October 29, 2007
During the course of their collegiate lives, most St. John’s
students spend four years reflecting on the University’s Vincentian
mission to serve the poor and downtrodden. But for triple-alumnus
Andrew Ferdinandi, Ed ’73, GEd ’76, Ed.D. ’91, the mission became a
10-year staple during his student career. Now a clinical therapist
and an Assistant Professor for the School of Education, Ferdinandi
embraces the Vincentian as a way of life.
For the past two years, Dr. Ferdinandi has offered pro bono
counseling services to the parishioners of St. Pius V Roman
Catholic Church, a congregation composed primarily of poor
immigrants, situated in the blue-collar neighborhood of Jamaica,
Queens. What began in 2005 as a monthly group-therapy session
between Ferdinandi and a handful of loyal parishioners has morphed
into weekly one-on-one counseling sessions reserved by a
waiting-list of church members in need of support.
In addition to the weekly sessions, Ferdinandi has continued his
monthly group meeting, which consistently draws crowds nearing
100.
“By God’s grace, I met this wonderful man, Dr. Ferdinandi,” says
Rev. Luiz de Aguiar, PD ’06, parish administrator at St. Pius.
“Nobody seems to care about immigrants, but here is a professor
working pro bono, once a week, faithfully for years — he has a true
sense of charity. Everything he does, he does from the heart.”
Antonio Correia, a 34-year-old union laborer who arrived in the
United States from his native Portugal 15 years ago, has been
counseled once a week by Ferdinandi for the past four months.
“Dr. Ferdinandi has helped me so much to survive my divorce,”
says Correia, who holds onto the professor’s cell and home phone
numbers. “He’s a very good person, and he’s got a big, big heart.
I’m very happy I have him with me, as a friend and as a
professional.”
“Listen, We’re Going to Have a
Meeting.”
The “St. Pius V Community Support Project” was conceived two years
ago onSt. John’s Queens campus by Ferdinandi and Father Aguiar, who
at the time was a St. John’s graduate student enrolled in
Ferdinandi’s multicultural-counseling class. (After receiving his
master’s degree, Father Aguiar remained with the University and
currently serves the School of Education as a teacher’s assistant
and group counseling facilitator.)
After learning from Father Aguiar about the hardships facing
St. parishioners, Ferdinandi was moved to take action. In
November of 2005, he and Father Aguiar advertised a group
counseling session for members of the parish who wanted to talk
about their problems.
The turnout was less than stellar; only one parishioner showed
up. But, recalls Ferdinandi, “We said, ‘Listen, we’re going to have
a meeting. It may be small, but let’s talk.’ ”
And so, for more than an hour, Ferdinandi sat in the church
rectory and listened to the parishioner, a Portuguese-speaking
single mother, as she discussed her abusive ex-husband. A month
later, returned to the parish for a second group session.
This time, he was greeted by five people, eager for someone to
listen to their day-to-day work problems, cultural hurdles and
family struggles.
The group continued to grow, as many parishioners began dragging
along stoic friends and family members. Soon, a smattering of
adolescents began turning up every month. Now, the crowds have
grown to fill the entire rectory. The gathering even includes
ex-parishioners, one of whom commutes from New Jersey. The meetings
are capped with a community feast, prepared and offered by several
of the congregants, and the rectory often remains jam-packed until
10:30 p.m.
Ferdinandi admits that he doesn’t make a dime off the project.
So why does he do it?
“Because [Father Aguiar and I] believe in a cause,” he says.
“These people need to feel like other people care about them. We
show them that we want to hear their stories and validate who they
are as human beings.” He adds: “As you’re climbing up the ladder
with one hand, why not take the other and reach back, man?”
Because of project’s success, Ferdinandi and Father Aguiar one
year ago opened the door for individual counseling sessions, and
now, once a week, Ferdinandi treks back and forth from his home in
Bayside, NY, to host “Friday Night Meetings.” Parishioners broach
intimate topics such as depression, anxiety, child-rearing and,
most especially, living in poverty.
“Many of these parishioners have peanuts in their pockets, and
struggle to keep their head above water,” says Ferdinandi. “New
York City is a tough place for an immigrant to make a life, going
from a small town to an industrial heartland. We can’t abandon
these people.”
“The Spirit Is Alive”
With parishioners now waiting in line to see Ferdinandi, the St.
John’s professor has drafted some of his bilingual graduate
students who aspire to be professional counselors to help out. The
students see the situation as an opportunity to receive real-world
experience before entering the field.
“I just love the opportunity to be able to help people,
especially those struggling with a language barrier,” says
Estanislao Jaquez, a 31-year-old Brooklyn native enrolled in
Ferdinandi’s “Introduction to Counseling Techniques” class. “This
experience will definitely help me in my desire to change people’s
lives.”
To thank the students for their services, Father Aguiar has
renamed the St. Pius rectory the “St. John’s Counseling Room.”
Currently, the student-volunteers receive no academic credit for
their services, but Ferdinandi says he would like to see that
change down the road. Ferdinandi would also like to expand the
counseling project and secure a grant to help with basic supplies
and the enlistment of more students. He also would like to recruit
immigration attorneys and social workers to serve as guest
lecturers.
Last month, a throng of more than 100 Pius V parishioners
traveled by bus to St. John’s campus, where they participated in a
Mass held in St. Thomas More Church.
“I told them that you’ve invited me to your spiritual home; now
I want to invite you to my spiritual home,” says Ferdinandi.
According to Father Aguiar, there is something inspiring about
the Queens campus.
“St. John’s has so much power to help people,” says Father
Aguiar, recalling his graduate days. The University “helped me
develop a profound human perception, an understanding for others
and a deeper relationship with God.”
“The Vincentian spirit is alive at this University,” adds
Ferdinandi. “I really feel it, especially in the students.”