Father Joe Goes to Mexico
MY FOURTH TRIP TO TEQUEPEXPAN, NAYARIT, MEXICODecember 21: My fourth trip to Tequepexpan began with three flights --- South Bend to Atlanta, Atlanta to Monterrey and Monterrey to Guadalajara. There was a layover in Monterrey. My good friend, Fr. John Herman, CSC, came to the airport and we were able to visit for about 40 minutes. It was great to see him and to hear how things are going in the parish where he is the Pastor. The plane arrived in Guadalajara at 5:00 p.m. A student from Dillon Hall, Ignacio Aranguren, who lives in Guadalajara, picked me up. Since he knew that I was coming to Guadalajara, he had called me and asked me to bring a pair of shoes that he forgot in the study lounge in Dillon before leaving. I love how comfortable Notre Dame students feel with us Holy Cross priests. He brought me to the hotel. There is a Church across the street from the hotel. And like all Churches in Mexico there are always evening Masses at 7 pm and 8 pm. I went to Mass and then I spent a couple hours walking around Guadalajara, a city that I have grown to love very much. I ate totally great mole poblano at a restaurant one block from the hotel. It was a beautiful night --- sounds, color, people, activity everywhere and it was about 75 degrees.
December 22: After morning Mass, I went for a run in Guadalajara. It really is a beautiful city. Mexico decorates so much for Christmas. At 1:00 p.m., Ignacio picked me up at the hotel and brought me to the bus terminal in Guadalajara to get the bus to Tepic. I arrived in Tepic around 5:00 p.m. Tepic is a city of about 360,000 people. After checking into the hotel, I went to the Cathedral. Bishop Ricardo Watty, M.Sp.S., the Bishop who first invited me to come to his diocese and to work in Tequepexpan, died on November 1. I wanted very much to visit his tomb. He is buried in the crypt of the Cathedral. So I spoke with the Rector/Pastor who took me down to his tomb. I prayed there for his eternal rest and in gratitude for his life. I did not know him well, but it did not take long to know that he was a wonderful man and religious and Bishop. I thoroughly enjoyed my three visits with him on my other trips. After praying at his tomb, I went to greet the Sister who was his housekeeper. And then, as I love to do, I simply walked around the city. The hotel is right on the main plaza of Tepic. There was Christmas music and groups and entertainment until long after I fell asleep.
December 23: I got up early at 6:30 a.m. and went to the Cathedral for the 7:00 a.m. Mass. The Rector/Pastor asked me to take the Mass so that he could hear confessions. I was happy to celebrate Mass. There were about 100 people. I cannot put into words how grateful I am to God to be a priest.
Because of his grace and goodness, I was at home celebrating Mass in the Cathedral Church of Tepic as I was three days prior in the crypt at Sacred Heart at Notre Dame and seven days prior in the Dillon Hall chapel. I love the Mass more than I can say and I am always so grateful for the opportunity to preside and preach. While getting dressed for Mass, I looked at the schedule of the day for the Cathedral. The sacraments are celebrated all day long, every day, in the Church of Mexico. This is what it looked like:
6:00 a.m. Mass
7:00 a.m. Mass
8:00 a.m. Mass
9:00 a.m. Baptism
11:00 a.m. Confirmation
12:00 Mass
3:00 p.m. Quinceañera
4:00 p.m. Baptism
5:00 p.m. First Communion
6:00 p.m. Holy Hour
7:00 p.m. Mass
8:00 p.m. Wedding
The Emeritus Bishop had the 8:00 a.m. Mass. It was so nice to meet him. There is an "easiness" about the Church in Mexico that does not exist in the United States.
After Mass I went for a run along the Mololoa River, which I have done several times before. It's a nice easy run, and I especially enjoy it because I run past this Catholic Church that I have referred to before.....it has a big sign in front of it that reads, "Iglesia Católica: un lugar de perdón y de fiesta." That is, "Catholic Church: a place of forgiveness and of celebration." Every time I see that sign, I know that I'm in the right Church ☺
As I was running, I was reflecting on the morning Mass and how grateful I am to be a priest. And then I hear people yelling from the road, "Padre José, Padre José." I look over and there in a pick up truck was a family from Tequepexpan, whom I have come to know and like. They have the only store in Tequepexpan that sells more than food, and I go there every day to buy chocolate! So I ran out into the street (they were at a stop sign) to say hello to them. When I last saw Lorena on Easter Sunday she was pregnant. And I saw her today with infant in her arms. I said to her, "When did you give birth?" She said, "In May and we are waiting for you to come to Tequepexpan so that you can baptize our son." I told them that I would be in Tequepexpan later today and I would stop by the store. The light turned green. They drove away and I went back to the running path to keep running.
