Christmas in Our New Chapel

Thanks be to God and many generous benefactors, our Chapel of the Holy Family is more or less complete, and we will begin using it starting with the Christmas Eve Mass. Many of the children are away for a couple of weeks, spending time with an aunt or uncle, or with an older brother or sister. But those of us here will gather this evening at 6pm for the inaugural Mass. On January 8th, the bishop will come to formally consecrate the chapel and the altar, and administer the sacrament of Confirmation and First Communion to those children who have prepared. I will post more pictures from that Mass, but wanted to publish a few today so that you can see how the chapel will look its first day of use. 

High School Graduation for "Desconocido Desconocido"

The school year here runs from January to October, which means we have entered the season of graduation from Bachillerato- the Guatemalan version of high school. Because only a small percentage of  Guatemalans attend university, Bachillerato is a terminal degree for most. It follows the 6 years spent in “Primaria” and 3 in “Básico.” In addition to the usual high school curriculum of math, science, language, etc, the “Bachilleres” of Guatemala choose a career focus, like a college major, which offers the vocational training they will need when looking for a job. Individual Bachllerato schools offer a limited number of majors, so our high school kids are spread out over many different schools in Chimaltenango, San Lucas and Antigua. Some have sponsors from the US, Canada or Europe who pay for their “ahijado” to study at a more elite private school. But most are limited to the majors available at the free public schools. These majors include: auto mechanic, secretary, technical drawing, teacher, electrician, physical education, arts and sciences, computer science… To be sure, their high school major does not mean that they cannot choose something else to study if they attend the university studies.  

Because of these various “majors,” our Pequeños attend eight or nine different Bachilleratos. This means eight or nine different graduation ceremonies. I facetiously offer the graduates a “bribe” of 100 Quetzales ($12, but a lot to them) to any willing to excuse me from attending their graduation. Anyone who has been to a high school graduation in the States knows how brutal these can be. They are even tougher here: The Guatemalan flag is brought in, accompanied by a group salute and its special song. That is followed by the singing of the National Anthem (all twelve stanzas), directed by a student in front who tries to wave his arms in sync with the recorded music. Then the graduates process in with their parents, called individually by name, and accompanied by loud music. In fact, a recorded soundtrack accompanies everything, including the interminable speeches by faculty and students. Several hours later the graduates leave the stage, diplomas in hand. I also exit, doing my best to cope with the headache brought on by two-plus hours of audio volume turned up so loud that I fear my hearing has been damaged.

Jose Antonio was one of the graduates this year. He presented me with one of the eight tickets allocated to each graduate of his school and asked me to attend. I thanked him and did my best to smile politely, making peace with the fact that I would lose half a day sitting through yet another one of these events. The reality is that this is a huge deal for the graduates. Especially for our kids, who very rarely are celebrated as individuals, graduation is a rare moment to shine. Individual birthdays are not recognized or celebrated here (some kids do not even know when their birthday is), and the only real accomplishments that seem to get much notice are successes on the soccer field. And so walking down the aisle, hearing their name announced over the amplifier, is indeed a proud moment. And having a few people in the audience present to witness this means a lot. All of the other graduates are accompanied by their parents as they process in. Ours, for obvious reasons, are usually not. But the graduating Pequeños ask people from NPH to assume the role of parents for this event.

People in many Latin American countries, including Guatemala, generally have two last names. The first is their primary last name, and comes from their father. The second is the maiden name of their mother. It can be difficult here at NPH keeping track of siblings, because while they may share a mother, they often have different fathers.

Jose Antonio is one of our star soccer players, and a favorite of the younger kids here. He is outgoing and has a sunny personality. He plays marimba and hopes to be part of the group that will go on “tour” of the Chicago area this winter to play music and raise funds for the house. Brought here as a small child, he told me once that he never knew either of his parents until a couple of years ago, when by some freak circumstance he was reunited with his mother. But his birth certificate reads, “Jose Antonio Desconocido Desconocido.” (Jose Antonio Unknown-Father Unknown-Mother). He still does not have an official last name, although our attorney is trying to resolve that now that he is eighteen and needs to get his government ID.

When I arrived at the place Jose Antonio’s graduation was to be held, he introduced me to his mother and the little daughter from a relationship with some man no longer in the picture. Clearly a woman of humble circumstances, she had journeyed several hours on an overcrowded bus to be here for the graduation, and was clearly pleased and proud of the son she only recently met.

After receiving their diploma, each graduate came down from the stage to greet their parents and have their picture taken. After Jose Antonio descended from the stage, I saw his face as he hugged his mother. And I found myself thinking that this was a moment no one ever would have imagined- certainly, when he began his Bachllerato studies, he never would have dreamed that his mom would be there to hug him after he got his diploma. As much as I loathe these graduations (the graduation I attended the next day lasted five hours), witnessing this moment alone made going worthwhile.

