Happy New Year from Mexico

There are a couple of hours left in 2014—just enough time to give thanks for the blessings of 2014, to wish you a Happy New Year, and to get ready for 2015. Maybe…

A new day is dawning in 2015 for the impoverished people in the mountains of Guerrero

The “Mission Mexico” projects went super-well in 2014. Hundreds of impoverished families in the mountains of Guerrero benefited—especially in the areas of health and education—from the solidarity shown by their Canadian friends in southern Alberta. Add to that the other thousands of families supported during the fifteen years that “Mission Mexico” has existed, and one realizes that “Mission Mexico” really has empowered a great number of people and witnessed to the gospel in an incredible manner.

Students from the Champagnat High School of the Mountains (one of
Mission Mexico's main projects) walk to the church in Potoichan

Of course, 2014 wasn’t an “easy” year in many ways. The “worst” event was undoubtedly the killing of three students (by police) and the “disappearance” of forty-three other students on September 26; all were studying at the rural teachers college in Ayotzinapa. Those 43 are just a small percentage of the more than 5,000 cases of “disappeared” people in Mexico in 2014, but the case mobilized protests throughout the country. As the Tlachinollan Human Rights Center—that represents the families of the disappeared youth, and that receives support from “Mission Mexico”—stated this week in an editorial in a newspaper called El Sur, “The circumstances that unfolded on September 26 removed the rubbish covering an obsolete political system and showed it for what it is: a bureaucracy that is decrepit, corrupt, quarrelsome, mean-spirited, insensitive, and delinquent.”

The papal nuncio of Mexico, Christophe Pierre, during a Mass that he celebrated
with the families of the 43 "disappeared" students on December 22, 2014, in the
 rural teachers college in Ayotzinapa, 

The murder of three priests in the State of Guerrero in 2014 raised questions too. The three priests weren’t even a little “radical”; they simply preached the gospel. Of course, living and working in situations of injustice and violence may lead one to develop a kind of “rogue theology” rather than “rouged theology” (as John Caputo expresses it in his book The Insistence of God). These priests—and others—have learned the truth expressed by Father Richard Rohr in his latest book, Eager to Love, that “it is ironic that you must go to the edge to find the center.” These priests—and others living on “the edge”—learned the truth of what Meister Eckhart expressed seven hundred years ago (regarding Psalm 85:10): “Compassion is where peace and justice kiss.” Living that compassion, unfortunately, means risking death in Guerrero.

Father Gregorio Lopez Gorostieta, one of the three priests murdered in Guerrero this year—
his body was found on Christmas Day, 2014 (last week)

These struggles, and others, will surely mark 2015 in the State of Guerrero. Mission Mexico will undoubtedly continue to do great work and to nourish change and hope as the year unfolds, but the context will be a difficult one. Why do I think that? I will briefly mention a few “ingredients” of this context.

Will life change for the better for these children in 2015? Hopefully...

The poverty will continue. In the mountains of Guerrero, the “new” minimum salary that will take effect tomorrow, January 1, will be 66.45 pesos a day. That works out to be about $5.25 Canadian—a day! Since most of the adults in the mountains have little formal education and few “skills,” minimum wage may be the best they can hope for if they can find employment.

One of the many protests that occur almost daily in the mountains of Guerrero

The search for truth and justice in the case of the “disappeared” students from Ayotzinapa will continue. I doubt that the government will ever provide answers that satisfy the families and those in solidarity with the families. The situation of Mexico is not much different from the reality of the USA described by Sheldon Wolin in his book Democracy Incorporated when he writes: “I am convinced that certain tendencies in our society point in a direction away from self-government, the rule of law, egalitarianism, and thoughtful public discussion, and toward what I have called ‘managed democracy,’ the smiley face of inverted totalitarianism.”

One of the many marches in Mexico City of the families of the 43 "disappeared" students
and others in solidarity with them

An educational reform that was passed by the federal government this past year is scheduled to be implemented on March 15, 2015. Thousands of teachers and their supporters have already been protesting this reform for months. Indeed, in most of the villages of the mountains, the primary schools have been deserted during the past three months. The unrest will undoubtedly continue, and probably increase, in 2015.

