Mother Elizabeth Marie Visits CR

This week we welcomed the Rev. Elizabeth Marie Melchionna to Costa Rica. Elizabeth Marie came down to learn about the Diocese of Costa Rica, the congregation of Cristo Resucitado, and their new school and chapel site in Heredia. She also enjoyed meeting Bishop Monterroso and his wife Sandra, the Rev. Jorge Urrutia from Cristo Resucitado, and a happy host of children at Hogar Escuela in Barrio Cuba. This was E.M.’s opportunity to prepare for the upcoming process of planning St. Alban’s 2010 mission trip to help build the new Hogar Escuela for Heredia and the barrio of Guarari. Rather than orate any further on the joys of E.M.’s visit with us, I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. Have a good and peaceful week, and be sure to ask Mother Elizabeth Marie about her trip!

Add comment November 13, 2009

What would Jesus do?

We are just beginning to say goodbye to hurricane Ida this morning. There wasn’t much wind in San Jose, but we had a lot of rain. Flooding problems to the north and on the Pacific coast, high seas in the Caribbean. Pray for the folks in Nicaragua and Honduras, as they are expecting 30 inches of rain in some areas, and suffer greatly from mudslides during these storms.

Bishop Monterroso and I visited the congregation of Todos los Santos on Sunday to celebrate All Saints’ Day with them. The church is in a neighborhood called San Rafael Abajo on the outskirts of San Jose.  As its name implies, this area is lower in elevation than the rest of the city. This made for a very warm fiesta, with much fanning and brow-wiping. The best way to keep comfortable here is to go downhill to warm up, and go uphill to cool off.

The Bishop and staff are going full-tilt in preparation for the diocesan convention in Limon next week. We are also waxing the floors and washing the dog in anticipation of the arrival of Mother Elizabeth Marie and Peter Macon. The Rev. E. M. will spend several days learning about our sister congregation of Cristo Resucitado, the Guarari barrio and the new school and chapel project. Peter will be going over the school plans with the local architect and engineer before the plans are submitted for building permit review. This visit is an important step for St. Alban’s in planning for our 2010 Costa Rica mission trip.

I read in the paper this morning that the city government and police are spending today demolishing several neighborhoods of squatters’ homes on public spaces in San Jose. Officials had cleared these areas of tin-and-wood shacks in mid-September, but the people returned the following week and rebuilt them. Authorities plan to construct parks and recreation areas on the sites to prevent further problems.

My question is this: What happens to the people who tried to live in these places? It’s easy for me to put myself in the place of folks who have homes in neighborhoods near squatter communities. I understand about safety, protecting children and property values, because I have worried about all of that as a homeowner and parent. What is harder for me is to walk in the shoes of a man or woman who has to resort to building an illegal shed to live in, because I can afford nothing else. Or imagine raising a family in such a place. Or contemplate the prospect of doing the same thing over again in the same place or another, knowing the outcome will be the same. 

What would Jesus do? This worn-out question has become a cliche, a filler for tee shirts and bumper stickers. Many of us roll our eyes when we hear it, thinking of answers like ”Don’t say bad words,” or “Stay out of the back seat of parked cars at night.” We may not take seriously someone who would ask what we feel is such a lame question.

But what would Jesus do, if he were confronted with this concrete circumstance, in this particular place and time, involving these real people? Would Jesus put himself in this situation? If he did, how would he respond? One way to find out is to read about Jesus’ behavior in situations he encountered in the gospels. Another is to open ourselves to the reality of the human Jesus, let  ourselves be present in unsettling circumstances, and see what happens.

 

Add comment November 5, 2009

Tile one day, kinkajoo the next

Last week I traveled with a group from Holy Comforter, Charlotte, across the mountain to the village of Germania. We spent three days laying ceramic tile on the new parish hall and sacristy floors. We began our trip on Sunday by celebrating the patronal fiesta of San Lucas with the local congregation. Our tiling and grouting skills greatly improved during the week, and by the time we were done, we knew what we were doing. Mercifully, we had a couple of ace tilers guiding us.

The San Lucas folks threw a banquet for us on Wednesday night after work, serving a great variety of local dishes. All feasted away and had a grand time.  The lights went out just as the meal began, and I can assure you that it is pitch black in the jungle at night! Our hosts began singing hymns and clapping in the dark until candles were found and we continued our dining. Many friendships were formed that evening. One of the young girls proudly shared pictures of the six-foot-long poisonous serpent her daddy had killed in their yard. I made a mental note to stay out of the bushes and their yard.

