Witness to Faith

Fr. Lou Quinn

A ray of hope, an instrument of justice, a missionary of God

“A Journey of Justice” - Father Lou Quinn

On a battered mountainside, an image of unimaginable poverty is painted. Shacks made of aluminium and wood stand guarded by barbed wire. A mother washes her infant in a dirty water stream. But then, a child’s anxious laugh rings out through the mountaintops as she sees a truck of eager volunteers pull up to her crumbling shack. Today marks the first building day of her new home.

For many years, the tattered village of Rifle de la Horma in the Dominican Republic has been a targeted epicentre of a number of international missionary outreach programs. One of such programs is the D.R.E.A.M.S. (Dominican Republic Education and Medical Support) project that began at St. Mary Catholic Secondary School in Hamilton, Ontario. Since its inception in 1999, over 300 St. Mary’s students and volunteers have been sent to the impoverished area. In harmony with the Dominican people, the D.R.E.A.M.S. project has built one school and 30 homes in aid of this humane cause, to date.

This wild fire of giving began with a single spark, Father Quinn, a Scarborough Missionary priest, as he embarked on a journey of justice. Through His instrument of peace, God began to sow hope onto this remote part of the world that is so far from our own. Over his 42 years of dedicated work, Father Quinn was able to improve the material quality of life of the people of Rifle de la Horma and the surrounding areas. Through the combined efforts of Father Quinn and various outreach organizations, including the D.R.E.A.M.S.’ project, improvements have been made to the irrigation systems and education and medical services.

Although the sands of time began to diminish his health, Father Quinn’s enduring spirit remained committed to the Dominican people and to all those that worked in support of this campaign of hope. On many occasions Father Quinn was seen to arrive at a worksite hours from his rectory in Ocoa to spend a few precious moments with the Canadian youth volunteers. A number of these visits were made during times when Father Quinn was overwhelmed with his personal health struggles, which to him was but a minor obstacle. Father Quinn truly believed in the importance of steering youth towards God through a life committed to serving all God’s people regardless of social or economic status. Father Quinn will remain one of the great role models for the youth of today.

Father Quinn remained God’s faithful servant until death. Many will mourn his passing, but it is in his death that Father Quinn, challenges us to act beyond our earthly desires and to embody the kindness of Christ. We cannot say that we walk with Christ, until we walk hand in hand with our brothers and sisters who lack the comforts of the 21st century. For it is among the poor, that the spirit of Christ dwells and awaits to fill the hearts of all those who have eyes to see and ears to hear it. Father Quinn set out on a mission of God, but now it is our turn to carry forth his journey of justice and make a difference.


Kristin Stawiarski
2006 D.R.E.A.M.S. volunteer
Bachelor of Health Sciences Second Year Student at McMaster University
Hamilton, ON, Canada
 

Kristin holding the Ancaster News in front a new home constructed
in El Rifle as part of the D.R.E.A.M.S. project
 

Fr. Louis Quinn, a missionary who spent most his life in the Dominican Republic fighting poverty, has passed away this last October.

Fr Lou traveled to the Dominican Republic as a young man, spending more than 40 years of his life amongst the poor, fighting poverty in the Dominican’s mountain villages. Father Lou is famous around the globe for his piloting of the D.R.E.A.M.S.’ program, which is a reflection of his own calling. Here at St. Mary C.S.S., we actively live Fr. Lou’s teachings by participating in the D.R.E.A.M.S. project. This program has had astounding results over the years, and has spread not only to other high schools but universities and organizations all across Ontario.

 Little do most of us know, D.R.E.A.M.S. is just a very small portion of Fr. Lou’s accomplishments in the D.R. In his 42 years living in the province of San Jose de Ocoa, he built a vast system of roads, waterways, schools, clinics, and houses for the least fortunate of people. When deciding who should receive these new treasures, the mindset of Fr. Lou and his team was nothing more or less than “whoever needs it the most gets it”. In exchange for small pieces of cultivatable land for the poor, he would build the landowners an irrigation system up in the mountains that would maximize the productivity of agriculture.

Seeing all Fr. Lou has done for the Dominicans is absolutely staggering. It is amazing to see how much of an impact one man had on not only the Dominican Republic but also the world. We were fortunate enough to meet Father Lou in our trip to the Dominican Republic last March as part of the D.R.E.A.M.S.’ project. Even though, over the years, he had become a very powerful and respected man, Fr. Lou lived so simply. He spent his life not only with but also as the poor do.

Let us always remember Father Louis Quinn in prayer and respect, for he is an inspiration to us all.

- Chris Bruder and Jordan Bowman
2007
 

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