‘From Remembrance to Hope’ to honor Katrina, Rita victims on Sept. 23

Thousands of stories of tragedy and heroism are brought out when remembering hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Bayou Interfaith Shared Community Organization (BISCO) and the Catholic Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux will host a ceremony Sept. 23 in Houma to spend time reflecting and praying for those who lost their lives and those still struggling through the impact the storms have made on their lives.

The service is called “From Remembrance to Hope” because it will begin by remembering the devastation and suffering of so many, but will light the way to hope with a prayer service, said Sharon Gauthe, BISCO director and event organizer. The destruction and suffering experienced through the storms seems unbearable until they are matched in scope by the human love and strength of ordinary citizens in an effort to assist those in the midst of these tragedies, she said.

Attendants will gather at the Terrebonne Parish Courthouse Square at 7 p.m. in remembrance of the events with stories shared by Silvia Phillips and Sylvia Young, two evacuees who have now set down their roots here, District Attorney Joe Waitz and the Rev. Roch Naquin. Several leaders from different agencies, such as the Red Cross and first responders will speak of their experiences as well.  

A candlelight walk will be held afterward to the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales for an interdenominational prayer service led by Bishop Sam Jacobs and the Revs. Dr. Warren Sapp and Gilbert Washington.

“The movement from the Courthouse Square to the church is a symbol of the community moving from remembrance of the storms to hope for the future,” Gauthe said. “It is with great pride that we commemorate the anniversaries of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and we ask for help from everyone to make this a memorable event by inviting your associates, family, and friends.”

It is a time for reflection for those who have died and their families, those displaced by the storms, and those whose lives are forever changed by the events of the frightening days of the disasters, she said.

At the Courthouse Square, Phillips and Young will read a list of names of those still missing and others still separated from loved ones. The service will also ask for prayers for the families and souls of the unidentified bodies pulled from the wreckage, Gauthe said.

Phillips will share her family’s story, which should arouse much hope and inspire courage for others. The Phillips lost their Port Sulfur home that had been purchased just two months before the storm. The family lived in Grand Bayou and was in the process of moving into the new house.

Phillips worked for the Port Sulfur Sheriff’s Department and had to move to Grand Bayou while her husband and two daughters were evacuated by boat to Belle Chase. For two days, she had absolutely no contact with her family but was soon reunited with her girls.

“I honestly didn’t know where they were,” she said. 

Phillips decided to come to Terrebonne Parish with her daughters and very fearfully traveled through Jefferson Parish’s loiterers and debris to arrive in Houma, where they hopped from home to home of family members. The Phillipses received a Habitat for Humanity house in Gray, where they still reside.

Phillips has decided to remain in Houma at least until her daughters both graduate from high school, and she hopes to stay for good.

“I needed a job, a school for the girls, and a place to stay, and Terrebonne Parish has given me every reason to stay here,” she said.

Like many other families who fled to Terrebonne Parish, the Phillips family’s story signifies the importance of recognizing the loss from the storms yet in return, giving thanks for the resurrection of hope, Gauthe said.

Margot Montet can be reached at 876-3008 or margot@tri-parishtimes.com.