Ten days in Guatemala

I sat in a circle with eighteen men studying to be priests, a Spanish teacher, a tour guide, and Fr. Jim. We just spent the day traveling by bus and boat from the concrete jungle of Guatemala City to the literal jungle of Santiago Atitlán. Fr. Jim opened the Central American Martyrs Pilgrimage and Retreat by telling us that pilgrimages are about surprises and to be open to surprises from God and from ourselves. There were many surprises for me along the way.

The Central American Martyrs Pilgrimage and Retreat is is a 10-day trip for the Second Configuration seminarians to Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala, where Blessed Stanley Rother was martyred, and Antigua. The trip includes an immersion into the story of Hermano Pedro, a 17th century Franciscan saint from Antigua. As the pilgrimage began, Fr. Jim told the seminarians that they will learn to be shepherds, to smell like the sheep.

“We believe that these experiences are important because of the witness and deep pastoral commitment of these two men,” says Fr. Jim. “Especially the witness of Blessed Rother, because he was an American missionary and a priest of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, who gave his life for his flock. He was the ‘shepherd who didn’t run.’”

That evening we hiked through steep narrow walkways, passed brightly colored buildings and women selling everything from fish to toiletries, up to St. James the Apostle Church for Mass. Attending Mass with the local Tzutuhil people was a highlight for the seminarians where Mass was held in Spanish and the Tzutuhil language.

The group experienced firsthand the universality of the Catholic Church. I couldn’t understand a lot of what was being said, but Mass followed the same rituals and traditions as it does in the United States.

After Mass, the parishioners gathered in a courtyard to socialize, or went to the Adoration Chapel to pray. They were excited to meet and talk with the seminarians and we witnessed the faith, devotion, and the importance of community for the locals. Many people in Guatemala live each day to survive and faith and community are what help get them through.

I witnessed the faith and devotion of the Chapines (Guatemalan people) from day one. I arrived to Guatemala City a day early and took a tour of the city. One of the first places we stopped was the cathedral. The church was dark on the inside and smelled like incense. A day or two before we arrived was the feast of El Cristo Negro. In the far left corner of the church stood a black Jesus on the cross. All around the crucifix was an elaborate decoration of flowers. As we walked up a woman was weeping and lighting a candle. There were men on their knees in front of the crucifix, heads bowed in prayer. People walked around the back and stuck their hand in a little hole just to get closer to touching the crucifix.

Another instance that sticks with me is from Sunday Mass in Santiago. We arrived early Mass and as the church filled up, a man crawled down the aisle on his knees. Minutes later a woman passed by on her knees. This aisle was not short either! Things like this might happen in the United States, but I have never witnessed them.

Our first full day in Santiago, I woke up while it was still dark, grabbed a cup of coffee, and headed down to sit by the Lake Atitlán. My plan was to write some of my thoughts down in my journal and start the homework I had for a social analytics class I was taking. I sat there as the sun rose. The lake and volcanos lite up with the warm morning light, birds were chirping, and I was crying. I could not believe I was in Guatemala sitting in such a beautiful and peaceful place.

The past year was full of many challenges at home and at work and I was so tired, so close to burnout. In that moment I could see God working in my life. I began talking with Fr. Jim about the possibility of going on the pilgrimage back in February the previous year, long before the challenges began. At that time, God knew I was going to need this trip. It allowed me to take a break and recharge. I came back home with a full heart.

That day the group hopped back into a boat and took a very choppy ride across Lake Atitlán to San Juan. While we were there, we met a family that has two children with Down syndrome. The family is one of several who make up the Artesanía Hermanos Down, an artisan shop that sells Guatemalan crafts handmade by mothers of children with Down syndrome. The proceeds from their sales help pay for their children’s medical care.

The family held a reception for us and we had the opportunity to meet Wendy, who is about 50% independent, and Luis, who in addition to having Down syndrome, is blind and has other neurological disorders. The father told us that Luis can’t see us, but he can feel our energy when we touch him. He carried his son around the room to each person and we took turns holding Luis’ hand, hugging him, and praying for him.

Saint Meinrad held a fundraiser in the fall that benefited the Artesanía Hermanos Down families. It is a full day travel for the families to take their children to a doctor. Often times they cannot afford the cost of travel, overnight accommodations, the doctor appointment, and medication for their children.

