Rebirth and Renewal on The Gulf Coast
Here we are in the third week of the Easter Celebration. It is a perfect time of year to celebrate
Christ's Resurrection and our New Life in Him. It is Springtime and nature is in harmony, healing
and nurturing, resulting in a blaze of color. As Gerald Manley Hopkins reminds us in "God's
Creation": "The world is charged with the grandeur of God.... for all this nature is never spent.
There lives the dearest freshness deep down things." I believe that speaks especially to us here
on the Mississippi Gulf Coast which is beginning to come alive once more- you could call it
Rebirth.
It is now thirty two months since that never to be forgotten Hurricane Katrina devastated our
beautiful Coast, wrecking our homes, our businesses, our cars, boats and our livelihood. It has
been two and a half very difficult years and only now do we see rebuilding and restoration.
Lighthouse Flower
Photograph: John Fitzhugh/Sun Herald, Biloxi, used with permission
One of our biggest losses which left travel so very difficult for everyone was the total destruction
of the two bridges connecting all of the cities from East to West along the Coast. One was
known as The Bay Bridge because it connected Bay Saint Louis with the other neighboring
cities. It was partially restored last Summer and was completed in the Fall. The other bridge
known as the Biloxi-Ocean Springs Bridge was only completed last Monday (April 7). I had the
joy of riding on it for the first time on Tuesday, April 8. I shall never forget the excitement of being
on that beautiful piece of construction with its six nice lanes overlooking the beautiful calm blue
waters of the Mississippi Sound.
There is a lot of rebuilding of homes and business along the Coast. That is so evident to us as
we travel along Beach Boulevard and hear the sound of hammers and saws and see houses
going up at a much higher elevation than in Pre-Katrina days. Work has also begun on the
streets and highways - replacing sewer lines, gutting out manholes and repairing the very badly
damaged road surfaces which played havoc on our cars.
The Gulf itself has also been cleared of tons of debris- no telling all that was in there: from
automobiles to pianos; from furniture to washing machines and everything in between! The
seawall is being restored and new sand is being spread along the beach. This Summer we look
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forward to welcoming our tourists back there again and also enjoying the walks ourselves.
Trees have been replaced, and this year they are bearing leaves. What a difference to see
growth happening! Our azalea bushes were the prettiest we have ever seen and we are looking
forward to the dogwood, the cherry blossoms and the crepe myrtles which are now budding.
Fishermen and women are beginning to have hope for a good oyster, shrimp and crawfish
season. Some have been able to rebuild their boats but with gas prices so high they will
experience difficulty making a profit.
That is the good side of the picture but we have a long ways to go before life is back to normal.
In the poorer section of our towns people cannot afford to repair and rebuild their homes ruined
by wind and floods. Many are still living in FEMA Trailers but with the help of thousands of
volunteers from all over the country still coming with their church groups, perhaps one day - many
years from now they will have a decent place to live. Among the many volunteers who have
graced us with their presence, supplies and money Habitat for Humanity has been outstanding.
In May we will be privileged to have Former President Jimmy Carter and Roselyn head up the
two thousand Habitat Workers who are coming to build a thousand houses in a week's time.
What a blessing that will be?
We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of folks from every State and even overseas. So
many young college students have sacrificed their vacation time to come and help rebuild homes
and all we hear them say is :- "How blessed we have been to be able to come here!" We feel like
the disciples on the road to Emmaus: "are not our hearts burning within us as Jesus manifests
Himself to us through all of these great people!"
Most of us would say: "The Gulf Coast will never be the same again" - and that is true with
regard to buildings, the loss of so many of our people either through death or relocation.
However, as we look at nature this Spring, much of the area is being reborn. We have all learned
what are the most important things in life- not things, cars, boats, automobiles but what we all
value are Faith, Family, and Friends. We know that "life is changed, not ended" - and we move
forward in hope with our Risen Lord saying to each other: "Rejoice and be glad because He is
truly risen, alleluia."
Written by Mary Riordan, RSM
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