AN AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM AGAINST DRUGS

The Community of Saint Paul starts an after school program in Pesebre, a neighborhood in the south of Bogotá

Since last January, members of the CSP have worked in La Resurrección Parish, located in the southern part of Bogotá. The parish territory includes La Resurrección, Granjas de San Pablo and Pesebre neighborhoods: these are humble, working-class areas of the Colombian capital, mostly layer 2 on the socioeconomic classification of the City of Bogota (which lists the neighborhoods of the capital from 1 to 6, with 1 being the areas with least resources and 6 the wealthiest).

These sectors face a remarkable variety of challenges, from the overcrowding of people in homes of poor quality to the difficulties of families in obtaining quality health services; from the few job opportunities for young people to the abandonment of many elderly. However, after listening in various meetings to the population of these neighborhoods, we soon found that one problem concerns them more than any other: the insecurity prevailing in the streets, directly related to the consumption of narcotic substances by many young people, who commit crimes to obtain resources to be able to use drugs. Drug dependence, in turn linked to the lack of opportunities that many young people face, is a real epidemic in these neighborhoods, where everyone recognizes the existence of several "ollas"—literally, “cooking pots”, that is, spots where drugs are sold in the streets of the capital by the nets of trafficking.

Many people have told us about a dramatic new concern: increased drug use among children of progressively younger ages. If a few years ago those who fell into drug dependence were generally kids older than sixteen or seventeen, the need of the drug dealers to expand the sale of their substances has now made it common that children aged nine, ten and eleven may start using them.

While recognizing the magnitude of the problem, and that all our efforts will just be a drop of water in a great ocean, we considered what to do to help, even in a modest way, to curb this trend. We decided to offer tutoring classes in the evenings, on the premises of the parish in the Pesebre neighborhood. We started in late July: fifteen children between 8 and 12 years were enrolled on the first day, and we hope that this service will keep growing. Part of the problem is that many children who go to school in the morning are by themselves when they come home at two or three in the afternoon, since their parents are away at work, many until late into the night. These children then have no one to help them do their homework or to prevent them from leaving and wandering the streets until dusk, which obviously makes it easier for them to end up falling into the networks of consumption. Our proposal is very simple: to provide a space where these children can go after school, and where they will be helped to advance in their studies, with tutoring and room assignments, and thus perhaps prevent drug dependence from taking over their lives. We have just started. We hope that this becomes a long-term project that may bear some fruit!

A PILGRIMAGE OF FAITH TO A PILGRIM COMMUNITY

La Sagrada Familia Parish in the Dominican Republic receives visitors from Milwaukee

This year Catholics in Southeastern Wisconsin commemorate the 35^th anniversary of the twinning relationship between the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and La Sagrada Familia parish in Sabana Yegua, Azua, in the Dominican Republic. During all of these years, priests from Milwaukee have run the parish, sharing their faith and love with the people of Sabana Yegua and its surrounding rural communities. Since 2003, members of the Community of Saint Paul, lay and ordained, have been in charge of the parish on behalf of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

In order to commemorate these 35 years of partnership, different activities have been organized, so that people can participate and experience this partnership of faith. In late June and early July we have had two groups of pilgrims from Milwaukee visiting the parish.

The first was a group of 25 young adults, plus 7 seminarians from the archdiocese, who spent a week in the parish and were immersed in different activities with children, youth and the community at large. It was a great experience for the young adults coming from Milwaukee and the youth from the parish who came together to interact and share their talents and faith. The group was a coordinated effort put in place by the World Mission Office of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Catholic Financial Life Insurance company and, also, the archdiocesan office for Young Adult ministries. These three organizations came together and worked hard to make a wonderful pilgrimage of faith for the young adults participating on the trip. The seven seminarians held reflections and activities while sharing with the 25 young adults, who expressed that they were going back home transformed by this pilgrimage.

The second was a group of six men, five of whom are in training to be ordained permanent deacons in the archdiocese of Milwaukee. They visited La Sagrada Familia parish as part of their formation plan. They stayed with families in their Sabana Yegua homes, got to know the different ministries and then in the evenings reflected theologically about what they were seeing. It was a wonderful combination of theological reflection, prayer and sharing faith and love with the local community.

