Frequently Asked Questions

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Who are Father Gary Bagley and Sister Karen Klimczak?

Father Gary Bagley (1946 - 2006)

Rev. Gary Bagley was a Roman Catholic Priest, pastor of St. Benedict's Church in Buffalo, and longtime Diocesan Youth Director. He dedicated his life to ministering to the youth, and was a guide, counselor, confidante, and dear friend to thousands. He began numerous programs for the youth, including YCAW, and inspired them to follow his example. He passed on his knowledge of life's most important lessons to many teens and challenged them to create the change he knew was possible.

One of Father Gary's favorite stories about the value of human life: The $20 Bill

Sister Karen Klimczak (1943 - 2006)

In 1985, Sister Karen founded Hope House in downtown Buffalo, a halfway house for nonviolent ex-convicts. Hope House, later renamed Bissonette House, became a haven for people looking for a new start to their lives.       During her lifetime, Sister Karen Klimczak began the "Nonviolence Begins With Me" and "I Leave PeacePrints" campaigns. Her legacy lives on through those peace programs.       Sister Karen is also known for her ability to forgive. She had known that she would be murdered many years before her death, and she forgave him in a letter years before the event.  She also did not shy away from her ministry in fear of losing her life, but continued zealously, providing an example not only to teens, but to all people in Buffalo and worldwide.

What is YCAW and what do you do there?

YCAW stands for Young Christians At Work. It is a 5-day retreat at Harvest House in downtown Buffalo where teens can take a break from their everyday schedules, learn about social teachings with 50 other young people, and perform service at various places throughout the local community  with a smaller group. It takes place during Holy Week (the week leading up to Easter Sunday) and ends on the Saturday afternoon before Easter. Dates for YCAW 2009 are TBA.

What's going on in Sudan?

Sudan is split into three major antagonistic areas: North, South, and West. These three parts of Sudan are extremely aggressive towards one another. Conflict began between the North and the South in 1983. There are several reasons why.

1. Before the North tried to exercise more control over Sudan in 1983, the South was relatively autonomous. 2. However, Southern Sudan is barely represented in the Sudanese government. 3. Therefore, the North has considerable political power, because the government consists mostly of wealthy Northern Sudanese 4. The North also controls the Sudanese army. 5. The North is mostly desert land while the South is oil-rich and fertile, making the North extremely dependent on the South. However, the North contains oil-refinery plants, and because of this, the oil that is sold from Sudan funds the Northern economy only. 6. The Muslim North has tried to force its beliefs on the mostly Christian South through mandatory prayer and Qur'an reading in public schools. 7. The South wants to become an independent nation from the North. When the North attacked the protesting South in 1983 with new automated weapons and bombs, chaos ensued. Millions were displaced, hundreds of thousands lost their lives. However, the Southern Sudanese were somewhat prepared. They had already organized into a resistance forced named Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA).

= Koiyom

Over twenty years later, in January of 2005, the brutal conflict ended in an unstable peace agreement. This agreement calls for an armistice until discussions of independence are reopened in 2011. Meanwhile, the United Nations is attempting to provide humanitarian aid to those that have no food supplies and are dying of starvation and malnutrition.       The South has not split from the North, but it has regained most of its autonomy. However, as this conflict was coming to an end, the Western Sudanese (the Darfur area) demanded representation in the Northern government as well. (1970s) The North proceeded to attack Darfur, where the conflict still continues. Many are torn between sides, because there are many Muslims, as in the North, but Darfur also suffers from the same economic and political oppression as the South.       Unfortunately, the situation in Darfur is much worse than it was in Southern Sudan because the people do not have organized resistance to the national army. The conflict has officially been termed "a genocide."       The Pickle Jar Project is attempting to help provide medical care to an area of Southern Sudan that has felt the devastating effects of civil warfare. Refugees from destroyed villages will need help, as will people from surrounding areas, and we plan to help make that happen. With ROTA's project, the Koiyom Clinic and School, we will be able to provide help and education to thousands.

How do I write a check?

Checks should be made out to: ROTA [Reaching Out to Africa] For: The Pickle Jar Project Please send to ROTA (see the Contact Us page)

Contributions are tax deductible

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