Page 29 - Catholic Extension Magazine Summer2020

Extension | Summer 2020 29

IN BATTLING COVID-19, PRIESTS INSPIRE PARISHIONERS the young priest returned from a
pilgrimage to the Holy Land and
fell ill. He immediately self-quar-
antined, but by that evening, the
usually vibrant priest’s health had
declined so severely, he required
hospitalization and admission to
the ICU.
Bishop Joseph Tyson of Yakima
absorbed the news and worked
closely with health officials to
Father Alex Trejo, gauge and mitigate the risk. Our
pastor of Our Lady of the Desert parishioners
Lady of the Desert reacted with calm and loving
Parish in Mattawa, support.
Washington,
received loving A rotation of caregivers,
care from his including the bishop himself,
compassionate ensured Father Alex had some-
parishioners as he one at his “virtual” bedside
was healing from throughout the ordeal. “We stood
COVID-19.
on the other side of his hospital
room door, in full protective gear,
speaking words of comfort and
prayer into a phone held to his
ear,” said Bishop Tyson.
On March 23, Father Alex was
on the west coast, migrant farm discharged from the hospital to a
communities do not have the lux- facility for physical therapy, as he
ury of sheltering in place. Poor was weak and unable to care for
and needing income for their himself. He continues to slowly
families, migrants work in close recover. Bishop Tyson said, “The
contact harvesting the apples for love of his flock keeps him push-
which the state is so well known. ing forward. There’s medici-
Many reside in tight quarters at nal power in the homemade
migrant camps, where little but chilaquiles.”
a shower curtain separates bunk
from bunk. More than half the IN MISSISSIPPI, A FAITH
workers at one local grower have COMMUNITY RETURNS
tested COVID-19 positive. COMPASSION TO THEIR PASTOR
In the migrant community It took coronavirus to slow
of Mattawa, Father Alejandro down Father Odel Medina, pas-
“Alex” Trejo leads the close-knit tor of St. Anne Church in rural
Our Lady of the Desert Parish, Carthage in the Diocese of Jack-
which Catholic Extension sup- son and a tireless servant. Since
ports. Under his leadership, it has August, he has been working
grown in 10 years from 500 to non-stop with Catholic Extension
5,000 parishioners. In February, Continues on page 30