(Saturday, December 29) We’re at the St. Bryce Foundation and everyone is doing well! (Thank you, God, Thank you, God, Thank you, God). It’s really difficult to get a signal up here, so we may not be able to post each day as we had hoped.
San Jose de Orosi is home to the church built in 1743 as a prayer to St. Joseph to allow Franciscan Friars to come back to preach to the people after the Franciscans were run out by a group of indiginous people. The converted Catholics loved their Franciscans and many many many churches have Franciscan names in this area. The Franciscans who came before were known as “barefooted Franciscan” to the locals. Our friars are the first Franciscans to come to this area in 300 years. The brothers have gotten a king’s welcome – they seem to believe they are St. Joseph’s answer to their prayer.[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0GmENFPK5U?rel=0]
Fr. David said Mass at Orosi in 4 languages. The readings and Eucharistic prayers were written in Spanish, his homily and a few responses were in English, and since it was Fr. David, some of the prayers were in Latin. Everyone is doing chores to take care of the needs of such a large group. You all would be so proud of your children — they are doing the work without complaint!
Dr. Tom McGovern was inundated with people from the town waiting for him to arrive. He wasn’t supposed to see patients until Sunday, but they were lined up by the time we arrived at the mission base and kept coming. The gift of his talent and education he gave to these people was evident on their faces.
Last night Fr. David concelebrated with the Bishop and Fr. Adrienne at St. Anthony’s parish. WOW that Bishop was cool. Most of us didn’t understand a word he said, but he was so warm and you could feel how loving he was to his people. Before the final blessing, he called all the missionaries up to the altar, gave them a blessing, and blessed cross necklaces and put them on each of us. Then we kissed his ring. It was COOL!
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The people were grabbing us and hugging us and patting us and talking to us (in Spanish). I got invited to some nice lady’s house!! (I couldn’t go, though — had to stay with the group.)
At the farm, which we’re staying, is beautiful. we’re sleeping on mats on the floor and the bugs are REALLY BIG. Emma MacDonald had a screaming fit about a spider (or several on the wall by her sleeping mat) before bed and I crunched a bug under my shoe while I walked in the dark last night (gross). The toucans are flying around me like sparrows and to get a signal, I’m across a REALLY SLOPPY muddy road from the farm, hunched on a covered porch to keep the computer from getting wet, while I hear the brothers chanting morning prayers at the farm.
IT IS BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL HERE! We’re learning more about the indigenous people with each chat with Colleen.
Today we’re slated to go out and meet the people of the town to pray with them, etc. The Catholic community in the mission base town is very vibrant and they consider it God’s tremendous blessing on their community that we are here. Last night the bishop called each one of them to take the example of these “ninos” from the United States to go out and be an example of Christ to each other.