Close to 70 PREP students signed in at Incarnation Hall this spring to start a Food Fast Retreat for seven hours. There they walked in solidarity with the poor around the world caught in the reality of forced migration. Dusty travelers pictured on a poster greeted the students with the statement:
"Traveler, there is no road. You make the road by walking"
Most of the students had never even considered the plight of people in poverty walking towards a better life or escaping violence and hunger in their own countries. They watched the film "Dying to Live," produced by the University of Notre Dame, which put a human face on the migrant workers crossing American borders every day from Mexico. Discussions centered around hard questions such as:
> Do people have the right to migrate to sustain their lives and their families?
>Are we, as Catholics, obliged to work toward regulating our borders with justice and mercy?
>Should any country's immigration policy take into regard the human dignity of all people?
As especially poignant session focused on the reality of life as a migrant. Students were given $5.00 to "purchase" food and supplies for their family for a week. One cup of rice and one cup of beans cost $1 each. For $2, they received three pieces of mismatched cloth symbolizing a shirt, pants and underwear. Building materials also were provided for a makeshift shelter. No water, shoes, or coats were available or even affordable. The students listed all things they needed to survive, people who provided services, things that make their lives easier or fun. Then they were asked, "What is the one thing you absolutely must have?" Faced with the reality of the small amount of food and clothing they were able to purchase with a typical week's wage, items they thoughtfully placed on their lists were overwhelming compared to the actual small provisions they were able to purchase.
Other sessions had the students make choices on everyday situations and then compare these relatively easy choices with the hard decisions a migrant faces: "Can I feed my family today?" "Will I be chosen to work the fields today?"
Finally, each student was given a representation of bare feet in flip-flops done on cardstock. A banner with a wide road and the theme of the retreat was placed in the front of the room. Throughout the day, participants were asked to do the following:
On the left foot, write something they wanted to walk away from, such as fighting with a sibling, bad grades, being lazy, etc. On the right foot, write something they wanted to walk toward with Jesus, such as calmness, respect for others and thankfulness for what they had. The messages were placed on the banner and presented with the gifts at the 5 p.m. Mass as their prayer offering to Jesus. (They remained on the walls of the church hall.)
"In seven hours, not a single child complained of being hungry," said Carol Flick, seventh grade PREP teacher and retreat coordinator, who thanked the children and fellow volunteer teachers and parents for a beautiful, faith-filled learning experience. "We are all truly blessed with these children."
