Franciscan Mission Service

Welcome, Melissa!

noreply@blogger.com (Franciscan Mission Service) — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 12:34:00 -0400

Join Franciscan Mission Service in extending a warm welcome to the newest member of our Nonprofit Leadership Program, Development Associate Melissa Montrowl!

Development Associate Melissa Montrowl

Melissa graduated in 2013 from Franciscan University of Steubenville (FUS), where she double majored in Theology and Catechetics. Asked how the Franciscan character of the school colored her education, she laughs and says that it’s really all she’s ever known. Attending St. Francis High School in her hometown of Gainesville, Florida, Franciscan spirituality “kept popping up everywhere.”

The chapel at Franciscan University of Steubenville

“I like the simplicity of Francis,” she says. “Everything with him was simple. But not in a watered-down way; he saw things simply because he simply loved Christ. I tend to overthink and overanalyze everything, and I really appreciate this whole branch of spirituality that says ‘Hey, it doesn’t have to be this hard!’”

In addition to deepening her appreciation for Franciscan spirituality, Melissa’s college experience also gave her the opportunity to develop her love of service and mission work. While studying abroad her sophomore year in Austria, she spent a week in Lourdes, France, volunteering in the baths with the sick pilgrims. She also spent spring break of her junior and senior years at Kay Mari orphanage in Haiti, and most recently, taught at Our Lady of Mount Carmel High School in Belize for 10 months after her graduation from FUS.

Inside the Kay Mari orphanage in Haiti (image courtesy of Regnum Christi)

Melissa found Franciscan Mission Service through the Catholic Volunteer Network website, and was intrigued by the opportunity to see the “other side of missions.”

“That behind-the-scenes work, the stuff that makes it possible for the people in the field to do their jobs—I’m looking forward to learning all about that,” she says.

In her free time, Melissa enjoys reading, and currently finds herself on a big Victorian lit kick, including Elizabeth Gaskell, the Count of Monte Cristo, and the complete stories of Sherlock Holmes.

Favorite saint: St. Maximilian Kolbe. “I read a biography of him entitled ‘A Man for Others’ and was blown away not only by his martyrdom in Auschwitz, but his whole life in general—his sense of humor, his intellectual mind. He’s amazing!”

Fun fact: She and her sister were once kicked out of a Las Vegas casino. “My mom was at one of the machines, dropped her coins, and when we went to help her pick them up, a tiny security lady came up and told us we had to leave for being too young. She only came up to my shoulder but she was frightening!”

Hady - "I Have A Little Sister Again!"

noreply@blogger.com (Franciscan Mission Service) — Fri, 5 Sep 2014 09:55:00 -0400

Lay missioner Hady Mendez talks about one of the new friends she has made in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

As the youngest of four sisters, I’m used to being the “little sister.” However, during the times I’ve formally participated in the Big Brother Big Sister program back in the states, I’ve really enjoyed being the “older sister” and imparting wisdom and advice and love on my little. It brings me a lot of joy to connect to someone who starts off as a stranger and to see that relationship change over time.

Yrene, Melany, and Hady

A few months ago, Yrene, one of the workers at Manos Con Libertad, asked if I would consider spending some time with her daughter Melany. I really enjoy Yrene (she’s sort of the class clown at the restaurant) and thought it would be nice to get to know her daughter, so I agreed. I was nervous about taking on another commitment but have generally taken on the attitude here “to go where I am invited.”

Our first meeting was good. We went for ice cream, then back to my apartment so she could see where and how I live. She didn’t talk a lot in that first meeting. I asked about a billion questions. But from past experience, I knew this was normal.

For our second meeting, we decided to go for ice cream again. This time she opened up more. She told me about her life at home, her extended family, and what was going on at school. After that meeting, I gave Melany my phone number and told her she could call or text me if she ever needed anything or just wanted to talk.

A few days before our next meeting – we are on a two-week schedule these days – she texted me on a Saturday night to find out what I was up to. I told her I was watching a movie. Turns out she was too. We exchanged a few messages and I realized she was OK. She just wanted to “chat.”

When we met the following Monday, we headed to one of my favorite coffee shops for cappuccino and cake. I gathered from the previous meeting, that Melany enjoyed cappuccino (and anything sweet). She also told me she liked playing cards so I brought a deck along and she showed me how to play a few games. We had a really good time. The café we went to plays some English music so whenever I sang along, she laughed. She thought it was so funny. Go figure. She’s 11.

