September 2004 - Sister Laura Fucito
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Although she is by herself as she carries 5-gallon jerry cans of water as she has done very day for the past 27 years at the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation mission on the Lewis and Clark trail outside Billings, Montana, Sr. Laura Fucito is always comforted by the presence and nearness of God.
"At first it was tough being alone here," Sr. Laura said, "But now I love it. I always feel the Spirit of God with me."
In this wide-open, rugged expanse of land that encompasses 675,147 acres, including the vast ancestral territory of the Blackfoot and Assiniboine Nations, comfort is a difficult-to-come-by and rare commodity. But Sister has grown used to taking baths in rust-colored water, and (before Catholic Extension began sending subsidies) making do on a monthly stipend that ranged anywhere from $50 to $95 per month, though usually it was on the lower end of the scale. She has grown used to driving four miles to the nearest spring to fill her 5-gallon jerry cans with water so that there will be potable water with which to cook, drink, and wash clothing. Her faith is what carries her into those cold Montana mornings at dawn for water, and helps her prevail in her mission of bringing people to God in this harsh outpost.
Fort Belknap Reservation was created in 1888 for the Assiniboine and Gros Ventre tribes. The Native Americans who live here do their best to grow wheat crops and raise cattle, although lengthy droughts here pose a constant threat to both livelihoods. Sister Laura ministers to the poor here, living as modestly as the people she serves. She is the Church presence, tending to the religious education programs at the mission school in Hays, Montana, and helping to meet emergency needs.
Sister Laura is a believer in the inherent goodness of people. There's a crinkly kindness that plays around her eyes, and she always has a ready smile for strangers. When she left the Bronx in New York more than a quarter of a century ago, she could never have guessed God's plan for her - but she wouldn't change a moment of it. "Leaving my family and my religious community in New York was hard, but I know I've received a hundred-fold, like Jesus promised [in Mark 10:29-30]."
Over the past year, Sister Laura has watched the struggles of the Native Americans, and has had struggles of her own, including a battle with cancer. She was humbled by their show of support for her during this difficult time. "Here in the midst of all their struggles, they remained open, honest, and giving.... They gave me incredible support before, during, and after the sickness. Their spirituality has enhanced my own spirituality. They have a deep love of God."
She sees the sprouting seeds of Christian charity take root in the young people she ministers to, which fulfills her. When eight of her fourth- and fifth-graders were shown how to make angel pins, they asked if they could give them to some lonely, elderly people at a nursing home 50 miles away. "One of the residents was paraplegic," Sister Laura said, "And when we went in and sang 'Jesus loves you, this we know...' tears just flowed from his eyes, he was so happy."
It's a lesson Sister Laura knows well. In Christ, no one is ever alone.
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