As I think
I’ve mentioned before, rain in Paraguay pretty much stops everything and
cancels all plans. Since March, the priest of our parish (San Isidro) has been trying to
visit the barrio under the bridge (Barrio Sagrada Familia) each fourth
Wednesday of the month to get to know the people and to celebrate a Mass.
However, each fourth Wednesday of every month since I’ve been here, it’s
rained. So, you can imagine our happiness this past Sunday morning when we were
finally able to celebrate the Mass.
Since there
is not a chapel, or any larger building for that matter, the Mass was held on
the volleyball court, with people from the neighborhood bringing together
chairs, benches, a table for an altar, crosses and other images to decorate. The
priest carried his necessities in a briefcase and answered the questions of the
curious children as he put on his vestments. Although Paraguay is nearly 90%
Catholic and the people have strong devotion to the saints and Mary they
don’t always go to Mass. This is truer than ever in the barrio. Nearly all the
kids can recite the Hail Mary, Our Father and Glory Be, but have no idea about
things during the Mass and hardly any are baptized. It wasn’t the most quiet
Mass, but in spite of all the distractions—the crying babies, talking children,
someone actually answering their cell phone, and the wandering neighborhood
dogs (which people not so carefully shooed away causing loud yelps),—it was completely
amazing. There were probably 40 or so people (almost half of them my students
from clases de apoyo and jardín), and to be celebrating the Mass while taking
in all of Paraguay was just what I needed for the day and to start off my week.
It might not be glamorous, and I might cry more than I want to because I miss
my family and friends, but I really do love my life and where God’s taken
me.
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