Continental Mission

No. It isn’t an airline commercial, nor is it a military campaign. It’s an effort being made by the Catholic church in Latin America to reach out and spread the faith throughout the Americas, especially reaching out to alienated Catholics.

The May 2007 meeting of the Latin American Bishops in Aparecida, Brazil, called for a continent-wide effort to spread the good news of the Gospel. The Honduran bishops decided to start the effort on Pentecost. Here in Santa Rosa the kick off event was on the Vigil of Pentecost, Saturday morning, May 30.

Almost all the priests of the diocese and parish council members from almost all the 42 parishes of the diocese began arriving at the cathedral around 9 am. Some had driven in pickups from remote parishes more than four hours away.

Shortly after 9 the bishop, the priests, and hundreds began to march from the cathedral to an auditorium near the Caritas office, singing hymns, carrying banners, and three large statues – Christ carrying the Cross, Mary, and Saint Rose of Lima, the patroness of the diocese.

A group of indigenous came from Santa Cruz, Intibucá, with a simple “throne” for the bible which they carried in procession, incensing it as they walked.

At the auditorium several priests led the people in song. And then Mass began. What surprised me was that most of the hymns were from the Salvadoran campesino Mass – a Mass with a very strong message of justice. It shouldn’t have surprised me because the diocese has made a strong commitment to justice for the poor and to care for the earth.

The offertory was moving. The people brought forward fruits, vegetables, and products made throughout the diocese. There were strawberries and potatoes from Intibucá; coffee from many parts of the diocese; straw baskets from Santa Barbara; even orange wine and cigars from Copán. It was a veritable cornucopia of the goods of the earth. Each was brought forward by the other great gift of this area – the committed people of God, poor folk, but full of love and faith.

At the end of Mass there was a sending of the people on mission. A large wooden mission cross was given to each deanery, as were other symbolic gifts. Each pastor was given a bible and a copy of the document from Aparecida. Each of the mission crosses bore the words – “Woe is me if I do not preach the Gospel.”

People were introduced and several priests who had served for long periods in the diocese were recognized – including an American priest who’s been here for over 40 years and one Honduras priest who was ordained the year I was born (1947).

The bishop even had me come forward after he had introduced Father Efraín Romero, the director of Caritas. I stumbled through a few words, expressing my joy at being here for this event and reiterating the solidarity of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Ames with the diocese. (The bishop himself mentioned St. Thomas and its connection with the diocese.)

The Mass ended at about 1 pm and a simple lunch was served by the Caritas-sponsored bakery/restaurant. I stood around, talked a bit to some people I knew from workshops, and even helped hand out some of the lunch.

Now it’s the responsibility of the parishes to do the evangelizing in the more than 1900 villages in the diocese.

Evangelizing is important here (and throughout the world) and the church is Latin America is not leaving it to other religious groups.

There is good news. The Gospel is lived and preached here; God is alive in the lives of the people, both in the faith, their devotion, and in their struggle to survive. May God bless this mission.

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Photos from the celebration may be viewed at my Flickr set on the Continental Mission http://www.flickr.com/photos/johndonaghy/sets/72157618935566043/