Challenges “We Can Do It”
Bernie Breen
Bernie has other stories in the book.
I walked into Cana in Albion St at 10am on my very first day and stepped out of my comfort zone, all in one stride, not sure what I was putting myself into. My very first hug on that morning came from (Christine/John). Brian Stoney, came down the stairs, and greeted me. He handed me a frozen leg of something that looked like ham but I wasn’t sure and told me “we have lunch after prayer.”
I thought I had a few hours to prepare lunch – a nice veggie soup with the frozen bone of meat to add flavour will go down well. The house was starting to fill up: Johnno, Owen, Shane, Rhonda, Di – I couldn’t remember all their names. Back to lunch. I looked around to find ingredients for my soup – found nothing. Panic hit.
Brian said half an hour till lunch. “Is he for real”, I thought. I’m standing there in the kitchen looking at this frozen thing on the table. I turned to Johnno and said “what do you think?” We decided to make toasted sandwiches with the ham leg. I went into prayer, Johnno stood guard over the toast. I forgot about lunch for a moment, and marvelled on how everyone hugged and gave thanks in prayer, it was a very touching moment for me.
I smelt burned toast. Thanks to Johnno, Di and many others who came to help the new girl, it was the worst and best toasted sandwiches I’ve ever had. I realised at the end of the day that the ingredients I needed to make lunch, when panic subsided, were in front of me all along.
Brian asked me if I was coming back next week. My head was saying “Don’t do it, girl”. My heart was saying “I have just experienced true unconditional love” and I did come back the following week, and for the next 14 years.