NEW APPOINTMENT IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF MILWAUKEE

In June, Fr. Javier Guativa, from the CSP, became the new Administrator of two parishes in Racine, Wisconsin

After five years of pastoral work on the Southside of Milwaukee, Javier Guativa, a priest of the Community of St. Paul, was appointed by Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki as the Parish Administrator of Saint Lucy and Saint Sebastian parishes in Racine and nearby Sturtevant.

The parish of Saint Lucy, located in southeastern Racine, is the largest parish in Racine with 5,550 members and a school of 282 students. It has a variety of ministries for youth and adults as well women’s groups and a men’s Bible group that meets every Saturday to discuss the Sunday readings. Saint Sebastian parish is located to the west of Saint Lucy. It is a rural parish with 1,254 members, many of whom are local farmers.

The two parishes have been operating together as a cluster for the past two years, sharing the priest and the various ministries, which helps make the two communities grow together in faith.

We are pleased that Javier will now work pastorally in Racine, where Ricardo Martín and Antony Thomas, also priests of the CSP, are already pastors, and where our Community has its international headquarters.

ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Bishop José Grullón celebrates 25 years of episcopal ministry in the Diocese of San Juan de la Maguana

On June 22 we celebrated the silver anniversary of Bishop José Grullón’s service to the Church in the diocese of San Juan de la Maguana. Ordained a priest 45 years ago, our “Brother José”, as he likes to be called, has guided the diocese in which La Sagrada Familia Parish of Sabana Yegua is located since 1991.

In the moving celebration that took place a few weeks ago for that occasion, those attending were invited to remember the personal itinerary of this   kind, unassuming bishop, a tireless worker who is also very close to his people. Emphasis was drawn to his congeniality and apostolic zeal in all areas of pastoral life, as well as to his great work for human development in the diocese, which is the biggest of the country in territory (more than 7,000 square kilometers), and is located in one of the most disadvantaged areas of the Dominican Republic. The construction of aqueducts, bridges, latrines, and rural roads as well as many educational and health projects throughout his 25 years attest to the sensitivity of this pastor regarding the needs of those the Church placed under his care.

On his annual visits to all the parishes of the Diocese, Bishop Grullón goes to even the most remote communities, riding a donkey if necessary, when visiting a village that lacks access to vehicles. He greets each family and devotes his time to all who want to talk with him. He also he encourages everyone with his optimism and ideas.

We participated with gratitude in his celebration. Grateful for everything Bishop Grullón has done for this region and also because it was thirteen years ago that he welcomed with affection the Community of Saint Paul in his Diocese. Since then, he has been both our bishop and friend. May we all learn to follow his example and dedicate ourselves to the Gospel of Jesus with the same vision, faith and enthusiasm.

REFLECTION

Francis: Just a change of tone?

Martí Colom

Quite often the tone of a message says more than its actual content. Sometimes, in fact, the tone is the message, almost above its substance.

Therefore, to focus our attention on the tone with which we communicate with one another is never a superfluous exercise, and it does not mean that we are avoiding the substantive issues. We must always pay attention to the tone, because using the wrong one can ruin an exchange of information, just as hitting the right tone to express an opinion can enable the articulation of the most difficult messages, even messages that might generate opposition in their recipients.

In fact, as receivers, we first capture the tone, rather than the substance, of what we hear, and at the end of the communicative exchange we remember the tone even more than its substance, because it is the tone that has touched our emotions, and has largely determined our reaction, either positive or negative, acceptance or rejection.

The emotions experienced while we hear or read a message tend to have a greater impact on us than the purely intellectual stimulus caused by the ideas raised, and usually stay with us longer. In the end, therefore, the content of what was said can be diluted or even lost and forgotten between this reception of the tone that occurs before the assimilation of the message and the memory of the tone that lingers in our memory after its reception.