We returned to San Jose on Thursday, then spent Friday visiting a local volcano and a waterfall park. Although the volcano’s crater was shrouded in clouds, we could hear the water boiling in the lake at its bottom. The waterfall area teems with hummingbirds, butterflies, monkeys, frogs, birds, and large, carnivorous cats. I was introduced to an interesting mammal called a kinkajoo, with large, very expressive eyes. It seemed to be intrigued by me (I’ve always been very intriguing), and rubbed its head like a cat on the cage next to me. Then it peed on my shoes. I made a mental note to be less intriguing in future.

This week I’m working on grant applications and trip planning. Will try to have a more exciting time, but without the snakes, cats, and kinkajoos.

1 comment October 29, 2009

Fiestas are HOT!!

I’m sitting in Restaurant Spoon up the road from my place, watching Costa Rica and the U. S. play their futbol game in Washington.  Ordinarily this is a quiet place, but tonight there is plenty of whooping and screaming. If Costa Rica wins, I won’t sleep tonight for the horns blowing out on the street. If the U. S. wins, I’ll have to stay in the house  tomorrow with the curtains drawn. (Costa Rica scores: pandemonium!)

On Sunday, the Bishop and I returned to Santiago Chapel in Estrada for their patronal feast of St. James. Santiago had been flooded several times by the Rio Chirripo since I was there last summer with the mission group from Emmanuel, Southern Pines (Costa Rica scores again: chaos!!). The churchyard appeared to have dried out well, but many truckloads of stone had to be dumped there so that equipment to back up to the new building without sinking out of sight. The first floor walls are finished and concrete is soon to be poured for the second floor. Hubert Maies, the layperson in charge, says that the first floor will serve as a parish hall for eleven months of the year and as a swimming pool during the other month. If I can channel what little geekitude I have, I’ll add some pictures.

These patronal feasts are a hoot! Communion and confirmation with the Bishop, followed by a big meal and party. Another great opportunity to extend my consecutive-days streak of rice and beans (I’ve lost count). These occasions remind me of parish dinners at home in St. Mary’s County, Maryland. If there is anyone you haven’ t seen in the last year, you’ll see them on this day (U. S. scores: grumbling).

The only down side to the day was the ferocious heat and humidity. Everyone present was soaking wet before the first hymn was sung.  I kept thinking that the clergy in their vestments would surely collapse. Instead, I began to unravel during the announcements. Just as things started to spin around me, I realized the vicar was introducing me as an honored guest. I kept it together long enough to mumble, “Muchas gracias,” praying hard that I wouldn’t hurl all over these kind and gracious people. I spied an empty seat in a pew, plopped down and put my head between my knees. The Lord was merciful and all ended well (U. S. scores again: groans).

St. Alban’s should consider holding its own saint’s day festival. Without the heat. I can’t remember when St. Alban’s day is, but I hope it’s in January.

Costa Rica and U. S. final score is 2-2, which I gather by the silence is as good as a win for the U.S. I’m going to creep home and close my curtains.

Add comment October 15, 2009

Proddings of the Spirit

I had a grand week at home! Costa Rica is a great place to be, but it’s still nice to spend some time in my own casa with my familia. Caught up on the local news, visited with good friends, and spent a lot of time bonding with Nigel, our new dachshund. He’s three years old, long-haired and a real cutie.

Sunday morning I presented the plans for the new Hogar Escuela and Cristo Resucitado building to the  St. Alban’s congregation during adult education. We received many helpful comments and good questions, and these will be passed along to the architect and engineer. Once the plans are finalized, the permit process will begin. We’re hoping to begin construction as soon as the permits are received. Then St. Alban’s can begin sending mission groups to Heredia to help with building, yard work, and whatever else needs to be done.

Please begin checking your 2010 schedules to plan some time to share with us in Costa Rica. Mission trips usually last one week, including a day or two for recreation. The individual cost for a trip is about $1500, which includes air fare, lodging, meals, ground transportation, and tours. Work projects include carpentry, plastering, painting, yard planting, depending on when you arrive. Once the building is completed, we will work with the Heredia congregation to furnish the school and chapel, and ready everything for the first students.

I’ve returned to a busy schedule! Holy Comforter, Charlotte, arrives on October 17th for a week of work on a parish hall at San Lucas Church in Germania. Several other North Carolina congregations are planning winter mission trips, and I’ve received requests from a couple more to explore ways in which they can begin Costa Rican ministries. St. Alban’s new associate rector, the Rev. Elizabeth Marie Melchionna, will visit us soon to acquaint herself with our work here in preparation for mission trip planning.

The Holy Spirit is busy poking and prodding, encouraging all of us to look and listen for new ways to serve our sisters and brothers.  She also gives us the strength to respond with our skills and resources to make a difference while we help make disciples. Keep awake, be aware, and join us.

