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Regular Session, 2014 ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 14
BY SENATOR MURRAY
A RESOLUTION
To commend and congratulate Sister Vera Butler, director of the Rebuild Center at
St. Joseph Catholic Church of New Orleans, upon receipt of the Hibernian of the
Year Award for 2014 presented by the Louisiana Division of the Ancient Order of
Hibernians.
WHEREAS, Sister Vera Butler is a humble servant of Christ, a member of the Order
of Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a conduit of God's tender mercy,
a community organizer, and director of the Rebuild Center located at St. Joseph Catholic
Church, whose good works benefit the less fortunate and homeless in Mid-City; and
WHEREAS, born in County Kerry, Ireland, Sister Vera entered the Order of the
Presentation Sisters in 1970; since that time, her mission continues to be one of service to
the needs of those forgotten souls who cling to the margins of society; and
WHEREAS, Sister Vera is an unshakable optimist who operates the Rebuild Center,
a multi-service complex that provides the homeless with access to services vital to a return
to the workforce and a move off the streets to better living conditions; and
WHEREAS, as a collaborative effort of St. Joseph's Church, the Harry Tompson
Center at Immaculate Conception Church, the Archdiocese of New Orleans Hispanic
Apostolate, and the Presentation Sisters/Lantern Light ministry, the center creates a respite
that provides facilities for personal hygiene and laundry, a free lunch program that daily
feeds two hundred patrons, mail service, a neighborhood food pantry, telephone access,
medical care, legal assistance, necessary documentation and identification cards, and even
cultural enrichment; and
WHEREAS, Sister Vera, along with Sister Anna Ramone, Sister Dolores Cooney and
Sister Enid Story offer the downtrodden a modicum of peace, dignity, and hope, precious
commodities for those who feel shunned and left behind by society; and SR NO. 14 ENROLLED
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WHEREAS, Sister Vera is a proactive community service dynamo of the highest
order; she solicits donations of funding, time, and hard work from private citizens,
businesses, and nonprofit organizations; the Lantern Light's annual fish fry is a fundraiser
that brings out a pantheon of New Orleans finest culinary artists and celebrity chefs; and
WHEREAS, in 2006, Sister Vera was the recipient of the Catholic Extension Lumen
Christi Award for her work after Hurricane Katrina when she went door-to-door through
devastated neighborhoods to assist the impoverished; and
WHEREAS, from the Holy Bible's New Testament, in the book of Matthew, Chapter
Five, Verse Three, the first of The Beatitudes reads, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs
is the kingdom of Heaven; and
WHEREAS, Sister Vera's unshakable faith has helped many of those 'poor in spirit'
to recover their dignity; they come from every walk of life, those who have lost their way
through some unfortunate circumstance, and some of these stories do have happy endings,
due in no small part to the efforts of Sister Vera; and
WHEREAS, the Hibernian of the Year Award originated with the Ancient Order of
Hibernians, a fraternal organization, that promotes the interests and welfare of the Irish in
America; Sister Vera, who is a member of the women's auxiliary, the Ladies Ancient Order
of Hibernians in Louisiana, Margaret Haughery Division, will receive the award at the
annual St. Patrick's Day Banquet on March 17, 2014; and
WHEREAS, Sister Vera is the first woman to be so honored; and
WHEREAS, each year, the Ancient Order of Hibernians selects one person who best
represents the Order and its core beliefs; and like the beloved historic figure,
Margaret Haughery, Sister Vera Butler is a New Orleanian by choice who, through her love
of Christ, has embraced the lifelong vocation of helping others; and
WHEREAS, Sister Vera Butler personifies the finest character traits of goodness and
humanity; she assures the poor and despairing that there is hope for a brighter future; and
she continues the legacy of charity and philanthropy that is woven into the lengthy history
of the city of New Orleans.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby commend and congratulate Sister Vera Butler upon receipt of the Hibernian of SR NO. 14 ENROLLED
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the Year Award for 2014.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this Resolution be transmitted to
Sister Vera Butler and the president of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians,
Margaret Haughery Division.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE