Divine Mercy Evangelization Project,
Pueblo Libre, PERU
1. HEADLINE:
Divine Mercy Evangelization Project, Pueblo Libre, PERU
2. TIMELINE:
AUG 26, 2017, to NOV 27, 2017
3. THE CHALLENGE:
Proclaim the message of the Divine Mercy to the people living in the highlands of the Peruvian Andes in collaboration with the Capuchin Brothers.
4. STORY
The Divine Mercy evangelization project was conceptualized at a meeting I attended in Richmond, British Columbia with Brother Carlos Piccone, the superior of the Capuchin friary located in Ñaña, Peru. For further context please refer to the Capuchin Community Centre Renovation Project.
When meeting Brother Carlos, I was inspired to ask his opinion about the prospect of bringing the Divine Mercy message to the people living in the Capuchin mission zones. Brother Carlos responded to my enquiry by telling me that he thought the message of the Divine Mercy “could bring consolation to many suffering people in Capuchin mission zones in Peru, especially in Pueblo Libre, Hualyas, Áncash”.
Encouraged by his response, and motivated by my own experience of how God’s love and mercy transformed my life, a plan of action was put in place in Vancouver to procure and assemble materials and bring the message of The Divine Mercy to Peruvians in the Andean highlands in the months that followed.
On the day of my departure to Peru on November 18, 2017, after 10 weeks of mission preparation, at the airline check-in counter in Vancouver, I checked two pieces of luggage. One bag contained my personal belongings and the other contained 1000 Divine Mercy prayer cards, 150 Divine Mercy brochures, 150 Rosaries and one copy of the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska. I also had one carry-on bag and two large scale custom printed canvases of the image of Divine Mercy which were rolled up and stored in a cylindrical container to save on crating and shipping costs. The plan for these canvases was to work with a local art supply store in Lima to have them professionally stretched before the start of my mission in the Andes.
On route to Lima, I had to change planes in Mexico City, the busiest airport in Latin America. After clearing customs, a very hectic moment ensued. I left the Divine Mercy canvases in a bathroom stall at the other end of the terminal. Charged with adrenaline, I sprinted from the boarding gate back to the washroom where, thanks be to God, a kind soul left the cylinder containing the images of the Divine Mercy at the entrance of the washroom. This was a powerful affirmation that the mission to evangelize the Divine Mercy message was the mission that God intended for me.
After arriving safely at my Airbnb in Lima, the next step after settling in for a day, was to attend an important meeting in Ñaña (one of Lima’s poorest districts east of the city), where a few of us met with Brother Carlos and Brother José Luis to discuss how our team might be able to help raise funds for a renovation project in their community. We also confirmed plans for the upcoming trip to Pueblo Libre, near Caraz.
The first plan that we settled on was for me to travel with Brother José who was leaving by car for Caraz on the 23rd of November. Unfortunately, Brother Carlos, who had used the car the day before, got into a car accident. Thankfully, he was ok but the car was badly damaged and could not be driven until repaired; therefore, Brother Carlos and Brother Jose assumed the trip was off.
When I found out about the accident from Brother Carlos, I explained to him that all hope was not lost because before the Brothers offered me a ride to Caraz, I had made a reservation with a private transportation company to pick me up in Lima and take me there. Private transportation in Peru is far more common and much less expensive than in Canada so the cost was manageable. The bus was also an option, but I wanted to avoid the loss of or damage to any of the Divine Mercy materials I had brought with me and knowing the bus systems going into the Andes, I thought it best to travel privately. When I hung up the phone with Brother Carlos, I immediately called the private transportation company. They confirmed that the trip was still scheduled in their system and that the cancellation I had made earlier had not yet been processed. By this, I again discerned that my mission to evangelize the message of the Divine Mercy in the Andes was in accordance with God’s will. I rang Brother Carlos back and told him that my private reservation was still intact. The trip was on!
