Tag: Herro

By Br. Steve Herro, O. Praem.

Maybe you have heard the expression or seen the bumper sticker, “What if they held a bake sale to fund the defense department and the schools got all the money they needed?” I am not sure who gets the credit for this clever saying, but the quip has crossed my mind quite a bit the last few weeks.

Earlier this spring, I read an appeal by the Dominican Center for Women. The center, founded by the Sinsinawa Domincans in 1995, is an urban ministry program in the Amani neighborhood of Milwaukee. The center seeks to raise $200,000 to test the water and purchase water filters in this low-income neighborhood. As reported: “… The 53206 ZIP code, of which the Amani neighborhood is a significant part, has more lead laterals, lead-contaminated water, and the highest number of children with elevated blood levels in Milwaukee …”

I was dumbfounded. One year ago, the story of contaminated water in Flint, Michigan, took our nation by storm:

• A: I rarely considered what was happening “behind the scenes” when I turned on the faucet to brush my teeth.

• And B: I did not tend to think of who was paying for my water to arrive from Lake Michigan to the city of De Pere.

But a recent visit to a Greater Green Bay Habitat for Humanity worksite educated me on how a city’s water moves to a homeowner’s house and how it is paid for. Most not only pay a fee to the local water utility, but also property owners must pay for the lateral water pipe that connects one’s building to the city’s system of underground water pipes.

Is there anything more basic to human life than water? Why do inner-city residents struggle with lead pipes—a worry that many of us never have to face? Why do peasants in sub-Sahara Africa suffer from drought and famine when others can install irrigation systems to water golf courses without batting an eyelash? To have to independently fundraise for clean water and lead-free pipes flies in the face of the Christian understanding of the common good.

President Donald Trump announced a draft federal budget for fiscal year 2018 on May 23, 2017. Who are the winners and losers? Sr. Donna Markham OP, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), announced:

“While CCUSA supports efforts to improve vital safety-net programs needed to move people out of poverty and protect life … cuts to anti-poverty programs such as SNAP, Medicaid and jobs training will have a devastating effect on millions of vulnerable individuals and families who depend on them.”

The budget requests an additional $469 billion for defense during the next 10 years. On the other hand, wouldn’t you rather enjoy a lemonade while visiting with a four-star general at a military bake sale?

DISCLAIMER: This blog represents Br. Herro’s own opinions and experiences. It does not represent an official position or opinion of St. Norbert Abbey or of any other Norbertine.

By Br. Steve Herro, O. Praem.

The ‘transportation prison’ is trapping more and more people in the United States, unable to keep up with the renewed sprawl of jobs and homes. In ‘Laudato Si,’ Pope Francis described the ‘suffering’ associated with a worldwide dependence on cars, ‘causing traffic congestion, raising the level of pollution, and consuming enormous quantities of non-renewable energy’ (No. 153).

—“The Right to Ride,” America magazine, January 2, 2017 (page 5)

Earth Day is April 22, 2017; the more ambitious supporters extend it to Earth Week, April 22-29, 2017; the most ambitious supporters extend it to Earth Month, April 2017. How about considering the connection between transportation and Catholic Social Teaching this month?

Pope Francis’ work to connect transportation to care for our common home is quite pertinent in my small corner of the world:

• St. Norbert College leaders cite a lack of parking as a major challenge facing the institution, and the college is remapping the campus to replace its existing First Street.
• The 2016 Brown County LIFE (Leading Indicators For Excellence) Study reports that 85 percent of all Brown County workers drive alone to their jobs; the state average for Wisconsin is 81 percent and the national average is 77 percent.
• Wisconsin’s governor and legislative leaders, though of the same party, cannot agree on how to fund Wisconsin’s state roads and highways.

Our communities pay dearly to meet the American love affair with single-person transit and car ownership. Convenience and independence have great indirect costs, including dirtier air, less fit citizens, expensive roads and highways, and sacrifice of green space and farmland for road construction. Mass transit is indeed a common good; its support falls clearly within the purview of Catholic Social Teaching.

How about this Earth Day 2017 resolution?

Commit to reduce the times you drive alone to work AND commit to reduce trips to the store for a single item or purpose.

DISCLAIMER: This blog represents Br. Herro’s own opinions and experiences. It does not represent an official position or opinion of St. Norbert Abbey or of any other Norbertine.

By Br. Steve Herro, O. Praem.

