of Catholics in Action participants just hanging out at our home base, St. Mary's
Parish in Riverside. We do fun stuff at CIA, too, like a picnic in the park where we had an incredible water balloon battle
this year...
OK, that was nice...
We now return you to some more intense photos and stories.
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| It takes strong muscles to do flood clean-up... a weak sense of smell also helps! |
"As we entered the city, I was devastated to see what something as simple as water could
do. Garbage all over the streets, mud running down the sidewalk, the smell of mold and rotten river water filled the air.
I have never seen anything like this in all my life."
~ Ellen VanderBleek,
CIA youth, Clinton
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| A sign of faith amid the devastation. |
"As I and student were cleaning we ran across a sign of our faith. I found this card with Mary
on it. I also found a rosary deep within the muddy carpet. Once I realized what they were, I took a photo as a sign of
the faith in the room. I asked the woman who lived their about her faith. She responded, 'Yes, I am Catholic,
and have never been more proud of it as I am today. These kids are going in the right direction!' Teens
have so much to offer given the opportunity. They truly were amazing. We asked if we could pray with the family before
we left. Every youth bowed their head in prayer with sincerity. The experience was truly humbling."
~
Tanya Scholtus, Albia
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| The rainbow, a sign of hope after the biblical flood, wove through our prayer experiences this year. |
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| CIA youth are encouraged to discuss service and explore how their gifts help meet the world's needs. |
Our crews served at many other sites, such as the Muscatine Arboretum (right), Habitat for Humanity,
the Ronald McDonald House and the Johnson County Food Bank.
Remember that while the needs of flood victims are great and will continue long
after CIA, there are so many needs in your community.
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