In the heart of southeastern Guatemala, the small village of Villa Graciela bears witness to the humility and perseverance of the Church. Thanks to the silent commitment of laypeople such as Mirna Sucely Ramírez and José Flavio Silvestre, pastoral life flourishes among the community which has been struggling to rebuild not only the physical structure of the Church of Christ of Esquipulas but also the faith of its neighbours. This is a story which, thanks to the solidarity of ACN benefactors from all over the world, has developed into a symbol of true hope.
Evidence of social and economic fragility are everywhere in Villa Graciela, Cuilapa, in southeastern Guatemala, including extreme poverty, migration, lack of basic services and a fragmented community life. Despite this reality, however, the Church finds strength in the efforts of committed laypeople.
Mirna Sucely Ramírez and José Flavio Silvestre, catechists and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, have been married for 20 years and have three children. Their service began in 2006, when they were invited to join the pastoral care for families, and later continued with the “people’s missions”, which involve home visits, listening, sharing of the Word and spreading hope. “We serve a community that is poor spiritually, materially and socially. We want it to be a community of solidarity, that lives its faith with joy,” Mirna explains.
Their mission is all-encompassing: the accompaniment of children, youth and adults with the Gospel, the Eucharist and prayer, and they do so in a challenging context: “We face many struggles, including young people without clear life goals and high suicide rates. We want to give them hope and meaning,” José says.
The Bishop of Santa Rosa de lima, José Cayetano Parra Novo, highlights the importance of the contribution of laypeople such as Mirna and José. “Our Church cannot rest solely on tradition; it needs an outgoing evangelisation, it needs to visit, to announce and to form living communities. We need infrastructure, but we also need hearts that are open to serve.”
Mirna and José are a living example of the bishops’ wish. “This evangelisation doesn’t stay in the churches or in other Church spaces, it sets out into the deep, it visits. These pastoral projects that our Guatemalan Church is carrying out lead people to go from home to home, visiting, proclaiming the Gospel, announcing the Good News of Jesus Christ to all those who are around them and even to those who are on the margins, to the forgotten ones.”
“The Church in Guatemala has gone through martyrdom, suffering and persecution, but despite that it has not become a defeated Church; the blood of the martyrs has given it a special strength, as happened to the Church in the first centuries,” Bishop Parra says.
Rebuilding the church, renewing strength
Over the past years, the diocese has erected six new parishes, many of which do not even have church buildings or presbyteries. And what structures do exist lack resources.
The church that Mirna and José attend is dedicated to the Christ of Esquipulas and was built 30 years ago through the effort of pioneer laypeople. But time, aggravated by the difficult climate and economic issues, has left a deep mark. The floor has sunk, the roof is in a poor state, the electrical system is failing, there are no bathrooms and not nearly enough space for the community of almost 2,000people.
But the people of Villa Graciela do not resign themselves that easily. They have already raised enough money for small repairs through raffles and garage sales, which though only a fraction of the total costs of renovation, is a sign of their commitment and of a living and active faith which is set on enlarging the church building, adding bathrooms and improving the structural and electrical fittings.
And this is where the solidarity of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) benefactors is beginning to transform reality. Thanks to the charity’s support, this new and crucial phase of the project can begin, and the building can be fully renovated. Father José Alejandro García, the local parish priest, does not hide his gratitude to the benefactors: “Thank you; I may never meet you, but God knows who you are, and He will bless you. I ask that you continue to be generous, so that we can better serve God’s people.”
By Hernán Darío Cadena.
