OLL Turns on the Water

Water has a central place in the practices and beliefs of many religions for two main reasons.

First, water cleanses. Water washes away impurities and pollutants. Water can also make a person clean, externally or spiritually. Our life in the church begins with the waters of baptism.

Secondly, water is a primary building block of life. Without water there is no life. 

Here at Our Lady of the Lake we are especially blessed with the gift of water.  As we get ready to celebrate our Parish Feast Day which begins down at the lake, we are especially reminded of this.

Lake Erie provides water to:

Quench our thirst so that our we can live

Clean our bodies and food so that we can stay healthy

Provide sanitation and sewage treatment which helps prevent disease

Not only are we fortunate enough to have water for our needs, we are also lucky enough to have water to play in!

We are so very blessed….all we have to do is turn a handle and we have an unlimited amount of water at our fingertips! 

In many places around the world, that is not the case.  Women and children must walk many miles daily to draw water from a well or stream and then carry it home.  There is little or no water to wash hands or food or to treat sewage.  This often contributes to the spread of disease and illness.  The effects of these diseases and illnesses are magnified when you consider that children cannot attend school and receive an education if they are ill.

In gratitude for the gift of water, we are working through Catholic Relief Services to share the gift of water with others less fortunate than we are.  During this week and throughout next weekend, we will be collecting donations to provide some of the following:

A hand washing station to reduce disease and increase student attendance and academic achievement.  Basic hygiene education is also provided.

A community watering station which will bring fresh water to a central location and alleviate the hours spent carrying heavy jugs of water that are unsafe to drink.

A community latrine which will conserve resources, protect underground water reserves and prevent disease.

Tools to dig a well.

A family wash kit.

Pump mechanic training to ensure that latrines, wells and pumps keep running.