Good Works » Love Your Neighbor

Love Your Neighbor

Show:

  • Patricia's first job*

    by Julie Rattey

    Patty, 28, felt numb as she picked up the telephone and dialed. She had just spent 16 hours on a bus traveling to the foreign embassy in La Paz, Bolivia, to get a visa in order to work as an au pair overseas. It had taken her months to fill out the au pair … read more

  • Sister Ellen Frances Lenihan: My life as a Glenmary Sister

    by Julie Rattey

    Estella and Dencil drove up to the mission house that February day in a huge brown tank of a car. Despite its age — it must have been 20 or 30 years old — it was very well kept. Cleanest car I’ve ever seen in my life, actually. It put mine… read more

  • Jeremy finally speaks*

    by Julie Rattey

    The house seemed unusually quiet. The grandchildren were napping in the other room, and Rosiella, 61, sat motionless in her chair by the open window, too hot and weary even to fan herself with the junk mail envelope lying on the small table beside her. … read more

  • Tony's Brothers*

    by Julie Rattey

    That’s it for today,” said Brother Benjamin in Spanish, clapping shut his textbook. “Class dismissed. Don’t forget about the quiz on Monday.”Brother “Benj” rolled up the sleeves of his brown Carmelite habit and walked … read more

  • Patricia’s Papito*

    by Julie Rattey

    It had rained hard during the night, and in the village of La Realidad, El Salvador, Santiago was thanking God his house didn’t have a leak. It was 5 a.m., and he was about to set off on his 15-mile journey to Santa Ana for another day selling … read more

  • My mother, my hero*

    by Julie Rattey

    Neema ran through the Tanzanian bush, her school bag bumping hard against her. As soon as she had seen the lion, its mane shining a wild gold in the afternoon sun, she had carefully laid down the firewood she had gathered and crept out of sight before making … read more

  • Fatmatta’s Escape*

    by Julie Rattey

    It was midnight when Fatmatta woke up with a start to the sound of banging at the front door of her family’s house in Sierra Leone. She blinked in the darkness. Silence hung, precarious, like a water droplet from the tap. Abdulai, her husband, … read more

  • A second family for Pierre

    by Rick Stoff

    It was a simple photograph that changed two families’ lives.The face in the photo was that of a young African boy named Pierre. He might have been any other happy 11-year-old, except that cruel curves in his spine, caused by scoliosis, made it … read more

  • A project for Luis*

    by Julie Rattey

    “Here,” hissed Samuel. “Put this in your bag.” Keeping a sharp eye on the cashier, Samuel, 13, furtively shoved a bag of chips at his best friend Luis and began slipping a bottle of soda into his own pouch. Outside the tiny convenience store, the… read more

  • Patrícia's Stories*

    by Julie Rattey

    Patrícia, 10, was sitting in her accustomed spot behind the altar, hands folded tightly on her white altar server’s robe. Mass this Saturday night was just the same as always, and yet for Patrícia it could hardly be more different… read more