the night of the 20th

Going home:

There is this mother who has untold numbers of children. They go off to live in a strange land with much insecurity and doubt following them around. As the children struggle to make a living they never forget the mother. One day out of the year they come down from the mountains and pile onto big trucks to take them home to mother.

In mother´s house:

These children know that their mother welcomes them into her home no matter how they arrive. They want to be with her and she wants to be with them. So they say a few words to her and then they place mats or sheets on the floor of her home and stretch out for a sleep. They like to sleep in her home. It brings them a sense of security which is sorely lacking in their lives.

Lighting candles:

The children come home to mother with many worries and needs. They light candles because in a picture of her they see St. Joseph in the background holding a candle and protecting it from the wind. This picture gives them the idea that she likes candles. So they light them for her as they make their requests or give thanks for help that they received during the year.

Dancing for mother:

The children enjoy dancing and they figure their mother also loves to dance. So they give her a show of their dancing and drum playing. It is one more gift to her, as with the candles. In the end, the children leave a big mess in mother´s home... so many children who come from so far and so unexpectedly. But the friends of mother know how to clean up her home and put the furniture back into its places. The children go back to their fields and mountains with a sense of contentment. They have seen mother as well as introduced their children to her.

La fiesta de Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia

Preparations:

In the pictures you can note two very different ways that people prepared for the feast of Our Lady of Altagracia. The Haitian children come from a tradition that remembers the importance of special clothes for a special event. The garments are the result of a promise made to Our Lady in a time of crisis. i.e. "If you help me now with . . . I promise to take my daughters to ..." The children sense that the feast is unique and they enter into it with as much understanding as they can. They watch as their grandmother stands before the image of Our Lady and speaks out loud to her, as if the person of Our Lady were right in front of her. These children do not know how to pray like that, but they see the example.

Andreina´s dance group:

In the second picture, Brachi holds a banner and dances to a modern song from Oregon Catholic Press. The beat lends itself to movement and dance. Brachi´s older sister, Andraina, has coached the girls in her group to dance pretty much the way they dance to popular music. For some, this display of talent is questionable. The bishop of Barahona, when he contemplated the dance, praised the girls for the work of upholding a cultural value: dance.

Aparecida:

When the bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean met in Aparecida Brazil last year, they thought through the faith of the Church in the context of present reality. As they developed their thinking as well as their awareness, they hit upon the following: when the "New World" first met the Europeans it was an unequal cultural encounter. The one culture had weapons and immunity to different illnesses, while the other culture had no way to compete with the European culture in terms of language and writing etc. Now, the bishops observe, there is another unequal encounter between cultures: the modern individualistic culture of materialism and secular life is impacting upon traditional agrarian and religious cultures.

Upholding the best values of a culture:

Aparecida calls the Church to uphold the cultural values which give life to the people. The Altagracia feast counts as a strong cultural value for many Dominicans as well as Haitians. In fact, this ability of the same image of Mary to gather these two peoples together is highly unusual. But the cultural value is under siege. A major drug dealer in the area paid for the costly entertainment during the nine days of Altagracia´s feast. Just down the street from the Church you could observe a totally different scene, where the prominence is given to Bohemia, Presidente, Brugal and other alcoholic products. The musicians who came to town sang nothing of meaning relating to the culture of Altagracia.

The abuela:

The elderly lady observes all of this and more. She gathers material together and prepares the unique dresses for her two grand daughters. As she works, she pours her spirit into the garments. May they protect her children from the ravages of a sacred-less secularism. As she dresses them for the holy day, she prays for their holiness: "My dear ones, may your spirit be surrounded by the mystery of the Lady of Heaven."

The main Altagracia feast

Higuey on January 21:

The Altagracia feast began in Higuey, a sugar cane city to the east of Santo Domingo. Every year the country celebrates Altagracia as if she were the patron of the country. In Paraíso, the celebrations start nine days before the actual feast. In te above picture, different bands and dancing teams march down the main street of Paraíso as the local mayor ushers in the annual event.

March for life:

The Dominican Republic has laws which prohibit Abortion. However these laws are usually under threat by powerful interest groups which seek to expand the business of medical interventions during pregnancy. Recently the country almost saw the abortion laws overturned by a majority in the Senate. Virtudes holds the sign expressing the intention of our little group that marched for life before the Mass which started the Altagracia novena. Brachi is the little girl to the left of Virtudes.

