Glenmary Priest Puts Medical Skills to Work
Member of Team Who Treated Katrina Refugees

Glenmary senior member Father Fid Levri recently put his skills as a nurse to work in New Iberia, La., aiding Hurricane Katrina refugees. Father Fid joined a medical team made up of Kentuckians who made their way to Louisiana soon after the hurricane. What follows is an essay that reflects the experiences and thoughts of Father Fid and Sister Larraine Lauter, the team coordinator.

One of the T-shirts worn by a displaced youth liviing in a New Iberia, La., shelter had this message on it: “Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I will understand.” The message on his shirt summarized our two-week experience.

The team consisted of Father Fid, nurse Mayra Ambrocio, receptionist Letty Mendoza, hospital engineer Arnie Lemay, pediatrician Dr. Melissa Whitson, respirator therapist Sara Irleck, family practioner Dr. Jeff Carrico, team coordinator and trip organizer Sister Larraine Lauter.

Our 1,000 mile trip led us to New Iberia (a town whose population has quadrupled since the hurricane) where we set up our clinic in the recently built Sacred Heart of Jesus Church. Mornings were spent working at two Red Cross shelters with local staff and afternoons and evenings, we opened our clinic at Sacred Heart. For the two weeks, we lived in a small house in Franklin, La. In those two weeks, we treated 500 persons.

The patients we encountered came with common complaints. They suffered from “shelter colds,” the inevitable result of sleeping separated by 18 inches from the next family. Many suffered from more disaster related maladies: open wounds that were infected by flood waters, skin rashes, ear infections, vaccination needs.

Many were in various degrees of emotional pain due to their traumatic experiences. These were stable, self-sufficient people before the hurricane. Now they haven't slightest idea of what they will do. They have lost everything. Many of them were living with relatives often 15-20 in a home. Most of them seemed hopeful for their future even though they had no definitive plans. One of the babies that we treated was born during the hurricane was named “Katrina.”

Because we were a “mobile” clinic, we also visited several areas outside of New Iberia. We set up a make-shift clinic near Lafayette, La., inside a Buddhist temple to serve the over 50 Laotian evacuees from New Orleans. We removed our shoes as we entered and we were greeted by a large golden Buddha as we began to treat evacuees. We also set up our clinic in an area with a high population of Vietnamese refugees. We visited both areas several times.

Father Steve, the pastor of Sacred Heart opened his heart to us as did the parishioners, providing us with delicious Cajun food. The cheerful and modern facilities were perfect for our purposes.

We saw the news reports of the devastation on the Gulf Coast and from New Orleans and I saw daily the despair and anguish in the faces and voices of those who had lost everything. Perhaps that’s why the nature surrounding us was so inspiring as we tried to find the beauty amidst the pain. There were swamps teaming with white egrets and blue herons. A lone bald eagle remained perched on a tree near the freeway waiting for its next meal. There were acres and acres of sugar cane—and only a few fields of cotton—as we traveled from place to place. The house where we stayed was steeped in vegetation and insects like green chameleons and black locusts and oh, yes....there were also mosquitoes.

So many we met came from south of New Orleans—the parishes that no longer exist, that are now part of the Gulf of Mexico: the Vietnamese fisher families who are once again starting over with nothing; the multi-generational families sleeping side-by-side at the shelter; the people who say “I came from Violet. I came from St. Bernard Parish. I came from the Point.” It’s all code for “I can never go home.”

So many unexpected twists and turns brought us to Louisiana. We feel blessed to have been involved. Now we understand just a little better.

To read more about how Glenmary missions are aiding evacuees