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NPH was founded to serve orphans, but the mission has been expanded over the years to also take in children who come from rotten families, or from situations of dire poverty that put them at risk. Here in Guatemala, I think that about a quarter of the Pequeños are true orphans. Most have at least one parent, or another relative they can stay with during school vacation time. The kids are friendly and flash easy smiles when visitors come. But behind each smile smolders a sense of suffering, hidden from all, only surfacing in very rare moments of vulnerability. At NPH we try to provide a sense of family to those for whom this is the closest they will ever get to the kind of network of relationships that form the emotional base for the rest of us. 

A couple of months after I arrived in Guatemala, a group of visitors asked that I celebrate Mass with them in our temporary chapel. Reinhart Koehler, who is the President of NPH International, happened to be visiting us and attended the Mass. At the end, he offered a few words to the group. He explained that they would have wonderful experiences interacting with the kids, and that many might be surprised by how happy the children here seem. There is indeed often a sense of joy among the kids, especially when they are interacting with outsiders. But Reinhart cautioned the group against taking this apparent joy as an indication that the kids are content. He said that after more than 30 years of working with the children of NPH he has come to see that they would give anything to have a parent.

No one wants to be a “desconocido.”

Chapel Construction Nearing Completion

A view of the chapel nearing completion!

The view of the front from the park (also under construction)

Our Bell (70 lbs)

Hanging the Bell

Inside the Chapel- the left "arm"

View from the front door looking inside (cement floor is being poured- one wheelbarrow at a time)

Artisans work on what will be the Presider's Chair

This will be the base of the "Retablo" in back, upon which will sit the tabernacle

The Ambo is almost completed

Chapel Construction Continues

 Not too much to write about, but I wanted to post some updated pics of the construction on the chapel.

 

 We’ll have a glass cross in each of the “arms” of the church.

The designs for the Ambo and the Altar.

 Plans are to put on the roofing material in the next week or so... and then begin prep to pour the floor on the inside. The major construction should be done in October. Thank you to all who made new or extra donations over the past month to help with the interior furnishings. I'll write more about what I hope we will be able to do in the coming weeks!

Guatemala’s Most Important Place of Worship, Most Ancient Place of Worship, and (soon-to-be) Newest Place of Worship

I recently had a two week visit from Garett Burns, a seminarian from the diocese of Wichita and the godson of a close friend. Together with Fr Tulio Privera, the pastor of the local parish, we took an excursion to Esquipulas and Tikal. Over the course of this time we visited the site of Guatemala’s most important place of worship, its most ancient place of worship, and spent time here at NPH, which will soon be the site of Guatemala’s newest place of worship.

Esquipulas, located in the southeast, near the Honduran border, is home to a basilica that houses a large crucifix, which is the center of much of Guatemalan popular piety. The image was carved 500 years ago, and this shrine draws between four and five million pilgrims each year. It is considered by many to be the most important religious shrine in Central America. We had the good fortune of arriving on a quiet day, and were able to celebrate the Mass at the main altar, and view the image close-up, without having to fight the crowds and long lines of pilgrims that often fill the church. Another exciting element of the visit was seeing the beautiful altar and presider chair made by an artisan from nearby Antigua for Pope John Paul II when he was here in 1992. I had the chance to visit with this artisan a couple of weeks ago in his workshop to see about the possibility of his crafting the altar, retablo, ambo and chair for our NPH chapel. Fr. Tulio has a personal relationship with him, and believes that we can get something beautiful at a reasonable price. He is currently working on a proposal, which I hope will be ready within the next month. How great would it be to have our altar appointments made by the same artisan who made those in the most important and famous basilica in Guatemala!

Tikal is the site of the capital of the Mayan empire, that once extended throughout present-day southern Mexican states as well as the northern Central American region.  Evidence of the early development of this civilization shows its existence already around the time of Moses and the Exodus from Egypt. A highly developed civilization, it began its decline within a century or two after most of the buildings uncovered at Tikal were built (8^th century AD). However, Mayan civilization continued to some degree  until the conquest of the Spanish in the 16^th century.

For centuries its buildings were hidden, covered by the thick jungle foliage that grew over them after the civilization mysteriously disappeared. In the mid-1800’s archeologists began excavations, and magnificent pyramidal structures restored, some reaching as high as 230 feet. These temple/pyramids were used to offer sacrifices to the gods. In addition to sacrifices of animals, humans were also sacrificed. (Mel Gibson’s movie, Apocalypto, portrays this culture in its decline, along with human sacrifice). It is an eerie place, set deep within the jungle of the state of Petén. Only a small portion has been restored. From the top of one temple/pyramid, we could see above the tree line an endless sea of green, looking out across the jungle canopy, with several of the restored temple/pyramids piercing the canopy and reigning above it. Numerous recent altars have been erected on the site, at which gather contemporary practitioners of the Mayan religion to offer prayers and sacrifices (chickens). 

Why Build a Chapel at NPH? 