Participation:

As with many causes and movements, the march for life attracted few youth or adults. Back in the 1980´s the Dominican Republic had many protest marches for all kinds of issues. That was the time when students readily took to the streets to demand changes. Will such a spirit return to the youth of another time? The present wave of young people have yet to show signs that they believe in something worth marching for. Self-sacrifice does not earn the respect that it had in other times in the country´s history.

The banners in the wind:

As Brachi and her friends moved down the street, they sang: "Que viva la Virgen de la Altagracia" (long live the Lady of Altagracia). For a moment the town stopped to contemplate the novelty of children marching for a cause. But then the observations of Jesus himself came back into focus... "We sang you a tune but you would not dance; we played you a sad song, but you would not cry." How beautiful to watch the children dancing for life!

Palo de Viento

Here is the wind tree:

This tree might not look like very much from the pictures. But then again, a fabulous diamond pictured from an unflattering angle would look pretty dull too. The wind tree grows at altitudes above 1500 feet and is a close cousin to the "burning bush" that Moses saw. (At least in my book.)

Enchantment:

Imagine yourself walking down a path in a forest and hearing the wind rustling in the trees. You look up and notice the deep blue sky and the leaves tossing and dancing with each other. But then you observe that only the wind tree is moving with the breeze: how mysterious for God to make a tree that responds to the slightest breeze, while the others remain unresponsive.

Palo de Viento:

In the mountains above Sabaneta there lies an entire paraje or section of land with the name "Palo de viento"... but only the name remains from a past when the mountainsides were covered with a thick stand of wind trees. When you discover how precious the tree is; how it attracts honey bees and other insects, then you begin to appreciate the loss that engulfs the land that once belonged to the "Palo de viento".

Gadgets:

Yesterday a grandmother complained about her grandson and how he devotes hours to Nintendo, Power Rangers, and other video games. She laments his fall into the world of "gadgets" or digital pleasures. Like a seesaw... as the attraction for artificial enhancements grows, the ability to perceive wonder in the natural world diminishes. Will future human beings be so removed from the simple pleasures of forest and wind that they could walk through a majestic stand of unique tree species, and be aware only of the latest song on their ipod or suffering through the break from the "new" XBox entertainment?

God in the mystery of life:

As our future generations gain perspective of the whole Earth and study it from the cold blackness of space, as they compare Mars, Venus and the moons of Saturn to their home planet, I believe they will become sentinels of the miraculous life emerging forth from mother Earth. God will open our eyes once again to rediscover how precious are the living beings on our planet. For the time being, the wind tree calls us into a world of mystery far more luminous than the most profound digital mix of sound and light. The wind tree stands to be admired as it points to a Creator far beyond the bounds of our preconceptions and time worn religious concepts.

El Toro school on the finca Torral

The most difficult school:

Since our teachers agree that the Catholic School in El Torro is the hardest one to reach, and since the teachers depend upon motorcycles for transportation, part of the Elko fund will go to purchasing a motorcycle which Miguel Angel, the El Torro teacher, will use as he works to repay the loan for the vehicle. He and his family live in his parents´home, so he also needs to work towards buying a piece of land on which to build a home. For that reason, the sisters in our parish (who administer the godparents fund for some of the school children) will charge him one thousand pesos a month as a way to pay for the motorcycle loan. This amounts to one fifth of his monthly salary (which used to be four thousand pesos - and with Elko´s help for the salaries of the 10 teachers - and now will be five thousand pesos).

La finca Torral:

The Torral family has extensive holdings in the Paraíso area. They provide work for over thirty Haitian families. The school on their property lies about two thousand feet above the valley floor; above the orange tree plantation and in the middle of the coffee trees. The lower picture was taken from the school evelation. Because they live so far away from town, the children have very little chance of going beyond the level of education that the school can offer. None of their parents can afford a motorcycle.

Another motorcycle:

With the Elko fund we also purchased a used motorcycle for Manuel Feliz, the Haitian catechist. He lives in El Platón and has a proven record of free service to four communities in the area: El Torro, Lanza Arriba, Lanza Abajo and his home community of El Platón. He leads the Celebrations of the Word and the catechetical program as if he were a Deacon, but his level of education is way below the requierments for a Deacon even in the Diocese of Barahona.

Manuel´s Suzuki:

For the longest time, Manuel has had his heart set on obtaining a motorcycle. When he first asked me about it, there were no funds. He and Marino (a Haitian health promotor and adult education teacher in Platón) found one that only costs 16,500 pesos. Since we changed dolars into pesos at 33.1 the last time around, this motorcycle is around 500 dolars. It is a Suzuki A100 and went into service in 2003. This transportation will allow Manuel to attend meetings and give more attention to the surrounding communities. He teaches beautiful Haitian hymns.

