Another week in the parish in Advent

First, a unique phot of me - with botas de hule, rubber boots.

It's been a busy week - one of its highlights was the completion of the mural in the apse of the church, which I wrote about a few days ago.

Last week there were two ordinations of diocesan seminarians to the diaconate – as a transitional stage, since they hope to be ordained to the priesthood sometime next year. Although I am a permanent deacon, indeed, the only one in the diocesan, it was important to be present to welcome them to the order of deacons. The first one, of Alex Ayala, was in Santa Bárbara, Santa Bárbara. I was surprised when he quoted me in his remarks at the end of Mass. He specifically noted my remark on the Eucharist as thanksgiving.

One of the priests at the Mass approached me afterwards and told me of a remark I made in a homily I gave at the seminary in 2016, that the deacon is a minister of the Blood of Christ and has a special relation to the chalice. I had been asked to give a talk to the seminarians and preach at one of their Mass, a feast of martyrs. I cannot remember mentioning this, but it is part of my spirituality of the diaconate. I am grateful to be reminded. On Saturday, the church celebrated the ordination of another seminarian, Fernando Nuñez, who has been serving in the parish since early this year. It was a solemn occasion and his proud parents were very involved in the preparations and in the events of the day. What was striking is that the bishop was celebrating with the marvelous mural surrounding us.

On a personal level, it has been a week with many diverse activities. Last Sunday, I did the final pre-marriage interview for a couple in San Agustin. The young woman has been a catechist for many years; the young man was received into the church at the Easter vigil a few years ago. It was a privilege to interview them and their witnesses. Tomorrow, I’ll be going to a different community to interview two couples and their witnesses. Interviewing the couples and participating in some of their wedding Masses has been a joy – and there has, surprisingly, been a lot this year, despite the pandemic. On Monday there was work on the parish field and I went to a nearby community to bring workers. After going to Santa Rosa for some business, I returned and gave the volunteers a ride to their community. There’s another workday tomorrow and I’ll be up early to give a ride for some of the workers.

On Thursday I went to Vertientes, a community with much damage due to the hurricanes. I managed to get stuck in the mud at one point, but someone who has more experience rescued me, driving my truck up the muddy hill. I got to the church where we were going to distribute boxes of provisions paid for by donations of Hondurans in Madrid. The distribution was very well organized; the church committee had sought out those most in need and provided a list. What a relief to have some organization in the community. On Friday, I was at the church helping out in a few ways to prepare for the ordination. It was also the day the pastor gave me the keys to the new parish car, donated for my use, by an anonymous donor in the US. At one point the pastor asked a favor – to go to a distant community to bring a volunteer to help prepare corn and beans for the Saturday celebration. I said yes and went, for the first time, in the new pick up. I’m still trying to get used to it. Today, Sunday, I had planned to go to a community to meet with children, aged 7 to 12, who were prepared for baptism. I presided at the Celebration of the Word and brought Communjon. Afterwards, I spoke with the young people as well as their parents. We set a date for their baptism, next Tuesday. Saturday night I missed a call from the pastor and saw his WhatsApp audio message late, asking me to go to a village today. I didn’t hear the message well and he sent back a message with the time. I also missed that is was a funeral – so I arrived on Sunday morning about 11:30, thinking it was a Sunday Celebration, but learning it was a funeral. Thanks be to God I had a missal with the readings, but I had to improvise the rites. One of the delegates of the word met me by the church and we went to the house where we would have the celebration. He was one of the children of the ninety-five year old man. The man, Vidal, who died had been working in the fields until recently. His wife of 65 years, Alejandrina was there (only 83 years old!) I chose two readings and improvised a homily, recalling that the deceased man’s name, Vidal, is related to VIDA – life. Since I was unsure of the details I asked if the wife was still alive. When she stood up, the only thing I could do was go over and give her a hug. (Side note: I had brought masks and so most had masks. But I find it hard not to hug family members at funerals.) I also asked about the family. The couple had 12 children, 70 grandchildren, 20 great grandchildren, and a few great-great grandchildren. They have a legacy in the village and the world. After the funeral celebration, I left quickly for San Agustín for Mass. It would be the first Mass there in which Fernando would serve as a deacon. He has been in other communities, but I couldn’t make the other Masses. Tomorrow, will be another busy day. Not only will I bring some folks to work on the parish coffee field and do two sets of pre-marriage interviews. I’ve been asked to bring some donated provisions to a community. The needs which the hurricane exposed and made worse will need a lot of work – not just the immediate needs but the rebuilding of major parts of Honduras. We’re hoping to develop a project to help build homes for the most-needy who lost their houses or whose houses are in danger. But the problems of rebuilding the infrastructure will test the country. Sadly, I fear that aid will be politicized, especially since next year is an election year – for mayors, legislators, and the president. In addition, the levels of corruption are so intense that, unless there is serious oversight, funds will be diverted. I try to write more later, but I have to pray, read a bit, get some sleep, to wake up for a new busy day.

