The Reality of Poverty

I wasn’t on campus for Sunday mass, but covered masses in town this past weekend at St. James parish in downtown Chamberlain. I enjoy preaching to people from all ages and walks of life. While I’ve been faithful to the duties of school administration, there are times that I miss the more spiritual focus that I had as a parish priest and directing seminarians in formation. Leading the community in prayer was a nice way to reconnect.

The Associated Press ran an article about poverty among Native American tribal members in South Dakota. With 65,000 Native Americans in the state, 48% live in poverty.

And it’s not just confined to Indian Reservations.

In Rapid City, our state’s second most populous city, 50.9 % of Lakota people live below the poverty line.

It’s a long uphill climb to combat those kinds of numbers, but we hope the education we provide the Lakota children at St. Joseph’s helps give them a solid foundation to fulfill their potential and rise above poverty.

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I traveled 360 miles to Eagle Butte and back for the Sacred Heart Center’s Board of Directors meeting. We approved budgets and personnel plans for the coming year. One potential project with a lot of promise is a joint effort with Habitat for Humanity.

The shelter for victims of domestic violence is often filled to capacity, and families who need to make major changes in their lives aren’t usually able to do so immediately. Transitions take time, and there is great need for transitional housing where a family can be safe and rebuild their shattered lives. The Sacred Heart Center is in discussions with Habitat to help create some housing for that purpose.

Lynette, the cook, treated us to fresh, warm fry bread and corn & bean soup for a traditional lunch – delicious! In her work with youth who have been victimized by violence, she noted that it is usually easier for them to forgive the ones who hurt them than it is to forgive themselves… Violence is a difficult cycle to break, but that is at the heart of the Center’s mission.

Lanae, the new outreach coordinator for Sacred Heart Center remembered singing in the children’s guitar choir when I first served in Eagle Butte as a young seminarian. I enjoyed the reunion with her as an adult now, and the chance to catch up on where she’s been. One of her first fun projects was to have the youth in the shelter make Valentine cards for the elders. They brightened the elders’ day by making the rounds delivering the handcrafted greetings.

In town, I ran into Catherine, another youngster I remembered from parish CCD classes. She is now a Registered Nurse in charge of opening the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe’s new nursing home. She gave me a tour of the facility, which includes both a chapel and circular room for Lakota ceremony.

Currently, the elderly who need assisted living or nursing care must move off the reservation – at least 90 miles to Pierre or Mobridge, the nearest communities large enough to offer these services. The state of South Dakota had a moratorium on nursing homes, and the tribe had to apply for a special exemption. The building went up several years ago, but it took longer to get funding set up for ongoing operations. When it opens in April, it will provide needed jobs in the community and allow families to have much easier access to their respected elders who want to be close to home.

Today was an office day, catching up on phone calls and e-mails. As in any institution, some days there are stressful issues with staff or students. I bumped into one of our staff going home after a trying day. I asked if it was hard to leave the tough stuff at work. She told me of her ritual to help make the transition: she gets in her car, brushes her arms off in a symbolic gesture, cranks the radio up loud with her favorite song and sings at the top of her lungs on the way down the driveway.

I smiled, seeing the wisdom in physically giving yourself a break from what, at times, can be a stressful and demanding job. Staff who pay attention to their own needs, and get breaks and proper rest and diversion, are the ones who stay happiest and healthiest in the long run.

A beautiful moment for the community

At the end of the school day, we handed out attendance and honor roll awards to recognize St. Joseph’s students for their efforts during second quarter and first semester.

I cried at least a couple of times during tonight’s Chamberlain High School boys basketball game, but they were happy and sentimental tears. This was the last home game of the season, and senior night. All of the JV and Varsity players were introduced and went into the stands to give their parents a rose. The seniors were given special honor and had their photos taken with family at center court. A good number of our students’ parents were able to attend. For the ones who could not, due to many different circumstances, our houseparents filled in and were honored. In their years here, our Lakota students develop some strong family-like relationships with our staff.

The Junior Varsity rolled to an easy victory. Eleven of the 17 players on the JV are St. Joseph’s students, although two were injured during the season and weren’t able to play. That younger group had an undefeated, 17-0 record, which bodes well for the future of Chamberlain basketball.

The varsity game wasn’t close either, with the Cubs 30 points ahead in the fourth quarter. Everyone on the bench saw a good deal of action, including a couple of promising eighth graders.

Brady, who has served as student manager throughout high school, is also a senior. He loves basketball, but has cerebral palsy, so he’s fulfilled his dream to be part of the team in a support role.

The coaches asked him to dress tonight.

With about two minutes to go, the student body began chanting his name, and gave him a standing ovation when walked haltingly onto the court and entered the game.

