The caption that is the title for this BULLETIN selection is on the statue of a young boy carrying a smaller boy on his back, looking up at a priest and telling him that he will take care of the younger boy. This statue stands at the gate of Boys Town just outside of Omaha, Nebraska. It expresses the philosophy of Father Flannigan, the founder of this miracle that cares for thousands of boys and girls each year. The point of the statue, the caption and Boys Town is that we are really sister and brother to one another if we are serious in our Christianity. Let me describe a present example of this precept.

Last week I was in Nevada giving a workshop on preaching to the clergy and deacons of the Diocese of Las Vegas. The workshop was in the small town of Laughlin, a miniature version of Las Vegas itself. We Dominicans have a house in Las Vegas where the community is involved in various works in the area. One priest deals with death and dying and the Hospice Program. Another is the Director of the Catholic Chaplaincy at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas and the other two are responsible for a most unusual ministry called St. Therese Services. I rode from Laughlin to Las Vegas and the airport with one of our Dominican priests who is the founder and director of St. Therese Ministries. He stopped at his office to collect mail and check up on things on the way to taking me to the airport. I had no idea that I was in for one of the most powerful experiences of my life.

First of all, let me say a few things about this priest. His name is Father Joseph O'Brien, a man of many talents in his late 50s. For many years he taught high school in Southern California and while he was in an administrative position at a large, Catholic high school he agreed to help a young student who was having health problems. This was more than 25 years ago. Eventually this young man was determined to be one of the very early victims of the illness we call HIV Positive. Fr. Joseph was so moved by the faith, suffering and courage of this young man that he decided at that point to spend his life working in one way or another to serve the needs of people such as his young student. In his subsequent assignments, in San Francisco, Phoenix and eventually Las Vegas, he found ways to use his "free time" from his ordinary ministry to become involved in the services offered to various HIV Positive patients. Finally, in Las Vegas he was released full-time to do this work that had marked his life thus far. What he began is nothing short of a miracle. With no money, little understanding from agencies in both church and state, incredible energy and patience and the prayerful support of his Dominican Brothers he has gathered hundreds of volunteers around him to establish, maintain, operate and otherwise oversee three "pantries." These are, for all practical purposes, small stores that are set up in such a way as to allow the people who have no or little personal resources to come and shop for food, clothing and much more. There are also dental, medical, and counseling services; outreach to families involved in some way with the tragedy of being HIV Positive, and fund raising, public relations, education and other services that the patients could not have found for themselves otherwise. One of our Brothers, also a long-time educator, Frederick Narbares, works with Fr. Joseph in this incredible ministry. The work and its leaders have been recognized at every level for the wonder of their work and the communities often most affected by AIDS-related problems have come to the front to assist them in providing entertainment, food services and related events that are designed to support the work of the St. Therese miracle.

One of the truly creative and exciting efforts that the ministry is doing this year is the West Coast equivalent of a New York program that is a few years old. It is Las Vegas's first EASTER BONNET PARADE and will feature every major Las Vegas show creating and entering their "bonnet" for the Easter celebration as a major fundraiser. I saw some of the expected finished products and it reminded me of a "take" on Beach Blanket Babylon, the well-known review that is a major stop on the San Francisco tourist experience. The poster alone is enough to get one involved in the activity. Fr. Joseph has promised to send me a copy so I can us it as my screen saver so sooner or later you can check it out if you like.

We didn't stay long at this particular Center that serves as headquarters for the whole program but I was shown around, given a chance to visit with both patients and volunteers and listen to some of the stories. I have to admit that I had to leave the Center because I was embarrassed by my tears. I saw a level of love among all of these members of a very unique community that literally took my breath away. I thought to myself that this would be such a great place for an alternative spring break if we had enough students interested. Little did I know that our normal spring break program in Mexicali would not take place this year because of the very unusual academic schedule. Holy Week is finals week and the normal time for us to do our Mexico work would normally take place on Saturday through Thursday of break week. But in Mexico these are holy days that make doing such things virtually impossible. It didn't take me long to suggest to our Interns that the St. Therese program could and even should be our project, at least for this year. Fr. Joseph said that if a group of students were to come he could put all of them to work immediately. While it might not be as personally rewarding as holding a smiling child in Mexicali, it would give everyone involved a chance to bring some hope and very needed help to the thousands served by St. Therese. I hope that a number of students who would have gone to Mexico and even more will choose Las Vegas this year. I suspect that all who do will never forget the experience.

By the way, the young man who started Fr. Joseph out on this road to incredible service is still alive and working somewhere on the East Coast. Every so often he calls Fr. Joseph to congratulate him on yet another award or honor. Each time he is reminded that it all began with him. Now we have been invited to continue the miracle.