Life and death and challenges

Wednesday I had a very good meeting with the catechists of the parish. Even though the turn-out was less than we hoped for, it was a good gathering.

I try in each meeting to have a number of activities, including some time reading and praying with a scripture passage. I’ve used lectio divina with groups as well as the Ignatian imaginative contemplative approach. This time I decided to do a detailed reading of the healing of the woman with the hemorrhage and the daughter of Jairo in Mark 5: 21-43. I thought it might be useful to help the catechists find ways to read the scriptures in depth. It went over well.

After the meeting, I went to Santa Rosa and got my car. The repair of the motor was costly, but I have hopes of many more years with Santiago (the name of my pick up.)

Thursday, we had a meeting of the coordinators of social ministry from the communities. We asked for two from each village which would have brought in more than 90 people. But we only had twenty very committed and very thoughtful men and women, young and old. I was delighted.

After giving them some perspective on what is social ministry (in light of the base communities) and talking about what the ministry does, I had them present themselves and share one thing they are doing.

They are very serious about visiting the sick and the homebound. They also try to respond to the needs of the poor, collecting food and money (especially when there are large medical costs). One sector has a yearly visit to the regional prison. Many others take seriously the concern for our common home, cleaning up trash and reforesting the hillsides. A special concern is for the water sources for the communities.

Then I had them identify problems. The most common were medical and environmental. They noted how a major problem is access to medical care. Some rural health centers don’t have a nurse; others have a nurse, but no medicine. I have been hearing these criticisms of the government health system for many years.

But one of the most serious concerns was for the lack of potable water and the contamination of streams as well as some water sources. In one area the release of waters from the coffee process and as well as human and animal waste has polluted one major stream that flows through many communities.

I was pleasantly surprised to hear that a number of people in that area have gotten together and have put pressure on the mayors in the area to do something. They are waiting – but while they are waiting they have formed two “comités de vigilancia” – “watchdog committee” who are monitoring the situation.

They will be talking with people from another part of the parish who have a case of contamination of a stream – probably mostly from a milk cattle operation.

I left the meeting with hope. We’ll be meeting again in a few months, but I hope to keep in contact with these people to see how I can support them in what they’re doing.

At the meeting, I heard of the death of Don Cecilio, a man in his eighties from Barbascales, one of the most remote villages (which I’ve never visited.) About twelve days ago, Padre German had gone up to visit the man and his family – by car and horseback!

Padre is away for a needed rest and so I offered to go for a funeral service. The funeral was going to be in Delicias, Concepción. We went and waited till the people arrived – with the casket and the people in three pickups.

As is my custom, I spoke with the widow. But as I looked around I realized that I knew a good number of the people in the church, many were relatives and friends from Debajiados, another very remote and poor village (which I have visited often.) I also saw a young man who lives in the department of Colon on the north coast but is from Barbascales. Don Cecilio was his grandfather and he had been at his bedside when he died. This young man is deeply involved in the work of the church – and even had the chance to get to World Youth Day in Panamá.

After the service, I decided I’d go and pray in the cemetery. Because the cemetery is often far from the church and the people usually walk there, most priests don’t go to the cemetery. I’ve gone a few times but I decided to go this time. I remember how much the rites at the graveside consoled me at the burials of my parents and so I try, when I can, to go. I am glad I went.

Burying Don Cecilio

It is the same cemetery where we had buried Juan Ángel Pérez from Debajiados, in September 2016. There we laid to rest of body of Don Cecilio. I remarked to the young man how much I respected Juan Ángel and found out that he and Juan Ángel were friends and they had talked over the phone the day of his death.

As I left the cemetery, I paused and saw the concrete cross over the grave of Juan Ángel. Tears almost came to the service as I reminded the loss of this fine young man.

I left the cemetery about 5:15 since I had to get to Dulce Nombre for the Celebration of the Word with Communion in place of the usual Mass on Thursday evenings. It was a time of peace.

I got home and after a little prayer (and a glass of wine) I went to bed.

This morning I got up and decided to see if the car started. I had to jump start it on Thursday. Sure enough it didn’t start without a push. So I took it to Santa Rosa where it was – hopefully – fixed.

I had company in the journey to Santa Rosa – José, the president of the coffee association. He had some material I needed to pass on to the director of Caritas about some possibilities for coffee growers. On the trip, we talked and José told me how, because the association had been formed, they were able to help other members of the community of El Zapote get a grant to help plant coffee and also managed to get two young men accepted into a special nine-month training program in the production of coffee. Not only are they getting good prices for the coffee they sell to Ames, they have taken the initiative to help others in the community as well as to look for ways to better their production and look for more markets.

José noted how they were grateful for the help they had received from St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Ames, even as he keeps bugging me to see if the new association that is distributing their coffee, El Zapote Coffee, can purchase more coffee each year.

These have been three days filled with life for me – even in the face of death, even in the face of serious environmental damage. Being with the people gives life.