I like Melany. When we spend one on one time together, it’s really fun for me. Being a big sister reminds me to be patient. It also shows me a lot about how friendship takes time. The best thing about being a big sister is having someone look up to you!!

I enjoy hearing Melany’s stories. Sometimes she complains about having to cook or look after her little brother but those are very typical things for an older sister to do here. She’s also not a big fan of school right now but I know she loves reading and plan to reinforce that by giving her a few of my favorite books to read. She hasn’t told me anything shocking during our time together and I don’t think she will. She lives a pretty “normal life” for an 11-year old Bolivian girl.

I feel honored to share a few hours with Melany every few weeks. I think the time has been good for the both of us. And even though its hard for me, I keep reminding myself I don’t have “to do” anything special when we’re together. Just listen to her share, ask questions that might prompt her to share, and then enjoy her stories and experiences. Every once in a while I encourage her to ask me questions and sometimes my answers (and her follow up questions) leads us to a good conversation.

My goal is to find Melany a “big sister” who lives here so she still has a support system even when I’m gone. I already have someone in mind (a former Franciscan lay missioner who permanently lives here) and am looking forward to introducing them and knowing Melany will always have someone outside of the family she can chat with and talk to.

Life is good. Paz y bien from Cochabamba!

A self-described “Hija de Brooklyn y Puerto Rico,” Hady Mendez is the youngest of four daughters raised by Puerto Rican parents in Brooklyn, NY. A proud Jasper, Hady graduated from Manhattan College in Riverdale, New York, before starting a corporate career in technology that lasted for more than 20 years. Hady has a true passion for world travel and social justice and has recently begun her first year serving and living with the people of Cochabamba, Bolivia.

Please consider supporting her time on mission by making a donation.

Community: A Demonstration of Love

noreply@blogger.com (Franciscan Mission Service) — Mon, 1 Sep 2014 04:00:00 -0400

Third-year missioner Kitzi Hendricks continues to reflect on her experience of finding community in Bolivia.

“Community is a sign that love is possible in a materialistic world where people so often either ignore or fight each other. It is a sign that we don't need a lot of money to be happy--in fact, the opposite.”-- Jean Vanier.

Throughout the past year, my small faith community here in Cochabamba little community has been centered around and strengthened by the presence of Saraí, the daughter of Jhovana and Fidel.

Saraí is a miracle baby. She was born two months premature and, with life-threatening complications, neither Jhovana nor Saraí were expected to live. Just over one year later, mama and baby are living life to the fullest and the family could not be more of an inspiration to the local community.

Each week, I have the blessing of watching Saraí develop and grow into a smart, curious, and happy baby.

We laugh when she laughs with her two bottom teeth showing. We take turns leading her around the patio as she develops her muscles for walking. We smile when she smiles.

What is amazing, however, is the impact that this little girl and her family have had on their greater community.

In January, Saraí was baptized at the chapel of Nueva Vera Cruz—the community where Jhovana works. It offers a before- and after-school program for the children in the local neighborhoods, providing homework help, activities, and food for each child. Many of their parents either work all-day long selling in the marketplace or the children come from broken families where alcoholism and domestic violence envelop their home lives. I hear new stories each time that I go to the chapel.

Children are frequently abandoned and new fights break out between the adults in their lives. Some of the teenagers are even kicked out of the house due to the problems in the families.

Saraí's baptism

Regardless of their home-lives, every child and youth in the community supported Saraí at her baptism, offering their presence as a testimony to the love and support that Saraí and her family provide for their community. The same occurred for Saraí’s first birthday, just over a week ago.

Saraí's first birthday party

Amidst such brokenness, Jhovana and Fidel are models of a different type of story—a story of love, respect, togetherness, and support. They are a breath of new life and a living example of the honesty and fidelity that is absent in the lives of the children in the community. Through their active presence, they demonstrate what it means to care for and love a child and one another. They demonstrate how the love they share for one another and for their faith radiates into the local community and works to serve. Whether or not they recognize it, through their love, their friendship, and their presence, they are influencing the life of each child, each parent, and each community member. I am blessed to consider them family and to be a part of their community.

Kitzi Hendricks has been on mission in Bolivia since January 2012. A graduate of Creighton University and a native of California, Kitzi serves at ITEI (Instituto de Terapia e Investagación), an NGO that provides psychological care and accompaniment for persons who have been affected by torture during the dictatorships and political conflicts in Bolivia. She enjoys music and photography.

