This article comes to us from Paraguay and is taken from the news letter entitled Ko’etï. Ko’etï is a Guarani word that means dawn. And perhaps the new community featured in this article is a sign of a new dawn which will bring life.
This article comes to us from
The diocese of St Peter the Apostle welcomed us with great joy, this time to the parish of “San Baltazar”, which is situated about 130 kilometres from the capital Asunción.
We arrived on the 19th February 2009 after having participated in the Diocesan Assembly which took place on the 17th and 18th February. The Bishop, together with the pastoral team welcomed us to the parish. .
We arrived at our new house in the evening and immediately the neighbours gathered to help us clean the house. The members of the new community are: Asunción Urquiola, Marcelina Moopisa y Juanita Añazco. On the morning of the 20th Amelia Fernandez (Head of the Delegation) and Maria Ángeles Lizarrga (Bursar) arrived with some of our basic necessities. Once again, the neighbours came to help us unload furniture etc.
During Vespers, we celebrated the official installation of the community by reading the decree. And so in great joy and simplicity we began this new experience as a new community.
The people in this place are very good and simple; they have given us a great welcome and have indicated that they are very happy to have us living among them.
Mboiy is a very peaceful place. There are a number of small communities in the same sector and each one has its own chapel. Some have their own schools and each one has a sports centre where people gather for sports events or other events that interest everyone.
From the very beginning we made it known to the people that we have come to accompany them and to help them in their journey as Christians. We are willing to make our small contribution to help them strengthen their faith and we are ready to offer whatever service we can. We made it clear that we have no planned programme but that we hoped they could feel that they can count on us for whatever they might need.
The parish priest, Father Reinaldo Pérez, was also very happy since he already knows the Holy Family. Sister Gloria, who spent many years in
He told us that we could use this first time to enter into contact with the people, to get to know them by visiting them, listening to them and praying with the families. We are sure that Gloria would be very happy to see the realisation of this dream that we all had.
The first Sunday we were there, the readings at Mass seemed to be very apt: “Something new is springing up. Don’t you see it?”. Yes indeed the Lord is inviting us to live something new in this new mission.
May Jesus Mary and Joseph accompany us at every moment as we try to live like them among these people who are so friendly and kind.