Another protest march in Tlapa

State elections are scheduled in Guerrero for June 7, 2015. A new governor, 81 municipal presidents, and state and federal congress people are scheduled to be elected. But there are many groups in the state who are already urging people to not participate in these elections and to not allow the actual voting to take place. As I write these lines on New Year’s Eve, at least 28 of the 81 municipal offices in the state are closed; they have been occupied for months by protestors who are “fed up” with the way the political system is failing to generate change and (in many cases) seems to be in cahoots with organized crime.

The banner reads: "Against the looting and the lying—the peoples of the Mountain.
Resist!—From the trenches of the forgotten."

The struggle over strip mining in the mountains will undoubtedly become more volatile in 2015. The federal government has awarded (without consulting the people living in the involved areas) mining concessions to many foreign companies—predominantly Canadian companies—in the State of Guerrero. One article in “The Gold Report,” from March 20, 2013 —“The Gold Report” claims to offer “insight, analysis and ideas about gold investment from the best experts in the gold industry”—begins thus: “The Guerrero Gold Belt, a sexy, new, developing mining district in the state of Guerrero, Mexico, has attracted some exciting explorers that have unearthed key discoveries. While several companies have gone on land-grabbing sprees, there’s still good news: the Guerrero is growing.” Another publication states that “Mexico is a trove of accessible mineral wealth.”

The villagers would love to believe that these new roads are being built
for them. But not many people do believe that...Welcome, mining companies!

 I daresay that the indigenous villagers in these areas see nothing “sexy” about these concessions, see nothing in the way of “good news” in these concessions, and would question who decided that “their” mineral wealth is “accessible.” The government is still investing tons of money in developing the infrastructure (roads, bridges, electricity) to allow these mining companies to actually begin exploiting for gold and other minerals, but whole villages—concerned, like many Canadian indigenous communities, about the impact of deforestation, water pollution, and hazardous liquid waste—have already vowed that they will not allow mining companies to operate in their regions.

Progress??? Development??? Justice??? The future???

Finally, allow me to mention the risk of death that people who live and work with the poor will undoubtedly face in 2015. In the state newspaper La Jornada Guerrero today (December 31, 2014), Abel Barrera, the director of the Tlachinollan Human Rights Center, is quoted as stating that 2015 will undoubtedly be “a time of greater social crispación” (tension; agitation; ugliness), and such a time will represent “a tenebrosa scenario” (dismal; gloomy; dark; sinister) for the defenders of human rights. Everyone knows that the violence and the killings and disappearances of people will continue in 2015. I had lunch the other day with Abel, his wife, and his 83-year-old father, and his father was begging—well, it was almost ordering—his son to quit the struggle. I know Abel well; he has no more intention of giving up the struggle than Jesus of Nazareth had two thousand years ago.

Abel Barrera, one of the most respected and beloved (by the poor) supporters of the
indigenous peoples of the Mountain

So, my friends, please pray for the people of the mountains of Mexico in 2015, and please support “Mission Mexico” if you can. Forgive me for mentioning the “dark side” of the context in the mountains of Guerrero. I assure you that there is a “light side,” and “Mission Mexico” is a respected and important partner in that “light side”: I promise to share more of that "light side" in 2015. Solidarity is so very important. Thank you for what you have done in the past; please do what you can in the future. Have a wonderful 2015.

Two of my best friends: Baltazar and his sister Antonieta
(they wish all of you a Happy New Year too)

Celebrating Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Mountains

There is no doubt but that the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe is one of the major events of the year in the villages of the mountains of Guerrero.

