What's Happening

August 10, 2023, Pampanga, Philippines – Adrian Dominican Sisters of Our Lady of Remedies Mission Chapter, based in the Philippines, are making plans to address the dire needs of the people in Central Luzon, Northern Luzon, and other areas of the country in the wake of floods caused by Typhoons Egay and Falcon.

Sister May Cano, OP, who ministers in the Diocese of Kalookan in metro Manila, recounted the people’s suffering in the Philippines due to the El Niño weather pattern of drought and floods. “I learned that El Niño is characterized by drought and followed by many typhoons with heavy or strong rains,” she said. The farmers suffered from the drought until the heavy rains began on July 12, 2023. Super Typhoon Egay brought flooding to many providences, including Central Luzon and Northern Luzon. 

“After a week, farmlands were damaged by floods, and we expect a lack of supply and inflation of all the commodities,” Sister May said. “Poor people are the most affected.” The government has not responded to the needs of the people, she added.

People in low-lying areas were evacuated to higher ground and less flooding. However, many people are still in danger from the floods, said Sister Kathleen Nolan, OP, Director of the Office of Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation. While flooding happens annually in the Philippines during the rainy season, “it creates hardship and is disastrous, especially for the people who are most vulnerable, the poor people,” she said.

Sister May said the Adrian Dominican Sisters in the area plan to distribute food and serve the people affected by the natural disaster in other ways once the water subsides. As of August 3, she said, travel was still restricted because of heavy rains and flooding on the highway. 

“When the water subsides, we will go and visit those who are affected,” Sister May said. “What they need now are rice, canned goods, sugar, coffee, milk, medical care, and other basic needs. These will meet their hunger and alleviate their burdens, especially in this time of turmoil.”

Sister May also requested prayers for the people in her country affected by typhoons and flooding. Concerned people may also donate to disaster relief agencies such as Americares, which works in the Philippines.
 

July 24, 2023, Adrian, Michigan – Enjoy dinner and a discussion of the book Evicted: Poverty and Profit in an American City during the fall 2023 gathering of the Dine and Discuss Book Club. The evening begins with dinner at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, October 5, 2023, at Weber Retreat and Conference Center. 

Evicted, a 2016 non-fiction book by Matthew Desmond, follows the lives of eight families in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as they struggle to pay rent during the 2007-2008 financial crisis. Desmond received a Pulitzer Prize for this book, which opens the readers’ eyes to the plight of people struggling to keep a roof over their heads and offers possible solutions to the crisis.

The cost for the evening is $15, which includes dinner and the book. The book is available through Weber Center at the reception desk and the Weber Center Shop. Registration is required and is available at www.webercenter.org; click on “programs.” Registrations may also be made by calling 517-266-4000 or emailing [email protected]. Limited scholarships are available.

Weber Center is on the campus of the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ Motherhouse, Adrian, Michigan. Traveling east on Siena Heights Drive, pass the Adrian Rea Literacy Center and turn left just before the solar panel-covered parking lot. Follow the signs to Weber Center. For information, call the Weber Center at 517-266-4000.