Furthermore, the tone is also fundamentally inseparable from the substance, and so we find that there are tones that prevent certain ideas from being properly expressed. A nervous tone will not serve to accompany a call to serenity, an aggressive and haughty tone can hardly convey an empathic message, an anguished tone will be useless in order to transmit hope, and an exhortation to peace cannot be delivered in a resentful tone. Similarly, it will be very difficult to use a jovial tone to convey a reproach or an antagonistic tone to effect reconciliation, a disgruntled tone to convey joy or a comical tone to talk about violence. There are tones that, quite simply, hinder the process of transmitting what needs to be communicated.

The tone we use will be especially important when attempting to share ideas and considerations about faith and spirituality, because these are realities where the subjectivity and the personal experience of the speaker have much relevance, while at the same time are topics which touch an intimate dimension of those receiving the message.

All this may help us understand what is happening around Pope Francis. Some critics, speaking from their desire to see significant reforms in the Church, and perhaps out of frustration with what they perceive as the absence of such reforms, censure the pope for changing only the tone of the ecclesiastical discourse. What they mean is that they recognize a novelty in Francis' style, and they admit that his speeches and writings have lost the severe, moralizing, haughty and even arrogant accent that often characterized the magisterium until recently. However, they believe that this does not change anything, because they do not observe any transformation in the substance of what the Pope says. It is the same lyrics with different music, some have said: the melody is now more modern, but we have heard the words before.

These critics forget that—as we mentioned earlier—a change in tone is already a change of substance. It seems to us that Francis knows quite well what he is doing: if gentleness, humility, and simplicity become the new tone with which the Church expresses herself and makes her voice heard in the world, it will be quite difficult to keep communicating certain ideas, or at least they will have to be profoundly rethought. His non-authoritarian tone—and his emphasis on the need to dialogue with everyone—not only offers a new face of the Church, with a decisive emphasis on mercy, understanding, and joy: his new tone actually calls into question a more rigorous, “black and white”, narrow and inflexible interpretation of the truths of our faith.

If it is true that the tone is already part of the message, then the conclusion is that Francis is indeed saying new things. Using a new tone, he opens the door to new content, very aware, we dare to suggest, that the inevitable consequence of his change of tone is the discovery of a new light that necessarily impacts the living of the faith.

Obviously, something else (perhaps the most relevant point of this brief reflection) needs to be added: that using the style of tenderness and choosing the tone and the language of mercy, Francis is simply recovering Jesus’ own tone. The “new” style of this pope is nothing but a return to what is more typical of the Gospel; a return to the voice that again and again encouraged people to stand up, to discover that their own faith had saved them. It is the voice that told the woman, “Neither do I condemn you” and the disciples, “I call you friends.” The “new” style of Francis is simply a return to, as well as an open door into, the more authentic core of the Christian message, something that maybe the magisterium had forgotten for quite some time by fostering an abstract, grave, defensive and often irritated tone to talk about the things of God.

INAUGURATION OF A NEW WATER PIPELINE AND BASKETBALL COURT

On April 29 we celebrated the inauguration of two new infrastructures in our parish in the Dominican Republic: a water pipeline for the rural community called Km. 8 and a basketball court in the neighboring village Km. 7.

With the completion of these two infrastructures a project that lasted for three years reached its final goals. It has been an integral project for the development of five rural communities, carried out by the Community of Saint Paul, FUNDASEP (the development agency of the Diocese of San Juan de la Maguana, DR), Manos Unidas and Nuevos Caminos (these two organizations are from Spain).

The project benefits over 2,000 people and it touches on education, health, income generating initiatives and, specially,infrastructures—such as the basketball court and two community water pipelines, one in Cañada de Piedra/Altagracia, that was already completed last year, and this one we just finished in Km. 8.

For these rural communities the endemic lack of water is over, as is the harsh task of having to carry water in five gallon cans, weighing over 40 pounds, for long distances under the scorching hotsun. Now the water reaches each and every home thanks to many people’s efforts, particularly that of the beneficiaries of this project.

The inauguration ceremony included music and songs, dancing, a blessing by the bishop, food and much joy. Thanks to all who worked in this endeavor, now the lives of many families have significantly improved.