Altar dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Cathedral of Tlapa

Over 5,000 (mostly) young people from hundreds of villages and towns in the Diocese of Tlapa travel to Mexico City during the days leading up to the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12. Then, on December 8 or 9 or 10 (depending on the distance), they begin a relay run from the Shrine of our Lady of Guadalupe (located in Mexico City) back to their village, carrying a torch that was lit at the shrine itself. The runners tend to space themselves out at intervals of a hundred meters or so; after they pass on the torch, they are picked up by a truck and driven to the front of the line again.

One relay runner passing the torch to another on the way to Tototepec

Upon arrival in their village on December 12, the runners are received like royal dignitaries, with fireworks, confetti, flowers, music bands, processions, and a religious ceremony in the church. Everyone wants to light a candle from the torch that has come directly from the shrine in Mexico City.

One relay runner passing the torch to another on the way to Tototepec

Most of the villages organize a retreat in early December for the runners who will be participating in the relay run. Since I teach Scripture at the diocesan seminary, I was invited to speak with the young people in several villages about Mary in the Bible.

A runner from Atlamalcingo del Rio

Besides just sharing information about Mary in the gospels (and her one appearance in the Acts of the Apostles), I invited the participants to reflect on what it means to them to participate in this particular “devotion” to Mary. At the wedding feast at Cana, Mary invited the servants to do what her son asked of them. In the Magnificat, Mary refers to the humbling of the proud and the filling up of the hungry. What might it mean to us today in the mountains to have a devotion toward such a woman?

An all-male group from Tlapa praying for peace and a "better Tlapa"

In the Nican Mopohua, the 16^th-century document in Nahuatl that refers to the appearance of Mary to the indigenous Mexican Juan Diego in 1531, Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe, tells Juan Diego that she wants a church built among the conquered, impoverished indigenous people so that “there I will listen to their weeping, their sadness, to remedy, to cleanse and nurse all their different troubles, their miseries, their suffering.” What might those words mean today? Are we invited today to participate in this same mission?

Azucena and her son Robert running toward Tototepec

I also asked the runners what they intended to think about while they were standing by the side of the road waiting to receive the torch or what they intended to think about while carrying the torch. I remember quoting on a few occasions Rabbi Abraham Heschel’s quote in God in Search of Man [sic] that “awareness of the divine begins with wonder,” and Catholic philosopher John Caputo’s quote in The Insistence of God that “if the name of God is not causing us a great deal of difficulty, it is not God we are talking about.” What might these thinkers have meant; how might that impact our experience during the relay run?

An all-female group from Tlapa

Finally, I invited the runners to share about what their hopes were in terms of this relay run. What difference did they hope it would make in their own lives? What difference did they hope it would make in the village’s life? Would the Mary of the Bible—who is Our Lady of Guadalupe—hope that the flame of the torch might “image” a flame in our hearts that would not soon burn out?

The Guadalupan group for 2014 from Tototepec

It was an honour and a blessing to have this time with the relay runners. I think they enjoyed the interaction during the retreat, and I hope that the interaction helped them to experience their devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe in a profound way. I know it has helped me.

Misery Loves Company—Doesn't It?

Several times in my life I’ve heard the expression “Misery loves company,” and I think I’ve always interpreted it as suggesting that unhappy people like other people to be unhappy too—which sounds like not too nice an attitude to have. But now I’m not so sure.

People lining up (sort of) to register for the assembly of Delegates of the Word

On the weekend I attended an assembly of the Delegates of the Word from the 26 villages that make up the parish of Xochitepec (several catechists came along to learn too). A “Delegate of the Word’ is the spiritual/religious “leader” in each of the villages; he or she coordinates activities such as prayers for the sick or deceased, paraliturgical services on certain days, religious education for children, pre-sacramental talks for parents and sponsors, ceremonies requesting rain, etc. The Delegate is chosen by the village in an assembly and is an important figure in the village life.

Father Juan addressing the assembly of Delegates and catechists

As the Delegates spoke about their role in their communities and what they think they need in order to exercise that role more effectively, I was struck by what one gentleman said about his service to his community. Basically, he said the following:

“In my village, when someone is ill, I pray for that person. I would love to be able to say to the sick person, ‘Here, take this money to buy medicine or to travel to a town where there is a doctor.’ But there is no way I can. I pray for the sick person, but I think that it is my presence and my accompaniment with the family that makes the biggest difference. The fact that they know that they are not alone makes a huge difference to them.”