Add comment October 7, 2009

Our Burning Bush

This time next week I’ll be home in Davidson! This is my opportunity to have some family time, meet my new dog, visit with my friends, and share the plans for the new Hogar Escuela in Heredia with St. Alban’s. And also to shave and do laundry with hot water.

Here are some tidbits about Hogar Escuela. The Spanish name literally means “home school.” The term has a different meaning in Costa Rica than the one we are familiar with in the States. Hogar Escuela is a school which provides a home away from home for the children who will attend it. Many of them would otherwise be left alone in their homes while their parents work, or be out on the streets with all the risks that brings. Students will receive meals at school, attend pre-school classes or receive tutoring, learn to use computers, share in moral and spiritual formation, and enjoy physical exercise. Many of their mothers will also have the opportunity to learn computer skills which we hope will open the door to better employment for them.

When the first phase of construction is completed, the congregation of Cristo Resucitado will move from its rented apartment above the locksmith into the new chapel. This enables them to share the school site with their primary outreach ministry. The school will be less than a mile from Guarari, the barrio which is home to the children they are committed to serve.

The plans show a building in two sections, connected by a covered walkway. The rear section contains the school classrooms and multi-use chapel space, while the office, computer lab, and kitchen and dining facilities are located in the front area. Construction will be earthquake-resistant concrete and block, with a metal roof. There are two classrooms planned for the first phase of construction, each with a capacity for twenty-four children. When the structure is completely built out, the school will be able to accommodate up to 150 children. The chapel is designed to accommodate at least 35 worshippers.

The first phase of construction, which will begin as soon as the necessary permits are obtained, contains 2906 square feet of building space. This work will  be completed by next summer, when the school will open and the congregation will move in. The total area of the completed building will be 4090 square feet.

You will have an opportunity to see the site plan and architect’s drawings, and receive information about the projected costs and our plans for funding them, at a presentation I’ll be giving in the nave during the adult education hour between the services on Sunday morning, October 4th. Once we have a concrete vision of the finished school and chapel, we’ll be able to begin planning our mission trips to help in the construction process. There will be plenty of work for carpenters, plasterers, painters, gardeners and anyone else who’s willing to help. If you don’t have these skills, don’t worry. I’ve spent all summer watching adults and youth learn them and do them well at Diocesan House. You will be transformed when you come to work in Costa Rica. Please come to learn about this call from the Holy Spirit at 9:00 on October 4th.

God tells Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 3 that he has heard the cries of his people in Egypt, and he has come to help them. God’s children in Guarari cry out for help today, and God comes now to help them. The Lord tells us the same thing he told Moses: “Go down there now and confront injustice, and lead my people out from there.” Now we must choose how we will respond.

Add comment September 24, 2009

Bingo, a Birthday, and Building Plans

This weekend the Bishop and I made a pastoral visit to Santa Cruz in Guacimo, on the road to the Caribbean, for their feast day. Almost fifty people attended Eucharist. After church we gathered in the parish hall for dinner and a no-holds-barred bingo tournament.  Bishop Monterroso won an iron. The temperature was in the high nineties, humidity likewise. When I was a kid, everyone carried fans to church. In Costa Rica they bring towels and washrags. You can bet I’ll have mine with me next time!

Tuesday the 15th was Independence Day in Costa Rica. On Monday evening I went to the local school and watched the kids parade around the block. They dress up and carry boxes with lights in them, to the accompaniment of a student drum corps which pounds away like there’s no tomorrow. Add fireworks, church bells, a huge crowd of spectators, and the normal flow of traffic, all packed into the same street, and you have quiet an adventure. I had great fun.

On Tuesday I took the bus downtown to the Mother of All Celebrations. The streets were closed to traffic, and completely filled with a prodigious crowd of happy Costa Ricans. Much more marching, drumming and flag waving. We were all jammed together tighter than the passengers on a Tokyo subway train. I haven’t felt that hemmed-in since I saw Paul McCartney at RFK stadium in DC. Afterward I went home and took a nap.

I’ll be coming home to Davidson for a week on September 29th. I’m bringing the site plan and architect’s drawings for the new Hogar Escuela in Heredia. We will give a presentation on this project during adult education in the nave on Sunday, October 4th. Please come, this will be your opportunity to learn about the work St. Alban’s shares with our sisters and brothers in Heredia to provide day care and education to the children of Guarari barrio and their mothers. We’ll also discuss the cost of the project and specific ways for St. Alban’s members to participate. This will help us plan our mission trips to Heredia and our construction work. See you on the 4th!