The Torrales again:

With the tropical storm Noel, the Torral family lost buildings, infrastructure and a good portion of the orange tree harvest. The roads needed major improvements. The family has big political connections and is able to keep making a profit from their other investments. The finca provides work for lots of immigrant families because of its size. Each Haitian worker has his family on the plantation, and has access to a piece of land where he can grow his own subsistence crops. The arrangement holds steady for the time being.

Who is to judge?

Some people would look at this business and quickly judge that the Torrales are exploiting the haitian families... but the reality is more complex than a simple black and white assessment. By owning a major piece of property with over 65 thousand orange trees, the Torrales can weather bad years better than a small land owner. Their other businesses keep them going when the agriculture investment is in the red. All of this adds up to stability for the Haitian immigrants and their families. Perhaps it comes close to being capitalism with a strong dose of common sense and a touch of humanity. Also, large land owners understand better than most people the importance of protecting their investment from erosion. Thus they contribute to future generations by conserving what they can pass on.

Cachote retreat

Teacher confirmation:

There are many things lacking in our Catholic church here in Paraíso, but one of them that is not on the list is student catechists. We are blessed with the approach that Sister Yolanda has taken in the start-up of this ministry. Whereas in El Factor de Nagua we had no young catechists, here in the different communities of the parish (Ojeda, Los Patos, Los Blancos) we find that all the catechists are young people. This experience of teaching children gives the students a different outlook on the Church and the sacrament of Confirmation. They approach it with a deeper appreciation for the mystery and hidden presence of the Lord.

The retreat center:

Going to the Cachote echo-tourism center requires some rough driving. After Noel, the main road no longer works, since it is very difficult to cross the river. One has to drive on the north side of the river, passing through Villa Nizao and on to Platón. There you bare left and head up to El Toro. Beyond this little community you eventually run into the road to Cachote coming from La Cienega. The center is located in a high semi tropical forest, with many unusual trees and plants growing around the property and on the dirt road. One of the most remarkable trees is the "Palo Viento" or the wind tree. Its leaves rustle with the slightest breeze and can give one the effect of mysterious presence... as the other trees are silent and the wind only seems to catch this tree. Is this not a simbol for a retreat? To be still in order to catch the slightest inspiration that comes from the Spirit of God...

Cold:

People from Elko and the northern parts of the USA would find the climate to be delightful, with cool evenings and mornings. Our catechist confirmandi rarely encounter temperatures down into the low 60´s and high 50´s, so they were shocked by the change. They also had a taste of Sister Yolanda´s strong words when the youth lapsed into a stream of endless chatter, instead of keeping silence during the times outside of the conferences.

Bishop Raphael Felipe,

The local bishop does not enjoy good health. Last year he spent months in the hospital and then in a slow process of recovery. But he radiates serenity and joy. He celebrated confirmation with the students pictured above on January 20th, the day before the major feast of Altagracia.

Daughters of the Sacred Hearts

The cost of being a missionary:

The sister to the far left in this picture, with the white religious habit, has weathered many tears in the past few days. Her family phoned to say that her beloved nephew, Nelson, had been in a motorcycle accident and was in a coma. Later they phoned to report that he died. All this time, Sister Carmen Rosa continued giving classes in Santo Domingo, unable to fly off to be close to her family. She called her best friend, Sister Yolanda (to the right) and could not stop crying. These sisters come from Colombian families that are very devoted to one another.

Disparity in religious life:

If you assume that the rules and privileges between one religious order of consecrated people and the next are pretty much the same, you would be wrong. The Daughters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary who work in the Dominican Republic have the chance to go home only once every three years. This is the biggest hardship that they face. It far outweighs the lack of items such as air conditioning, cable television and high speed Internet. Meanwhile other congregations such as our Redemptorist group have the privilege of going home every year. The main reason for the different levels of access to family is economic. The order that the sisters belong to started in Colombia among the children of lepers. They do not enjoy the economic strength of congregations that grew up in the States.

Endangered species:

Even in Colombia, which has a vibrant, solid tradition of Catholic life, the numbers of people consecrated to religious life are in a steep decline. This loss of membership can effect the younger sisters, leading them to suspect that they might be the last ones to embrace the particular charism that brought their order to life in the first place.