Ordination of a friend

I just finished watching the loved stream Mass of ordination of a young man in the archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa – Joseph Sevcik.

A few years ago, he accompanied Fr. Jon Seda on a visit to our parish here in Honduras in January 2014. He made a good impression on our pastor, Padre German Navarro, and me. 

In Aldea Nueva, Concepción

In the church of San Antonio, Dulce Nombre de Copán

It was with great joy that I saw him ordained - via live-streaming.

The Mass was simple – Archbishop Michael Jackels, Fr. Jon Seda (vocation director of the archdiocese), the newly ordained Fr. Joseph, as well as some of his family members.

What especially struck me was the homily of Archbishop Jackels. It was short and straight to the point. Drawing on his experience of the recent funerals of some priests, he noted that the good priest is a man of kindness, joy, and love of the poor. He also designated the three he was ordaining this week as “Pope Francis priests.” He especially reminded Father Joseph to be one who “goes to the peripheries.”

What an insightful challenge to Father Joseph and to all priests (and to us deacons)

Be kind.Be joyful.Love the poor.Go to the peripheries, the marginal places of this world.

I also noted that the three readings pointed to God’s choice of the young. Jeremiah protested that he was too young (Jeremiah 1: 7). Paul wrote Timothy, “Let no one have contempt for your youth” (1 Timothy 4: 12).

Let us continue to make places in our world and in our church for the young. This old fogey wants the prophecy of Joel (Joel 3:1, cited in the Acts of the Apostles 2:17) to come true:

…your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams.

Blessings, Padre Chepito, you “young” whipper-snapper.

As our pastor, Padre German, wrote: 

Que sea mensajero de esperanza y portador de la Alegría del Evangelio donde crecen los muros del miedo y las casas de la angustia.
May you be a messenger of hope and a bearer of the Joy of the Gospel where the walls of fear and the anguished houses are increasing.

A week (or so) in Advent

It's been a busy 9 days.

Saturday, December 7, I went to Lepaera, Lempira, for the celebration of the ordination of young man in the diocese. Nery Gómez was at my diaconal ordination and so it was a blessing to be able to serve as one of the deacons at his priestly ordination. It was a good day and several hundred people showed up.

Padre Nery Gómez

The next day, Miguel, another transitional deacon was ordained but I couldn’t get to his ordination – since I had other commitments. Now I am the only deacon in the diocese. I expect that several seminarians who have finished theology and are in a pastoral experience year will be ordained deacons at the end of next year. The bishop is talking about opening a process for more permanent deacons – but it will probably be several years until any are ordained.

Padre Nery Gómez, Monseñor Darwin Andino and Deacon Miguel (ordained priest a day later)

Padre German, the pastor of our parish, Dulce Nombre de María, went to Miguel’s ordination and left me to preside at the Sunday afternoon Celebration of the Word with Communion in San Agustín on Sunday afternoon. We also celebrated the entry of six more young into the catechumenate. It’s always a joy to see new people wanting to enter the Catholic community. This year I want to be a little more involved with the catechumens and I hope to interview each of them in the next three months.