Early in the morning of November 23, 2017, I waited in the lobby of my Airbnb in anticipation of my driver showing up at 6am to take me to Caraz. It was cold outside, so I stayed indoors and chatted with the night watchman until I saw a car pull up outside. The licence plate number matched the one that I was given, so I headed to the car to begin loading some of my belongings. The security guard kindly brought out the rest of my things and helped me pack up the car while the driver verified my identification, took payment, and called his dispatch to notify them that everything was in order. I jumped into the front seat of the car, buckled up, waved goodbye to the security guard and before you knew it, we had begun our 500km journey to Caraz.
Few words were exchanged between me and my driver for the next 8 ½ hours. He wasn’t much of a talker. I didn’t mind. He was on a mission and so was I.
The outskirts of Lima seemed never ending as did the heavy traffic, however, given nearly 1/3 of Peru’s population lives in Lima, I wasn’t surprised by either.
It took us 3 ½ hours to travel 200km north on the Pan-American Hwy before we turned right onto Route 16 at Parmonga. We continued northeast to Conococha for another 130km. I was amazed at how quickly we ascended into the Andes. In just 2 ½ hours from Parmonga, we had climbed over 4000m / 13000ft.
From Conococha, we then travelled north on Route 3N, 80km to Huaraz (one of the largest towns in the Peruvian Andes). We breezed through the city and continued north for another 70km until we finally reached Caraz. It was 2:30pm. We were safe and sound and had made it to the convent in record time. After ringing the convent doorbell, we were greeted by one of the Capuchin Brothers who asked us to turn into the alley and wait by the gate. When the gate opened, two Capuchin Brothers came to help us unload my luggage and supplies. At that point, my driver bid us farewell. He had to drive back to Conococha to stay with his parents overnight and wanted to try to make it back there before dark.
After such a warm reception from the Capuchin Brothers, I felt right at home. I was given a tour of the convent and its grounds then Brother Francisco kindly escorted me to my hotel which was situated right across the alley.
What follows now, is a summary of the daily mission activities that took place while I was in the region of Ancash under the care and supervision of the Capuchin Brothers from Fraternidad Santa Maria de los Angeles in Caraz.
FRI NOV 24/17 PM Chanahuas – Elevation 2785m / 9137ft
After breakfast at the convent in Caraz, I met Brother Percy, who informed me that a small group of women had travelled to Caraz from Lima to fulfill a separate food mission.
He asked if I wanted to help the women prepare food baskets to be delivered to families in the highlands that coming weekend. I said yes to his offer and soon after, we drove over in a 4×4 to meet the women at their homestay in Caraz.
After we picked the Lima group up at the house where they were staying, we went food shopping at a bulk food supply store nearby. Once back at the house, Brother Percy helped us unload all the supplies. He then returned to the convent and we began assembling food baskets.
After several hours of work, brother Percy came back. We took a break for lunch which was supplied and cooked by the group’s hostess.
Over lunch, Brother Percy asked us if we were interested in accompanying him to a town in the highlands called Chanahuas where he was scheduled to celebrate Mass at the chapel that evening. We all said yes.
After all dining separately for dinner, we found ourselves once again travelling together with Brother Percy in the 4×4. As we set out on our journey, he led us in prayer.
Driving along, Brother Percy eventually made a right turn off the main highway. After making a quick pit-stop at the church in Pueblo Libre, we continued on our journey to Chanahuas.
As we began our ascent up the mountain, I sat quietly in the back seat of the vehicle. What was a two-way road, eventually became a one-way dirt road. There were no guardrails; it was getting dark; and we were driving through a rainstorm.
Every time we hit a pothole in the road, we bounced around like a bunch of bingo balls in a tumbler. I was frightened by the driving conditions and by the looks on the faces of the other women in the vehicle, they were as well. But of comfort, I think, to us all was the knowledge that Brother Percy had made the same journey dozens, if not hundreds, of times. He was a good driver who knew the roads and was calm. His knowledge of the roads proved in the end to help us stay calm despite the treacherous travel conditions.