To support Kitzi's continued mission in Bolivia, please consider making a tax-deductible donation.

New Board Members: Welcome, Fr. Tom Washburn and Thomas McGregor!

noreply@blogger.com (Franciscan Mission Service) — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 12:01:00 -0400

Franciscan Mission Service welcomes two new board members: Fr. Tom Washburn (OFM), and returned missioner Thomas McGregor!

Their invitation and acceptance illustrates the balance and richness of Franciscan Mission Service’s board through Fr. Tom's pastoral experience as an ordained Franciscan priest as well as Thomas’ experiences as a missioner in El Salvador and Colombia.

Bringing together a cleric like Fr. Tom and an expert in the world of finance like Thomas reflects the varied backgrounds of people called to the Franciscan movement. Hopefully, their stories will inspire other “Franciscan-hearted” people to answer the call in their lives to commit deeper to the example of St. Francis of Assisi.

Fr. Tom Washburn, OFM

Fr. Tom is a Franciscan friar of the Immaculate Conception Province who has served on the Franciscan Mission Service Board of Directors since 2013. He first heard about Franciscan Mission Service through his work as the Executive Secretary of the English Speaking Conference of the Franciscan Order, coordinating ministries between O.F.M. members of the Franciscan family in the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Malta, and Lithuania. He also makes time for more directly pastoral ministry, facilitating retreats, coordinating the Confirmation program in his home parish in Boston, and taking preaching assignments each year to speak about the good works that Franciscan friars and lay people like Franciscan Mission Service are doing around the world.

When asked his thoughts on joining the board, Fr. Tom is quick to reply. “I have truly enjoyed the process. The board is full of a diversity of people, with tremendously varied experiences, gifts and talents, but all with the same common love and goal - supporting the good works of Franciscan Mission Service.”

Thomas McGregor, returned missioner

(Mission experience: El Salvador / Colombia, 2000-2002)

Thomas McGregor is the Vice President (Corporate Banking Risk Officer) of City National Bank of Florida. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay area, he first came to embrace his faith in college through the university Catholic Newman Center. Listening to the Gospel and feeling called to live out Christ’s call to mission, he later served for two years as a director of a Mexican homeless shelter on the U.S./Mexico border. Inspired by this work, he began looking for ways to satisfy what seemed to be an unfulfilled call to a more interpersonal experience of foreign mission. Considering in his heart the words traditionally ascribed to St. Francis—“Preach the gospel at all times; when necessary, use words”—he selected Franciscan Mission Service as the vehicle to serve God, serving for two years (2000-2002) in El Salvador and Colombia.

In addition to his work in finance, he also serves on the council of his local TEC (To Encounter Christ) Young Adult community and helps to lead their bi-annual retreats. In both this position and his position on the board of Franciscan Mission Service, he brings a wealth of broad-based experience, encompassing first-hand knowledge of mission, as well as business/managerial training in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors.

Thomas loves the way Pope Francis is bringing a Franciscan heart to the Church and is excited for what that means for the future.

“This is just a fabulous time to be part of the Franciscan family!” he says. “How much easier has our job become to preach of St. Francis, for we have the very visible presence of our Pope to offer. Let us not waste, but go in haste to do His will!”

Moving to the Country and Slowing Down

noreply@blogger.com (Franciscan Mission Service) — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 04:00:00 -0400

Up in Carmen Pampa. Photo by Nate Mortenson

First-year missioner Mary Mortenson talks about her and her husband’s recent move so that they could serve in different ministries at a rural Catholic university.

For those of you who do not know me all that well, I rarely leave a place with all my boxes checked and all my bows tied. Often it's more comparable to a cloud of dust and a panicked frenzy, and I'm usually a bit of an emotional mess.

So in usual fashion, our move from Cochabamba, Bolivia, to Carmen Pampa, Bolivia, was a whirlwind of goodbyes, last minute packing, and attempting to finish a fairly impossible to-do list. (This is the result of TWO eternal optimists "Sure, we'll be able to accomplish that"). When we finally got on the bus headed to our new home, I breathed a sigh of relief, naively assuming that we had "made it."