THE “CATHOLIC HERALD” FROM MILWAUKEE ECHOES MICHAEL’S WOLFE PATH TO THE PRIESTHOOD

On May 19^th, just two days before the priestly ordination of Michael Wolfe—a member of the Community of Saint Paul, whose ordination we celebrated in this blog a few days ago—the “Catholic Herald” published a story on his path to the priesthood.

The “Catholic Herald” is Milwaukee’s weekly archdiocesan newspaper. Here is the link to the article:

http://catholicherald.org/news/local/deacon-wolfes-indirect-path-led-priesthood/

ORDINATION TO THE PRIESTHOOD IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF MILWAUKEE

This past 21st of May, Michael Wolfe was ordained a priest by Archbishop Jerome Listecki for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee together with his two classmates, Patrick Behling and Andrew Linn. 

Michael has been a member of the Community of Saint Paul for almost 10 years, living in the Dominican Republic, and now the last four years in Wisconsin studying in the seminary in Milwaukee.  In mid-June, he will begin in pastoral work as associate pastor in St. John Paul II, a bi-lingual parish on the south-side of Milwaukee.  Congratulations to Michael and his classmates!

REFLECTION

 

CAMILO TORRES, MICHAEL CORLEONE AND THE CHRISTIAN VENEER OF THE WEST

 

Martí Colom

 

More than fifty years ago, Camilo Torres—the Colombian priest who joined the guerrillas in 1966 and then died in combat, considered by many a forerunner of Liberation Theology—wrote that historically “Latin America had been evangelized in extension but not in depth. Many are baptized but there is little Christian conscience to be found there.” [1]

Torres’ analysis is reminiscent of a scene from The Godfather: Part III in which a prominent member of the Church hierarchy, a certain Cardinal Lamberto—with whom Michael Corleone, the saga’s main character, has a long conversation about his murky past—takes a stone from a pond and breaks it, to show that in spite of having been underwater for many years, its interior is perfectly dry. The cardinal concludes, under Corleone’s indecipherable gaze, that the same has happened with the people of Europe: “...they have lived surrounded by Christianity for centuries, but Christ has not penetrated inside them. Christ does not live in them.” Evangelization without depth!

Both Camilo Torres’ opinion about Latin America and that of the fictional Cardinal Lamberto in Coppola’s movie, in this case about Europe, point to the fact that people may have been exposed to the Gospel for a very long time and yet, they may have not embraced the Gospel’s perspectives and criteria, producing indeed “many baptized but little Christian conscience.”

It is hard not to agree, at least in part, with this analysis when still today we see, in traditionally Catholic countries, people coming to our parishes to practice a faith that is primarily external and based on ritual worship. Many exhibit an understanding of the Eucharist that borders on superstition and is individualistic (“me and my God” is what matters). Many remain very unfamiliar with Scripture, even the New Testament, and are too often detached from any commitment toward the needy, and are dependent on an image of God quite distant from the caring and merciful Father that Jesus announced. Rather, many believe in a stern and harsh being, surprisingly obsessed by our sins, whimsical and arbitrary in the way he decides whether to intervene or not in our lives, and installed in his divine omnipotence, far away from our reality. All this in spite of the many and creative efforts that have taken place since the Second Vatican Council in order to foster a more communal, biblical and incarnational experience of the faith—efforts that have undoubtedly been quite successful: it is simply chilling to imagine where we would be today without Vatican II! 

It is common to hear people who study the current state of the Church in traditionally Catholic countries of Europe and America talk about the “de-Christianization” of these societies. What we would like to indicate in light of the preceding paragraphs is that this term seems to be misleading, or at least imprecise. Indeed, when we talk about “de-Christianization,” we seem to imply that we come from a neatly Christian age, the essence of which today has been lost. Then it would appear that we think that the social, economic and political structure of our grandparents’ societies reflected faithfully the values of the Gospel, and that only recently we have moved away from them. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to say simply that in traditionally Christian countries the religious practice of the faith and formal membership in the Church have declined, which is an undeniable fact, supported by all kinds of statistics. However, to infer that these societies have become “un-Christian” is to go too far: in fact, according to what we have suggested earlier, they were never Christian, in the sense that they were never guided—much less governed—by basic Gospel values such as the search for the common good above particular interests, mercy, forgiveness, service, love of the enemy, preferential care to the most vulnerable, respect to the other’s freedom or radical rejection of injustice, as much as they could have a Christian veneer that today may be disappearing.

