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“I was too involved
with my patients,” Honey said. “Whenever they
cried, I wanted to cry for them. I had to give it
up.”
But this compassion
would not leave Honey. It would grow inside of her.
For years and years it would call to her, even if she
wasn’t listening at the time.
Honey was a Catholic
who had “fallen by the wayside.” After
leaving nursing school, she worked in banking for 19 years.
In 1973, she moved as a single mother to Florida
with her two sons, one of whom was adopted. Her time was
mostly consumed with caring for her sons, as they both had
learning disabilities. She paid the rent by working as a
housekeeper, and she used her patience and compassion to help
her boys get through school. Though she was a
“fallen by the wayside” Catholic, Honey’s
compassion still shined through. She was already doing
God’s work with her sons, but soon God would ask her for
more.
In the middle of the night,
on a Good Friday, Honey suddenly awoke, but didn’t know
why. She was drawn by some force to Holy Family Catholic
Church, where suddenly she found herself touched by God.
Since then, she has never looked back, and has dedicated
her life to God’s healing work.
Honey’s sons
were enrolled at St. Steven’s Church parish school, an
Oblate parish, where she soon became involved.
Eventually, she joined the pastoral council, which she
stayed with for nine years. She cooked for the Oblate
priests, temporarily at first, but soon became the permanent
chef.
“Dinner was the only
time you could pull all of the Oblates together,” she
said. “The Oblates are always running around, doing
so much for so many people.”
Then, St. Steven’s
converted land into the Blessed Joseph Gerard community and
Honey was asked by Fr. Jim
Allen, O.M.I., to cook for the
seminarians.
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“If you can take
my cooking, I’ll take the job,” Honey replied.
Honey still cooks for the seminarians to
this day. She loves to watch them grow into mature men.
“They come in
like playful little imps. And I watch them grow. I
see them leave as mature godly men, excited about the next
step. I love them all. They’re my little
chicks. Always helpful and sweet.”
Aside from working
with the seminarians, Honey also works with lay
people as director of a St. Vincent De Paul Food Pantry
in a space provided by the Oblates. The food pantry has a
clientele of 1500 people, many of them families who need
assistance with things far beyond food.
“We provide
money for rent, mortgages, and medicine. We get
mothers on welfare to file for child support so they can
continue raising their children. We’re more
than happy to help everyone. We never turn away anyone
who’s hungry.”
Although Honey did not
become a nurse, she provides healing and hope to people with
many different needs. And sometimes,
“The people are so appreciative, they can’t help
but cry.” And Honey will cry with them.
Honey’s life is
dedicated to services like these – services of Healing
and Hope. “Is it hard to help someone? No.
It’s never hard. That person is God’s
child. All of this is God-given. We’re just
His hands.”