What I hadn't considered was that our lives were to go from a fairly fast-paced and on-the-go speed of life, to a meandering stroll - and that may take a little getting used to. We were moving from a city of a little over a million people with transportation right out my door and a food market four blocks away, to a teeny-tiny town that I would be surprised if it appeared on any map. It’s a home to around 40 families and, when school is in session, about 800 university students. But when we arrived it was winter vacation, so we were back to 40 families.

Don't worry: Nate and I were not being forced into this. We had visited this quaint little college village three times before we committed to moving. No, really, we were very excited for the slower pace of life in the countryside. We like the energy of the students and the philosophy of the school. After a few conversations with different staff on campus, we could see opportunities to serve that worked for each of us.

We thought it was romantic that the electricity turns off on the regular and adventurous that we would have to take a 30-minute bus ride to purchase our groceries. Plus the fact that the college is nestled into the mountainside with hike of 1,500 feet in-between campuses would be a perfect incentive to get a little exercise in and enjoy the beautiful view every day :)

Honestly, we knew there would be challenges, but we felt that life in Carmen Pampa would bring us more naturally into relationship with a community in a way that seemed harder in a bigger city. Which has proven to be true, but our transition was harder than expected.

When we finally arrived, it felt like there was no one around and that we were in the midst of rainy cloud that lingered for four days as we attempted to clean and dry out our apartment. Because there were no students and the mountain road was so bad from the rain, it was challenging to navigate transportation into Coroico to buy food or anything else.

I remember the second night we were eating the potatoes that the previous residents had graciously left for us that we had eaten for the previous night’s dinner and that day’s lunch , and I just couldn't take another bite and after a long tiring day, I opted for an early 7 p.m. bedtime instead. We can laugh about it now, but we truly were caught off-guard.

It's been almost a month now since we arrived, and country living is suiting us just fine. Well, and the students are back, so that helps. We have made the proper adjustments and preparations for things like the pipes clogging and keeping water from coming out of our faucets. We take our trips to town on Saturday mornings very seriously to accomplish and/or stock up on whatever we need for the week. We factor in a 25-minute sweaty hike to get back to upper campus after we've had meetings or other business. We plan on checking our e-mail once a week instead of several times a day like we did in Cochabamba and doing most of our communication with students and staff on campus in-person or by hand-written notes. And that is why we like this place so much, it really causes us to slow down and enjoy. It suits us.

The most important thing is that we've been reminded that things don't happen at the snap of your fingers. Things take time. As we are learning that lesson, we are also getting to know the students, staff, and other community members. But that takes time, too. We appreciate that although we have been warmly welcomed, students will take their time to develop trust with us. As we work side by side, we will start to understand the gossip and the jokes, and we'll earn the privilege of hearing students' stories.

Right now, I'm hoping that this pace of life will stick around for a bit.

Mary Mortenson is a Minnesotan farm girl who grew up picking strawberries. In college she studied sociology with a minor in outdoor leadership. She has a heart for lonely and isolated people, and enjoys the way food cooked in love brings people together. She and her husband Nate have been in Bolivia with Franciscan Mission Service since January 2014.

Franciscan Feast Day: St. Maximilian Kolbe, martyr of charity

noreply@blogger.com (Franciscan Mission Service) — Thu, 14 Aug 2014 11:39:00 -0400

Today we celebrate the feast day of St. Maximilian Kolbe, OFM (Conv), who volunteered to die in place of a stranger in the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz during World War II.

"Let us remember that love lives through sacrifice and is nourished by giving."

He was born Raymund Kolbe on January 8th, 1894 in what was then Russian-controlled Poland. His life was strongly influenced by a vision of the Virgin Mary that he had when he was a child. In the vision, the Blessed Mother offered him two crowns: one white, symbolizing a life of purity, and the other red, symbolizing the death of a martyr. When asked which he would prefer, St. Maximilian said he would accept both.

In 1907, St. Maximilian and his brother Francis illegally crossed the border from Poland to Austro-Hungary in order to enroll at the Conventual Franciscan seminary in Lwow (modern-day Lviv, Ukraine.) It was here that he was given the name Maximilian, later adding the name Maria to emphasize his devotion to the Blessed Mother.

Maximilian Kolbe on a West German postage stamp, marked Auschwitz

St. Maximilian was one of the first saints to use modern media---including newspapers, radio, and pamphlets---to spread the Catholic faith and speak out against the atrocities of the Nazi regime. These efforts, combined with his sheltering of Jews during World War II, brought him to the attention of the Nazi authorities, who arrested him in 1941 and sent him to the Auschwitz concentration camp.

