Page 11 - Catholic Extension Magazine Summer2020

Extension | Summer 2020 11

PHOTO COURTESY OAKLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY

Sisters nationwide, including these
U.S. newspapers reported the closing in San Francisco, responded
of churches and public spaces. St. Peter creatively and fearlessly by
Church, left, in Newberg, Oregon, which undertaking new roles to help For months in 1918,
Catholic Extension helped build in 1908, Americans navigate the crisis. priests on chapel cars
closed briefly. At the time, Catholic Extension had to halt services to
was helping to build and repair isolated Catholics.
churches in that area.
1918
What we learned about the pandemic

death and suffering. He asked In this time, when so much What will the historian a century
a timeless question that still is unknown, we are certain of “
resonates today: this: While supporting faith hence have to say of us?”
“What will the historian a communities among the poor —FATHER KELLEY, regarding
century hence have to say of is always important, it is in the need to consider the future
us?” times like these that their in navigating a current crisis
Father Kelley sought to role is never more vital, as
bring peace by sailing to is Catholic Extension’s mis-
Europe to attend treaty talks sion to walk with them in sol- Our friendship with and
among the newly formed idarity. These Catholic faith support of poor parishes will
League of Nations. His goal communities are not only a hopefully help inoculate us
was to advocate for those in source of hope, healing and against what Pope Francis
the Americas experiencing help for the spiritual, psycho- describes as an even “worse
religious persecution, such as logical and economic vic- virus” than COVID-19, which
Mexican clergy, religious and tims of this pandemic, but are is that of “selfish indiffer-
seminarians caught in the also a reminder of our univer- ence.” And, paraphrasing
political revolution in Mexico sal duty to “flatten the curve” Father Kelley, “What will
at that time. These religious of rampant indifference and they say about us a century
exiles, who had fled to the abandonment that the poor from now?”
U.S., were being supported face in times of pandemics
by Catholic Extension. and in all other times.