One small group of Delegates preparing to report to the assembly

Maybe misery loves company, but true Christians love being that company to people in misery. That accompaniment is one element of Mission Mexico’s ministry in Mexico. We want to make a difference on a material level, but we try to respond to people’s needs at all levels—as did Jesus of Nazareth. And just "being there" with and for the other can make a difference.

Father Hector coordinating one of the sessions during the assembly

In an article in the July 2011 edition of Foreign Affairs, Paul Farmer states the following:

"Accompaniment" is an elastic term. It has a basic, everyday meaning. To accompany someone is to go somewhere with him or her, to break bread together, to be present on a journey with a beginning and an end. There's an element of mystery, of openness, of trust, in accompaniment. The companion, the accompagnateur, says: "I'll go with you and support you on your journey wherever it leads; I'll share your fate for a while. And by 'a while,' I don't mean a little while." Accompaniment is about sticking with a task until it's deemed completed, not by the accompagnateur but by the person being accompanied.

Some of the participants during morning prayer on Saturday (in front of statue of St. Mark)

In the “History” section of Mission Mexico on its website, Father Fred Monk, founding director, writes that one of my roles here  is “to offer hands-on assistance and the solace of presence, love, solidarity and the gospel message to the people served by Mission Mexico.” I am grateful to my wonderful mentors and teachers—such as the Delegates of the Word—who guide me in this effort. And I am grateful to all the supporters of Mission Mexico who make this service possible. God bless.

Mike with some children from the local music group in Xochitepec

No Peace for the Government

This is definitely a “unique” time to be in the mountains of Mexico. The killing of three students from the rural teachers college in Ayotzinapa and the disappearance of forty-three of their companions on September 26 has enraged and mobilized people not only in this state of Guerrero but people from all over the country. The common theme of these protests is, as can be seen in the photo below, “If there is no justice for the people, let there be no peace for the government.”

This sign outside a junior high school in Axoxuca reads: "Ayotzi lives!! If there is no justice
for the people, let there be no peace for the government."

Different government offices have been blocked, ransacked, or damaged. The mayor’s office in Tlapa has been “occupied” for several weeks now. Different schools and colleges are closed; roads are blocked; there are protest marches almost every other day. And it looks like the protests will continue for some time.

The mayor's office and other city offices are closed in Tlapa

Three men are in jail who claim that they were part of the gang who killed and burned the forty-three students. But so many people distrust the security forces and the government that they demand proof of this. In the search for the students, more than ten unmarked graves were found, with more than sixty bodies in them, but none of those bodies have yet been identified as one of the students. So the protest continues.

These children haven't had school for two months now...and no end in sight

The Tlachinollan Human Rights Center of the Mountain (which has been a partner with Mission Mexico for many years) is the principal legal representative for the families of the forty-three missing students. Both the director, Abel Barrera (who has been to Calgary several times), and the main lawyer, Bidulfo Rosales (who had to spend time out of the country last year because of so many death threats against him), have been very, very busy lately. I had breakfast with Abel on Sunday morning; he had just returned from a quick trip to the offices of Amnesty International in Germany.

Abel Barrera, internationally recognized human rights activist

Bidulfo Rosales, main legal representative for family of the 43 disappeared students

At the same time that these struggles continue, life continues in many ways. The rainy season is drawing to a close. Families have been gathering their corn crops and putting the cobs out to dry. Then the kernels are removed from the cob and saved in large bags—and the hope is that there is enough to last until the next harvest.

One family in Tres Caminos drying their corn of many colors

And I was on the road a lot lately. I was in Yosondacua to deliver many bags of threads to a sewing coop for women. I was in Copanatoyac for a retreat for over 230 young people from that parish. I was in Xochitepec with Fathers Juan and Hector as they (along with their volunteer team of five young Mexicans from different places in the country) were preparing simple catechisms in the native me’phaa language for the twenty-six villages in the parish.

