Catholic Worker - NYC

Yesterday, we visited the Catholic Worker in East Village, Manhattan. This is actually the birthplace of the Catholic Worker where Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin originally started the first one. Click on their names to get some more background info on them. They were extraordinary people whose vision has resulted in the tenacious, surviving-against-all-odds organization (or lack thereof) called the Catholic Worker today. Many have said that it truly is a miracle that such an organization has lasted so long and had such a big impact on the poor throughout the U.S., considering its anarchist tactics and completely decentralized network. We visited this place last year and had a great conversation with a woman who worked alongside Dorothy Day at the Catholic Worker for years. This year, we met with Ted Walker, probably in his late twenties, who had come to the NYC Catholic Worker a few years ago after working at the Des Moines, IA Catholic Worker before that.
Both times I've visited this place I've been challenged down to my roots. Its ideology, its radical stance towards the gospel, made manifest in its service to the poor or "bias towards the bottom", as Dorothy Day called it, is both confronting and inspiring. They put out a newspaper 6 or 7 times a year, called the Catholic Worker, which has been going now since the Great Depression! The newspaper has beautiful artwork mixed in with short yet very ideologically-sound articles informing local residents of different initiatives, both local and global, that the Catholic Worker is taking in order to make justice and peace more tangible qualities in society. On a local level, the NYC Catholic Worker offers meals to the poor, permanent housing for forsaken elderly, jobs, clothes, etc. On a global level, they are often involved in protests against war or torture, economic injustice, environmental injustice, which often include civil disobedience, resulting in frequent arrest. Dorothy Day herself was arrested some eighty times, rumor has it.
Now, you might be tempted to write these people off as extremists, or just reactionary; that they all just have some sort of anger they need to deal with. However, a closer look at their theology and methods reveals that their approach is well-thought-out, very strongly rooted in the teachings of the gospels and the subsequent teachings of the Catholic Church. This partly explains why Catholic Workers have so succesfully multiplied throughout the U.S., despite their lack of centralization or organization. Their "bias towards the bottom" unifies them in their extremely varied manifestations of and demonstrations for peace and justice.

NYC

Hello, New York City. So, it's been just a couple days since we arrived in the Big Apple. I'm flying solo this time, without my lovely wife and amazing son. It's the first time only one of us (instead of all three of us) has gone on one of our three week-long trips to different North American cities. Of course, I'm with the rest of the group, but it still feels a little lonely because they all speak French. Still, it's a change that affords a bit more freedom (went out today with just the clothes on my back; instead of Dennis on my back or in the stroller or a backpack full of snacks and diapers, etc.) and a few more quiet, pensive moments. Even so, as we're walking all over the city, taking in all the sights sounds, the father in me is struck by how many little parks this city has. Dennis is right at that age where he'd love to take advantage of all of them. I almost want to go play on them myself for him. Last night, I looked into the sky and saw a crescent moon, and instinctively pointed up and said, "Moon. Mooney." Today, we went to Coney Island and enjoyed some sun and the beach. It was another place where I kept imagining how the D-man would have reacted to all of it. I think our NYC trip next year will see all three Flanagans attending once again.

Storm's a-coming!

Here we are on April 11th, in disbelief that we're so close to some of our most highly-anticipated events so far in 2010. First of all, our great friends Robbie and Chantelle are coming here in only 4 days (Wow!). We're super excited to have them stay with us and share our Montreal lives with them, and to see Chantelle run in the Canadian championships half-marathon here in Montreal next Sunday. And, although it's only a few short days they'll be here, it doesn't matter because we'll get to see them again in Hawaii! And that brings me to the next big events on the horizon: a couple of weeks in California and one week in Hawaii! We told YWAM last year when we committed to two years as missionaries that we just could not miss little-brother Jimmy's college graduation! The fact that it's in Hawaii is just a side note. We would've gone even if it were in Nebraska or some lousy place like that...So, in order to be back in Montreal for the last week of the eight-month school we're running, we decided to go to California for two weeks before Hawaii. That way we can see our family that we miss so much and some friends while we're home for a couple weeks. Before the itinerary gets too confusing, let me lay it out for you in a more organized manner:

May 1-12: Home (Orange County and Santa Maria!)*
May 12-19: Hawaii, watching the J-Man get graduated!
May 19-22: Traveling from Hawaii back to California back to Montreal
May 22-31: Back in Montreal wrapping up our school!
June 5th or so to August 5th or so: @ Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska!*
August/September: Back in Montreal preparing for next year's school and welcoming all visitors from near and far! Montreal is the greatest city in North America during the summer and we've got an extra room for guests...