Where are we going with this reflection? Surely the question is not to conclude by saying something like “since we do not come from as good a context as we may have thought, the current irrelevance of the Gospel should not worry us too much.” This would be a fruitless and accommodative argument, which would not shed any light into the urgent task of living out our faith, today. What seems important is not to fall into the mistake of looking for the solution to the challenges of our time in a distorted vision of an ideal past in which we will not find the adequate medicine to heal the problems of our age, precisely because it was not that ideal.

The former milieu of “Christendom” that existed in many Western countries had its own blessings and curses, and our main concern should not be to ramble on about the successes and failures of ages past. What is inescapable is the challenge to find out how are we going to announce the Gospel today. And yesterday’s ultimate lesson is not that we must go back. The lesson is that, today as in the past, if our evangelization wants to bear fruits of charity and wishes to help in the process of making the world a better place, it must be deep rather than extended; it must try to touch hearts and consciences rather than looking for privileges for the Church; it must be directed to the individuals rather than to crowds.

Karl Rahner stated in the years after the Council that 21^st Century Christians will “either be mystic or nothing at all.”[2] He was underscoring that in the context of the weakening and eventual disappearance of “Christendom,” the commitment of every baptized person would be decisive. With no intention of correcting the great German theologian, for indeed we fully agree with his sentiment, we would simply dare to add that in fact his statement is as true regarding the 21^st century as it would be applied to the 13^th, the 16^th or any other time in history: always, indeed, the cornerstone of an authentic Christian perspective on things has been the depth of our commitment, which comes as a result of real experience, and the existence of what Camilo Torres called “Christian conscience.” In other words, the witness of stones really soaked and penetrated by the Gospel in the midst of the great pond that is our society.

To understand that it is very possible to live surrounded by Christianity without opening ourselves up to Jesus’ transforming call is, first and foremost, an invitation to examine each day the quality of our personal commitment and the depth of our sincere openness to the Spirit’s guidance. Today, just as yesterday and tomorrow, the quality of the Christian community will not be measured by the number of temples or stadiums that we may be able to fill up, but rather by the authenticity, the human maturity and the Christian charity present in the lives of those who (whether they may fill up churches or not) will call themselves Jesus’ disciples.

 

^[1] Encrucijadas de la Iglesia en América Latina, April 19, 1965.

^[2] The paternity of the sentence is also attributed to the French novelist André Malraux and to the Spanish priest and theologian Raimon Panikkar, for both had expressed very similar thoughts.

 

INAUGURATION OF CLEAN WATER FOUNTAINS IN WONJI

More than two years ago, members of the Community of St. Paul embarked in the project of bringing drinkable water to the 16,000 people living in the town of Wonji, Ethiopia. Today we celebrate that this dream, has become a reality.

In the first phase of the project, a water pump was bought and installed in a well near the Awash River and a tank was built to store the pumped water. In the second phase of the project, we carried out the work of channeling 4,400 meters of pipes from the tank to the town of Wonji. In September, two public fountains were built in the village and a water committee was formed and trained to take care of the maintenance, repair and administration of the water supply for the inhabitants of Wonji.

Finally, the fountains were inaugurated with great expectation on the part of the community. It is difficult to express in words the excitement that filled everyone as they saw the long awaited water flowing from the fountains. Today people in the town speak of how things have dramatically improved since the moment families had access to water near their homes, and how their lives have changed. We rejoice with them, and give thanks to all those who made this project a reality.

HEALTHIER SCHOOLS IN MEKI

In the rural villages of the Dugda District (Ethiopia) there are no health services. The sick must travel in a cart pulled by mules or horses to Meki, the capital of the district, located 15 miles away. Now, however, in the towns of Grissa y Meja Lalu, the 451 children of the “Mary Catholic School” and the “School of the Holy Spirit” can count on primary care and health education.

