Cathedral Family Hosts A Pair of Friends from Belfast
Mr & Mrs Wheeler with "Irish" Friends
"It is how I spent my summer vacation" and it was how I wanted to spend it... That is what Mrs. Nancy Wheeler (a member of the Cathedral English Department) said about hosting two twelve year old boys from Ireland last July. The visit was arranged through the Irish Children's Fund . This unique program was founded by Robert N. O'Connor as a not-for-profit, nonpolitical, and interdenominational reconciliation program. The ICF reaches out to Protestant and Catholic youngsters in Belfast to encourage tolerance, understanding, and respect for religious, political, and cultural beliefs of others.
Mrs. Wheeler, her husband Richard, and their children Thom and Katie decided to spend their summer hosting two boys because they had learned about the program through another Cathedral parent, and they were intrigued by the mission of this outreach program. They also felt it would be especially appealing for their son Thom who is a senior at Cathedral.
The ICF reconciliation program starts with a one month summer holiday in the Chicagoland/ Indianapolis area for approximately 150 Catholic and Protestant children. For many of these young people, this experience will be the first time they have contact with children of the opposite religious and ethnic background.
The Wheeler family hosted one boy from each of the religions. They welcomed David Watters and Christopher Graham into their home for the entire month of July. They boys had met only one time in Belfast before making the trip to the United States, but quickly became friends.
While in Indianapolis they boys met several times with other members from the ICF group for special activities. They visited Kings Island, Camp Tecumseh, and an Indians game. But their favorite activity was attending the Formula One race at the motor speedway. The boys were also amazed by our weather. The weather in Belfast usually stays between 72 and 32 degrees. They were a bit drained of their energy when they first experienced the hot and humid Indiana days of summer. Christopher and David also enjoyed trying new foods. The one thing they were intrigued by was that we actually eat corn on the cob. To them that was "pig food." Mrs. Wheeler had to instruct them not to eat the actual cob.
When the children return to Belfast, follow-up activities continue the cross community relationships begun in the United States. Several ICF minibuses transport the youngsters to weekly events at a community center in a neutral Belfast neighborhood where they are able to swim, play volleyball and soccer, or simply talk. This time together allows these young people to deepen the friendships they made during their summer abroad, learn trust, and gain new confidence in understanding the other community. The young people who attend the Northern Ireland follow-up program on a regular basis for three years are then eligible for a return visit to the United States. The Wheeler family stays in contact with the boys via e-mail and they hope that David and Christopher will be eligible to return to Indianapolis when they are fifteen.
Mrs. Wheeler stated that this was an amazing experience and she looks forward to hosting other boys in the future. If you are interested in learning more about the Irish Children's Fund you can visit their website http://www.icfkids.org/
[Sept. 2006]