When we arrived at the chapel in Chanahuas, we were greeted by some children who were playing soccer outdoors. They were happy to see us. One door of the chapel was already open, so we entered. All together there were about fifteen of us.
When everyone was ready, Brother Percy started the celebration of Mass. All sang the entrance hymn. Some parts were even sung in Quechuan language which was spectacular to hear. Everyone knew the song except for me; but that didn’t stop me from clapping my hands to the beat of the electric keyboard drum.
The women from Lima were giggling because they recognized how out of place, I was. I was also unaccustomed to such a charismatic celebration of Mass. At one point, I thought the roof of the chapel was going to burst due to the explosive volume set on the huge amplifier that both electric keyboards were plugged into.
As Mass progressed, one of the Liman women who had complained of a bad headache on the way up, became noticeably disoriented. Her symptoms signified early warning signs of altitude sickness. Despite her ailments, she sang her heart out.
At the conclusion of Mass, after Brother Percy gave the final blessing and dismissal, he asked me to come up to the altar to recite the prayer on the back of the Divine Mercy prayer card that he was waving in his hand. Humbled by his request and honoured to oblige, I made my way to where he was standing. In a parallel process, the ladies from Lima dipped into my supply bag and began handing out Divine Mercy prayer cards to everyone.
The cards were accepted with gratitude and enthusiasm. Some of the attendees asked for two prayer cards, I assume to give to a friend or another family member. On the back of the wallet-sized prayer card, instructions were written in Spanish about how to pray the Chaplet to The Divine Mercy. I recited a portion of the prayers and smiled when I heard others joining in. When I was finished reading, people dispersed, altar candles were blown out, the lights in the chapel were turned off and the entrance doors to the chapel were locked.
With Mass ending and this part of our mission completed, the five of us got back into the 4×4 and began our descent towards Caraz. The drive down the mountain was even scarier than the drive up. It was now pitch black; and because the rain had not subsided, we encountered multiple mini washouts on the dirt road. We slid once and I thought we were going to tumble over the cliff. I held my breath. What’s more, on the way down, a vehicle was making its way up the one-way road. Brother Percy stopped, then backed up slowly. I took stock of the wipers washing at full speed and the rain pelting down on the cab of the truck; but mostly, all I could hear was the sound of my own heartbeat in my chest. Somehow, thanks be to God, both vehicles were able to pass.
It was not until we hit the first bit of pavement about half an hour later, that my breathing and heartbeat returned to normal. As well, the headache and disorientation of the woman suffering from altitude sickness, abated. After we dropped the ladies off at their homestay location in Caraz, it was off to bed for me at my hotel.
SAT NOV 25/17 AM: Cruz de Mayo – Elevation 3421m / 11223ft
The first village that Brother Francisco and I visited today in the highlands was called Cruz de Mayo. It is spectacularly rich in Quechuan culture. I was thrilled that one of the two stretched canvases I brought of the Divine Mercy image was to be installed in the church.
When we arrived, about forty children were already seated in the pews of the church. They were listening attentively to one of the nuns who was teaching catechism.
After Brother Francisco and I entered the church, he propped the image of the Divine Mercy up on a chair at the front of the altar. He then spoke to the children about the meaning of the Divine Mercy image and its main themes about love and mercy and trusting in Jesus.
Before the image was hung in the church, Brother Carlos invited all the children to come up to the front of the altar, single file, and recite with enthusiasm the words JESÚS EN TI CONFIO. In English, this translates to JESUS I TRUST IN YOU. I was particularly touched by a few children who, of their own accord, said these words with such reverence.
After each child professed JESÚS EN TI CONFIO, I handed them a Divine Mercy prayer card. I reminisced for a moment about when I was in Vancouver preparing for the mission and how I recited part of the Divine Mercy Chaplet while I fed each of the one thousand prayer cards through a laminator. I said: For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world as a way of extending my peace to each person who would eventually receive a Divine Mercy prayer card.