As I ran, I had tears in my eyes just thinking of the goodness of God. That encounter at a stop light in Tepic was a moment of grace for me like none other. I don't usually get sentimental about the priesthood. But as I ran I kept thinking three things: (1) how grateful I am to God to be a priest, (2) how unworthy of this vocation I am, and (3) of the incredible goodness of God. Blessed be God forever.
I arrived in Tequepexpan at 4:10 pm and by 4:40 I was hearing confessions. I heard confessions until Mass at 6 pm. There were a few confessions after Mass. And then I went to the house where I have stayed the last three times. Much to my dismay there is still no hot water :-(. There hasn't been hot water since Holy Week. My friend Sarah Gregory says that I have such an interesting life. On Wednesday I am using WiFi on a plane and on Friday I am in a home with no hot water. So I took a shower in someone else's home. I'm getting too old for cold showers!!
December 24: Though I went to bed around 10:30 pm last night, the house where I am staying had a posada party which ended at 4:00 am! In the morning I heard confessions and celebrated Mass. I visited a few people in their homes. I visited with lots of people just walking here and there. I like walking around and stopping every minute to visit with people. People show me the infant I baptized last year or tell me how someone is doing whom they asked me to stop by to see who was sick last year.
While I was drinking a cup of delicious hot punch in the house where I stay, I heard lots of noise coming from the yard. So I went out to see what was going on. There was Chepina (who lives in the house where I stay) killing chickens. So I decided to help her. You cut a small hole in the bottom of a bucket big enough for the chicken's head to go through. Then you put the chicken upside down in the bucket and cut off its head and let the blood drain out. Because Tequepexpan knows nothing of Human Resources or Risk Management or OSHA, there was not a box of plastic gloves nearby to put on when you grabbed the chicken to put it upside down in the bucket! It's quite the experience.
I no longer believe in Santa Claus. All I wanted for Christmas was hot water in the shower. And what did we get? No water at all. I must be honest and say that this gets me so frustrated. We have no idea how many times day we use water besides the obvious ones like drinking water or flushing the toilet after you go. You can't wash your hands. You can't wipe off a smudge mark on your shirt. You can't brush your teeth without going to the store to get some bottled water. You can't wash your hands after you go to the bathroom. The list is endless.
At 6:00 p.m. someone picked me up and drove me to El Ahualamo, a bigger village than Tequepexpan about 12 miles away. I had the 7:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass. Again, the wonderful experience of being at home as a priest and celebrating the Eucharist with God's Holy People.
After Mass they drove me to Tequepexpan. We had Christmas Eve Mass at 9:00 p.m. The Church was packed, packed, packed. It was a beautiful Mass and the people sang so beautifully. After Mass, everyone comes forward one by one to kiss the Baby Jesus, which I am holding. What a gift to me to see people's eyes as they kissed Baby Jesus.
After Mass I had many invitations to people's homes for dinner. I went to one home for a delicious supper. Mexicans gather on Christmas Eve after Mass and enjoy a meal together. It is so true that Mexican life revolves around faith, family, and food.
December 25: During my morning run, I kept thinking about the no running water situation in the house. And I kept getting more mad. So I decided to try to focus on another aspect of no water. I began to think of all the people who cross the border from Mexico to the United States by walking miles and miles in the desert with no water. For many, the trip is too much and they die along the way. So rather than complain about the no water situation, I decided that every time I would go to use the water and there was none, that instead of getting mad, I would pray for the people crossing the border. And I would pray for people for whom no water is a way of life. My plan kind of worked. I would still get mad, but then I would catch myself and pray for the people.
Two friends had given me some money before I left and asked me to give it to poor families in Tequepexpan. So I asked Chabela to identify eight families that I could give the money to. So at 9:30, Chabela and Amalia and I walked to the eight homes to give the money to the people. I had never been on these side streets. So it was a real education for me.
The home of Ofelia with her six children is so poor. I don't think that I have ever seen poverty like this is all my life. The kids probably had not a bath in weeks. Their smiles were beautiful. Their clothes were very dirty. They greeted the three visitors with respect. Their shoes did not fit. They invited me into their home. They had no socks. I fell in love with them. For the rest of the day I could not get Ofelia or her children --- Jose Roberto, Luis Fernando, Dahlia, Edgar, Gamaliel, and Adair --- out of my mind. They don't have a chance in life. I would love to rescue them from their situation.
