St Ignatius College Prepatory - Ignatian Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

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1. Ciara Dineen helps construct part of the house. 2. Kayla Caturay and Ciara Dineen mud part of the house. 3. The group supports another young victim of Hunican Katrina. 4. The New Orleans group goes out for ice cream with the Growney Family. 5. Kayla Caturay, Aisling Baynes, Lily Bigalke. and Ciara Dineen are hard at work as they build a house. 6. Some members pose with a little girl from New Orleans. Rebuilding the Community New Orleans Immersion was possibly the greatest experience ever! From a rockin’ Mass to building houses, we had so many encounters that made us see life in a different light. One of the best parts of Immersion was the food; eating gumbo, jambalaya, and red beans and rice made our trip! We had numerous fun activities and countless inspirational experiences. We came in contact with many motivational groups and people, such as RUBARB (Rusted Up Beyond All Recognition Bikes), Bethel Coloney South (a Rehab center for men), and Miss Madeline (a hospitable woman who told us her story from Hurricane Katrina). We went on a weekend retreat to take time after our first week to reflect and think about why we were there. Immersion was a great experience that showed us the meaning of simple living. Building houses, meeting different people and listening to their stories, and journaling everyday helped us realize that immersion isn't just a service trip, but a time to be with the people of New Orleans and understand how they live each and every day of their lives. This immersion trip was definitely eye-opening and made a huge difference when we returned safely back to SF. We continue to think about, raise money, and pray for for all of the groups and people we met while we were there for two weeks. New Orleans will always be kept close in our hearts. New Orleans will always be kept close in our hearts. -Aisling Baynes New Orleans Immersion 27

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Root of the Problem On immersion, much of our time was spent gardening and weeding in a community garden and on a local farm in Tacoma, Washington. We helped make a part of Tacoma a more welcoming and beautiful place for those in the community who give so much to others. We also learned to appreciate physical laborers when we worked on a farm. Our experiences in Tacoma and the people we met showed us how you must get to the root of the problem in order to act justly. We worked in dining rooms, a senior center, a community garden, on the L'Arche farm, and at a youth center. We bonded with the Tacoma community and formed strong relationships within our group. - Mario Studley 1. The Tacoma Group take a group shot at the Puget Sound. 2. Tacoma Group on the L'Arche Farm 3. The gang model in Seatlle. 4. Allen Chiu ad Jake Koch prepare to do some handy work. 5. Joanna Saribalis makes a new friend in Tacoma. 6. Erin Murphy. Jake Koch. Danielle Borja and Jessica Meredith work at the Nativity House. 7. Naj Fawal and Danielle Borja show off the 1000 project crane. 26 Tacoma Immersion

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Faith through Justice 1. El Salvador Group stands with a local youth group in front the chapel. 2. The entire group gather at the Jesuit Uka University. 3. Sheldon Halstead and Natalia Narvaez huddle with El Salvadorian children. 4. The SI Immersion reflects before the Massacre Site for the local people. I will never forget the way the capital looked at night from the view at Central Loyola: lightning piercing the starry sky above a vibrant, living city painted with lights. From the moment we found out we were going to El Salvador, we vowed to use our voices to get these people heard. Through the love, compassion, openness, and friendship that we possess, we did exactly that. Our home base was Central Loyola Jesuit Retreat Center where we spent two weeks playing incredibly intense games of “Spit, succumbing to Katie Freedman’s H 2 H’s and abrevs, and watching Andy Martinez act like Hugh Hefner; and I’m just getting started. Between Katie and my wonderful singing, Garrett’s transformation into Galleta, Jonny's weird hand gestures when he talks, Anjalee talking very strongly to the US military, Sheldon imitating Anjalee’s facial expressions, Kristie speaking the best Spanish , Ms. Bayze representing Echo Parque, and Esco schooling us all on the dance floor, we all became a tight - knit and loving family. The people of El Salvador touched our hearts forever and made evident the true beauty of the country and most importantly, their faith. As for you 2009, I’ll never forget that last day at la playa, the chocolate bananas, the pupusas. and the advice from Father Caranza - “things can change once we find out we are not the center of the universe. Together we realized this; now let’s go spread it to the world. jViva El Salvador! Con mucho amor y paz, su hermana y amiga, -- -Natalia Narvaez. 28 El Salvador Immersion