There's the rough itinerary. That's why I titled this blog "Storm's a-coming".

Footnotes:
Asterisk #1: Even before our adventurous May begins, I'll be traveling to New York City with the school for a week in the big apple. Lauren and Dennis have opted to stay home in Montreal in order to minimize travel before our California/Hawaii/Nebraska adventure. Good decision, I think.
Asterisk #2: Lauren will be flying back to Montreal for a week in July to complete her intensive doula training school, and then she'll rejoin us in Omaha.

Delinquency

Alas, I've failed to follow through on the once-a-week blog pace set at the top of the year. I guess that goes for Lauren, also (Dennis, too?). We've all failed. We apologize. We can't say we feel totally sorry, but do understand any disappointment you might have felt as you enthusiastically surfed your way to the flanclan blogspot to find nothing but a stale entry. With the summer coming quickly, the school quickly coming to a close (with a week-long trip to NYC in between), and preparations for our journey back home in May being made, time is of the essence (what a phrase! 'time is of the essence'; Actually, to go on a tangent, essence is the word for gasoline in French. Only such a beautiful language could call gas 'essence'. Eh-um). So, yes, we have been busy. One detail worth mentioning is that I'm taking a few online pre-requisite courses in order to be accepted into the Christian Spirituality program at Creighton. These are introduction to the New Testament and to the Old Testament. It's taking a lot of time, but really is quite fascinating so far. To actually sit down and really study a text, the Bible, that has been so central to my entire life, let alone all of the Western world, is an amazing privelege. I was telling a friend earlier today that it's like having heard a certain song over and over again without ever knowing who it was written by or why it was written, and then finally having access to the story behind the song: the whos, the wheres, the whats, the hows, etc. Love it.

Creighton!

As March Madness gets underway, I'm sad to say that my future alma mater, Creighton University, will not be participating this year. Well, if all goes well, it will be my future alma mater, meaning if I get accepted into this program and get enough loans to pay for it. After doing a little research I discovered that Creighton (one of those small universities you've never heard of until you have to decide if they could upset Kentucky or Kansas) has not been in the NCAA basketball tourney since '06-'07. I guess we're going through a little dry spell. Maybe I'll try out. Anyway, to get to the point, I've recently applied for a Master of Arts in Christian Spirituality, which is a program that runs for two-months each of the three summers it takes to complete it. That means we're planning on spending two months (June and July) in Omaha, Nebraska for the next three summers! It's hard to imagine what that will be like. Nonetheless, this program is really unique, and I really feel it will be a great experience for me. It combines rigorous academic study of different spirituality movements within Christianity along with the spiritual formation of its students, meaning that the students not only absorb lots of information but are also required to further establish their own spiritual life through retreats, spiritual direction, etc. It's been a long time coming that I've been hoping to begin some sort of official masters program in order to start working towards something more career-oriented. This program, because of its unique nature, does not lead to any one specific job or career path. Still, there are plenty of directions one could head afterwards: teacher, coach, campus chaplain, hospital chaplain, retreat director, any non-profit work, etc. At least those are the options that interest me. So, we're making plans and doing our typical thing of making life way too exciting and, thus, a bit stressful at times. Still, Lauren and I are on board together for these new adventures (her doula school and my masters program) and Dennis is right there beside us being as cute and funny as ever.

