Two weeks and more

Rain, rain, rain. Though it has stopped here for a few hours, we have had strong rains for the last three days. There has been serious flooding in Tegucigalpa but here we mostly have to watch out for slippery hills. This comes after some really hot and dry weeks in September.

The rain of course makes it difficult to get clothes dried, but that’s the least of our worries here.

I haven't written for more than two weeks and so a post is necessary - especially since I'm heading to Rome, Assisi, and Ames, Iowa in two days.

This past week was the week of the Ferias Morazanicas, with at least three days of time off for official employees. Most schools were closed all week.

But I have been busy for several weeks with a variety of activities – and a rather bad chest cold (which made me stay at home and try to rest for several days.)

One of my new responsibilities as deacon has been to do the interviews of couples and witnesses after they have finished their formation. Three weeks ago, one couple was married. I was at the wedding but the pastor was the official church witness. Yet I got to the church before the wedding to baptize the young man getting married. Last week, I again assisted as deacon at a wedding Mass – but this time it was of a neighbor who married a young woman in her home village.

We are having more weddings than before and this is, for me, a good sign.

I also presided at a Quinceañera celebration, a sort of coming out celebration for fifteen-year-old young women. I have been at a few, but I haven’t seen this happen often among the poor. I tried to preach about the dignity of the person, especially young women, whose dignity come from God – not from grades, jobs, number of Facebook friends, or men. I hope the message got across.

But what disturbed me was that though the young woman, whose mother is in the US and whose biological father is presumably absent, was there even without the grandmother who is taking care of her. I also was quite taken aback when she didn’t go to Communion. It seems much more a cultural event than a religious ceremony. But then I may just be too biased and critical.

Two weeks ago we had the parish mission. Forty three parishioner went to visit almost all the villages of the parish, reaching out to those estranged from the church.

During the week, a tragic event occurred. In one village a young man, about 33, committed suicide, leaving a six-year old girl and an estranged wife. He had some serious mental problems but was taking medicine which helped him control his behavior and his health. But he had run out of the medicine which, I was told later, is only available at a hospital in Tegucigalpa and which costs about $175. He tried to find a way to borrow money to get the medicine, but to no avail. My guess is that, in desperation, he killed himself. Padre German gave a thoughtful homily at the funeral Mass, trying to help people not to blame or castigate the man. (I don’t think he knew about the difficulty of getting medicine.) I felt so bad. We have a solidarity fund and many know about it, but no one suggested that as a source for the money for the medicine.

This is, again, one of the many ways the poor suffer – not having medicine nor ways to purchase what they need.

Last week we had a meeting of Social Ministry coordinators from the villages. Only five came, but we had a very fruitful meeting talking not only of problems but of what they were doing in their areas. We talked about situations of health, water, schools, housing, and more. I came away from the meeting with a bit of hope.

Last week we also celebrated the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, who is patron of at least four villages. I got to Delicias Concepción about 8:30 for their procession. They gathered at a home and prayed the rosary. Then they walked behind the image of Saint Francis to the church. There Padre German celebrated Mass and I preached. Here are some photos from Delicias.

Right after Mass I headed for La Entrada to have lunch with the Franciscan sisters there. It was a welcome break and a time to talk in English with one of the sisters, Nancy, who is a good friend and whom I hold partly responsible for me being here in Honduras.

The ride home was almost uneventful, since there was no road work that week. Yet on the hill from the main highway to Dulce Nombre I found the car sliding a bit because of the mud. They had scraped the road but hadn’t put down gravel. I got up the hill, but I wish I had put on my four-wheel drive before attempting the hill. At least one car was in the ditch.

Last Monday I visited the sick in San Agustín. There are many sick, elderly, and homebound there – with only one Communion minister. So I try to visit when I can. The first house I went to was the home of a severely crippled woman. I found her with a neighbor and neighbor’s children and two young girls who I think are here children. She was sitting there desgranando mazurcas de maíz – taking the grains off dried ears of corn. I sat down beside her and we talk – and I joined her and a four-year-old neighbor kid working on the ears of corn. I found such delight in sharing a simple chore with a poor ill woman.

The parish has, with the help of St. Thomas Aquinas church in Ames, purchased a vehicle to be used to transport people to hospitals and clinics at a decent cost. I got a call yesterday to see if the parish car was available yet to take a woman to the hospital in Santa Rosa. I didn’t know and I couldn’t help them since I was in Santa Rosa for a few hours. After I finished what I had to do I called and found they had obtained a ride.

The parish car to transport the sick - named after Saint Raphael.

Yet this morning someone called to try to get a ride to bring her back. I ended up going. She was extremely weak and they almost had to carry her to and from the car. I calculated that the fuel for this was about 250 lempiras, about eleven dollars. However, some private drivers would charge up significantly more – especially in the evening. When this car functions, it will be a real way to help the people.

In two days I am off to the canonization of Romero in Rome and a visit to Assisi – together with our pastor. Then I’m off to Ames, Iowa, to catch up with people at St. Thomas Aquinas Church and Catholic Student Center, which has been so generous with our parish.

I’m finishing this post with no electricity and will try to post it later today, Tuesday, if the electric returns – as it often does.

But it is not raining tonight!

I went to a youth group in Delicias tonight at 5 pm and returned in the semi-darkness to a house without electricity. Rosary and evening prayer by candlelight. And then I started making supper.

The electricity returned about 7:10 pm – just as I was finishing cooking supper.