Instead of having him try to run the floor, the coach stationed him along the baseline. A teammate drove the lane to draw defenders, then kicked the ball back out to Brady. He let fly a 15 footer, which rattled around the rim and dropped in. The stands erupted in more cheers.

What a beautiful moment for everyone in the community!

People with physical limitations so often inspire us by the strength of their spirit, and challenge us to always look beyond appearance, and see the goodness, heart and potential within.

Our one senior, Elijah, had a couple of stretches of playing time during the game, but hadn’t scored, so coach put him back in, hoping he would get a bucket. Three times, players who had a clear shot of their own unselfishly passed it to Eli. Each time the ball was in his hands the fans yelled “SHOOT” but he kept passing it to others.

I laughed at the game of hot potato. Finally as the clock was winding down he got the hint and drove for the basket. He was fouled before he could get the shot off, but it was a non-shooting foul, and time expired before he got another chance. I appreciated the way teammates worked together throughout the night and all year.

Learning Skills for a Lifetime

Our Lakota (Sioux) eighth graders are learning to cook in their Personal Living Skills (PLS) class. Pam, our PLS teacher came by the office and dropped off their most recent effort, a pepperoni Stromboli. The crust was perfectly flaky and it proved to be a tasty and delightful midday snack!

The Native American children at St. Joseph’s Indian School learn life skills like cooking.
The Lakota students are learning to cook in their Personal Living Skills class.

Later I stopped by the classroom and saw they are also working on a money management project. Finance workbooks have been developed through one of the local banks in Chamberlain, and are a great resource for our Native American students.

While it’s all pretend money at this point, they have to keep track of bills and payments like car and phone, log income and keep track of taxes. Money management is one of the lifelong skills we try to make sure they get a good handle on as early as possible.

A grandparent called me today to discuss some bullying issues with other students. We do have fights and bullying pop up on campus, and we take all incidences seriously. We want to stop the smaller shoving and name-calling before it develops into something much worse. Respect is such an important Lakota virtue and we hope our students learn to appreciate each other and work together. Whenever there is a problem, we want to use it as a learning experience, and get at the deeper issues that are bothering a child.

High on Life!

Fr. Steve helped the Lakota students at the prize table during St. Joseph’s Sobriety Carnival.
Fr. Steve helps a student pick out her prizes during the carnival.

On February 8, the Substance Abuse Prevention Committee (SAPC) sponsored a Valentine’s Carnival and Dance for the Lakota students at St. Joseph’s Indian School.

The carnival included lots of fun games like bowling, horseshoes, musical squares and many more for the students in grades 1-5. The kids earned prizes by playing games. Everyone had fun, including the staff and older students who volunteered their time to help run the games and prize tables.

The Native American children played all kinds of games at St. Joseph’s annual Sobriety Carnival!
Sam aims for the can while playing the bozo game during the carnival.

Later in the evening, our older Native American students (grades 6-12) got to show off their cool moves during a dance. Chris, a senior at St. Joseph’s, was the DJ. He did a great job and was able to get most of our students out on the dance floor – not an easy task!

A Sobriety Poster Contest was also held in which our high school students were the judges. Ambrose Home (1st–3rd grade boys) took first place, second place went to William Home (4th-5th grade girls) and Speyer Home (6th-8th grade boys) won third place.

Ambrose Home took first place in the Sobriety Poster Contest with their ‘We will walk through life drug-free’ poster.Besides helping beat the winter blues, the Valentine’s Carnival and Dance shows our kids how to have fun without using drugs and alcohol.

The poster contest for the Sobriety Carnival offered inspiring messages for living drug free.
Ambrose Home took first place in the Sobriety Poster Contest with their ‘We will walk through life drug-free’ poster.

We are teaching them to get high on life and to find pleasure in the simple things!

Children Are Always Watching

We started the day with an appreciation breakfast for St. Joseph’s staff. Instead of eating breakfast in the homes, everyone on campus was invited to a shared meal at the dining hall. I was surprised when I took a bite out of what I thought was a sausage patty and it turned out to be an oatmeal breakfast cookie. I liked it a lot, but sure wasn’t expecting that taste.

Human Resources had a three-question trivia contest about the weather. They realize that many people just use smart phones to look things up, so Donna joked with an adult that she handed a quiz to, “cheating is encouraged!”

One of our Lakota first graders coming through the line at that time had a perplexed look on her face.

Donna had to retrace her steps and assure the child that no, cheating is not good, and it is not encouraged, especially in school, and we were only joking. We must be careful what we say and do around children because they remember our words and most definitely notice our actions.

