Evangelization through friendship and service

By Marty Denzer | Photos courtesy of Jim Grechus

Could you live on a salary of $2,600 to$4,000, or even $8,700, annually?

The Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, created by the 1889 Act which officially opened the Unassigned Lands to white settlers under tenets of the Homestead Act, is the eighth-largest U.S. reservation and one of the poorest. The Black Hills location encompasses more than 5,000 square miles where about 20,000 Oglala Lakota Sioux subsist in generational poverty.

For years, parishioners at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in St. Joseph worked to alleviate what they could of the poverty and hopelessness inherent in the reservation.

Jim Grechus, one of the parishioners, took a class in travel studies through Missouri Western University, learning “about our heritage through the stories of Native Americans.” About 25 years ago, several other parishioners became interested in Pine Ridge Reservation and its people, wanting to reach out to befriend, help and comfort as Our Lady of Guadalupe would. They formed a Faith in Action ministry team facilitated by parish Pastoral Associate Kathy Powers and Grechus.

The team began collecting food, necessities like bedding and coats and monetary contributions for utility assistance. Several times a year, they would load large U-Haul trucks and drive to the reservation, intending to build relationships and show solidarity with the Lakota and distribute the food and other goods. While there, they got to know and befriend many of the Lakota residents and hear their stories. They shared food and exchanged thoughts on many topics. They found that the Lakota were very respectful to each other and those who had something would give to friends and family who had nothing.

When the team departed Pine Ridge, they promised to return, a promise they kept for more than 20 years. “Over time, they learned to trust us,” Grechus said.

Pine Ridge residents and members of the Faith in Action team smile for the camera.

When, in early 2020, Covid-19 made inroads on people’s lives, the ministry team had a decision to make. Although the desire to stay connected to the reservation remained strong, some members had dropped out and some had other commitments. Grechus’ wife had died. Perhaps it was time to continue the connection differently.

Grechus was acquainted with several local business leaders and, through them, began networking throughout the St. Joseph community and beyond to secure sources for food, furniture and bedding, warm clothes and school supplies for the families in Pine Ridge. He said a rancher in the region donates two steers twice a year to provide meat for the reservation. Word of mouth was the catalyst for other businesses and individuals to donate nonperishable foods, warm coats, hats and gloves, blankets, furniture and bedding and school and art supplies.

Powers organized a parish Angel Tree. Each angel listed a man or woman, boy or girl, age, size and one or two items they wished for. Powers interested parishioner Carrie Murphy, who in turn got her son, Elliott, a sophomore at Bishop LeBlond High School, on board.

Elliott and some friends organized two fundraisers — a “pay-to-not-shave” and a “pay to wear non-sanctioned LeBlond apparel,” to school. With the proceeds, he recruited friends at LeBlond, two area public high schools and Kansas City’s St. Pius X High School to shop for children and teenagers at the reservation.

The gifts purchased included a“fun” present, warm hats, gloves, sweat suits, sweatshirts and 87 blankets. Carrie said families gave excess gifts to extended family members or friends.

Powers said of the ministry, “The holiest thing we know is God becoming human and coming to dwell among us. Any time we can enter another culture, we need to enter that holy ground with dignity and respect for the people. We need to remember that God was present there long before we arrived. We go to that holy ground not only with charity but also practicing the virtue of solidarity, which means learning the story of other people and finding ways to share our own. With solidarity, there is understanding and hope for the future.”

Grechus, the teens and some adults plan to return to Pine Ridge this summer and continue building trust, friendship and solidarity — evangelizing through service.