Hazel Jordan: Doing Big Things

Hazel Jordan, an administrative assistant at Our Lady of Lourdes, is doing big things. A current student in the Master of Arts Theology program at St. Thomas, she has a burning passion for serving the homeless. And, she lives her passion every week. In her blog post Mercy, Not Pity: Street Ministry Lessons, Hazel writes about how a powerful interaction outside the local library during her street ministry impacted her and made her realize that “Mercy is a gracious act of love in response to the wrong because it comes from recognizing that an injustice has been done to a human being made with the dignity of God's image and likeness.” (emphasis in the original) Hazel goes on to write, “Even though our circumstances and sins may convince us of the lie that we are worthless, they can't erase the innate desire to be understood, and to be loved unconditionally.” Hazel’s unconditional love for the other is at the very heart of her street ministry work, which is a powerful witness of God’s unconditional love and mercy. Hazel was recently interviewed on the Rediscover Hour (interview runtime 7:32 to 22:11), and she has a blog with reflections on her work. In addition, Hazel’s work was recently captured in the Winter 2020 edition of the St. Paul Seminary Oracle, which is reprinted here. 

Theology Student Doing Big Things

If it’s true that big things come in small packages, then pay attention to Hazel Jordan. Standing less than five feet tall, this first-year graduate student is a big thing. Hazel is a recent graduate of the University of St. Thomas. With dual desires to go deeper in Theology and to serve others, she enrolled in the Master of Arts in Theology degree program this fall. 

There is an unlikely group of people ignititing her passions: the homeless. 

As an undergrad, Hazel participated in Street Ministry, a small group of students that reaches out to the homeless in downtown Minneapolis. During her senior year, she found her true calling after attending a presentation by Dr. Jonathan Reyes, founder of Denver’s street ministry Christ in the City, and spending a week with the homeless in the Mile High City. 

“When working with the homeless, I learn how to suffer with others and face my own wounds and inner poverty. As a result, I experience healing through this vulnerability,” she says. 

Upon her return from Denver, she poured herself back into Street Ministry by taking on a leadership role. Every Saturday, Hazel organizes a small group of students (approximately 10-20) to socialize and pray before they break into teams and head downtown to meet people living on the streets. Sometimes they bring water bottles and granola bars to distribute, but their primary goal is to encounter each person and affirm their humanity through conversation and prayer. Later, the teams debrief with a theological framework.

Her fall Moral Theology class with Dr. Christopher Thompson provided an ideal foundation for this pursuit. “Essentially, I learned that we yearn to become the person God intends us to be. I can apply that to myself and to the people I encounter on the street. My heart was made for this work.” She even devoted her class final, a 15-page paper entitled “Are We Morally Obligated to Serve the Poor and Embrace Poverty?”, to the subject she cares about the most. 

Hazel has another full course load this semester and is back on the street every Saturday. Her dream is to one day work for a Catholic organization that provides ministry and care for the homeless. 

She is already doing big things. 

Article originally in The Saint Paul Seminary's winter 2020 issue of the Oracle. For more, visit www.semssp.org  (Photo credit: Hazel serving lunch during her Christ in the City mission trip last year, taken by Ellie Reinart.)

Time, Talent, and Treasure: How Lourdes Parishioners Can Support Our Local Partners

Hazel has several recommendations for reaching out to the homeless in effective ways. 

• Talent and Treasure: Create a "blessing bag" of essentials to hand out instead of money. Bags might contain soft foods (soft granola bars, bananas, oranges, cheese), water, hats/gloves/hand warmers in winter, or socks. (No razors, hand sanitizers, or anything with alcohol)
• Time: When encountering people, Hazel recommends making eye contact and greeting the other individual. Introduce yourself, ask for their name, ask about their day, and allow the conversation to flow naturally. Listen reflectively and get to know the individual, then ask if there’s anything you can pray for if you sense an openness. Remember to use their name in the conversation! 
• Be safe in your encounters: don't approach large groups of people, if your conversation becomes inappropriate, feel free to excuse yourself, don’t give away your hometown, and trust your instincts.