A little balance:

Thanks to the people of Elko, soon Sister Yolanda will have the best laptop in the parish. She will use it in catechist training, in our rural schools and in the big primary grade school where she teaches religious education for free. (The Dominican Government has employed her for over two years without giving her one check, due to fowl-ups in the department of immigration). This little resource will enhance her ministry and allow her to develop the skills to use it wisely. Her birthday is February 3rd and that is when our Redemptorist community will entrust her with this resource. Perhaps it will be the first time that a sister has a more modern piece of equipment than the priests and seminarians. May God be praised!

Anna of Ojeda

Welcome to Anna's world:

In her world, people do not focus upon their limitations. They live each day with a smile that rarely leaves their spirit. No matter how long and hard your struggle to learn how to walk, no matter how many people tried to take pity on you, the real joy is now... so why complain?

Being born into now:

Anna's Dad comes from Greece. Her Mom is Dominican. For a while Anna lived in Greece, but when the doctors said there was a low probability that she would ever learn to walk, her Mom decided that the best place for her to live was back in Ojeda, the tiny village just down the coast from Paraiso. Some babies emerge from the womb with a natural gift for walking and dancing, while others are blessed with an even more amazing gift: a healthy spirit that knows how to enjoy life. Anna received that blessing.

Liturgical dance:

Andreina started a liturgical dance group with a little help from the local priest. When Anna heard about it, she wanted to join. The other girls in the Ojeda group made their first Holy Communion with Anna and enjoy her company. As they dance before the Eucharistic Prayer, Anna is usually out of step and barely able to keep upright. She moves awkwardly around the Church or, in the above picture, around the courtyard of the Church in Pedernales.

Beauty:

Turn on the television and you can observe only a narrow view of "perfection". The dancers or performers will be uniform in their abilities. But if you are privileged enough to follow the liturgical dancers of Ojeda, you will encounter a far more beautiful pattern which manifests the communion of different talents. For example, Brachi dances superbly. Her coordination is astounding for someone so small. But if she were dancing alone, the blessing diminishes. When her talent is meshed with Anna's smile and different pace, the wonder of communion becomes visible.

Engineering life?

Those who would cull out all of the "defective" genes that travel with humanity from one generation to another, and offer a future where the powerful and wealthy can design a child's characteristics... they need to visit with Anna and follow her around the streets of Ojeda. Some talents are impossible to engineer. They come forth from the deepest mystery of human existence. Behind Anna's ready smile with her "I can do anything you can do" attitude... there lies an unfathomable depth of spirit: the life of the One who makes us in His Image.

Marciel DeOliz in 2008

A new year for Marciel:

Some of you might remember the story of the man who fell off a truck in Haiti and continues to have an arm that was wrongly set. I got his name wrong the first time, but not now. He is Marciel and as this note goes out to the Internet, he rests on a hospital bed in Darío Contreras hospital in Santo Domingo. His corrective surgery seems like an "impossible dream" about to come true.

Anita and the people of Elko:

Marciel made it to the hospital thanks to the collaboration between the parishioners of St. Joseph´s Church in Elko and a Haitian woman named Anita Felix Urbaez, who lives in Lanza Arriba. Even before the Elko fund gets to us here in Paraíso, we are spending part of it to help Marciel. But Anita plays a key part in the aid: she is the one who sacrificed being with her family even during New Years so that she could take Marciel to Santo Domingo and bring him to the major hospital.

Anita the hidden angel:

Sometimes one hears that the Haitians only think of themselves and that they have no social conscience. This does not hold true for Anita. When she guided Marciel from Paraíso to Santo Domingo she did not count on his not having any money whatsoever to help pay his way. But such was the case. Anita used the funds that come from Elko to pay all the hospital bills for tests and laboratory work. She ended up going hungry and spending days barely eating a meal here or there.

The contrast to other experiences:

Without someone like Anita, the path to dealing with Marciel´s wounds would take much longer and involve lots of "top down" aid. We hear stories of priests or sisters leaving parishes unattended because they felt conscience bound to respond to a patient like Marciel. It is rare that a parish has somebody like Anita who is willing and able to leave all behind and travel every step of the way with a person who has nothing to do with her immediate family.

Animadores de la Palabra:

Anita is a real "Animador of the Word of God" she animates from the Word and gives the Word to others ... not only by leading the liturgical celebrations every Saturday afternoon in Lanza Arriba, but also by the willing spirit to respond to people in desperate need. The Church will grow because people like her are living signs of God´s power: alive in the liturgy.

Taking time to see her family:

Anita stopped by this afternoon and will spend tomorrow and Sunday with her family. On Monday she returns to Santo Domingo and the pursuit of corrective surgery for Marciel. We pray that these efforts will bless him into a time in 2008 when his arm becomes much stronger.