When the bad weather ruined watermelon fields in eastern North Carolina, migrant farmworkers lost their jobs and didn’t get a salary for over a month. With their families back in Mexico waiting for economic support and without any savings in the United States, these laborers struggled to get food.

“The watermelons rotted and there was no work for us for almost five weeks,” says Jonathan, one of the workers. The field is located about 10 minutes from one of the Glenmary missions in North Carolina. “The contractor has a fund that helped us for about two weeks, but after that, Father Vic bought food for us.”

Father Vic Subb, the pastor of the Glenmary St. Joan of Arc mission in Plymouth, had been visiting the workers for a time before the watermelon production was ruined. “At the beginning, people didn’t want to talk to me,” Father Vic says, with a smile. “They went from not having any trust to trusting me and feeling comfortable. It took consistency and being willing to help.”

Father Vic and Glenmary Deacon Cavine Okello met with the workers at a local supermarket and purchased food for them during their time of crisis. “He helped us for about three weeks,” Jonathan adds. “There was one time when the 35 of us went and the Father spent about $1,500 on food for us.”

In October, the temporary migrants began to work in a sweet potato field, property of the same company that employs them. But they remain grateful to the Glenmary pastor. “We are very thankful to Father Vic because he did a huge favor to us,” Jonathan says. Father Vic, on the other hand, is happy that he was able to help the laborers. “One of the guys, who is 29 years of age, has not done first Communion and he wants to do it,” Father Vic says.

This piece of news first appeared in the Winter 2024 issue of Glenmary Challenge.