The Life of (Liam) Reilly: January 2009

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Christmas 2008 in Los Pastorcitos de Fatima

Christmas is nothing if not the season of hope, hope brought to us by a God-child who loves us for who were are, despite our circumstances or status in life, a God who chose to be born in a cave on the margins of Bethlehem as if on the margins of humanity, impoverished and unwelcomed, a fount of peace and joy in a world, then as now, often too busy chasing its own shadows to recognise His saving Presence. Christmas greetings from a hot and humid Guayaquil. I hope this finds you well as it leaves me.
Is it just me or does it seem to you as well that with each Christmas the activity surrounding the holidays just gets more and more hectic? It is not difficult to lose one’s perspective at Christmas.
I recall the story about an 8-year-old girl who had a most disappointing Christmas. She didn’t get the gifts she hoped to receive. She got into arguments with her older brother. Her mother walked into their play area to find her fighting with him and she was blamed. She took her anger out on the cat and found herself in bed that night earlier than usual. When she prayed the Lord’s prayer as was her custom she said, “and forgive us our Christmases as we forgive those who Christmas against us.”

Christmas has been a wonderful, joy-filled experience in the parish. I have been visiting as many of the communities as I can with donations of toys and sweets. Thanks to a very many people we have been able to provide toys for many many children in the shanty parish. The good will and generosity of people is moving at Christmas time. God bless you all. It is truly amazing the effect a toy has in the life of a child. I’m still not sure if it is just the toy or the fact that someone cares enough to give it. I am beginning to think more of the latter. We all crave someone who cares.

There is also a certain pride. Even in the humblest cane hut you will see colourful flowers and even a scattering of lights, (as you can see in the photo) homage to the God child of Bethlehem and the dignity the we share as brothers and sisters even in the most hopeless and deprived situations.

A brief word about the building projects, at the time of writing, we are busy with phase two of the parish centre (still) which is to cost $85,000. It is a very necessary development which will be used by the doctor, and also to provide meals for the children and catechesis. Last month we started a soup-kitchen in one of the invasions areas of the parish called San Barnebé Apostol. There are 120 children feeding there everyday, Monday to Saturday. It costs between $5 and $6 dollars a month to feed one child. In another area of the parish we are, at present, working on a building which in January will become a medical centre, soup-kitchen and teaching facility (for kids and parents without the resourses to attend the schools in the city). That part of the parish is called Cerro Redondo. It is in a delapidated state, but given time, money etc. etc. The doctor has agreed to come twice a week A lot of time is spent now trying to source the funds to finance these projects and ensure that they become reality. Actually, these projects depend very little on me and almost completely on the generosity of people like your good self. Together we will continue to seek to improve the lives of those who live in extreme poverty in our world.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and until the next time it‘s Happy Christmas from us. Thank you for your support always. May the God-child of the Cave grant you and yours peace and joy this Christmas.

There is an odd little carol which is sometimes sung on this first Sunday after Christmas. It begins:

There's snow on the mountain and ice on the pond,
The Wise Men are home now in the back of beyond. The Shepherd's have left us; the heavens are dumb; There's no one to tell us why Jesus has come. It ends: But God's in His heaven, and Jesus has come To show every sinner he's welcome back home, To be this world's Saviour from hunger and fear, And give us new courage to face the New Year.

Happy New Year

A typical home of the indigenous communities

This is the home of Carmen Saeteros. She has just turned ninty (she thinks). Very often they have difficulty remembering their date of birth. Her very simple house is typical of the indigenous community and made from clay and stray blocks (bloques de adobe) with the luxurious models having tin roofs, (many with stray). These homes are bitterly cold for a man from Belmullet used to the bit hearth full of good black turf. But these are a tougher people. Carmen sleeps on the floor on a large bag filled with animal coat. Inside it is just one room with a table at one end and her bag (bed) at the other. She survives on milk and eggs (dairy products in large quantities being bad and all that jazz, she must have missed that health supplement) With no shoes and no socks, the earthen floor can be well... Recently we have decided to "renovate" her local run-down chapel at a cost or between $2000-2500. She said it was the best New Year present she could have received. She (as the elder stateswoman), and the rest of the community of Rumiurco are very proud of their Christian Catholic faith. Say one for her, she is quite ill at this moment.

Our New Church at Cimientos

Ciemientos is a community in the wilds of the mountains of Ecuador, untouched until recently by the "outside" world. It is a community constituted entirely of indigenous peoples. They speak Kichwa and are intensely uncomfortable speaking in Spanish (as am I, so at least we have that in common). Thanks to the support of the people of my native Erris, Co Mayo, this chapel is nearing completion. Unfortunately because of the incredible effects of the "La Nina" and associated weather patterns, the inauguration will take place in the summer, probably September. But it is a beautiful chapel, built on the foundation of an old Inca structure. (Ciemientos means foundation) They do not rue the loss of the Inca relic because they are decendents of the Canari people who were subjugated by the Inca Empire in the thirteenth century. One back as it were, if not a little too late.