Monday, I went to Santa Rosa de Copán (about 50 minutes away). I had to change the oil in the car and I also decided to use a laundromat there to wash eleven days of dirty clothes. I usually wash my clothes by hand at home – but when it’s rainy or when my time is too occupied, I’ll go to a laundromat.

Tuesday, I did some work at home and then went to Granadillal for a Celebration of the Word with Communion to mark the end of the novena for Francisco Pérez. The custom here is to have nine days (a novena) of prayers after the death and burial of a loved ones in the homes. At the end, they often request a Mass, but since Padre German had a funeral at the exact same time, they asked me to come. I’m glad I could, since I had brought Communion to Don Francisco several times.

Wednesday morning, I skyped with someone from Italy who is doing some research on deacons in Latin America for a masters’ degree. After that, I went to Dulce Nombre to help with the clean-up of the church. There have been some renovations to the inside of the church, including some work on the walls and some electric work. But it needed a thorough cleaning with all the accumulated dust. When I arrived a crew was at work but soon the firemen (bomberos) from Santa Rosa arrived to do a high-pressure water cleaning of the walls and ceiling. They even washed down the two towers outside.

Thursday was the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, one of my favorite feasts.

Several years ago I had the chance to visit Mexico City and visit the shrine to see the image on St, Juan Diego’s cloak (tilma).

In the afternoon, I went to Descombros, one of the villages whose patron is the Virgin of Guadalupe. Mass started late and so I drove home in the dark – as the moon was rising. It was a gorgeous large moon that I noted on my left as I drove from San Agustín. But then the moon was in front of me and later at my right. The road is full of curves and thus, though the moon didn’t move, I felt a bit disoriented seeing it first on the left and then in front of me or on the right. When I got home to Plan Grande, the sky had clouded over and so I recovered my orientation – though I never really lost it. I’ve travelled the road from San Agustín to Plan Grande about two or three times a month for the last four years.

  

Friday morning, I went to a meeting that the coffee association from El Zapote was having with some workers from Caritas Santa Rosa who are overseeing a project from a Spanish Catholic foundation. The foundation will be doing some work on food security including providing seed money for projects for women as well as for gardens. They will also be helping the coffee growers improve the quality of their coffee as well as use methods to use the pulp and the waters used to wash coffee for fertilizer and more. This will prevent the pollution that often results from the disposal of the coffee pulp and the waters (called honey waters) in streams.  It was good to see them and hear of these ways to advance their production and improve the lives of their families.

I didn’t stay for the whole meeting since I wanted to get to the Saint Lucy Day Mass in Camalote. As I arrived they were finishing the procession. As I passed them, I noted a young woman on crutches. When they got to the church, I noticed that the young woman was being carried on the back of her mother. This couldn’t have been easy since she seemed to be about 14 years old. What care and concern – and what effort – her mother showed.

After Mass, I headed off to Gracias, Lempira, to the house of the Dubuque Franciscan Sisters. They were going to receive a woman into the novitiate with a Mass and a special ceremony. The president of the congregation had come to be part of the ceremony.

Padre Loncho came for Mass as well as other associates of the Franciscan sisters from Gracias. I was blessed to serve as deacon at the Mass.

It was very moving to see another young Central American woman continuing her formation with the sisters. Katy has been with them several months already and she and another aspirant had spent a week with me studying Catholic Social Teaching.

The reception into the novitiate took place after the Gospel. The Mass ended with each person present being invited to personally bless Sister Katy.

I stayed overnight – and enjoyed a time with the sisters. They are family for me here. I have spent Christmas with the sisters since I’ve been here, But, since they are going to Iowa for the chapter’s chapter of elections, I have to find another option for Christmas day.