Distributing threads to women's sewing coop in Yosondacua

The cover for the catechism in the parish of Xochitepec; the me'phaa title means
"We Follow the Way of Jesus."

Of course, there is such a thing as overdoing it (especially since I’m not a kid anymore), and I did spend the last couple of days sick in bed. But the rest did it, and I’m on the go again.

I won the contest: my feet were the cleanest.

Thanks to everyone supporting Mission Mexico. Every little bit of solidarity is a huge spark of encouragement to the people, and the hope that is nourished is a big factor in continuing the struggle for a more just and dignified life here. God bless.

Mari, Baltazar, Gaudencio, and Eleuteria in Xochitepec

Celebrating Easter in November

Father Juan’s face lit up as he talked about his visits—walking—to many villages in the parish of Xochitepec during the week leading up to the Day of the Dead. He went to many homes and to many “graveyards”—although he was quick to point out that the people never use the word “cemetery”; it’s always campo santo (“holy field” or “holy ground”).

The altar and ofrendas in the home of Delfina and Tomás in Agua Fría

What struck him the most, Juan said, was the realization as he was walking along that, for the indigenous people here, this is Easter! This is the celebration of life after death; this is the certainty that the dead really do accompany their families during this special time of year.

The altar and ofrendas in the home of Guadalupe and Simón in Xochitepec

So the families visit the campos santos, and they set up in their homes an altar for their deceased family members. On the altar are placed ofrendas (food and drink for the journey; life is changed, not ended), velas (candles, so the dead can find their way), cempoalxochitl (a special flower symbolizing beauty, virtue, and truth), pan de los muertos (special bread made in the shape of a human being), and copal (incense, symbolizing the sharing of one’s life with the people). A bamboo arch often goes above the altar; this makes the altar a kind of home (“come in and stay with us”); at the same time, the fact that the arch is a half-circle symbolizes that our time on earth is only a part of the journey of life; the rest—and the best—is yet to come.

These altars are not designed just for the family’s deceased; an arc of cempoalxochitl flowers is placed over the doorway or a trail of such flowers is placed on the ground outside the house, letting those deceased persons who are forgotten or who have no family know that they are invited to enter and be a part of this family.

The doorway to Delfina and Simon's house in Xochitepec

This year was special in one main way. The forty-three young men from the teachers college in Ayotzinapa who have been missing (after being taken away by police in Iguala) since September 26 were in many hearts and minds. In the village of Aguatordillo, forty-three families agreed ahead-of-time to include an extra candle on their altars. Other families found other ways to express solidarity with these young men and their families.

Everyone knows that the "For the 43" refers to the 43 students "disappeared" on September 26

Lighting candles for these young men doesn’t mean that people have lost hope that they be found alive. That hope lives on—nourished by many actions of solidarity: demonstrations, prayer vigils, collections, work stoppages, blocking of roads, etc. The candles symbolize the fact that these young men are part of a larger family. One story I heard was that a child asked his father, “Where is Ayotzinapa?” The father helped the boy place his hand over his heart as he responded, “Ayotzinapa is here.”

The altar at Edith's home in Zitlaltepec

It is a blessing to live among these beautiful people. This celebration of the Day of the Dead is not artificial or a “tourist attraction” for the people. This is life—life lived with God and with the deceased. For example, the second photo above of the altar was taken in the house of Simón and Guadalupe; besides their six children, I doubt that anyone else in the world—other than the dead visitors—saw this altar. Three children invited me to their home for breakfast that morning; that’s the only reason I saw their altar.

Saúl and Sara and Gaudencio (being carried) leading me to breakfast

Of course, the sad part of visiting altars in homes in different villages is to witness the poverty of the people (an example is the barefoot children in the previous photo). Offering me an egg (accompanied by coffee) made for a special breakfast in Xochitepec; offering me a bowl of rice (accompanied by water) made for a special dinner in Agua Fría. And, of course, both dishes were eaten with fingers and tortillas—no forks or knives or spoons. I am grateful to all of the supporters of Mission Mexico for your solidarity with our efforts to bring more light and life to this impoverished part of the world. God bless you.