We celebrated Christmas Day Mass at 11:00 a.m. There were three baptisms --- Alvaro Giovanny, Kimberly Aslim, and Dana Paulette. Again, the Church was completely packed. Again after Mass, everyone comes forward one by one to kiss the Baby Jesus, which I am holding. What a gift to me again to see people's eyes as they kissed Baby Jesus. At the offertory in addition to the usual gifts being brought forward, one person brought up a basket of fruit --- tangerines, strawberries and bananas, and another person brought up a Christmas gift bag filled with chocolate candies. Theologically wrong, humanly beautiful. (Guess which one I prefer!)
In the afternoon I went to two people's homes who had invited me to eat. One was the family who had a baptism who had seen me running on the streets in Tepic. Both places had great food. Sadly, this was not the first time that I had back to back meals. The baptism party began at noon and was still going strong at 11:00 p.m. In the afternoon they served lunch and a DJ provided the music. At night they served supper and a live band provided the music.
Later in the day I went back to Ofelia's home. I just had to see her and her kids again and to listen to her. The kids were climbing up and down a ladder and playing on the roof of the house. Kids can be so creative at finding ways to play. Again, I want to rescue these kids from this situation.
December 26: I celebrated Mass at 8:00 a.m. and then Chabela and her family took me to the bus stop where I took a bus to Guadalajara. Because of an ACE commitment in Mexico City, I will fly to Mexico City the morning of the 27th. There are 14 ACE teachers coming the annual ACE Vocations Retreat. This year the retreat revolves around a visit to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
As in the previous three trips, being with the people of Tequepexpan was a grace and a blessing. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to go there.
6:00 a.m. Mass
7:00 a.m. Mass
8:00 a.m. Mass
9:00 a.m. Baptism
11:00 a.m. Confirmation
12:00 Mass
3:00 p.m. Quinceañera
4:00 p.m. Baptism
5:00 p.m. First Communion
6:00 p.m. Holy Hour
7:00 p.m. Mass
8:00 p.m. Wedding
The Emeritus Bishop had the 8:00 a.m. Mass. It was so nice to meet him. There is an "easiness" about the Church in Mexico that does not exist in the United States.
After Mass I went for a run along the Mololoa River, which I have done several times before. It's a nice easy run, and I especially enjoy it because I run past this Catholic Church that I have referred to before.....it has a big sign in front of it that reads, "Iglesia Católica: un lugar de perdón y de fiesta." That is, "Catholic Church: a place of forgiveness and of celebration." Every time I see that sign, I know that I'm in the right Church ☺
As I was running, I was reflecting on the morning Mass and how grateful I am to be a priest. And then I hear people yelling from the road, "Padre José, Padre José." I look over and there in a pick up truck was a family from Tequepexpan, whom I have come to know and like. They have the only store in Tequepexpan that sells more than food, and I go there every day to buy chocolate! So I ran out into the street (they were at a stop sign) to say hello to them. When I last saw Lorena on Easter Sunday she was pregnant. And I saw her today with infant in her arms. I said to her, "When did you give birth?" She said, "In May and we are waiting for you to come to Tequepexpan so that you can baptize our son." I told them that I would be in Tequepexpan later today and I would stop by the store. The light turned green. They drove away and I went back to the running path to keep running.
As I ran, I had tears in my eyes just thinking of the goodness of God. That encounter at a stop light in Tepic was a moment of grace for me like none other. I don't usually get sentimental about the priesthood. But as I ran I kept thinking three things: (1) how grateful I am to God to be a priest, (2) how unworthy of this vocation I am, and (3) of the incredible goodness of God. Blessed be God forever.
I arrived in Tequepexpan at 4:10 pm and by 4:40 I was hearing confessions. I heard confessions until Mass at 6 pm. There were a few confessions after Mass. And then I went to the house where I have stayed the last three times. Much to my dismay there is still no hot water :-(. There hasn't been hot water since Holy Week. My friend Sarah Gregory says that I have such an interesting life. On Wednesday I am using WiFi on a plane and on Friday I am in a home with no hot water. So I took a shower in someone else's home. I'm getting too old for cold showers!!
December 24: Though I went to bed around 10:30 pm last night, the house where I am staying had a posada party which ended at 4:00 am! In the morning I heard confessions and celebrated Mass. I visited a few people in their homes. I visited with lots of people just walking here and there. I like walking around and stopping every minute to visit with people. People show me the infant I baptized last year or tell me how someone is doing whom they asked me to stop by to see who was sick last year.