At the end of July 1941, three prisoners disappeared from the camp, prompting the deputy camp commander to pick 10 men to be starved to death in an underground bunker in order to deter further escape attempts. When one of the selected men, Franciszek Gajowniczek, cried out, "My wife! My children!", St. Maximilian volunteered to take his place.

Stained glass image of Kolbe as a concentration camp prisoner
at the Conventual Franciscan church of Szombathely, Hungary

In his prison cell, Kolbe celebrated Mass each day and sang hymns with the prisoners. Each time the guards checked on him, he was standing or kneeling in the middle of the cell and looking calmly at those who entered. Soon he was the only man left alive, at which point the guards gave St. Maximilian a lethal injection of carbolic acid. Some who were present say that he raised his left arm and calmly waited for the injection. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1982 and is the patron saint of prisoners, families, and drug addicts.

Perhaps no other modern saint represents the Franciscan values of "accompaniment" and "solidarity with the marginalized" as well as St. Maximilian Kolbe. May his feast day today serve as a reminder to us of how we can integrate these values into our own lives. St. Maximilian Kolbe, martyr of charity, pray for us!

Franciscan Feast Day: St. Clare, Franciscan co-founder

noreply@blogger.com (Franciscan Mission Service) — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 11:05:00 -0400

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Clare, deepest friend of Saint Francis and co-founder of the Franciscan movement.

Sts. Clare and Francis

St. Clare was born in Assisi, the eldest daughter of a noble family. As a child, Clare was devoted to prayer. When she turned 12 her parents wanted her to marry a young and wealthy man, but she preferred to wait until she was 18. However, at the age of 18 she heard St. Francis's preachings which would subsequently change her life. Francis told her that she was chosen by God. Hearing this, her heart burned with a great desire to imitate Francis and to live a poor humble life for Jesus. So one evening, she ran away from home, and in a little chapel outside Assisi, gave herself to God. St. Francis cut off her hair and gave her a rough brown habit to wear, tied with a plain cord around her waist. Her parents tried in every way to make her return home, but Clare simply refused.

Soon her sister St. Agnes joined her, as well as other young women who wanted to imitate Christ in living a life of radical poverty in solidarity with the poor. St. Clare and her sisters wore no shoes, ate no meat, lived in a simple house, and kept silent most of the time.

Fresco of Saint Clare and sisters of her order, church of San Damiano, Assisi

Clare sought to imitate Francis' virtues and way of life so much so that she was sometimes titled alter Franciscus, "another Francis." She also played a significant role in encouraging and aiding Francis, and she took care of him during his illnesses at the end of his life, until his death in 1226.

St. Clare was sick herself and suffered great pains for many years, but she said that no pain could trouble her. So great was her joy in serving the Lord that she once exclaimed: "They say that we are too poor, but can a heart which possesses the infinite God be truly called poor?" In 1263, ten years after her death, Pope Urban IV officially changed the name of the Second Order to the Order of St. Clare, or "Poor Clares."

The wax figure of Saint Clare of Assisi at Basilica of Saint Clare, in Italy

May we take this opportunity today to reflect on how we, like St. Clare, can respond to the Gospel call to live a life of radical simplicity in solidarity with and for the poor. St. Clare, pray for us!

School Raises $5,000 in Support of Alumnae, Lay Missioner

noreply@blogger.com (Franciscan Mission Service) — Fri, 8 Aug 2014 04:00:00 -0400

Love of others through charity and justice is a core value at Holy Spirit School in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Holy Spirit students washing each other's feet on Holy Thursday

Each year the parish school selects a social justice focus to encourage students to think beyond the community and act on behalf of those in need. One year they supported Heifer International, another they built a well in Uganda. In supporting one cause all year, principal Dr. Mary Adrian says the school is able to develop a real connection, focus their philanthropic efforts more effectively, and help their students see that they can make a difference.

“They see how important it is as a people and society to be generous with our time, talent, and our money,” she said.

Holy Spirit students

For the 2013-2014 year, the school chose to support the work of one of its own alums: Annemarie Barrett, an FMS lay missioner serving in Cochabamba, Bolivia. In addition to attending the school, Annemarie made all of her sacraments at the adjoining parish, where the Barrett family remains active today.

The year-long, school-wide effort led to a generous collection of $5,000. How did 325 kids, kindergarten through eighth grade, raise so much money?

