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Cutting distances, we
invited them to spend a few moments in these mountaneous
areas, telling them something of our missionary life.
An interesting chapter was our apostolic tours, since
the Mission is formed by twenty five small towns and
ranches spread out in the mountain range and very far
from each other.
A journey to
Zacatepec. At 7:30 in the morning, we began the
travel, passing by Zacatilihuic and going up until the
peak. At 10:00 am we arrived in the
ranches isolated by their heights... The loneliness, the
silence, the beauty of the scenery, elevate the spirit
in such manner that climbing the mountains leads one
more united to God, Creator of many beauty...
We went up singing more with the heart than
with the lips...there was time for all and also came turns of patriotic hymns.
Though we were very far from our
beloved Spain, we love her and sing with love...
Since we were in a very high
place,
a thick cloud covered everything; the sun could not dispel her...we could
not contemplate the
panorama, at forty meters, one could not make it out. It is a gift from God; the sun did
not bother us. At midday, we crossed one of the
narrow gorge that the natives call " voladeros " very
dangerous and darkened by the cloud. We were on
the mules for five hours and at 12:30pm we arrived in
Buena Vista.
We rested there for a little
while and took some drinks and we continued going down
until Mazatzongo; all these little towns form the parish.
As we were going around
the majestic mountains, the way was picturesque. This town leaves a deep
hole between Petlapa and Baravo rivers. We arrived at 3:20pm, gathered a flat stretch of wood to
get into an impressive ascent which was stony and
difficult to climb. It was an open trail in the mountain
slope. it seemed impossible that such height could be
climbed up...
Our companions
encouraged us to keep moving on...we asked them if we are near - with a phrase "
Near, at the back of the hill ..." and we went up until
we arrived at 6:30pm in Zacatepec. We were all
exhausted with no physical strength left, yet " the souls
waited for us "...after almost eleven hours of hard walk
we arrived at the goal... Its inhabitants were
happy. They received us with music, ringing of bells (
hanged in the trunk of the tree ) and a shower of petals.
The panorama was beautiful, as if to bless one and a
thousand times to the Maker of such beauty. By its
height, it seemed like a nest of eagles. We were
all exhausted but the desire to bring closer these souls
to Christ alleviate our exhaustion.
Good old women, as they
addressed their mothers, looked after us. Right after, we prayed the Holy Rosary and we had Catechism.
The religious ignorance in them was lamentable; hardly
they have an idea of the most elemental truths of our
faith. They only know one which is by natural law.
It´s not surprising, because a priest could only visit
them once or twice a year for a day or two. The
Parish was very extensive and besides, there are other
towns. They had received the Sacrament of Baptism,
but nobody of confirmation and confession and communion.
almost none. Only a few marriages. "
We wanted to know them all and teach them more about the
love of the Good Lord, but... What can we do in
two days ?"
The Chapel is the poorest
that one may imagine; the floor, made of soil, has many
holes, roof made of hay, walls made of trunks, with gaps
that one can go through in between trunks. Since it was
fiesta, they had covered the gaps with branches of "
tepexilote ". At Mass on the last day of the fiesta,
five pairs received the sacrament of Marriage and
received also the First Communion. Some old women
received Jesus for the first time. The number was
very scarce because they were not prepared, there is a big
hope in the children since they are intelligent and
speak Spanish; in exchange, few youth and ladies
understood us because they don't speak anything except the "
mazateco " dialect.
Nineteen children and another
ten who were a little bit older were made " sons of God "
by Baptism.
One curious
thing happened to us, which gave us something to ponder,
an idea they have about baptism: " One day, a worried
man arrived with a boy whom he wanted to be baptized
in secret and be the godfather, against the will of the
father. The would-be godfather told us that " if
he would not be baptized, when he turns two or three years
old, the boy, will become crazy, " loco "...and this is
the motive why he insisted that the boy would have to be
baptized.
Two days of stay and
we had to say goodbye to these good people with whom we
would desire to remain always, but they were waiting for
us in Mazatzongo. Here, we stayed for four days
only. At 6.00 a.m. in the morning, we had Rosary
of the Aurora, and then Holy Mass. In
the morning, we visited families in some houses; we did
not achieve to do that they understood us. Even
more they are not married in the Church and some have
two or three women and living together under one roof.
In the afternoon, we gave Catechism...
We found several
sick without any medical assistance nor medicines.
It left them no other solutions but to suffer and die.
With an extreme sentiment we had to leave
them. How we would desire to be able to remedy
their spiritual and corporal needs! We said goodbyes,
promising them to return soon. We spent four days
with them.
After a tour of nine days, we went back
to the house, where our sisters waited for us,
full of affection. Here also, we have enough work;
visit to the families, catechism, alphabetization. We work,
a vast work that the Lord entrusts to the Religious of
Mary Immaculate. In this trip, we have realized
various things; after which we could not continue
because of the rainy season in June, which made roads
impassable.
The Lord has given us
everything this year; sufferings mixed with a lot of
comforts that He keeps for His missionaries. Also,
there are other towns nearer to this that received His
blessings. His Excellency, the Bishop, invited us
in the month of April. We expected in Mazateopan,
another one of our towns, where we remained ten
days of mission, his arrival filled us with
unexplainable joy and it was a mutual sentiment ... He said... "
He was moved to see his missionaries among the people of
this mountain range... We remained with him there for
two days.
In May, We enjoyed very
much with the vist of our Provincial Superior; she
thought of being there for two days and the Lord gave us
a gift that we would be able to have her with us six
days more. She could not enter the light plane
because of the clouds. She saw the necessity of a
boarding School for girls and youth of the mission; once
formed, they would be in their towns and ranches, and
those who collaborate with us would help their siblings.
Right after, they sent us
the necessary materials to start the construction.
The work was very advance; With the strength of
sacrifice, everything would go in advance, thanks
to the Bishop, with his spiritual and material
help, to some generous persons that also
contributed, the priest together with the mayor and
neighbors rendered their service and above all, with the
" Providence of God" which is felt very much.
According to the plans, when this is finished, we will
have a Misión - House with a School, Boarding School
for one hundred girls and youth, Dispensary, etc.
Two Missionaries Teachers are helping us a lot, who form
part of the " Diocesan Missionary Team ", sent by His
Excellency, the Bishop; they are " true apostles ",
young ladies who are ready to work for Christ and for
the children of these mountains.
These ladies take care of
the classes where we have a hundred children at the
start of the school year. Have there been more
personnel, we could have taken more children. Well,
everybody in the mission wants to help in our school.
Without doubt this will be a magnificent labor of the
missionary apostolate. The children here will be formed
as good christians " later on, " as a yeast that
will ferment the dough "; our school, will be a
center of Christian irradiation, a place where the
children would come from their respective Communities,
wherein we find it quite difficult because of the
distance.
We have already 12 girls
and adolescents boarders; we started to prepare them as
Catechists; we desire, that at least two may come from
each barrio; we gave them a Formation Course as
Catechist Auxilliaries, and if it were possible, another
of Nursing, Alphabetization, etc. Though, we lacked a
lot, but one Lady Missionary who has done a course in
Medicine or at least was a nurse, is doing it; what a
manificent work could be done over here! They help us
with their prayers, we know very well that many
missionaries are with us. United, we will carry forward
this Mission that gives a lot of glory to God.
Since 1967 that it gave its first step in this Mexican
range, the Congregation is reaping fruits and efforts
and today, our work is a live and flourishing reality.
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