Internet

So, I've been sabotaged by the faulty library internet again! That's the second time that I've just polished off a new blog when the connection cut out and all was lost! That's part of the reason why Lauren and I have decided to give in and get internet at our place. We held out for about five months, partly because it would be one extra expense, but mainly because we wanted to try and live internet free (at least in our home). However, it really took a toll on communication (out here in Montreal and with people back home), and it was not at all convenient to go out to a cafe to use the internet (Why? 1. You have to buy something each time 2. The internet isn't always working at these places 3. Sometimes there's not an outlet free, and when you have a laptop battery from way back when that is a must 4. You have to go out in the cold winter weather each time just to get online!) So, we've been enjoying increased communication and connection ever since. Here's to online community!

Hospital...or Zoo?

One of my friends (and the wife of one of the students in the Urban Cultures school) just gave birth to a beautiful, amazingly tiny-- yet absolutely healthy-- baby boy last Wednesday. I had the opportunity of talking to her about birth a number of times during her pregnancy, the intensely challenging yet wonderfully incomparable experience that it is. While she had some fears about her capacity to give birth, her husband and her decided to go to La Maison de Naissance, or Birthing Center. Unfortunately, 3 1/2 weeks before her due date, she was told that the baby was too small and there was not enough amniotic fluid: they would have to send her to the hospital for an induction. Reporting to the hospital, they found out that the fluid had doubled (??), but the baby was still too small, so they would keep the induction scheduled (too small of a baby= take the baby early???!). When I heard that she had given birth vaginally and had only labored from 6 am- 2 pm in such an environment, I was proud, ecstatic, amazed. Her statistics were beat the odds/ beat the system kind of statistics. Sounded great, but hearing her story of her experience I realized it was anything but.
She arrived at the labor ward to hear screaming; yes, screaming. Like in the movies kind of screaming. Doors would not be closed- nurses wanted the doors left open so they could enter and exit at will (without the strain of opening the door?)-, bright lights everywhere (too difficult for a nurse to work in a dimly-lit room: let's make sure to accommodate the nurses...). Because she was being induced and monitored, no movement was allowed-- not even to turn on her side. She was lucky enough to be in labor while a group of students were following the nurses and doctors around... there were actually FIFTEEN people in her room during the birth. She was asked the same questions repeatedly-- during contractions-- and was given an epidural when she was fully dilated because there was no doctor around to check her and they just went ahead with it, not knowing. She had reached that point of "I just can't go on"-- and little did she know she was at 10 cm and the baby would be out after 6 pushes. I could go on and on...
This all took place at a NICE hospital in Montreal. In fact, one of the best hospitals. I know that many, many women experience this every day-- it's normal. And it doesn't really matter anyways, right, because the baby is healthy... or does it?? I want to make sure and say that I DO NOT believe that birth is the say all, end all experience: if you have a traumatizing birth experience, you are not necessarily going to be scarred for life, nor is your baby. The health of the baby truly is the most important thing. However, I DO believe that birth has the potential to be an incredible, spiritual, formative rite of passage for a women. It carries the potential of being an incomparably empowering experience in a woman's life, and can be an extremely gratifying way of beginning a lifetime of parenting, for both the woman and the man.
The fact that the situation I portrayed is completely normal tells me that something is horribly wrong with the way we see and treat a birthing woman. A birthing woman is not sick. She is not (usually) suffering. Often, a birthing woman is not even in need of anyone or anything except an extremely strong support person and people. A birthing woman is intuitive and powerful, not the opposite. I would as far as saying that the situation described can be degrading and abusive. I really do hope I am not offending anybody, but I truly believe that women, especially those about to be the mothers of the next generation, need to be shown respect, treated gently, and empowered as women, as mothers, and as people. How can we strap a woman to a bed, turn on the brightest of lights, bring in strangers to look at all regions of her body, ask her annoying questions during labor, tell her when and how to push, keep her up at all hours after the most trying of physical activities, and then send her out and say 'Good luck!' ?
I'm very thankful that many hospitals around the country who are working hard to change maternity care and bring dignity into the labor ward. Not all hospitals are still treating women like this, but it is still very common.
Sooo...I'm goin' into the warzone. =) Being a doula will put me right there in the hospital next to these strong, capable women. I hope I can help to slowly change our birthing culture in the US and Canada, one beautiful birth at a time. Let me know what you think, and be gentle (or not-- I suppose I wasn't). =)