Prayer warriors offer hope, support to each other

By Christine Bordelon
Clarion Herald

Giving thanks is on the minds of many this holiday season, even amid the pandemic.

For Hope Mazzeno, Mary Lou Voelkel-Schmidt, Cheryl Bowman and Marsha Robert – teachers and friends for more years than they care to mention – thankfulness is experienced through their mutual Catholic faith, nurtured in all three from Catholic education. They recognize God’s presence in throughout their joys and tribulations.

Robert, also a Mercy graduate, mentioned how she’s more aware of God in her life today. A serious car accident that landed her in the hospital for an extended period proved that God’s presence was with her, helping her recover, she said. She knew there was no amount of pain she experienced that Jesus had not suffered at his crucifixion and considered herself his vessel through which people went to the hospital around the clock to help her.

“I saw him being more present in the people who came to support me,” Robert said. “I’m thankful for every moment I’m alive that God gives me. St. Paul made reference to having control wherever you are – like when he was in jail. I learned this back during Katrina. The more you accept God’s plan, you can walk through it. It’s not really your plan. I’m thankful I am more aware of God in my life.”

Rallying around each other
When Mazzeno, whose nickname among friends is “Hoppie,” was diagnosed with breast cancer on Nov. 28, 2014, she turned quickly to Voelkel-Schmidt, Bowman and Robert and asked them to be “Hope’s (prayer) warriors.”

“I was devastated,” said Voelkel-Schmidt, who has been Mazzeno’s friend since age 14, attending Mercy, Camp Maryhill and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with Mazzeno. “It caught me totally by surprise. We were unprepared but came together to support her.”

She quickly suggested attending the first Friday Mass together, beginning on Dec. 5, 2014, and they have done so for almost six years, missing only a few months in person due to the COVID-19 crisis.

“They saw me go through no hair,” Mazzeno said, mentioning her 18-month ordeal of surgery, in which eight lymph nodes were removed, chemotherapy and 33 radiation treatments. “But, I knew I was going to beat this. I had battles, but I won the war. I really think it was because of these women. They are my warriors.”

Mazzeno remains in remission and is an inspiration to her friends.

“She was such a trouper,” Bowman said. “She never gave up and never wanted anybody to feel sorry for her. She was always upbeat. She was stronger than we were.”

Hope’s Warriors were by her side when she rang the bell at Ochsner after cancer treatments ended in 2016. When Mazzeno finished her cancer treatments, she took all her supporters to lunch.

To the bitter end

Like many New Orleanians, mutual friends, experiences and faith are commonplace.

“Our similar connection is the Mass,” Voelkel-Schmidt said. “When you grow up here, you don’t ask what civil parish you lived in, you ask what Catholic parish.”

“My faith has gotten stronger because I had these women by my side,” Mazzeno said. “All four of us are strong women of God.”

They echoed the sentiment of strengthened faith but credited Mazzeno for her example. She even made up a prayer for the group.

“Archbishop Aymond has declared 2021 the Year of the Eucharist, and that’s what it has been for all of us,” Voelkel-Schmidt said, adding how their prayer list continues to grow with people who are sick or have problems, with Mazzeno taking the lead. “We are working miracles. We had a great foundation and were blessed being brought up in the Catholic school system. It was easy to gravitate to prayer all our lives.”

During this mentally challenging year, Mazzeno said she’s coping by taking it one day at a time.

“That’s how we live right now,” she said. “Just keep your faith and say your prayers.”

[email protected]