Catholic communities, Habitat for Humanity build houses for families to build lives

    SAN ANTONIO • During the summer of 1997, members from St. Mark the Evangelist Parish attended a Habitat for Humanity briefing that described the requirements to fully sponsor and build a house. What surprised those members, Candi Corrada, Terri Ehrlich, Sam Szalwinski, Elroy Tschirhart and Bill Zwartjes, was their pastor’s immediate response of “let’s do it,” when they approached him with their findings. Ten years later, and the St. Mark’s faith community has been building ever since. This spring St. Mark parishioners built not one, but two houses at the same time. This was made possible by a very generous family who received an inheritance and made a generous anonymous donation to the building campaign.
    St. Mark Parish and a group known as the “Catholic Cluster” (a collaboration of several parishes) were the first ones to build houses in 1997. In less than 10 years, the San Antonio Catholic community has funded and built nearly 60 homes in partnership with San Antonio families in need, according to Jennifer Gonzalez, Faith Relations associate for Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio.

    Twelve of those houses have been built by St. Mark parishioners through raising $420,000 and donating 20,000 hours of time in construction.

    In addition to St. Mark, that same type of commitment from the following parishes has helped to sponsor and build complete homes: Church of the Holy Spirit, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Matthew, and the ecumenical Genesis group which included St. Peter Prince of the Apostles, St. Brigid, St. Helena, St. Gregory the Great, St. Vincent de Paul, St. Monica and St. James the Apostle parishes. The archdiocesan chapter of the Knights of Columbus has also built a house each year from 2000-2006.
Other parishes that have worked with other faith communities to build a home include St. Pius X, Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Selma, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and Prince of Peace.

    Gonzalez also noted that since 1999, members of the Catholic Habitat Action Committee have actively recruited more parish involvement. Sue and Homer Fetzer, members of St. Luke Church, heard that call and have been directing the Habitat for Humanity campaign at their church since 2001. They were delighted that their new pastor, Father James Barlow, could join them at the blessing of the 12 new homes on June 16 in the Southside Palo Alto community. A strong Catholic presence at that house dedication ceremony was evident as retired Auxiliary Bishop Thomas J. Flanagan offered the prayer of dedication and Msgr. Kevin Ryan, pastor at St. Mark, helped to present Bibles to the new families. At every dedication ceremony, the families are given a Bible and a tool box, with a reminder to use both as a solid foundation as the Bible and its message had motivated the volunteers. Furthermore, each family is required to work 300 hours of ‘sweat equity’ on their home — so they knew how to use a tool box as well!

    It’s important to realize that these homes are not ‘given’ to the new families. The Habitat organization screens applicants to be sure that they earn income that will enable them to pay a mortgage of about $400 per month, and they must agree to invest their 300 hours of ‘sweat equity’ working on their house or another Habitat house. They are required to attend classes on financial management and home maintenance. Successful applicants benefit from having a loan that is interest free, and volunteers contribute labor to the construction. Construction quality is assured by Habitat employees who are “house leaders.”

   As St. Mark’s Habitat for Humanity coordinators Szalwinski and his wife Bev like to point out though, “We’re helping to build families, not just houses. Bev and I visit ‘our’ families and those living at the Knights-built homes and bring gifts at Christmas time.”

    They encourage all who are interested in getting involved to come to one of the Catholic Habitat Action Committee meetings. They are held on the first Monday of every other month at the Habitat offices, 311 Probandt, from noon until 1 p.m. Bring your brown bag lunch and join them at the next meeting, Aug. 6.