One of our family service counselors accompanied students to the South Dakota Women’s Prison in Pierre for a visit to see their mom. Those kinds of separations are hard on a family and particularly the children. They are hopeful her upcoming parole hearing will allow the family to be united once again.

Having Fun & Keeping Fit

Keeping fit and strong is important to us at the health center, not just for the Lakota students, but for our employees as well.

Nurse Ronda has been a yoga instructor for years.  Jeff, our PA, has been a wrestling coach in his spare time for as long as I’ve known him.

. Joseph’s Health Center team takes great care of the Lakota boys and girls!
Nurse Ronda (top left) is a yoga instructor. Jeff (center) coaches wrestling. Nurse Nancy (right) has now become a fitness instructor!

So, with a desire to keep myself fit as well, I have become a certified fitness instructor! I am offering aerobic exercise classes to St. Joseph’s employees after work a couple days a week. Fun and free. Can’t go wrong with that, right?

We’ll see how many hang in there till spring.

Have a wonderful day!

Sealing a win at home

We had two exciting junior high basketball games yesterday and today!

Last year’s team had a bumper crop of great players and went undefeated. This year, we have a much smaller group of eighth grade Lakota boys – both in number and in height – and it’s been a rebuilding year that takes lots of patience.

But yesterday, against the St. Francis Indian School Warriors, our St. Joseph’s kids erased an 8-point half time deficit, and rallied to win by a single point! Getting off the goose egg in the win column had the same excitement for the guys as though they’d won a tournament. I joined the Rooney Home (6th-8th grade boys) for supper afterwards and they replayed some of the exciting moments from the victory.

Today was another nail biter, this time against our cross-town rival Chamberlain Cubs. All of these students have gotten to know each other through our intercity basketball program, and have played both with and against each other many times. Several of the Cubs are children or grandchildren of our St. Joseph staff. It’s one of the games on our schedule where you need to get to the gym early if you want a close by parking spot. The lead changed hands countless times, and was tied with a minute to go. Chamberlain made their free throws down the stretch and pulled out a 3 point win. While our team was disappointed it couldn’t continue a winning streak, they hustled and gave it their all.

Congratulations to the Cubs, but wait until next year!

With my head spinning from looking at numbers on the budget sheet, I decided to take a break from the office and walk around campus to check out the activities. Our facilities crew is especially busy, with all kinds of projects in various states of completion.

The remodel of the William Home is nearly complete for the Lakota (Sioux) girls!
Tile is being put down for the kitchen and dining room floors in the William Home.

  • Our thrift store remodeling is on track for a March 1 opening and they’re putting in the finishing touches there. Next comes the work of moving all the clothes and household items from the old store to the new.
  • The kitchen and dining room floor in the William Home remodel is being laid.
  • The basement of the Benedictine building is getting the sprinklers for fire safety replaced.
  • Cabinets for the museum’s expanded gift shop arrived and are being installed.
  • A bathroom in the Rec Center is being remodeled to make it handicap accessible.

Our facilities manager, Tom, showed me blueprints of some other projects we will start when the weather turns warmer. We make budget plans a year ahead of time. It’s satisfying to see those plans coming to completion.

A Busy Saturday

The Lakota (Sioux) children at St. Joseph’s participate in the Rites of Initiation with the support of their families.
The Lakota students who will be baptized or receive communion make stoles to wear on their special day.

As our students prepare for to receive the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation, our Rite of Christian Initiation included a retreat for the 11 Lakota (Sioux) families participating.

We began with lunch and introductions, then broke into six workshop stations. Each lasted a half hour, and the families rotated to different activities. Delores and Karen helped the students make the stoles they will use on their special day. Mary Jane and Claire helped with a bread making activity. Steve gave them some treats and prizes to help them learn and remember the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (i.e. “smarties” candy to represent the gift of understanding). Joe taught them a song for church. Mary showed them a movie about a family sharing bread and much love.

Father Anthony and I led the workshop in Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel. Ours was entitled “Holy Things” but we informally named it, “What’s it for, What’s it called???”

The Native American children and their families could wander around the church and ask questions about anything that caught their fancy. Fr. Anthony had a set of vestments sitting out, and kids were tickled when he stood each of them on a stool and dressed them like a priest, explaining each of the vestments and symbolic colors.

I had all the things you use for mass on the altar, and those students who were curious could even taste one of the unconsecrated hosts, to take some of the mystery and worry out of first communion. (Two told me they tasted like chips, but with just whole wheat and water they really are quite plain).

Questions ranged from statues and stained glass to cabinets and storage room. Two groups wanted to get the view from the choir loft, and we let them hear what the pipe organ sounds like up close. The students got excited about the interaction. As always, our main goal is to help them know and love God more dearly.