SAT NOV 25/17 PM: Huamancayan – Elevation 2953m / 9688ft
In the afternoon on the same day, Brother Francisco and I visited another highland town called Huamancayan. Although lower in elevation than Cruz de Mayo, I got a sunburn in just 5 minutes as we walked through the corn fields to get to the chapel. It was midday and fearsomely.
We were in Huamancayan to drop off toys for the children and food baskets for the parents.
One of the Liman women from yesterday was already in the village and asked me if I could replenish her stock of Divine Mercy prayer cards. I did. She offered to stay in Huamancayan to teach the Chaplet to the Divine Mercy to the youth and adults who were scheduled to arrive at the chapel at 3pm. I was overjoyed that our missions had overlapped – each was supporting the other and was evidence of God’s handiwork.
On our way back to Caraz, Brother Francisco pulled over on the shoulder of the dirt road. He spotted a local woman who was waiting for him. She had come down from a village higher up in the Andes to retrieve the remaining food baskets that we had prepared yesterday for the families in her village. Curious about me, she asked why I was with Brother Francisco. After sharing with her why I was in Peru, she was visibly moved. I gave her dozens of Divine Mercy prayer cards to give away. She told me that she was familiar with the message of the Divine Mercy and that she would teach others about it, including the Chaplet prayers. Again, God’s grace.
SAT NOV 25/17 PM: Tocash – Elevation 2362m / 7749ft
Again, the same day in the evening, Brother Francisco and I travelled to another small town called Tocash where he was scheduled to celebrate Mass and baptize seven children. I learned from Brother Francisco that children love coming to church, which was of no surprise to me given the engaging, compassionate and loving demeanour of the Capuchin Brothers.
The seven baptisms were incredible to witness. Not only were these seven children, their parents and Godparents filled with the Holy Spirit, we all were.
To top things off, Brother Francisco talked about my mission at great length then asked everyone to come up to the front of the altar to receive a Divine Mercy prayer card. There were so many people in the church that two seminarians had to help me hand them out.
SUN NOV 26/17 AM: Rinconada – Elevation 2317m / 7601ft
On this morning we got off to an early start and were accompanied by three seminarians. Packed into the 4×4 like sardines, we headed off to a town called Rinconada. So close to a larger city centre like Caraz, I was not expecting to see the same level of poverty that I had witnessed in the pueblitos high up in the Andes where the poorest of the poor live in tiny grass huts with dirt floors.
Upon arrival at the capilla (chapel) in Rinconada, when I exited the vehicle, I fumbled to get my camera out because I became distracted by the sight of a little girl who was about seven years old. She absolutely shone.
As I entered the capilla, I genuflected before taking my place in the pew. While I was preparing my heart for Mass, the same girl entered the pew, climbed over, and plunked herself down beside me. She had no intention of leaving. Her smile made me smile. I noticed she was very curious about what might be inside the bag I brought with me. Of course, there were dozens of little estampas of The Divine Mercy.
Our attention then turned to Brother Eduardo (shown in the photo below) who led us in song while he prepared the altar for Mass. Once again, I was swept away by the charismatic singing.
Before the Homily (sermon) was said by Brother Francisco, who was our celebrant, he again spoke at great length about the Divine Mercy message and how I was led to Lithuania, then to Peru, then to Caraz and now to Rinconada in service to Christ.
It was true. I heard Jesus call me. I followed Him.
And now, thanks be to God, I was able to share the message and the image of the Divine Mercy with everyone in the chapel. My heart was full of gratitude and love.
After dismissal, I managed to take some photos outside of the chapel including the one below where the little girl who sat beside me in church is seated third from the left.
SUN NOV 26/17 PM: Pueblo Libre – Elevation 2508m / 8228ft
Later in the same day we made our way to the church in Pueblo Libre.
There were nearly two hundred people in attendance along with several of the Capuchin Brothers and seminarians from the convent in Caraz.
My nerves were a bit shaky in anticipation of the second installation of the image of the Divine Mercy and at the idea of being able to bring the good news of God’s love and mercy to so many people.
