The Passionist Church of the Holy Cross in Buenos Aires is a potent symbol of resistance to oppression and tyranny for the people of Argentina. This film tells the inspiring story of this church and its role in Argentine history. (Spanish with English subtitles)
Jamaica’s state of education, particularly in terms of funding and resources, is quite dismal. The gravity of the situation becomes very clear when you witness children fighting over something as basic as a pencil. The fight is not over something trivial, like design or color; it’s a response to the reality of scarcity.
In the midst of such realities there exist low literacy rates, understaffed schools, large class sizes, limited use of technology, high drop-out rates and a low percentage of educators who hold advanced degrees in their field.
However, in contrast to all the disheartening challenges that such a system brings to its people, Jamaica does educate her children in a way that reaches far beyond any amount of funding. There is a connection, almost a sort of bond between the child and his/her environment. They do not act apart from the world, but rather within the world.
Amidst this relationship comes an awakening of the senses which can often times become clouded by artificial toys and trinkets and theories of how a 21st century child should play, learn and grow. This child learns through imaginative play. He feels the ground between his toes as he runs down the mountain, balancing a simple stick and wheel. He is in awe of a friend who climbs for a juicy, ripe mango high up in the tree.
Two school girls learn rhyme and rhythm as they sing, “…down by the banks with the hanky panky where the bullfrog jumps from bank to banky with a hip hop hip hop hop skiddle diddle turtle pop!”, while playing a popular hand game. A child learns of mathematics as he designs and builds a car made from twigs and string and bottle caps. And as she runs, the young girl understands the world around her. She is connected to the trees that bring her food and the streams that give her water and the mountain breeze that gives her reprieve from the Caribbean heat.
This education of the world and the connectedness we have with it is free. Not even a system of scarcity in school funding and resources can take that away. Yes, there must be increased support for schools in less-developed countries and this is not to make light of very harsh realities. But, Jamaica can teach us a lesson, not only of education, but, of life. Take your shoes off, be within the world, awaken your senses.
Matt Messing is serving in Jamaica with Passionist Volunteers International.
Learn more about Passionist Volunteers International at: http://www.passionistvolunteers.org.
Learn more about the Passionists in Jamaica at: http://www.thepassionists.org/Jamaica.html and http://www.passionistsisters.org/CCM.html
Until now I have never written about a man that I hardly know. Every Wednesday I go to Casa Pasionista, a community residence of AIDS internos (patients). Sitting and chatting with Gladis I could see into a room where a man they call Mario lay dying. Rays of light pour into the room, illuminating dust particles as they fall to the floor, defeated as are the dead white blood cells that could no longer fight for Mario.
Fidel, another interno, turns and asks, “Have you ever seen a person dying of AIDS?” I shake my head. Fidel and Gladis begin telling stories of friends who died from AIDS. For a long time I sat with them watching Mario’s father sitting at his son’s side, sombrero in his lap, clasping his son’s hand. I watched his lips move but couldn’t make out what he was saying. My ears heard only the foreignness of a language spoken to a person dying of a terrible disease. I told Gladis that I wanted to enter the room but was afraid. Knowing that this reality was so unknown to me, she squeezed my hand and led me into the room.
“He wants to pray,” Mario’s father announces. We circle the bed. When I look into Mario’s wide black eyes I see a child, not a man, staring back at me. Mario’s father dials a cell phone and turns on the speaker. He explains that he always calls this woman to pray when he is desperate. She is a great Catholic but people from all religions ask her for prayers. “She is old, too fat to move but she sits praying every day,” he explains.
Her voice booms into the room! We close our eyes. I listen to her voice and the voices of the internos calling out to Jesus, Mary and the saints. Time stops. Mario’s face relaxes into a quiet peace as he pulls down over his hair his hat that reads “God is love.” We stand together in silence for a minute.
Maria asks me to help her wash Mario. His knee caps wobble as I help him to his feet as he wraps his arms around my shoulders. We hold onto each other in a precarious balancing act while Maria washes him. I shift my balance between my feet and we sway like we are dancing. His face is so close to mine that I can see myself staring back at me from his pupils.
Fidel watches us as we gently lay Mario back down. He asks me, “What does it mean for you to see a person dying of AIDS? ……..This is what we will all become.” With that Maria and Fidel give a full, rich, alive laugh! A reminder that we cannot let death, pain, and suffering consume us.
When I walk into Casa Pasionista I never know where accompanying the internos will take me. That Wednesday I never thought I would be asked what it means to see a person dying of AIDS, to witness the suffering of a man I hardly know. Trying to answer an unanswerable question I think of Simon, who was called to accompany Jesus, a man he hardly knew, to carry the cross. Just as Simon walked a short part of the journey to Calvary with Jesus, I was given the privilege to spend some time with Mario while he is dying.
Jean Baumgardner is serving in Honduras with Passionist Volunteers International. Learn more about the Passionist mission in Honduras and Passionist Volunteers International at: http://www.thepassionists.org/Honduras.html
Blessed Dominic of the Mother of God, born Dominic Barberi, a member of the Passionist Congregation and a theologian, was born near Viterbo, Italy, on 22 June, 1792. He died near Reading, England, on 27 August, 1849. He was beatified by Pope Paul VI in 1963, and is known as ‘The Apostle of England’. His feast is August 26.
Blessed Dominic brought the Congregation of the Passion to England, but is best known for receiving John Henry Newman into the Catholic Church. He also received Elizabeth Prout, Foundress of the Sisters of the Cross and Passion.
The Venerable John Henry Newman will be beatified by Pope Benedict during his visit to the UK on 19 September 2010.
In this video from EWTN, Marcus Talks with Kevin OBrien as Bl. Dominic Barberi, friend of John Henry Newman.
You can read more about the life of Blessed Dominic Barberi at: http://www.thepassionists.org/Dominic_Barberi.html
Congratulations!
Sister Una O’Connor, C.P. president of Catholic College of Mandeville, Jamaica received a Presidential Award for Outstanding Merit on May 8 from St. Mary’s University in Minnesota. Read more here: http://smumn-cn.blogspot.com/
Some Background on the Catholic College of Mandeville – In 1991, a new diocese was created in Jamaica and was called the Catholic Diocese of Mandeville under the jurisdiction of Bishop Paul M. Boyle, C.P. Developing education was one of his goals for the diocese, especially the upgrading of teachers in the Catholic schools. However, after visiting several schools and talking with principals, it became clear that a structured programme providing qualification in teacher education was the route to go in order to assist the teachers, the children, and ultimately Jamaica.
Bishop Boyle and Sister Una O’Connor, CP founded the Catholic College of Mandeville in response to this need. This higher education facility gives the opportunity for Bachelor and Master level diplomas to students who wish to teach the children of Jamaica. The affordability of this college is a major factor in its expanding enrollment, especially for women. Still, today, too many Jamaican elementary and secondary schools are staffed by under-educated teachers, leaving the students without quality education vital to advancement. A gift to this ministry would provide for educational materials for teachers and students and scholarships to potential enrollees.
Please consider a donation to help the Passionists in their ministry to people living in poverty: Please make checks payable to PASSIONIST MISSIONARIES.
Passionist Missionaries Inc.
526 Monastery Place
Union City NJ 07087-3398
Tel: 888/806-6606
E-mail: DLisotta@cpprov.org
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