News from Mexico:
Mexico
Five sisters serve San Rafael Parish in the Diocese of Linares in Nuevo Leon, a Four sisters serve San Rafael Parish in the Diocese of Linares in Nuevo Leon, a very poor area of rural Mexico. Four sisters have begun living in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon. Through the Franciscan Missionary Center, the sisters train lay people to be religious leaders who serve the pastoral and spiritual needs of the people. And, through the Monterrey Mission two of our temporary professed sisters are studying and two are volunteering in needed areas. San Rafael Parish is located approximately 250 miles from the Texas border, about a seven-hour drive from San Antonio. The parish is spread out over many miles which makes ministry a challenge. When the sisters arrived, there was just one pastor serving the core parish of 3,000 members in the city of San Rafael and the 54 outlying communities. With poor road conditions and few cars in the region, each small community or pueblo is somewhat isolated from the next. Pastoral care and religious education were limited throughout the diocese, and some pueblos only saw a priest once a year.
The sisters have been successful in training committed lay leaders who carry out the work of the Church in many of the small remote pueblos. Trained catechists and celebrants of the Word provide a strong Catholic presence where people enjoy meaningful worship, participate in Bible study and receive preparation for the sacraments. Catechetical programs and small group ministries enable parishioners to grow in their Catholic faith and their relationship with God.The people are committed Catholics, longing for pastoral and spiritual care during times of crises, sickness and death as well as structured religious education for their children. They seek a better understanding of Scripture and ways to grow stronger in their faith. A stronger Catholic presence and spiritual renewal throughout the parish are helping the people grow in community and self-sufficiency.
In addition to training church leaders, the sisters have opened their home to four young women so they can complete their high school education. The students live in community with the sisters and experience the Franciscan way of life.very poor area of rural Mexico. Through the Franciscan Missionary Center, the sisters train lay people to be religious leaders who serve the pastoral and spiritual needs of the people.
San Rafael Parish is located approximately 250 miles from the Texas border, about a seven-hour drive from San Antonio. The parish is spread out over many miles which makes ministry a challenge. When the sisters arrived, there was just one pastor serving the core parish of 3,000 members in the city of San Rafael and the 54 outlying communities. With poor road conditions and few cars in the region, each small community or pueblo is somewhat isolated from the next. Pastoral care and religious education were limited throughout the diocese, and some pueblos only saw a priest once a year.
Over 600 teens from four parishes gathered in San Rafael de Galeana for a spiritual retreat. Youth enjoyed music, worship and a drama all centered on the theme "Who is Christ?" Once again a local man donated the use of the "Pyramid" which easily accommodated the mass of participants. This event is a huge and rewarding undertaking for Sisters Janice Wiechman, Pat Forster, Rose Mae Rausch and Colette Toenies as well as candidate Aurora Tovar. Thank you to the many donors who make it possible.
News from Mexico
Adult Education Promoted in Mexico
by Sr. Janice Wiechman
"I never had the chance to go to school. I want to be able to sign my name," declares a woman in her mid 30's. Another in her 60's states, "I can read a little but I don´t know math." Seven teenagers, ages 15-19 add, "We want to finish Junior High. The school is too far away and we have no way to get there. We finished 6th grade four years ago and we want to continue our studies into Senior High too." Young mothers in their 20's say, "I want to learn more." These are the kinds of statements Isabel and I heard as we promoted an adult education program in two mountain towns.
INEA (National Institute for the Education of Adults) is a government education program a little like the GED in the U.S. This year Sr. Isabel and I (and Sr. Rose Mae and Sr.Aurora) live in the same town as the regional coordinator of this program. He has a very large area to cover. It includes part of the Sierra where Sr.Pat Forster and I have worked for these past 6 years. Because his area is so large, the coordinator has not taken this program to the Sierra. There is a lot of need for it in the mountain villages not only for the adults, many of whom have studied only as far as the third grade, but also for the youth who are not able to get to the Junior High Schools. There is a primary school (1-6) in each mountain village but there are only three junior highs in the 20 some villages.
Living in the same village as the coordinator has made it possible to work with him. Two days a month Isabel and I promote this adult education program in the mountains. Our first job is to find an assesor - a person who has finished junior high and is interested in helping others learn - and a person who will give the tests - also a graduate of junior high. Once we have found these two support persons we begin registration. They then take a diagnostic test to find their grade level and then begin their studies. Each course is sent in a box the size of a ream of paper. It contains their text/work book, supplementary readings and any other materials they need such as a calculator for math, a measuring tape, etc.
Estados is the first town where we registered participants. They now have their first course and are working toward the next test deadline which is November 15. If they do not finish, they will take the test in January. On our last visit we found that some had enthusiastically entered into their studies, finished the text, and are now preparing for their test. One woman received a course that is too difficult for her and will receive a less demanding course on our next visit. In a few cases there was confusion as to how to proceed, so we spent time answering their questions. The courses ranged in themes from "Fractions" to "Values of our Democracy" to "Protecting Ourselves and our Planet" to "Being Parents".