Walking with Tomás to his house in Agua Fría (it's circled in the background)

The Worst of Times, The Best of Times

It wouldn’t be hard to find evidence that this is one of the worst times for many families in the mountains of Guerrero. It is almost a month since forty-three students from the rural teachers college in Ayotzinapa were “disappeared”: no one is still sure if they are alive or dead. The search goes on. 

One of the many posters requesting information about these students' whereabouts

And in Tlapa three young women from different schools were “disappeared” last week. One of the students was later found: she had been sexually assaulted, murdered, and dumped in an empty field. The search is still on for the other two young women.

A classroom in one of Tlapa's junior high schools

But good things are happening too. Indeed, great things, I daresay. Mission Mexico has been supporting the Champagnat High School of the Mountain in Potoichan since its beginnings ten years ago. The Marist Brothers (a religious congregation here in Mexico) that operate the school are doing an incredible job with the 244 students. The students will be going home tomorrow for a “Day of the Dead” break, and when they return, they will begin participating in “community service” in the poor villages around their school. This service will involve many tasks: religious education with the children; remedial education with children; literacy or sewing or embroidery classes with women; painting or maintenance work in schools or churches; etc. It’s one way that the students “pay forward” the assistance they receive from groups like the Marist Brothers and Mission Mexico.

A list of the groups from the high school who will offer services in different villages

Since the Day of the Dead is approaching (November 1), students from the three native cultures (na savi, me phaa, nahuatl) of the Mountain prepared altars in the school for the deceased. Students from each of the cultures then explained to other students and teachers (and to me) many details about the way their culture celebrates the Day of the Dead. It was amazing to learn many details about the understandings of this tradition in the different villages of the Mountain.

This altar from the nahuatl culture has different levels; the ground level is for the "lost souls"
who have no one to remember them; the foods are for the dead who come to share with their families

Students from the na savi culture explain their Day of the Dead altar; the photo on the
altar belongs to Brother Manuel, former director of the school

And the actual hands-on training in welding at the high school workshop will get underway after the students return from their break (on November 3). This workshop, called “Alex’ s Welding Shop,” was started with funds donated in the memory of Alex Graf, a 20-year-old welding student at Medicine Hat College who was killed in a motor vehicle accident in February of 2014.

This Spanish sign states (in English): Alex's Welding Workshop

Before actually beginning hands-on classes, a Marist Brother named Checo came from Mexico City to help set up the workshop and to “prepare” the students. Brother Checo taught the students about electricity, about the uses of different pieces of equipment, and about the importance of cleanliness, orderliness, and safety in the work place. Together with Andrés, the school’s maintenance man, he organized the workshop.

Brother Checo helping to set up the welding workshop

The students are thrilled to have this opportunity to learn about welding. Undoubtedly, some students will make this their lifelong occupation. Others—even women—will be able to offer service in their communities. From here in the poorest part of Mexico, in the name of the students at the Champagnat High School, I want to thank Annette and Roy Graf, Alex’s parents, his brother, Daniel, and the family members and friends—especially people at McCoy High School—who are making possible this wonderful experience.

A student at the school praying the Our Father for the families of the
forty-three missing students from the Ayotzinapa rural teachers college

To close, I would like to encourage readers to read a recent article (October 23, 2014) by Cochrane Eagle columnist Warren Harbeck at Coffee with Warren. The article refers to the importance of education for girls. Mission Mexico’s support for the education project at the Champagnat High School—among many projects assisted by Mission Mexico—is helping young men and—especially—young women to imagine and achieve new hopes for their own lives and for the future of villages in this impoverished region. Thank you, Warren, for reminding us of the value of what is being done.

Huipi (which means "butterfly" in her language) and Margarita cleaning the shelves
in the welding workshop before storing tools