Indeed, in these two schools a classroom has been renovated by the Community of Saint Paul in order to conduct medical exams, monitor nutritional status and deworm all of the children twice per year, as well as treat them when they are sick. Furthermore, health education classes have been initiated as part of the academic load of the children. These classes are intended to teach the children about healthy habits available to them so that they will become sick less often. Educating children about basic hygiene and sanitation can significantly reduce water borne illnesses as well as malnutrition.

 

 

 

DEYSI ROSA WANTS TO BE A NURSE

To spend years in one place, sharing experiences with its people and accompanying them in their personal processes, has its rewards. Deysi Rosa, for instance, is a great gift for us. We met her when she was barely three years old, and we had just arrived at the Totora Pampa Community in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Deysi, the second of five sisters, was always shy, responsible, hard working and endowed with a great interior strength. However, the family environment where she was growing up didn’t forecast success. Her older sister, at age 20, was already raising two children. Her younger sister didn’t want to study because her plans were, as she put it, “to find a husband while I am still young”.

Deysi, however, had this vague “something” that some people possess, which makes you think that they can really improve their odds, that they won’t accept for themselves a somber future. For years we saw the determination and will that Deysi put into her studies in spite of the fact that the majority of her classmates were abandoning the classroom and starting families.

When we asked her what she wanted in life, she would adopted a firm posture, in spite of her shyness, and would tell us that she would like to achieve more than just work the land and have children. She wanted to study and learn about other places. Her plan, though simple in appearance, was a great challenge: in order to achieve it, she needed to break cultural habits and overcome many economic barriers. The distance between Totora Pampa, in the mountains, and the big city of Cochambamba (where she would study) was not just geographic, but also economic and social.

Seeing her situation, and that of several girls from the same area that had approached our community, we decided to provide scholarships to six young women to study nursing at an institution for women from rural areas. The advantage of this institution is that it provides the students with a place to study, materials, food, schedules and living accommodations. The young people from rural areas can, in this way, overcome the previously mentioned obstacles and barriers and complete their professional formation in the best possible environment.

 

Today, Deysi is a full time student, and tells us how she takes full advantage of her time, because she knows that this opportunity is a gift.  We, however, think that she is the gift. Her interior strength has opened a previously closed door, so that in the future other women from Totora Pampa may follow her footsteps.

 

 

MOTHERS STUDY AT THE UNIVERSITY

 

In the far off town of Barrera (Azua, Dominican Republic), where men subsist by fishing, burning coal and farming, many women try, often in vain, to help with household expenses.

A few years ago we began to provide scholarships, especially for young mothers who wanted to improve their lives and those of their children. Up to this point, ten women from Barrera have pursued and completed a college degree; some are teachers, others nurses and others accountants.

Recently, Yudamaris and Yomaira Méndez, two sisters who are already licensed nurses, were able to earn a degree in teaching at the Catholic University in Santo Domingo. They finished a few months ago, and then Yomaira obtained a position as an educator in the high school in her town. In Barrera, due to the efforts of the government to extend the school day, they built a new school that has classes for seven hours daily (as opposed to four hours in the past) and the old primary school is now a secondary school. Before, young people had to travel to other communities for secondary studies. Because the government needs many teachers for the new extended education program, the two sisters, both nurse graduates, decided to earn a degree in teaching and transfer to the education sector to find work. As we mentioned, Yomaira has already found a job, and we hope that Yudamaris can do the same soon.

We encountered Yomaira a few days ago at a meeting to initiate microloans for women in Barrera. She continues to take care (as a volunteer) of the small first aid pharmacy that the parish runs in her town, and as you can see in the attached photo, she looked very happy and grateful as she showed us her newly obtained teaching degree. Congratulations, Yomaira!

 

 

INAUGURATION OF A NEW TRAINING CENTER FOR WOMEN IN MEKI (ETHIOPIA)

Due to the great need for training for young women in Meki (Ethiopia), the Community of St. Paul has conceived, organized and started the Kidist Mariam Maakel, or “Saint Mary Capacitation Center”. With this new project we wish to help women who haven’t been able to finish their education to learn a profession in which they can work in a dignified manner and become self-sufficient. The center opened on February 1, and currently we are offering courses in cooking, sewing and painting (each lasting six months). At the inauguration of the center, the Bishop of Meki, Msgr. Abraham Desta, blessed the building and all who were present. Then, following the Ethiopian tradition, we prepared coffee and shared bread with the participants. The first group of students is comprised of 56 young women from Meki. We hope that they are able to develop the many talents and potential that they possess, and will keep you updated with news from the center.