At the end of the retreat, we had our weekend mass for the whole school Saturday evening. The candidates and catechumens wrote their names in the Book of Enrollment. We will celebrate the sacraments of initiation the Sunday after Easter.

If that wasn’t enough for a Saturday, the 6th-8th grade basketball players, both boys and girls, were given the chance to travel to Mitchell, South Dakota for a college basketball game at Dakota Wesleyan University. The two highlights were Thomas making a 3-point shot during half time to win a bottle of pop, and our kids seeing the live action cam broadcast their faces on the jumbo-tron scoreboard.

Looking forward to a long weekend

Hello and greetings from the High School Program!

Since St. Joseph’s high school students attend the Chamberlain public school, their schedule is different from the 1st-8th grade students.

We’re looking forward to a long weekend with Friday and Monday off for parent-teacher conferences and President’s Day. On Monday we will have a presentation by medical students from the University of South Dakota. We try to utilize no school days to bring in speakers or plan activities that will appeal to the kids and expose them to opportunities for their futures.

Parent-teacher conferences are a nice opportunity to find out what gains our Lakota students have made as well as which areas they need to focus on. We always invite the students’ parent/guardians to take part in conferences and we have a growing number of parents attending. One mother came from three hours away last semester – her dedication to her son’s education is commendable. For parents/guardians who cannot attend, our houseparents summarize the information and share it with them.

We are also looking ahead to the next school year as we work on eighth grade selections. This is a process of determining how many openings we will have in the high school program and seeing which eighth graders will best fit the public school our students attend.

Some years, we have about the same number of openings as we have eighth graders – that makes the selection process much easier. Other years, there are many more eighth graders than there are openings and the process is very difficult.

We begin in October when the High School Residential Coordinator meets with the eighth grade students to share information about the high school program; the students have an opportunity to ask questions and then they fill out a survey about their plans for the following year.

In February the Coordinator meets individually with each student to “interview” them. This consists of questions about their academics, attendance, and participation in extra-curricular/artistic/musical activities. At this same time, surveys are sent to the teachers, eighth grade houseparents, and Family Service Counselors to gather as much information as possible.

Our goal and desire is to keep every student here until they graduate high school. However, that doesn’t always work due to lack of space or when individual student circumstances have changed. One situation we’re seeing more frequently is that the student’s families are becoming more stable and self-sustained.

In these situations, the families are often ready to have their children home with them. As much as we love having the kids at St. Joseph’s, our ultimate goal is to help them and their families become productive members of their tribes and their communities. When that happens and families can be together, everyone benefits.

We are enriched by the opportunity that is provided when families entrust their children to our care and we’re fortunate to be a part of positive changes for the future. Most of all, we are grateful for the generosity of others in helping us accomplish our mission.

Special Valentine’s Day treats

Our youngest Lakota students received new books from a generous donor.
Isaiah got to join his classmates in choosing two new books from a generous donor!

Like many others, we began Lent yesterday with prayer and the distribution of ashes.

I had a morning mass on campus for part of the staff before the liturgy for the Lakota (Sioux) children in the afternoon. When I headed home for lunch I passed the younger kids on the playground, playing King of the Hill on the mound of snow at the playground’s edge.

Kaiden (first grade) saw the black smudge on my forehead and asked if those were ashes.

“Does it burn?”

No, I reassured him, the ashes were not hot, just messy and a sign that we’re sorry for the wrong things we do and want to try to do better. He seemed OK with that answer, and wasn’t scared later when he came up to receive the mark of repentance for himself.

With our high school students having a different schedule, there are few good times for all the students on campus to get together. Fr. Anthony lead an additional evening service for our older Native American students. They seem to enjoy the more intimate setting among their peers.

Today was also Valentine’s day. After a day of Lenten fasting, there was no shortage of sugary treats. Casmir, a 95-year-old alumnus from our very first class at St. Joseph’s Indian School, bought ice cream bars for everyone in the school, which were shared at afternoon break.

Another donor provided enough wonderful children’s books for every student in grades 1-4 to choose two or three from a great selection. The classrooms and homes picked a few also for use with future classes.  Mary’s first graders presented me with a poster sized Valentine’s card about half as big as my office door, with hearts and handprints and lots of love.

This year we instituted a “parent portal” so families can sign in via computer and check on their child’s grades and scores. Some parents and guardians do not have computers or internet access, but many have some way to check in once in a while. Many of our families live at a distance, some up to four or five hours away, so this is another way to try to bridge the gap.

I received a report on usage, and we are quite pleased with initial interest. As happens anywhere however, some of the students who could use parental involvement and support the most are the ones whose parents or guardians remain unengaged.