Monsignor O’Brien, in conversation with Bernadette Walsh.

Monsignor O’Brien  was amazed at their co-operative spirit

Monsignor O’Brien is stilling in a chair centre screen

[BERNADETTE – off camera] That’s one of the quotes you have in this book by Rita Marrocco is you realized that people were not only building houses they were building…

[MONSIGNOR O’BRIEN] …community! And we saw it! We saw it! We couldn’t believe it! When we began and particularly when their houses were beginning to be built, the first batch, and we’d go down there whenever we could. We couldn’t get down there very often. We didn’t have time. There were times when we went down
there, and I remember going down there after Mass on a Sunday morning. I’d run down there for an hour and run back for another Mass just to see what was going on. And you could see all these guys…and a lot of them were not Catholics, a lot of them. You know? And we could see the way they were working together and way they were helping one another. You know some of the pictures show you the same thing… that are in that book. You know? That…I mean, we…we’re stunned! Absolutely! Sherlock and I were stunned at what was happening to these people. It wasn’t just that we were building houses – we were building people. And it took us awhile before it hit us. And then when it hit us, then we were jumping up and down with joy!