Before Brother Percy celebrated Mass, he pointed to where he wanted me to place the image of the Divine Mercy on the altar along with all the other supplies I had brought with me from Canada.
During Mass, before we all recited the penitential act, Brother Percy introduced me to the congregation, explaining who I was and why I had come to Peru. He blessed with holy water, all the items I had placed on the altar. He then waved me up to the front of the church where I was given a portable microphone so that people at the back of the church could hear what I was about to say.
Brother Percy asked me to explain what the image and prayers of the Divine Mercy meant to me.
Keeping things brief, I said that after I visited the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Vilnius, Lithuania, I met Brother Carlos in Vancouver, Canada where I live. I explained that the Holy Spirit inspired me to proclaim the message of the Divine Mercy and that Brother Carlos thought such a mission would bring consolation to many people in the highlands. I shared how much God loves us and how important it is for each of us to place all our trust in Jesus. Jesus, I explained, wants us to give Him all our misery. He promises that when we recite the Chaplet to The Divine Mercy that if what we pray for is compatible with His will, we will obtain it. He also told Saint Faustina “By means of this Image I shall be granting many graces, so let every soul have access to it.”
At the end of Mass, Brother Percy called upon the children to come up to the altar to receive the Divine Mercy prayer card, along with a Rosary. I needed help to keep up with the continuous stream of people coming up to receive the materials. Imagine how my heart was aglow. I could hardly contain myself when repeatedly hearing the word “Gracias” spoken from the mouths of the little ones. Witnessing so many beautiful smiles on the children’s faces as they received a Divine Mercy prayer card and a Rosary, rendered me speechless.
After the children had all come up, I only had twenty Rosaries left to hand out to the adults who were next in line. When supplies ran out, I had to lift the supply bag and turn it upside down to show everyone that it was empty and that there were no more Rosaries left to distribute. Undeterred, the adults kept coming up anyway in hope of still receiving a Divine Mercy prayer card.
After Mass, some of the parishioners who arrived late followed me outside. They pleaded for a Rosary, but I explained that I had given them all away. It was an incredible day and reinforced how much God loves us and wants us to be close to Him.
Upon returning to Caraz, Brother Francisco took me to the bus station to help me buy my bus ticket for the trip back to Lima at 7am the next morning. After dinner at the convent at 7:30pm, it was with deep sadness that I said my farewells to all the Brothers.
5. OUTCOMES:
The message of the Divine Mercy was shared with hundreds of people for the first time in the Ancash region of Peru. The mission solidified that the spreading of the honour of The Divine Mercy does not require many words, but always the Christian attitude of faith, of trust in God, and of becoming ever more merciful as was exemplified by St. Faustina who gave us the example of just such apostolic work.
Two church installations of the image of the Divine Mercy (one in Cruz de Mayo and the other in Pueblo Libre), will provide a venue for the faithful to venerate the image of the Divine Mercy which is renowned for countless graces. The Divine Mercy prayer cards that were distributed, will serve as a reminder of God’s love and mercy for his children. The Rosaries that were distributed will make it possible for families to recite the Rosary and reflect on each of the mysteries together in their homes.
The hospitality and kindness extended to me by the Capuchin Brothers as their sister in Christ, shall never be forgotten. Because of the good and holy works of the Brothers, Love and Mercy has been expanded in the hearts of many, including my own.
6. QUOTE
“Mi misión y llamado de Dios es difundir el mensaje de la Divina Misericordia / My mission and call from God is to spread the message of the Divine Mercy.” Deborah Holowka, Founder of All Things Possible Catholic Mission Society.
7. PSALM-PRAYER:
Through your Son, Lord, you spared sinners to show us your mercy and love. Do not remember our sins, but show us your ways; relieve our distress, and satisfy the longing of your people, so that all our hopes for eternal peace may reach fulfillment.of your people; do not hide your face from our troubles. Father of orphans, wealth of the poor, we rejoice in making you known; may we find comfort and security in times of pain and anxiety.