Bishop Desta during the blessing of the new center

Zika Virus in the Dominican Republic

At the end of January, the Dominican authorities confirmed the first ten cases of zika virus in the country. As it has been reported in the media, the disease, transmitted by the mosquito Aedes Aegypti, which also transmits dengue and chikungunya, is spreading in Latin America and the Caribbean.

There has been a lot of alarm about the disease, which provokes fever, rash, joint pain and symptoms which are similar to those caused by chikungunya. The most serious threat is the reported microcephaly in children in Brazil.

The Health Ministry has started an awareness and preventive campaign through talks, cleaning garbage, and advising pregnant women about the risks of this virus.

In the province of Azua, where our parish is located, there have been no cases reported so far. However, we are starting talks about zika. For us it is a good opportunity to insist on sanitation in the villages and houses, thus creating a culture of cleanliness. It will serve not only the zika prevention but also to avert future cases of dengue, chinkungunya, and so many gastrointestinal and skin diseases that normally affect the population.

It will also serve to educate young women about the risks of unwanted pregnancies. Azua is one of the provinces in the country with a higher number of pregnancies among teenagers. Awareness about the zika virus can help an always necessary awareness about pregnancy at a young age.

To sum up, we want to turn the zika threat and its extensive impact on the media, into an opportunity to keep talking and working for a better health of those we serve in Azua.

 

 

REFLECTION

Palm Sunday: the defeat of non-violence, a challenge for today

Martí Colom

Today, with the feast of Palm Sunday, we begin the celebrations of Holy Week. We know perfectly well the story and its outcome, but nonetheless the power of the texts and the intensity of the various liturgies of these days will lead us one more year to experience a succession of deep and often contradictory feelings, an authentic emotional roller-coaster —especially during the Triduum: from the endearing warmth that one sees in the image of the group of brothers gathered to share a meal on Thursday night to the profound respect that causes to watch, at the end of that dinner, the simple and potent sign of Jesus, kneeling, washing his disciples’ feet; from the anxiety we experience seeing his loneliness in Gethsemane to the frustration produced by of his arrest; from the pain caused by the fracture in the loyalty between teacher and disciples (“everyone abandoned him”, the evangelist will tell us) to the outrage with which we respond to the cynicism and meanness of his accusers; from the sadness for his brutal execution to the exhilaration of the resurrection, which brings meaning to the entire story when it seemed to be irretrievably concluded. The liturgies will remind us that our faith is not a cold intellectual exercise: on the contrary, it begins with the thrill that leaves in us this extraordinary narrative, from which then we develop our theological reflection.

The adventure begins today with Jesus entering in Jerusalem. The episode anticipates the deep tensions that will bring about the final ending: the Galilean is received in the capital by an enthusiastic crowd, the air of the city is filled with palm branches, olive twigs and songs of joy. Yet, we realize that very few understand the message he wants to get across by riding a donkey. He wishes to be a messenger of peace but is welcomed like a warrior. In very few days the same people who cheered him will ask for his death on a cross. Holy Week begins, in a word, with the story of the failure of non-violence. For this is exactly the meaning of Jesus’ decision to enter the city in a gentle ass. The animal, a reference to Zachariah’s prophecy (1) constitutes a clear declaration of intentions from the master: he is indeed the Messiah, for he realizes that he is definitely anointed, soaked and trespassed by the Spirit of God. But (precisely because of such an awareness of the Spirit in him) he will be a non-violent Messiah, inspired by Isaiah («I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard»)(2) and firmly established on his own personal experience. Let’s not forget that Jesus has invited his followers to love their enemies and to discard vengeance («when someone slaps you on one cheek, turn and give him the other»)(3).   