1 comment September 17, 2009

Gracias!

Things are fairly peaceful here this week. I’m starting to work on some grant possibilities for funding our Heredia school project and other needs. Mercifully, I have some offers of help, since I’m learning this by doing.

We had an earthquake the other night, in the southeastern part of the country. Not anything major, but enough to get my bed shaking. No reports of damage.

One of the folks I met in Panama last week was Julio Rivera, a priest from El Salvador. His parish is located in an area which is a ‘border’ between rival gangs. After he returned home he hosted a medical mission group from Houston at his church. While they were holding a clinic, some members of MS13 (the same group we have in Charlotte) broke in and shot dead one of the parishioners in front of the medical team. This is a sad reminder that discipleship does have its costs. I remember Julio telling me, “The Bible is a dangerous book, very dangerous.”

Now it’s time to say thank you to all of you who have been sending me emails and notes on facebook and this blog. While I am living in a tropical paradise, it is still very good to receive messages from home, from one’s friends. You give me energy and peace to keep doing the work I was sent here to do. I wish all of you could have this opportunity.

Here is an opportunity for one of you: The Diocese of Costa Rica needs to create its own webpage and maintain it. We have a lot of information to get out to members of the Diocese as well as folks in North Carolina and the rest of the world. If you have the skills and the time to use them in helping us get a webpage started, or know someone who does, please let me know. This might be something that could be done from your home or office in NC, but it’s also a great chance to enjoy our balmy climate in San Jose. Think about it.

Have a peaceful week.

1 comment September 9, 2009

The Parable of the Fellow Made of Salt

I found this story the other day in a book by Leonardo Boff, and thought I would pass it along to you. Hope your week is a good one.

The Parable of the Fellow Made of Salt

There once was a man made of salt who, after journeying across arid deserts, came to the sea, which he had never seen before, and which he could not comprehend. He questioned the sea:
“Who are you?”
The sea responded:
 “I am the sea!”
“And what is the sea?”
“I’m me!”
“I don’t understand,” said the salty fellow, “and I would like very much to understand…How can I?”
“Touch me!”
Then the fellow made of salt timidly touched the sea with the tips of his toes…and perceived that he was beginning to comprehend. But then he fell back and cried out:
“Look! The tips of my toes have disappeared! What have you done to me, sea?”
The sea answered:
“I’ve taken what you gave me, so that you can know me.”
And the man of salt began to wade into the sea little by little, solemnly and slowly, like someone performing the most important act of his life. As he entered the sea, he started dissolving, and then he began to comprehend what the sea was. The fellow repeated his question to himself: “What is the sea?” Just then a wave swallowed him. And he, in that moment of being totally dissolved in the sea, cried: “It’s me!”

Add comment September 2, 2009

Down in Panama

I’m down in Panama this week, attending the Central American House of Bishops meeting with Bishop Monterroso. I’ll be meeting with the bishops about Disciple Bible Study, in which they are very interested. There may be a good possibility of getting the program started in Panama and El Salvador, maybe some other dioceses. Prayers will be gratefully accepted.

Panama City is quite a metropolis, with lots more skyscrapers than Atlanta and many more banks than Charlotte. It also has its share of shantytowns. I’m staying at the diocesan house here, thankfully with a good ceiling fan. This place makes New Orleans look puny when it comes to heat and humidity. The cathedral in Panama is the old Canal Zone church.

Took a tour of the canal with a wonderful Panamanian priest who has parishioners working there. I got to sneak around in places where most visitors can’t go. Toured the museum and watched a ship go through the locks. It’s truly an engineering masterpiece.

I visited the oldest Episcopal church in Panama today. San Lucas is located in an old neighborhood which is on the decline. Sewage runs in the streets and a XXX theater occupies the nearest corner. The congregation consists mainly of English-speaking folks of Jamaican origin, who are older and have moved away from the neighborhood. The parish struggles with finding a new identity of service to their Spanish-speaking neighbors. Like St. Alban’s, San Lucas continues to discern its calling in a changing environment.

My daughter Mary Clare and grandson Lucas visited last week. After wandering about San Jose for a couple of days, we traveled to Arenal Volcano and stayed at a nice hotel which had great views–probably will be too close for comfort some day. The mountain behaved fairly well while we were there, occasionally burping and sending huge red-hot rocks rolling down the slopes. We were supposed to visit a tropical frog exhibit as well, but got lost and decided to return to San Jose. It’s really refreshing to have family visit, even if some of them have a lot more energy than I ever did.

That’s all for now. Hope you have a peaceful week where you are.

Add comment August 25, 2009

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