GROUNDING THE CHARISM IN HONDURAS

Stained glass window
of the Presentation

This feast of Presentation 2012 has been a special one for us in Guaimaca, because of a couple of events: a Vocation Retreat on November 16th and 17th, when six young women listened in silence to God's call to each one of them:  What does God want from me?...the model of their listening was Mary, presented by her parents in the Temple. 

Sharing their reflections

God calling each one by name

Listening

Reflecting

In adoration

Praying together

Continuing the reflection

Hoping for continuity

Some of these women have had a long journey of discernment 

and are at the point of making a decision...

Please keep them in your prayers....

The other event was the first group 

of Lay Associates making their commitment on  November

 

21st

as we renewed our vows. 

The nine women and men had been preparing for a couple of years and were ready to make their promise as 

Associates of the Dominican Sisters of the Presentation.

 Now we are thirteen, between  Sisters and Associates, trying to live and incarnate the Charism of Marie Poussepin in Honduras.

They felt united to the rest of the Congregation, especially those in the USA, and to the sisters they have known when they have come to Guaimaca.
  

Fr. Jonathan blesses the Associate's pins.
Fr. George also concelebrated the Eucharist.

Each one of the Associates is already part of the mission of the Congregation in the parish and is planning on strengthening this commitment as Associate of the Congregation.  

It is a joy for us to see some of them participating as couples and several of them finding ways of strengthening Vocation Ministry not only in Guaimaca but also in other areas of the country. 

May this new beginning help the Charism of Marie Poussepin 

to take root in Honduras with strong vocations 

to continue what has been started during the past eleven years!

MARIE POUSSEPIN'S FEAST

Marie Poussepin was born on October 14th 1653. This was the date chosen by the Church on her beatification on November 20, 1994 as her feast day. 

 

This year, in Guaimaca, we actually had three days of celebrations: On Friday, October 12th, we had a Eucharistic celebration at the Marie Poussepin Center, 

with the first communion of seven of the students who had been prepared by Sr. Olga during the year. 

In fact the students had started the day before with an afternoon of retreat with Sr. Teresa María. 

That same day, Sr. María went to Tegucigalpa to meet a nurse who was coming to the clinic for a year as part of Catholic Mission Board services.  What a welcome help for Sr. María!






On Saturday, October 13th, the Associate candidates gathered for an afternoon of retreat in preparation for their commitment on November 21st. Sr. Marta Inés guided them in their reflection.  The evening concluded with evening prayer and rosary with the community.

On the very day of the feast, Sunday, October 14th, we had the Eucharist at the parish church.  Given the occasion of the feast of Our Foundress, Fr. Jonathan, the pastor, asked us to present the statue of St. Dominic that had just been finished.  Sisters María and Gloribel carried the statue, while Sr. Teresa María gave the people a short explanation of St. Dominic, his spirituality and our Dominican Charism in a Parish that is dedicated to a Dominican Saint: St. Rose of Lima.

 

All these celebrations were a good opportunity to make better known our Congregation and to promote some vocations in our midst for the continuity of the mission in Honduras.

TIME OF BLESSINGS

It has been a while since we shared some glimpses of our life in Guaimaca. However, our life has been so filled with blessings, that we don't want more time to go by without posting some of them in this blog.


Undoubtedly one of the highlights has been the Canonical Visit of Sr. Monique Colrat, our Superior General, together with Sr. Teresa Rodríguez, General Councilor, and Sr. Vimala Vadakumpadan, USA Major Superior. 

This was Sr. Monique's second visit to Guaimaca and certainly she found much of growth in the community and in the mission. Starting by the fact that now we are five Sisters in the community and  thus are able to be more present to the needs around us.

Our visitors were able to meet with the local ordinary, Cardinal Oscar Andrés Rodríguez, Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, right after their arrival.   This certainly helped to start the visit at the heart of the local Church.  While in Guaimaca, they were also able to meet with our new pastor, Fr. Jonathan Funes.

The three full days they spent with us, allowed us to have good times of personal and community exchanges that helped to evaluate and focus our life and mission.  The grace of being able to respond to the needs of the poor in Guaimaca from the three aspects of the charism of Marie Poussepin:  healthcare, education and human promotion through work at the farm, was very much part of our sharing and reflection.

They were able to visit the farm, the clinic

and spent some time with the students

at the Marie Poussepin Center.

We also had the pleasant surprise of receiving for a couple of days Sr. Herminia Rincón, Provincial Superior of Manizales, Colombia, who came to meet with Sr. Monique.

Here we can be seen with all our visitors.

Another moment of our lives we would like to share is "El Día del Niño" (the Day of the Child) at the Marie Poussepin Center.  This day is celebrated thorughout Honduras.  At the CMP we had celebrated it every year going to nearby villages to do it with some school children.  However, this year we invited some special children to come to the Center.

 

Since the junior high students have been going once a week to help out at the local Rehabilitation Center, it was thought that all our students could get involved in celebrating with these children. It is important to point out that the clinic also offers them healthcare by a pediatritian who volunteers at our clinic.

It was the junior high students coordinated the event,

but all the students did something to make this

a special celebration for our visitors.

The CMP students are gradually

 learning and experiencing 

the joy of volunteering and helping others!

LEMPIRA DAY CELEBRATION

Poster and display prepared by children from the Guaimaca Rehabilitation Center

Lempira Day is a big holiday in Honduras. Lempira was a indigenous leader who led a popular uprising against Spanish colonial forces in the 16th century. Although he was ultimately unsuccessful, he is honored today in schools and parades. Most schools are in sessions at this time of the year, as the "summer vacation" is usually taken in December and January, which is the coffee picking season.  To celebrate Lempira Day, children dress up as natives, and schools and communities often hold festivals in his honor.  

Chief Lempira is also honored on the national currency. The name of all the currency is called the lempira, and his picture is on the one lempira note, which is worth about a nickel.

At the Marie Poussepin Center we celebrated on the very day just before the students went home for the weekend. Usually there is a contest to elect “La India Bonita”.  All the students of a class work on making the dress.  They are to use natural items, such as corn, bark, beans, etc.

 

This year, the different grades researched various Indian groups and prepared the whole presentation on that ethnic group.

 

There were dances, displays and of course the typical foods.

 

Since the junior group volunteers each week to work with special children,

they were invited to participate.

They also dressed up as Indians and some of them performed.

 

 

The judges needed to decide on one candidate to be La India Bonita del CMP 2012. The judges unanimously decided that one of the first year students was the most natural one.  The one from the year 2011, now a student at the National University of Agriculture, was present for the occassion because she had a weekend off from school.  So, she was able to give the band to her successor. 

 

 

It was a very enriching process and day for the students,

the tutors and their guests!