The passion tells the story of the spectacular failure of this kind of Messiah: very shortly, when those who welcomed him with excitement will see Jesus under arrest and will understand the meaning of his entrance riding an ass (or perhaps will recognize that his non-violent proposal was for real), they will reject him without hesitation. Non-violence will we defeated by brutality and the last lesson of the prophet from Nazareth will be discarded.

What teachings can we draw from this drama?

First of all we must say, of course, that Jesus’ real failure would have been to fall into the temptation of power and his unavoidable companion —violence, thus betraying all his life and mission. Therefore, at the level of his personal coherence and fidelity to his principles, he does not fail at all.

Secondly at the level of ideals and values (the validity of which only time confirms or denies), Jesus is exemplary by proposing a way (non-violence) that today, two thousand years later, is seen by many (Christians and non-Christians, believers and non-believers alike) as the most noble, mature, constructive, sound and brave path that humanity can take.

However, we should not be naïve. And we should not be too proud of our own age either: the two previous considerations cannot obscure the fact that Jesus failed stunningly in his attempt to convince the people about the merits of non-violence. And it is important to confess that, most likely, today he would fail again. One has to embrace with realism the notion that nowadays, as it was the case then (in spite of the stand for peace that, as we said, many spouse) non-violence is far from being accepted by the majority as the best way to resolve our conflicts.

Actually, it is amazing to see all kinds of populisms thrive in our own time, and not just in the victimized countries of the south. We see how political leaders with simplistic and inflammatory messages filled with violent attitudes against those who do not share their views or who are just different (immigrants, refugees, foreigners…) gather support and votes in old democracies both in Europe and the Americas. Today, as in the past, proponents of non-violence have a tough job.

This reflection at the beginning of Holy Week does not intend to be pessimistic or discouraging. It is simply a matter of recognizing that the non-violence that Jesus was unable to make attractive to the men and women of Jerusalem today still needs friends and advocates. The failure of the Messiah who rode a donkey is a challenge to us, as well as an invitation to continue promoting peace untiringly —that peace that so often eludes us, the peace that we will only attain if we learn to forgive, to accept others and to reject with determination all forms of violence. 

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(1) «Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion, shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! See, your king shall come to you; a just savior is he, meek, and riding on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass» (Zac 9:9).

(2) Is 50:6

(3) Lk 6:29

A SIP…

In 2004 priests and lay members of the Community of Saint Paul took over the pastoral and social care of the parish La Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) in the Dominican Republic, which is the sister parish of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee since 1981. All the priest who served here throughout the years have been diocesan priests of Milwaukee. 2016 is, thus, an important year, since we celebrate 35 years of partnership between the Archdiocese and the La Sagrada Familia. 35 years with plenty of experiences, lots of laughter and many challenges, but above all with many lives touched. It is impossible to summarize 35 years of human experiences as there is too much to process and too much to be left out. So we want to offer a sip, a glimpse, a preview of what our parish life may look like today. And besides, a general explanation takes for granted and thus forgets the stories, the names and the daily experiences of the families and people. Take some minutes to watch the video below, where instead of giving a general view we offer you “a sip” of parish life so that through it you can grasp what we live and breathe in La Sagrada Familia, and yet keep you hungry for the full taste. Enjoy the sip!

https://youtu.be/L7uDMUgaGhw

Thanks to All, Altagracia Has a New Heart

Last July, we reached out to find good hearted people to help save the life of Altagracia Pujols, a 27 year old young woman from the Dominican Republic who required an urgent cardiac surgery. We needed economic support to pay for her operation. The generosity of many friends of the Community of Saint Paul was well demonstrated again. We received the funds that she lacked for the procedure. The response was so overwhelming that the expenses of Altagracia's surgery were completely paid, with some money left over to for general use in our health center in Sabana Yegua.

There was a long waiting period, since Altagracia was underweight and had an infection that delayed the date for surgery. In addition, we had to find twelve blood donors. To those blood donors we want to express our sincere gratitude. Finally, on October 6, she had the operation in CECANOT, in Santo Domingo. The surgery was a wonderful success, and after some days of recuperation in intensive care and a hospital room, Altagracia was again in her home... happy with a healthy heart.

On behalf of Altagracia, her family and our team in the Dominican Republic, we thank you all... from the bottom of our hearts!