The mother and father cried as they thanked the seminarians for their generosity. It was clear that we were making a real difference in the lives of these families. As a mom, I could put myself in the shoes of this mother and my heart broke for her.

The next day, we heard firsthand accounts of who Blessed Stanley Rother was, and about a massacre that occurred in Santiago Atitlán on December 2, 1990.

The group gathered in the room where Blessed Stanley (called Padre Aplas by the local people) was martyred, no joke. You could see a blood stain on the wall and where a bullet hit the floor. We heard from Don Andrés, who was a boy when Padre Aplas came to Guatemala on a diocesan mission. They became close friends and Padre Aplas had a huge impact on his life.

Later that day, the group piled into the back of a pickup truck and traveled to Parque de la Paz, the Park of Peace, where the massacre took place. Felipe Coché Pablo was a boy when he peacefully marched with his unarmed family and neighbors. The Guatemalan military opened fire killing 13, including three children.

Since then, the Guatemalan military has been banned from Santiago. These firsthand accounts made the people and events more real for us. You can read a book or watch a video, but meeting real people who knew Blessed Stanley and survived the massacre deepened the understanding of the experience.

We also learned about the native culture, food, and how people dressed. In Tzutuhil, Santiago Atitlan is known as “The House of Birds.” The local women wore shirts beautifully embroidered with birds. You can also tell how wealthy a man is based on the embroidery on his pants.

Another highlight of the trip was visiting the school children at the parish school founded by Blessed Stanley, Colegio Católica Padre Aplás.

Last spring, Saint Meinrad held a fundraiser to buy a new tuba, desks, and computers for the school. In the fall, a fundraiser was held to provide pencil pouches, made by Artesanía Hermanos Down, filled with school supplies for each child. We also held a fundraiser this year over Lent to help provide more computers and projectors for the growing school.

The children assembled in the courtyard and the band played music featuring the new tuba. When the children returned to the classrooms, the seminarians distributed the pencil pouches and candy. The children also had an extended recess where they played soccer and other games with the seminarians. It was an uplifting end to the group’s time in Santiago.

The next day, we crossed the lake, boarded our bus, and headed to Antigua, with a short stop in Chichicastenango. In Chichi, we visited the Catholic Church built where a Mayan temple used to be. Inside the church, there are Mayan altars down the aisle. We saw a Mayan shaman light a candle on the Mayan altar and then pray before a Catholic altar.

In Antigua, we learned about the life of Hermano Pedro who was devoted to social work and serving the most vulnerable and needy. Our last full day in Guatemala was spent volunteering with special needs individuals at Virgen del Socorro, one of the social works inspired by the life and service of Hermano Pedro.

For many of the seminarians, this was the most impactful part of the trip. It took us out of our comfort zones. The residents of Virgen del Socorro do not receive many visitors and we were encouraged to talk to them, hold their hands, and rub their backs.

The residents had a variety of disabilities. Some could walk and talk, but many could not even feed themselves. I was not allowed to take pictures, but I did take a lady outside for some fresh air and a helped feed another women her lunch.

Ultimately, The pilgrimage and retreat taught the seminarians what it means to be a missionary through the examples of Blessed Stanley Rother’s and Hermano Pedro’s lives.

“Without these experiences there is a risk of staying in the head with one’s nose in the books. With this experience, the ‘classroom’ becomes life, prayer, pastoral care, theology that is praxis,” explains Fr. Jim. “These retreats and pilgrimages are essential to the formation of priests in the Church. They give flesh to what is learned in other ways in the seminary and help the seminarians become shepherds who don’t run, just like Jesus the Good Shepherd, who went all the way to the cross.”

When I arrived in Guatemala I thought I spoke Spanish okay enough, but soon realized I really didn’t. I struggled throughout the trip to communicate and understand people, but I also learned and practiced a lot. My confidence grew throughout the 10 days and by the end I was having conversations in Spanish with people.

This was a trip that truly changed me. I walked through the pilgrimage with the eyes of a mom. My heart broke for the Down syndrome family. I saw kids the same age as mine out of school selling things on the street to help their families survive. I met a little girl Levi’s age taking care of her little brother after Mass who asked me for money. I started carrying a couple extra quetzales (Guatemalan currency and also the country’s national bird) with me when we went out to give to children. I learned a lot about having a generous heart.

It is easy to stay in your safe little bubble at home, but I highly encourage people to get out and see the world. Experience other cultures. Try new food! It expands your understanding of the world and makes you a better person.