 | Marie Pace, the director of the Scientology Mission of Lafayette, LA, has been honored as a woman who is changing the history of her community. |
During the celebration of Women's History Month, Marie Pace was honored last month as one of 31 women who are changing the history of the community of Lafayette, LA.
Marie, who has been a Scientologist since the 1980s, is the director of the Scientology Mission of Lafayette, where she serves the community through the Mission's many outreach programs.
But the help of the Scientology Mission of Lafayette took on an entirely new dimension almost two years ago, when Hurricane Katrina hit and was followed within days by Hurricane Rita.
Marie mobilized the Scientologists of her parish and organized hundreds of Scientology Volunteer Ministers from around the country who hurried to Louisiana to help. The emergency relief personnel and social agencies had never experienced demands of the magnitude this catastrophe created. They were overloaded past the point of being able to cope. Marie and her team took on any task that was needed to help the victims, restore calm and relieve the burden of those responsible for handling the emergency.
 | Marie's assistance to her community spelled the difference between success and failure after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck in 2005. |
As described in Freedom Magazine:
"So ravaged in spirit were the first refugees to the converted Vermilion Parish recreation center that few were expecting much attention, let alone actual help, according to Marie Pace, Lafayette native and coordinator for the Volunteer Ministers in Vermilion Parish and Lafayette.
"'We'd set up showers, washers, dryers, beds and clothes at the shelter—all of it donated by local residents and businesses,' Pace said. 'And, with just about everyone coming from New Orleans being rattled and scared, we first provided assists called 'locationals' to help them orient themselves to the present, non-threatening environment.'"
"Assists" are techniques developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. Assists are invaluable to emergency response personnel as they help alleviate stress and trauma, and orient confused or distraught individuals to their present environment.
Marie's help certainly did not go unnoticed. As Freedom wrote:
"A Lafayette community leader who worked shoulder-to-shoulder with the Volunteer Ministers wrote to Marie Pace, 'You and your entire group will leave a lasting impression of compassion and goodwill in our community. I served in the Church of Christ ministry for several years, and have been active in my community for my entire adult life, and have never met any group of people more dedicated to ... giving assurance, hope and calm to people who in many cases have lost everything, including human life.'"
In hearing of the Women's History Month award, Marie recalled something L. Ron Hubbard wrote, which has served as an inspiration to her: "The biggest right there is, is not the right to vote, is not the right to freedom of speech, or press, or religion or anything else. The biggest right there is in human rights is the right to help."
Over the past few years, due the work of Marie and her volunteer team, and the VMs who respond to disasters and provide one-on-one help in their communities around the world, there has been a groundswell of enthusiasm for the Scientology Volunteer Ministers program from community leaders, groups and organizations.
To meet the demand, Scientology churches and missions are now providing on-site workshops, seminars and courses to any group or individual requesting the service. To learn more or request a seminar visit the web site of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers.
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