St. Mark’s in Seattle is the cathedral church of the Diocese of Olympia. It boasts 2,800-plus members and seekers, and an average of 500 people in attendance at each of five Sunday services. The cathedral is known both locally and nationally for living out an active call to reconciliation and social justice and is a pillar in the Seattle community in the fight to end homelessness. It is also the first congregation that welcomed a Gulf Coast evacuee through EMM.

Betty Harris and her children were separated as they fled Hurricane Katrina and were reunited in a shelter in Houston, TX. The then traveled to Beaumont, TX, to be brought back together with extended family in a local shelter. While there, Harris’ two grown daughters were transferred from Xavier University in New Orleans to Holy Name College in Oakland, CA. Her son arranged to travel to Seattle, where Harris has two nieces.

When it was clear that Harris, who evacuated New Orleans, wished to relocate in Seattle, EMM contacted the Rev. Mary Gould, Interim Coordinator of Church in the World Ministry at St. Mark’s. Gould was out of town at the time. But, after a few calls, members of the congregation put together a five-person support committee which identified an apartment and agreed to sponsor Harris.

Harris, who had waited patiently for a sponsor, caught on of the last planes out of Beaumont before Hurricane Rita touched down. Once in Seattle, she bonded instantly with the St. Mark’s community. Not long after arriving, Harris hosted a “Taste of Louisiana” dinner for members of the congregation. She found a job as a medical assistant at a local hospital and has since moved into her own apartment in the area. The support committee is in touch with her daily, and she is known throughout the congregation as being a humble woman with a profound and deep faith.

According to Gould, the opportunity to sponsor a family has been invaluable for St. Mark’s. “I would encourage every congregation, large or small, to do this,” says Gould. “The blessings received in return are unimaginable, and the witness of Harris’ steadfast faith in the midst of losing everything is a huge gift to us in this community.”

Harris is unsure how long she will be in Seattle. She has a large extended family in New Orleans, and is still waiting to learn the extent of the damage to her home. For now, she is moving ahead with her life in Seattle, laying down roots with help of St. Mark’s Cathedral.