It’s been almost a month since the last time I wrote on my
ministry on this blog – that was on the multiple celebrations of Saint Anthony. I did write a post on Popular Religiosity on another blog of mine.
COFFEE
The week after, I spent some time working with the Coffee
Association which is exporting some coffee through a group in Ames, Café El
Zapote. They took about 3600 pounds to the Beneficio in Santa Rosa that will be
processing it. It should be shipped to the US this month.
I returned to meet with the Association in early July when
they met with the new director of Caritas on a new project with a Spanish group
that wants to import coffee from five sites in our diocese and invest in
projects to improve the lives of all the members of the villages. One of them
is El Zapote. They are enthused about the possibilities – for their crops and
for their village.
CORPUS CHRISTI
The big events in July, though, were the Forty Hours
devotion and the celebrations of Corpus Christi in many churches in our parish.
In more than sixteen churches the Eucharist was exposed and people came to
spend time in prayer. In many cases people from nearby villages came for part
of the time.
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| In Plan Grande |
The devotion ended with processions and Mass in many
locations. I took part in two Masses with processions. The Mass on Saturday
evening from Oromilaca to Dolores lasted close to ninety minutes.
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| Oromilaca |
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| Near Camalote |
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| An altar in the procession in San Anotnio El Alto |
CATECHISTS
The next week I had four workshops with catechists – in the
different zones of the parish. There are some problems we are experiencing in
this ministry. Some catechists are not coming to the formation meetings. Others
have dropped out.
But there are several villages where there are five catechists
who are willing to begin a new project of religious formation based on ages. Up
to now most of our formation has been focused on preparing for the sacraments
which is essential but leaves gaps in on-going formation of children and youth
in living their faith.
Yet there are hopeful signs. About thirty people, mostly
young, came to our second training session for new catechists in July.
FORMATION
We have had other formation events in the parish in the past
month and I’ve assisted our pastor, Padre German.
We had a training session for Delegates of the Word. The delegates
of the word are people in the communities who lead the Sunday celebrations of
the Word. Some have been delegates for decades – and there are about ten new
candidates. I did a background on the Gospel of Luke, since this is the Gospel
used in this year’s lectionary. I’m hoping that this helped them in their
Sunday reflections.
We had training sessions in two zones in the parish for the
community councils, the groups in each village that oversee the life of the
faith community. We had planned sessions for ht two other zones but had to
postpone them because of a scheduling conflict.
I also assisted Padre German in our encounter for the youth
of the parish.
PASTORAL WORK
I’ve continued my custom of trying to visit a different
village each Sunday morning to preside at a Celebration of the Word with
Communion. I try to go to villages where there is no communion minister so that
more people have a chance to go to Communion. One Sunday I got to Vertientes where they are building a rather impressive new church.
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| the new church in Vertientes |
Each Sunday I also get to a Mass in another place and I usually end up
preaching there too, since Padre German likes to take a little break from preaching
– since he has at least four Masses each Sunday in disparate parts of the parish.
I occasionally accompany Padre German to the villages during
the week for Mass – often preaching.
I went to San Juan for their feast day, June 24, and watched as some young folks hung out int he church tower.
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| San Juan |
Monday I got to the neighboring village of Candelaria to celebrate their feast day, the Virgin of Carmen.
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| A school marching band played for the procession before Mass. |
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| Candelaria |
It was a real joy for me to get to one community
this Monday for the third anniversary of my ordination as a deacon. I didn’t preach
because I had been at that church the day before and didn’t want to bore them
with my preaching, again!
I’ve presided at one funeral and today I served as deacon at
another.
I’ve also had two interviews with couples planning to get
married. There’s another this Friday.
And, a first for me, I blessed scapulars of Our Lady of Mount Carmel today (at the funeral Mass) and then Padre German and I placed the scapulars over the heads of many who came forward.
OTHER
There are two educational programs, run by Las Hijas de María,
a congregation founded by a US priest but with many sisters from Mexico, the
Philippines, and Korea. They provide free education and formation for young
people at two sites near Tegucigalpa from seventh grade to graduation from high
school (usually five years). There are a good number of students there from our
parish. Today two sisters came to administer a test for those hoping to go
there. Thirty-one children between 12 and 14 showed up. We’re see how many are
accepted.
PERSONAL
For more than two weeks I’ve been under the weather – cough,
chest congestion, stomach problems, and more. But I’m slowly improving, thanks
for rest and medicine.
In the midst of this I’m having dental work – including a
root canal. The young dentist is delightful and professional; she also speaks
English and likes to practice with me.
Last week I was supposed to go to a national clergy study
week. But, first of all, I had been given the wrong dates and was prepared.
Padre German was going and offered me a ride. But thinking of the prospect of more
than six hours in a car, with my cough and a sour stomach, I decided to stay
home. It was a wise decision, even though the topic was very important. Padre German
told me it was a good week and shared materials with me.
In the midst of this I keep trying to pray – especially spending
time in the morning in my prayer room. I’m also trying to do a bit more
reading. I came across a Kindle book that has eight books of Henri Nouwen. I
finished two, and hope to finish one tomorrow. One book, Intimacy, written
in the 1960s was particularly interesting since some of the concerns expressed
are still with us.
There was one thing, though, that struck me as I was reading
Intimacy. I felt as if it took more time to read one chapter than I
thought it should. All of a sudden I realized why. Nouwen’s language was
non-inclusive and used “man” instead of more inclusive terms. This never
happened to me before. I found this enlightening. I subconsciously expect
authors not to use exclusive language.
I’m also trying to finish a book I started a few years ago
and never got around to finishing – Donal Dorr’s classic, Option for the
Poor and for the Earth: Catholic Social Teaching. I had read his earlier Option for the Poor
and began the revised edition but never got round to finishing it. Ow I want to
finish it since, at the end of the month, I will be doing a study week with two
Franciscan novices of the Dubuque Franciscans who are doing their formation
with the sisters here in Honduras. I’m looking forward to the time we’ll have
to explore Catholic Social Teaching in the framework of Latin America. I am
also trying to find ways to put a Franciscan touch to our exploration. It will
be a bit of a challenge since it will all be in Spanish.
FINAL NOTES
Please keep us in your prayers. The times are challenging,
which may just mean that God is trying to work wonders among us.
The political
situation is precarious. The lives of the campesino, the persons who
live on the land, continue to be difficult, with rising costs of living and
costs of agricultural inputs, combined with very low prices for coffee. We are
also experiencing more migration from our area – mostly because of desperation
in the face of the impoverishment and well as extreme temperatures and either
no rain or too heavy rains, which make farming even more difficult.
But in the midst of this, the people go forward. And the corn looks good.
Blessings from the hills of Honduras.
Come visit. - and see our beautiful flowers.
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