Assignment in Guatemala
On Tuesday, November 11th, 2003, Father McSherry was invited to speak at the
National Council of Catholic Women's meeting about his assignment in Guatemala.
Pamela Kennedy, thank you, for your gracious invitation to speak with you all today.
Thank all of you for coming. I hope I can respond to your request for information about the Mission in Santiago Atitlan, Solola Guatemala.
Pamela asked me to deal with, answer three questions.
First:
What is my personal perspective on the work that needs to be done in Guatemala?
Second:
How has the National Council of Catholic Women helped in the past in Guatemala?
Third:
Can you all "pass the can" for Christmas presents for the children in Guatemala?
Let me answer the last and easiest question first.
Yes you may "pass the can".
Please pass the can "early and often".
Madlyn Bui, in the Business Office upstairs, deposits gifts in the Mission Account.
She diligently communicates the intention of the donors to the Parish Staff in Santiago Atitlan.
The Parish staff diligently uses the money as the donors ask.
Your generosity is touching, admirable, constant and vitally important. I thank you for your care for others.
If Pearl Sullens or Mary Tinker is here they are not surprised by my answer.
This leads me to the answer to the Second Question. How has the NCCW helped in Santiago Atitlan in the past?
It strikes me that there are essentially three ways Christians help each other.
We pray for each other.
We share our time and talents.
We share our treasure.
I have often been moved by people telling me how they always prayed for me while I was in Guatemala.
My response is usually the following.
"Thank you very much. Please keep praying for me!"
I am deeply appreciative of the NCCW's prayers.
Please keep praying for me, for the Mission, for others.
Organizations like the NCCW are really made up of people.
I think Mary and Joe Tinker demonstrated how time and talent could be given at the Mission in Santiago.
I think Mary and Joe helped me understand on my first visit to Guatemala in July of 1983 that being a Missionary was about giving of self and not about education or linguistic ability.
I was, by default, a translator during our visit to the Mission.
I was taken by the bouillabaisse, the rich and varied savors of the soup that was made up of the people, languages, place, cultures, art, natural beauty of the Mission at Santiago Atitlan.
The NCCW has been very generous in helping to put the Scriptures in the indigenous language in the hands of the people of Santiago Atitlan.
A project that Father Rother worked on was the "The New Testament in Tzutuhil." When I arrived in Santiago Atitlan in the Fall of 1984 the New Testament had been translated into Tzutuhil.
Tzutuhil is the Mayan language spoken in Santiago Atitlan.
The New Testament project however had not been typeset and published.
The publication of the New Testament was a rather involved process.
Money had been set given to someone to have the New Testament typeset and published.
I diligently pursued the typesetter and publisher asking when the New Testament would be ready.
At this point let me tell a story.
Mike and Jose were talking. Jose asked Mike,
"Mike in Spanish we have a word "manana". It means "later, tomorrow, some time in the future".
Do you have a word like that in Gaelic, the Irish language??
Mike thought and said, "Jose, we don't have a word with that same sense of urgency."
It took me about three years to figure out what "manana," in the case of the Tzutuhil New Testament, meant.
"Manana" means "tomorrow" literally.
It really meant in this case "not today, not tomorrow and not until a certain place freezes over."
Those of you who have the fortune or misfortune of knowing me well know I am persistent, opinionated, a little crazy and can be very stubborn.
I knew this was not "fair."
Good money had been spent and there was nothing but excuses and frustration to show for it.
I did not know what to do.
At about this time I was contacted by Mary Tinker.
She said the NCCW was helping buy bibles for Russians.
She wanted to know if I wanted to buy some bibles for the Parish in Santiago.
I explained to Mary I did not only want to buy bibles I first wanted to publish the New Testament in Tzutuhil.
Mary assured me that you could do it.
You did!
We did.
In a grand three hour mass one July 28 we remembered Father Rother, received, blessed and distributed the New Testaments.
How can I begin to say "Thank You" enough?
How much is the "Word of God" worth?
What effect does it have?
Why would Father Rother give his life for the "Word?"
Why would someone be killed for among other things translating the "Word?"
I can't answer these questions.
I don't think you can answer these questions.
There are some questions only God can answer.
The things you did include but are not limited to republishing the book
"PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE."
You helped translate and publish the book
"THE SHEPHERD CANNOT RUN", the letters of Father Rother, in Spanish.
The Spanish edition "EL PASTOR NO DEBE HUIR" sold out and has been republished.
You have helped by your Lenten "cans" that are placed in Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese.
This helps our children help the children of Santiago Atitlan.
This helps our children learn sharing, church, sacrifice, care.
When you individually or as families or parishes give to the Archdiocesan Development Fund you "help."
Pearl and Mary can probably tell you about things that you all have done that do not come to my mind today
Thank you for your help.
Finally you have asked:
What is my personal perspective on the work that needs to be done in Guatemala?
Let me tell you a little about my "personal" experience.
My father was alive when I was found out I was being assigned to Guatemala.
My father knew about Father Rother being murdered there.
I called my Father to tell him about my "new job."
The conversation went like this.
Hello.
Dad?
Yes.
This is Tom.
I am going to work in Guatemala.
(There was a long pause ).
I heard that and (pause) I thought you were more intelligent than that.
My father was concerned, I suppose, that I might get myself killed, might get uppity, might think I was the first and only priest who ever did anything interesting, dangerous or generous.
As it turned out my father went with me to see the Mission.
He was taken by the people's simplicity of life, hard work in their fields and obviously deep faith.
Personally I believe it is important that we as a church, as an Archdiocese, as Parishes and organizations like the
NCCW continue our work with Missions including the Mission in Santiago Atitlan.
The social, economic, political reality of a place like Santiago Atitlan is very complicated.
Our contributions, our participation, our help must be offered in respectful and responsible ways.
My priorities as a priest, pastor in any work have to do with sharing the word, with making the sacrament, Christ, making the sacraments of Christ accessible.
If the word is taken seriously, if it strikes a responsive chord in my heart and the hearts of others we are moved to "mission."
If the word is taken seriously, we are unable to close our eyes, heart, church to the sick, hungry, naked, thirsty, imprisoned.
If the word is taken seriously, we need to do what we can to provide for others.
In Santiago Atitlan, the Catholic Church has a four hundred and fifty year tradition of providing access to the Sacrament (Christ) and the Sacraments.
Oklahoma Catholics have had a proud share in that work since 1964.
The Church has always helped in one form or another with education, medicine, housing, employment, nutrition, land.
I believe we need to keep at being church, at being faithful, at being helpful to our sisters and brothers in Santiago Atitlan.
Again Thank You. Mil Veces Gracias, Meltiox Cha We.
If there is time I would be happy to take some questions.
If you have comments or suggestions, please send it to info@stpatrickokc.org.