January 8, 2017, was the first day of National Migration Week (described by the U.S. Catholic Bishops as “… an opportunity for the Church to reflect on the circumstances confronting migrants, including immigrants, refugees, children, and victims and survivors of human trafficking”), the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, and a day in the midst of a news cycle about possible changes in the U.S. refugee resettlement program. At Mass that Sunday, I was standing at my customary post in the St. Norbert Abbey Church—welcoming guests and handing out worship aids.

There are usually about 120 guests for Sunday Mass at the abbey. Some come every Sunday; others are visiting the area for the weekend and discovered this convenient time and location; others live in the area and “bop in” less regularly. There are singles, couples, and larger families that regularly attend this Mass; the age range is indicative of the usual spread at any Catholic church on a given Sunday morning.

But, to be honest, the assembly generally does not reflect the cultural diversity of the U.S. Catholic Church; it is pretty white, with most descended from western European countries. But for some reason, I noticed a family of four from India for the first time at our abbey that Sunday. Before Mass, I approached them in their pew and asked them if they would bear the offertory gifts that morning; they were honored to be asked and agreed to do so.

Abbot Gary Neville, O. Praem., presided and preached that morning. In the context of the Epiphany, National Migration Week, and Pope Francis’ and the U.S. Bishops’ frequent messaging on “bridges not walls,” welcoming the newcomer amongst us, and the severity of the world’s current refugee crisis, the abbot’s homily “nailed it.” Or, to use a baseball expression, “he hit it out of the park.” On this Epiphany, we received a reminder that this most solemn feast reminds all of us to be a welcoming community to people of all backgrounds, as the Holy Family received foreign magi who recognized the greatness of the newborn Jesus. The newborn Jewish child was sent by God the Father for the redemption of all people.

These are difficult days for refugees and immigrants fleeing countries from troublespots on nearly every continent. And, this is a stressful time for the many advocates who have worked on the ground while helping to resettle migrants in our country, or who have spent days/months/years engaging government officials for more just migration policies.

I silently wept that morning. My four new Indian “friends” represented the entire assembly when they bore the gifts of bread and wine, not unlike the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh bore by the “other wisemen from the East” in that morning’s Gospel. In one small way, for one brief moment, I witnessed the exact sense of acceptance and welcome that our Norbertine community extends to our guests—regardless of their race, country of origin, or social class. The “stars” of National Migration Week, Epiphany Sunday, the current debate surrounding safety for migrants, and Norbertine hospitality really did align.

DISCLAIMER: This blog represents Br. Herro’s own opinions and experiences. It does not represent an official position or opinion of St. Norbert Abbey or of any other Norbertine.

By Br. Steve Herro, O. Praem.

My father died on December 6, 2016, just four days shy of his 87th birthday. That week also brought the passing of other friends’ parents. All four had lived well into their 80s and were strong influences on the Christian formation of all of us.

December also brought increased awareness of the plight of many refugees and inhabitants of Syrian war zones. Indeed, it seems the plight of refugee children and young inhabitants of war zones always garners extra attention within the many social concerns that we face.  I also found myself dwelling on the life of St. Joseph less than two weeks after Dad died; the Gospel for Sunday, December 18, the Fourth Sunday of Advent, was the story of Joseph agreeing to take Mary into his home, even when he could have had her stoned or divorced himself from her quietly.

I never had deep conversations with my dad about the plight of Syrian children, though his own parents fled that community as teens for greater economic opportunities roughly 100 years ago. By example, Dad prioritized the physical needs of his children and wife. He chose a career that provided greater financial stability for his family, even if the profession was not his favorite pastime. Warm clothes, balanced meals, moral and financial support for a good education … these were important to him for his children and wife. And these “basic life necessities” are part of what is missing from the lives of many Syrian children today. In a way, Dad was as humble of a “Father Protector” as St. Joseph was to the Blessed Mother—before and after their marriage—and to Jesus.

A priest asked a few weeks ago how I might transfer Dad’s fatherly instincts to kids in need of a fatherly presence today. The image of the Syrian child continues to haunt me, whether refugee or trapped in a bombed community. Though not in a position to adopt or significantly financially support such a child, I do project Dad’s love and protection by praying for and advocating to our own government leaders on behalf of these “little ones.”

DISCLAIMER: This blog represents Br. Herro’s own opinions and experiences. It does not represent an official position or opinion of St. Norbert Abbey or of any other Norbertine.