Harold Rahm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Harold "Haroldo" Rahm
S.J.
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| Born | February 22, 1919 |
| Died | November 30, 2019 (aged 100) |
| Citizenship | Dual, USA/Brazil |
| Education | BA (Language), STL (Theology) |
| Alma mater | Loyola U. New Orleans St. Louis University |
| Occupation | Catholic priest, Jesuit |
| Television | TV Seculo 21 |
| Board member of | WFTC, DPNA |
| Awards | World Assoc.of Therapeutic Com., Harry Sholl Award |
Harold Joseph Rahm (February 22, 1919 – November 30, 2019) was a Catholic priest and Jesuit, who became well known for his work with gangs and inner-city youth in El Paso, Texas, US.
Contents
Texas
Early life
Harold Rahm was born in Tyler, Texas, on February 22, 1919, and during high school planned to become a doctor like his father. But he was drawn to the priesthood and tried the diocesan seminary. Not happy there, he read of the exploits of Jesuit priests Pere Marquette and Isaac Jogues, and decided to become a Jesuit. He entered the Jesuit novitiate in 1937 and was ordained a priest in 1950.
Assignment
"Haroldo" took as his motto "It is necessary to live life with joy." He shared with his Jesuit superior his desire to make life a little fairer, a little more filled with joy for those born into trying circumstances. Soon after ordination, in 1952, he was appointed assistant pastor at the large, Spanish-speaking parish of Sacred Heart in El Paso, covering the Chihuahuita district and Segundo Barrio. The church steeple is clearly visible from the border crossing with Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, just two blocks away. Along with him at Sacred Heart were four elderly priests to cover confessions and funerals and another young priest who served as pastor and covered the rectory duties. Rahm's task was to be out in the densely-packed neighborhood where second homes were in back yards and alleys had become streets. This neighborhood was one of the poorest in the nation.
Gang warfare
He traveled on a bicycle to deliver breakfast to the elderly, and to quickly reach places where the youth hung out. He immersed himself in the life of the people, visiting, having block Masses in their back yards, and accepting their advice. As he tackled the problems of youth gangs, he found ready help in downtown businessmen, in members of the El Paso Sertoma Club, and in the City Parks and Recreations Department.
He cofounded Guadalupe Thrift Store, an employment office, and a credit union. He was given Monday night and Sunday afternoon slots on KROD-TV where he gave the youth a chance to perform – dance, dialogues, plays, and contests. Spanish-speaking KELP-TV was later added. The better-off students in the parish attended Bowie High school, and from there he got a leader for his Guadalupano Club, Edmundo Rodriguez, an all-district football center who would join the Jesuits and later become Rahm's provincial superior. Guadalupano Club held parties, weekend retreats, picnics, and spiritual meetings. As club membership spread among the youth, gangs were frustrated by their recruiting. But more important was his sports program which recruited young boys to play basketball, baseball, and other sports with the help of athletes from the El Paso College of Mines, now University of Texas in El Paso. Rahm's book on working with gangs, Office in the Alley, tells the story of Our Lady's Youth Center, which Rahm built up out of an old building owned by the Knights of Columbus. It gradually developed into a complete sports and activities center, handling 600 youth a day. He recruited as assistant Ventura "Tula" Irrobali, a hero in the neighborhood for his basketball stardom at Texas Western College, now UTEP. Two boys trained by Tula gained national prominence, one as feather-weight National Golden Gloves Champion and the other as "Boy of the Year" representing El Paso's Boy's Club. Today Tula has a city park named after him, and the renamed "Father Rahm Avenue" runs through Segundo Barrio.
Reassignment
Pope John XXIII had asked the Jesuits in the USA to send more men to Latin America. Rahm's Jesuit superior, knowing that his projects in El Paso had able helpers, asked him to go to Brazil, and allowed him to choose his successor. Rahm persuaded Jesuit priest Richard Thomas, a former student of his in Tampa, to follow him at Sacred Heart.
Brazil
Spirituality and training
In Texas Rahm had honed his skills at organizing, fundraising, and emphasizing the spiritual component, letting others run the programs he began. These skills served him well in Brazil.
Archbishop Dom Paulo de Tarso welcomed him to the Archdiocese of Campinas where Rahm organized parishioners to construct San Pedro Apostle church building, while he got to work on studying Portuguese. He also began working with the Cursillo movement which had just come to Brazil in 1962, and became its spiritual director. In 1967 he and lay collaborators created a kind of cursillo for youth.
In 1965 he founded the President Kennedy Social Center to train people for professional certification as typists, seamstresses, bricklayers, and electricians. Later, nursing, computer, and graphics were added, along with separate laboratories for the various courses, and a library. Today courses are offered, free of charge, in administrative assistant, accounting assistant, entrepreneurship, English, Spanish, Portuguese, CorelDRAW, PhotoShop, basic & advanced theater, free dance, and street dance.
In 1967 he and Mary Lamego founded Christian Leadership Training (TLC) at the Big House of Brandina Villa, working with a team of lay people to train youth to be Christian leaders, on mission. Today the movement is present in more than 80 places covering 38 dioceses throughout Brazil. Rahm asked Jesuit priest Casimiro Irala to teach liturgical songs to young people, and thus TLM was born (Musical Leadership Training). Irala later took off on his own and founded OPA, Prayer for Art, a movement that still exists, uniting art and spirituality by teaching songs to youth. Also, it was while he was in TLM that Jonas Abib was inspired to carry liturgical song to new heights.
In 1972 Rahm co-founded the movement Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Brazil. In 1975 he created "Prayer Experiences" as a part of this renewal.
A living symbol
In 2013 Rahm helped found Early Circolando Project, a program which includes social education, prevention, care, and research, with a psychosocial team, educators, and art educators who circulate through highly vulnerable neighborhoods.
Rahm continued to hold honorary executive positions with Therapeutic Community organizations in Brazil (FEBRACT), Latin America (FLACT), and internationally (WFTC), and to serve as advisor on chemical dependency for the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops (CNBB).
Death
Rahm died on November 30, 2019.
Awards
Rahm received numerous awards from the city of Campinas. Some of his other awards are:
- Tough Love International: International Media Award (1984) & Tiffany Pelayo Award (1998).
- Anchieta Medal and Gratitude Diploma of the City of São Paulo (1987).
- Dom Quixote Award of Lulac National (1990).
- Benefactor of Humankind, awarded by the Grand Orient of Brazil Masons (1999).
- Cruz do Merito do Descobridor do Brasil Pedro Alvarez Cabral awarded by the Sociedade Brasileira de Heraldica Medalhistica, Cultural e Educational (2000).
- Ordem do Merito "Grande Oficial" awarded by Cruzada Bandeirante de Assistencia Medico Social dos Camilianos (2000).
- Merit Certificate for Valorization of Life awarded by the National Secretariat Against Drugs-SENAD and conferred by the President of Brazil (2002).
- Friend of the Social Justice and Juridical Assistance, awarded by the Military Police of São Paulo State (2003).
- Harry Sholl Award from WFTC, as President of FEBRACT (2006).
- Segundo Barrio Award, El Paso (2015).
Selected writings
- Office in the Alley, with J. Weber. University of Texas, Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, 1958.
- Am I Not Here. Washington: Ave Maria Institute, 1963.
- E bom ser Padre!. São Paulo: Paulinas, 1975.
- A Mae das Americas. São Paulo: Loyola, 1992.
- Treinamento de Lideranga Crista. São Paulo: Loyola, 1998.
- 0 caminho da sobriedade – Fazenda do Senhor. São Paulo: Loyola, 2001.