While I was drinking a cup of delicious hot punch in the house where I stay, I heard lots of noise coming from the yard. So I went out to see what was going on. There was Chepina (who lives in the house where I stay) killing chickens. So I decided to help her. You cut a small hole in the bottom of a bucket big enough for the chicken's head to go through. Then you put the chicken upside down in the bucket and cut off its head and let the blood drain out. Because Tequepexpan knows nothing of Human Resources or Risk Management or OSHA, there was not a box of plastic gloves nearby to put on when you grabbed the chicken to put it upside down in the bucket! It's quite the experience.
I no longer believe in Santa Claus. All I wanted for Christmas was hot water in the shower. And what did we get? No water at all. I must be honest and say that this gets me so frustrated. We have no idea how many times day we use water besides the obvious ones like drinking water or flushing the toilet after you go. You can't wash your hands. You can't wipe off a smudge mark on your shirt. You can't brush your teeth without going to the store to get some bottled water. You can't wash your hands after you go to the bathroom. The list is endless.
At 6:00 p.m. someone picked me up and drove me to El Ahualamo, a bigger village than Tequepexpan about 12 miles away. I had the 7:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass. Again, the wonderful experience of being at home as a priest and celebrating the Eucharist with God's Holy People.
After Mass they drove me to Tequepexpan. We had Christmas Eve Mass at 9:00 p.m. The Church was packed, packed, packed. It was a beautiful Mass and the people sang so beautifully. After Mass, everyone comes forward one by one to kiss the Baby Jesus, which I am holding. What a gift to me to see people's eyes as they kissed Baby Jesus.
After Mass I had many invitations to people's homes for dinner. I went to one home for a delicious supper. Mexicans gather on Christmas Eve after Mass and enjoy a meal together. It is so true that Mexican life revolves around faith, family, and food.
December 25: During my morning run, I kept thinking about the no running water situation in the house. And I kept getting more mad. So I decided to try to focus on another aspect of no water. I began to think of all the people who cross the border from Mexico to the United States by walking miles and miles in the desert with no water. For many, the trip is too much and they die along the way. So rather than complain about the no water situation, I decided that every time I would go to use the water and there was none, that instead of getting mad, I would pray for the people crossing the border. And I would pray for people for whom no water is a way of life. My plan kind of worked. I would still get mad, but then I would catch myself and pray for the people.
Two friends had given me some money before I left and asked me to give it to poor families in Tequepexpan. So I asked Chabela to identify eight families that I could give the money to. So at 9:30, Chabela and Amalia and I walked to the eight homes to give the money to the people. I had never been on these side streets. So it was a real education for me.
The home of Ofelia with her six children is so poor. I don't think that I have ever seen poverty like this is all my life. The kids probably had not a bath in weeks. Their smiles were beautiful. Their clothes were very dirty. They greeted the three visitors with respect. Their shoes did not fit. They invited me into their home. They had no socks. I fell in love with them. For the rest of the day I could not get Ofelia or her children --- Jose Roberto, Luis Fernando, Dahlia, Edgar, Gamaliel, and Adair --- out of my mind. They don't have a chance in life. I would love to rescue them from their situation.
We celebrated Christmas Day Mass at 11:00 a.m. There were three baptisms --- Alvaro Giovanny, Kimberly Aslim, and Dana Paulette. Again, the Church was completely packed. Again after Mass, everyone comes forward one by one to kiss the Baby Jesus, which I am holding. What a gift to me again to see people's eyes as they kissed Baby Jesus. At the offertory in addition to the usual gifts being brought forward, one person brought up a basket of fruit --- tangerines, strawberries and bananas, and another person brought up a Christmas gift bag filled with chocolate candies. Theologically wrong, humanly beautiful. (Guess which one I prefer!)
In the afternoon I went to two people's homes who had invited me to eat. One was the family who had a baptism who had seen me running on the streets in Tepic. Both places had great food. Sadly, this was not the first time that I had back to back meals. The baptism party began at noon and was still going strong at 11:00 p.m. In the afternoon they served lunch and a DJ provided the music. At night they served supper and a live band provided the music.
Later in the day I went back to Ofelia's home. I just had to see her and her kids again and to listen to her. The kids were climbing up and down a ladder and playing on the roof of the house. Kids can be so creative at finding ways to play. Again, I want to rescue these kids from this situation.
December 26: I celebrated Mass at 8:00 a.m. and then Chabela and her family took me to the bus stop where I took a bus to Guadalajara. Because of an ACE commitment in Mexico City, I will fly to Mexico City the morning of the 27th. There are 14 ACE teachers coming the annual ACE Vocations Retreat. This year the retreat revolves around a visit to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
As in the previous three trips, being with the people of Tequepexpan was a grace and a blessing. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to go there.