Back home for the holidays
JOPLIN, Mo. — Jim and Janet Gaither were at church when the May 22 tornado leveled their home at 2323 S. Pennsylvania Ave.
“The only thing that was left was the cook stove and the cast-iron tub,” Jim Gaither said. “That was it.’’
The Gaithers had purchased the house as their retirement home. They had fixed it up, purchased new appliances and were preparing to have the final electrical work done on May 25. Because the house had not passed its electrical inspection, they had not acquired insurance.
The Gaithers lost everything — except their faith.
Love into Action
October 17, 2011
Catholic Charities in Joplin for long haul; bishop blesses operations
JOPLIN, Mo. — Bishop James Johnston Jr., of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, blessed and dedicated the Joplin operations of Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri on Sunday.
“It’s a source of great joy for me and holy pride, if there is such a thing, to see these buildings be ready to serve this community for the coming years,” Johnston said. “There’s still going to be a lot of need, and there are so many people who want to help. In order to help people, you have to have some organization, so this is an example of love organized.”
