Green Curtains

Vacation is over now for awhile, she said as she left us for work. At work her curtains are green bamboo and when the rains came this afternoon they shivered and shimmered. We spent the day knocking over things and sleeping. Our new food has herring in it.

She said she is sad about so many immigrants who do not have work and are struggling to pay their rent and keep food on their tables. The jobs are disappearing in construction and tourism and food industry. They are hard-working people. She would like to start a company which is a co-op where they could work for food or rent or pride or to maintain their sense of dignity. It's all very complicated if people don't have green cards, she said. There has to be a way.

She prays to St. Frances Cabrini at the Cathedral regularly.
Frances used to spend time in that holy space, and gave her life for the new immigrants. Cabrini's spirit still lives and moves there, and hopefully in many of those who share that space. The keeper used to spend time by AB Murphy's crypt asking for church guidance. She will leave that up to others now, God knows, it is still needed. But Mother Cabrini
has offered consolation and a new way of envisioning a pastoral response.