I left early Saturday morning since I had some responsibilities at the parish – interviews with two couples who are going to get married. The pastor does the initial interviews and then they receive their faith formation in their communities. Then, before they are married, they come to the church with two witnesses to be interviewed, to make sure there are no problems and that they are ready. It’s a joy to see young people wanting to be married sacramentally, seeking God’s grace for their life together. While I was waiting for the couples (who arrived late), two other couples came to be interviewed by the pastor. One is a young man who was involved in the church and in youth ministry but then accompanied a young woman. They have an eighteen-month old daughter. I told them how glad I was to see them beginning this step.

I often encourage young people to get married – in a gentle welcoming way. There are a good number of other couples who also are thinking of sacramental marriage. That is a good sign in this culture. For any number of reasons – financial, rigid interpretations of church marriage regulations, and more – there are many couples living without being married civilly, at even less by the church. That’s another blog post.

Sunday, I presided at the Celebration of the Word with Communion here in Plan Grande. The local Delegate of the Word had asked me to preside since she was going to be gone.

In the afternoon, I went to San Agustín for Mass.

There is a custom here to celebrate birthdays at Masses. Today we celebrated the birthday of a 96-year old man. I had greeted him before Mass, without knowing it was his birthday. He is almost always at the San Agustín Masses and Celebrations of the Word and, though he is hard of hearing, he always has a word and a hug. What a joy to be able to celebrate with him.

There is also a custom to present babies at Mass when they are a few weeks old – using around forty days after birth. After we sang the Mañanitas for Don Manuel, we celebrated the life of a small baby girl. The old and the young, the full range of life.

I got home early and had dinner. Tomorrow volunteers will be working on the parish coffee fields, picking coffee. I will help with transporting them from their villages in the morning but can’t help in the fields or in taking them back to their homes. I have a dental appointment – to have a tooth pulled. Then I’ll take two days of rest.

One random note. Most deacons don’t preach regularly. Since last Sunday, I’ve preached six times – at  three Masses and three Celebrations of the Word.

As I look back, I note that death and life have been part of this week, Also, I have witnessed people beginning to live out their vocations – a priest, a woman religious, and two couples. Though there is much in Honduras that does not bode well for the poor, there are small lights in the lives of the people here. God is making a way out of the darkness.

Finally, to prove I’m not at all that virtuous, here’s my dessert tonight – a large bowl of pistachio ice cream – and I had two bowls last night and am tempted to have another tonight.

Sacraments and more

The beatification of Monseñor Romero was a real celebration of the faith here in Central America. A bishop, so committed to Christ and the poor that he gave his life, is finally being recognized by the official Church. The People of God has already canonized him – and sees him as an example, an intercessor, and a challenge to a faith that accommodates itself to violence and poverty, to the “anti-Kingdom,” as Jon Sobrino puts it.

So it was a joy to find myself in the midst of celebrations of four different sacraments, among the poor.

Wednesday there were first communions in the nearby village of Candelaria.

Thursday, I joined Padre German going to Vega Redonda. We arrives about 9:30 am and he had confessions for two hours before Mass. The young people who would receive their first communion in the Mass went to confession, as well as may adults, some of them godparents.

 

The little church was packed.

Saturday I went with Padre German to ordinations in La Unión, Copán. One young man was ordained to the priesthood and two young men to the transitional diaconate.

New priest, Padre Manuel de Jesús, and the bishop

The readings were well chosen and the bishop, Monseñor Darwin Andino, in his twenty-five minute homily, well summed them up in a few words: mission, humility, communion, and service.

But what really touched me is how he mentioned Romero as important for the church here.

Romero's image being presented

Romero’s name was also included in the Litany of Saints and his image was brought forward in the offertory procession.

What a nice way to end a week after Romero’s beatification.

Now the challenge is to live his example as a follower of Christ, committed to the integral liberation of all – especially the poor.