Our hope is that as persons develop through these studies they will have more confidence in themselves and their abilities. Hopefully new leaders will come forth. We find ourselves entering into the lives of youth at a place that is important to them. We are entering homes we have never been in before. Men have expressed their appreciation for the new opportunities especially for their daughters.
"I never had the chance to go to school. I want to be able to sign my name," declares a woman in her mid 30's. Another in her 60's states, "I can read a little but I don´t know math." Seven teenagers, ages 15-19 add, "We want to finish Junior High. The school is too far away and we have no way to get there. We finished 6th grade four years ago and we want to continue our studies into Senior High too." Young mothers in their 20's say, "I want to learn more." These are the kinds of statements Isabel and I heard as we promoted an adult education program in two mountain towns.INEA (National Institute for the Education of Adults) is a government education program a little like the GED in the U.S. This year Sr. Isabel and I (and Sr. Rose Mae and Sr.Aurora) live in the same town as the regional coordinator of this program. He has a very large area to cover. It includes part of the Sierra where Sr.Pat Forster and I have worked for these past 6 years. Because his area is so large, the coordinator has not taken this program to the Sierra. There is a lot of need for it in the mountain villages not only for the adults, many of whom have studied only as far as the third grade, but also for the youth who are not able to get to the Junior High Schools. There is a primary school (1-6) in each mountain village but there are only three junior highs in the 20 some villages.
Living in the same village as the coordinator has made it possible to work with him. Two days a month Isabel and I promote this adult education program in the mountains. Our first job is to find an assesor - a person who has finished junior high and is interested in helping others learn - and a person who will give the tests - also a graduate of junior high. Once we have found these two support persons we begin registration. They then take a diagnostic test to find their grade level and then begin their studies. Each course is sent in a box the size of a ream of paper. It contains their text/work book, supplementary readings and any other materials they need such as a calculator for math, a measuring tape, etc.
Estados is the first town where we registered participants. They now have their first course and are working toward the next test deadline which is November 15. If they do not finish, they will take the test in January. On our last visit we found that some had enthusiastically entered into their studies, finished the text, and are now preparing for their test. One woman received a course that is too difficult for her and will receive a less demanding course on our next visit. In a few cases there was confusion as to how to proceed, so we spent time answering their questions. The courses ranged in themes from "Fractions" to "Values of our Democracy" to "Protecting Ourselves and our Planet" to "Being Parents".
Our hope is that as persons develop through these studies they will have more confidence in themselves and their abilities. Hopefully new leaders will come forth. We find ourselves entering into the lives of youth at a place that is important to them. We are entering homes we have never been in before. Men have expressed their appreciation for the new opportunities especially for their daughters.
Two towns now have courses in their hands and we are preparing two more towns to enter the process in January. We are enjoying this ministry and the enthusiasm that we are encountering.
Blessing of Novitiate House
by Sister Rose Mae Rausch
There was a flurry of excitement in the "Noviciado Franciscano" as Sisters Aurora, Isabel, Rose Mae, and Janice planned, cleaned, and cooked to prepare for the blessing of the novitiate by Bishop Ramon Calderon.
The Sisters from San Rafael--Colette Toenies, Pat Forster, and Mary Dumonceaux--arrived first, making a full community experience for the celebration. As we waited for the arrival of Bishop Calderon on this Wednesday afternoon of August 19, 2009, we practiced singing inspirational songs on the theme of Saint Clare, which Isabel had collected and taught us for the various parts of the Mass.
We started the Mass upon the arrival of the bishop, about 5:30 p.m. The Bishop´s homily presented the themes of St. Francis; "Who are You, Lord, and who am I?" He spoke of the necessity for humility. Then at the end of Mass, he blessed water and proceeded to go throughout the house, followed by all the Sisters, praying the Litanies of all Saints and of the Virgin Mary, sprinkling copiously in every room and in the back yard.
Afterwards the Bishop asked if each bedroom has its own bathroom. We said, "No, we have just one bathroom". He must have missed blessing it!
After the blessing we had a delicious meal of discada (a mixed meat dish containing small pieces of beef, pork, pork sausage and turkey sausage, vegetables, seasonings, and kermato, cooked outside in the back yard in a large iron pan over coals and kindling); also rice mixed with small pieces of carrots and corn, and fruit. The Sisters from San Rafael brought with them a delicious dessert--pineapple tres leches cake.
The blessing of the novitiate was purposely kept private--just for the Sisters--because of the nature of the novitiate. We are all grateful that our novitiate house now shines with the new light of blessing.
The Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minnesota, is a community of Roman Catholic women religious who follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ, walking in the footsteps of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi. We welcome those who wish to join us as sister, associate, volunteer, transfer sister, friend and donor. We live lives of prayer in community and in service to the poor as we seek to build a more peaceful world and to care for the Earth. We sponsor the St. Francis Music Center and St. Francis Health & Recreation Center, both open to the public.