Christmas Letter - # 12
Dear Friends... Queridos Amigos,
My last letter as 2007 fast approaches! We finally reached the day of
the municipal elections (November 19th), after about 2 months of incredibly
noisy (and at times dirty) political campaign. Frias has a NEW MAYOR!
The old Mayor (Manuel Holguin) seemed a good guy to me - most people
share that view - but the electorate voted for a change. They voted
in (another) Manuel..... Manuel Elera. He's the young son of a previous
mayor who was very popular and loved by the people and died tragically
when his car went over the side of the mountain a few years ago. The
campaign slogan for young Manuel was basically: A good Dad, a good Son
!! Simple but effective and it won him the day. Please God he'll live
up to his promises and be good for the people, especially the poorest
and most abandoned in the parish i.e. the poor Campesinos (farmers)
who make up the majority.
Manuel Elera - on the way to victory
Our new Mayor - in the middle
Life has been pretty hectic for the past 8 months. The shear size of
the parish and trying to keep "a handle" on all the teams,
groups, catechists, communities never gets any easier. Instead the number
of "communuties" in the parish has increased since my arrival
in September 2005. We now have 105 "zones" each with a team
of: co-ordinator, catechists, secretary, treasurer (usually fairly redundant
as there's no money), youth rep, health rep, justice & peace rep,
small communties co-ordinators, liturgist, house-to-house misionaries
(giving a bit of competition to the Jehova Witnesses and Evangelicals!!!)
etc. That's a lot of people to train, support and "animate",
and visit through the year. But, as they say here we do what we can
do "poco a poco" (little by little), and then hand the rest
over to the Good Lord who's got (thankfully) more energy, imagination
and patience than we have.
I finished my last pastoral visits recently with Sr Palepa, the young
sister from Samoa (see Letter # 11). As always the welcome was generous
in each place. In Contorhuachina, on night # 2, we began our evening
meeting in the little Chapel but immediately had competition from the
Evangelicals up the hill who've installed a loud Public Address System
.... the bane of my life ... PA systems that is NOT evengelicals!! Mysteriously
they began their "address" at exactly the time we began our
meeting. Throughout the whole evening for about 5 hours they blasted
out their music and appeals for our conversion. I was actually quite
impressed with a lot of what they were saying but had to register a
healthy disapproval for the sake of the Catholic faithful gathered with
us in the Chapel. I'd leave them completely confused if the Padresito
in his one annual visit showed too much approval of the competition
up the hill.
Waking up in Contorhuachina I strolled outside looking for water for
a wash and came face to face with the whole family butchering the pig
- team work at it's best. Please don't be breakfast was all I could
think as I smiled limply at the grinning blood stained children! Prayer
answered: breakfast = tortillas and cheese.
What a way to start the day!
We moved on from Contorhuachina to San Jorge and then the next day began
our walk back to Frias. We walked for about 4 hours, all the time climbing
higher and higher. The heavens opened and we got drenched but thanks
to Sr Angela back in Frias a kind man on a motor bike intercepted us
half way. On the bike: driver, me behind with 2 rucksacks, behind me
Sr Palepa with rucksack and guitar...... and the rain pounding down.
Rescued from the rain
Great joy at the end of November with the visit of a dear friend from
Arundel & Brighton, Mgr Benny O'Shea. Benny (Padresito Benito) had
been parish priest in Frias for 5 years from the mid 80's. He's held
in the highest regard and affection by the people, having been responsible
among other things for the building of the new Church in '88. Happily
he arrived in time to celebrate the Patronal Feast of San Andres and
we had a great few days. Even Benny admitted on a number of occasions
that yes the NOISE LEVEL in Frias was never like this in his day!
The joyful visit of Benito ...
... and a few beers pass hands
On the Feast Day (30th) we celebrated, with Benny's help, around 200
baptisms - a few down on last year but enough to keep us busy, not to
mention the poor parish secretary Maribel who has to then enter all
the details in the parish books. Benny headed back to the UK via Lima
on the 1st December, leaving me with 8 cans of "Abbot's Ale"
and six packets of Fig Rolls. Thanks amigo.
I shall be spending Christmas with Sr Helen in Lagunas, on the other
side of the parish high up on the altiplano, where we'll be celebrating
First Holy Communions and no doubt a good number of Baptisms...... and
the birth of Jesus of course.
I won't be in touch again until the new year but will then be coming
back to the UK for a visit from mid Feb to mid March which I really
look forward to. I'll be in touch nearer the time with, I hope, a mobile
contact number I can use while I'm back and really hope our paths will
cross somewhere during those weeks... and that your neighbourhood is
"PA System" free!!!
So finally......................................
Wishing You and Your family
Great Peace and Joy
as we celebrate once again
the Birth of Jesus Christ
Saviour
Prince of Peace
Light of the World
"To all who received him, who believed in his name,
he gave power to become children of God" [John 1: 12]
"A todos los que lo reciben, a los que creen en su nombre, les
da el ser hijos de Dios" [Juan 1: 12]
Well dear friends - Happy & Holy Christmas, Feliz Navidad, and hope
to see you soon. God Bless.
Con mucho afecto y saludos,
Kevin
For
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