In the cold, faith is alive

After warm weeks in December and February, we are in the midst of a cold, rainy spell. I know it’s not like what my friends are experiencing in the Mid-West and East Costa of the US, but when you have no indoor heat and the low is in the high forties and the high in the low sixties, it feels really cold, especially since it’s a wet cold.

But in the midst of this, life goes on in the parish.

Last week there were celebrations for Candlemas Day, February 2, in the neighboring village of Candelaria. The next day was the feast of the Virgin of Suyapa, the patron of Honduras and the patron of the church here in Plan Grande. The people went all out decorating the church for the occasion. Mass was preceded by a procession.

On Friday we had a meeting of catechists, to begin the year. Sixty-two came; though I had hoped for twice that number, we had a good meeting.

This year, as part of the celebration of the centenary of the diocese of Santa Rosa de Copán, the statue of Saint Rosa of Lima is being brought to all the parishes for a week.

Last Saturday the statue arrived at the turn-off to Dulce Nombre from the main highway from Santa Rosa.

 It was accompanied to the parish by a good number of people who came out. They walked a bit and then stopped to pray at the site of the killing of a mayor a few months ago. Then all crowded into trucks until we reached the gas station at the edge of town.

 Procession and Mass followed.

Sunday afternoon the statue was to be taken to Delicias, Concepción, in Zone 4 of the parish. In a cold rain, we took the statue in vehicles to the turn off just past El Zapote Santa Rosa. There people from zone four were waiting

The statue was put in the bed of a pick up and the people started walking to Delicias, an hour away, in a cold rain. I was too wimpy to accompany them all the way, but I am amazed at the faith and commitment of these people.

Today I’ll accompany the people of Zone 2 for part of their evening of confessions, Mass, and all-night vigil.  

Tomorrow there is a 9:00 am Mass and distribution of ashes in Dulce Nombre; from there people will take the blessed ashes to distribute in their home communities. I hope to accompany some of them.