(with some pics of the work in progress)

I had a couple of conversations last year with European fundraisers for NPH, who mentioned that the chapel here might be seen by some as an unnecessary luxury. At the very least, they said to me, the chapel should be a multi-use space, and not reserved solely for sacred use. Even though NPH was founded by a Catholic priest as a Catholic institution, it is a struggle to maintain the Catholic side of its mission. Many of those who work or volunteer here are not Catholic, or are Catholic but not practicing. And while I am on good terms with everyone (kind of the official “nice guy”), one of my greatest challenges is to carry the Catholic torch, with the hope that others may be touched and illuminated by its light. Many are committed to the humanitarian mission of NPH, but the religious element is seen by some as an “extra.” And to be honest, I think that downplaying the religious element of our mission makes fundraising easier in some settings.

Because NPH does not have official Catholic canonical status with the Church, its leadership is free to adapt the religious aspect of its mission as they see fit. The leaders I have met here are committed Catholics, and the great veneration that continues for Father Wasson, the founder who died in 2006, gives me hope that the commitment to raising kids in the Catholic faith will remain. In order to secure resident priests, NPH needs to be able to convince bishops and religious superiors of the centrality of the Catholic mission. Of course, the most important factor in all of this is the adults who live and work most closely with the kids in the homes. Just as with parents of children in the Catholic schools of parishes where I have served, we “religious types” can only succeed to the extent that the parents partner with us- as they are the primary evangelizers and catechists of their children. (I have found that within five or ten minutes in a school classroom I can tell which children come from families where the parents practice the faith and which do not.) Here at NPH, the care-givers in the homes where the kids live serve in this important role.

I have read that almost all Buddhist boys in the country of Myanmar (Burma) spend some time living and studying in a monastery. Even though the majority will not remain and will move on, marrying and working regular jobs, this time of intensive spiritual training will serve them throughout their lives. Going through intensive spiritual training will benefit them throughout their entire lives, even if they live in a country where the economy will never provide opportunities to thrive professionally or economically, as might be possible in a country like the USA.

Perhaps much is missing in the lives of the Pequeños of NPH. I arrived here with the idea that kids in the US enjoy many advantages not available to those here. And this is true. But I am convinced that the most important thing every human being needs is a powerful and personal relationship with God, mediated through Jesus Christ. And this should in theory be even more available to the children here, who do not suffer from the same spiritual distractions of money and materialism that are so apparent in my home culture. In addition, the culture here supports and even revels in the expression of Christian faith.

Granted…

• it could be that when they leave the home they may not find meaningful work or a job that pays well…
• it could be that when they leave the home they may continue to struggle with personal traumas from their pasts which continue to haunt them…
• it could be that, given the effects of growing up without parents and a normal family atmosphere, when they leave the home they may have difficulty maintaining healthy and stable personal relationships, …

…but if we focus on that which will help them not only in this life, but also in the next, I believe that we will fulfill our principal mission. The NPH pillars of love, security, sharing, work and responsibility represent a success formula with proven results. While perhaps not articulated as forcefully, the spiritual mission of NPH sets us apart from other merely humanitarian missions. Therefore, we need to concentrate specifically on the development of a spiritual life, a love of prayer, a personal relationship with Christ, a knowledge of the Bible and what it contains, an authentic, healthy and religious concern for the well-being of others, etc.

I am convinced that a beautiful chapel, centrally located and accessible 24 hours a day, will help the children here to discover the great love that God has for them, offering them a place not only to gather for Mass, but also to spend time in meditation and personal prayer. The presence of Christ in the tabernacle, in a building positioned to be at the heart of the campus, will serve as a magnet, drawing seekers and those who struggle with their faith to a place contemplation and reflection. The Eucharist celebrated there will fortify the faith of these little ones, feeding them the Bread of Life that will nourish their spirits and inspire them to make the world a better place.

Chapel Construction: One Month Down, Five to Go

 

 We are a month into the construction of the chapel, and I am amazed at the progress that has been made. The excavation was done quickly, digging trenches for the footings and foundation walls, as well as creating a small walk-out space that will be below the sacristy and part of the sanctuary. While it has rained almost every day, the construction workers have been able to take advantage of the mostly dry morning hours to weave steel re-bar and pour cement.

 

 

 As you can see in the pictures, cement is mixed a bag at a time, and carried by hand in five-gallon buckets to the pour sites. This is laborious and back-breaking work. The only piece of machinery here is the motorized cement mixer, something that we at home might rent for a weekend home improvement project. All of the cement blocks also need to be carried by hand to the places they will be laid, after having been unloaded by hand, block by block, from the delivery truck. Fortunately, we have had some volunteers from the USA visiting, and they have helped to move the blocks and carry the cement.

 Here are some additional renderings of the chapel, including a rendering of the sanctuary area.

The contractor plans to finish the construction within six months. After that we will work on the interior- painting, laying floor tile, working out the details of the altar, sound system, pews, lighting, etc. More updates to come soon!