“It was a really easy, easy thing to do because it is a part of the culture of our school,” said English teacher Deb Townley, who herself donates to FMS on behalf of her former student and dear friend’s daughter. She recommended Annemarie as the school’s project for the year because she thought it would be great if Holy Spirit saw what one of their own was doing to change the world. In addition to fundraising, students have watched videos of Annemarie working in the garden and learned about Cochabamba, Bolivia.

Young Annemarie with her teacher Mrs. Townley

Townley says that the students really took pride in finding different ways to contribute. For instance, the third, fourth, and fifth graders thought to put together jars of muffin ingredients to sell during the holidays.

Three times during the year they had the opportunity to pay $1 to not wear their uniform to school that day. Money also came in through collections at school Masses. About $1,000 came from a collection at the middle school interdisciplinary performance in which students traced the history of media from the ’40s to the present.

The “coin wars” were the kids’ favorite fundraising activity. During the competition, the students took the first five minutes of the day to go around and put money in jars labeled by class. Classes gained points for each penny in their jar, but lost points for any other currency put in their jar by other classes, based on the value of the currency. “They all learned the word ‘sabotage,’ really quickly,” said Dr. Adrian with a chuckle.

Fun competitions aside, the school’s encouragement of leadership, service, and commitment to Catholic Social Teaching has, not surprisingly, produced several alumni who have gone on to volunteer around the world. Dr. Adrian says this fuels Holy Spirit’s desire to continue working with their students to help them understand their Gospel call.

Annnemarie (right) on her First Communion day at Holy Spirit with her second grade teacher Mrs. Gerber

As for Annemarie, she is grateful for the solid foundation the Holy Spirit community gave her and for the support she still receives.

“Both at school and at church I was empowered as a young Catholic lay person to participate in the community,” Annemarie said. “Learning at a young age at Holy Spirit that our Catholic Church is a church of lay leaders, including myself, formed me into the Franciscan lay missioner I am today.”

“Thank you for continuing to embrace me as a part of your community and for your decision to extend your community internationally as well, to now include these resilient families with whom we share work in Cochabamba, Bolivia.”

Welcome, Katie!

noreply@blogger.com (Franciscan Mission Service) — Fri, 1 Aug 2014 09:00:00 -0400

Join Franciscan Mission Service in extending a warm welcome to the newest member of our Nonprofit Leadership Program, Event Associate Katie Rotterman!

She's already got her own Tau cross!

A native of Buffalo, New York, Katie graduated in 2013 from the University of Scranton, a Jesuit university in Northeast Pennsylvania, where she majored in Theology and Women’s Studies. She comes to Franciscan Mission Service fresh off a year of service with Capuchin Youth and Family Ministries in the Hudson Valley near New York City, where she helped organize and lead retreats for different Catholic groups.

University of Scranton campus

She heard about Franciscan Mission Service through the Catholic Volunteer Network website, and was instantly attracted to the opportunity to gain some first-hand office experience and learn more about the business side of the nonprofit world. She is also excited to delve deeper into Franciscan spirituality; despite having previously worked for Capuchins, she says that her job was so hands-on in nature and kept her so busy that she never got a chance to learn the historical and theological roots of her work.

Asked what she does in her new-found free time, Katie says with a laugh, “I’m still trying to figure that out!” She enjoys knitting and crocheting and is looking forward to picking up these hobbies again. “I’ve been working on a sweater off-and-on for two years,” she says, “and I have every intention of finishing it this year!” She is also a self-declared devotee of “Doctor Who” and enjoys indulging her “inner nerd” by watching it on Netflix.

David Tennant and Matt Smith, two of the most recent Doctors

Favorite saint: Joan of Arc. “She’s my confirmation saint. I really admire how she went against all the gendered expectations of her time.”

Fun fact: “I worked as a camp counselor for three years and have a vast knowledge of summer camp songs. My favorites are ‘The Titanic’ and ‘Princess Pat.’”

Invited into Community

noreply@blogger.com (Franciscan Mission Service) — Wed, 30 Jul 2014 04:00:00 -0400

Third-year missioner Kitzi Hendricks continues her reflection on community and what it means to find one when you're away from home.

“[Neighbor is] not he whom I find in my path, but rather he in whose path I place myself, he whom I approach and actively seek.”—Gustavo Gutiérrez

For the past two years in Cochabamba, I have honestly been a bit lost spiritually. Because my ministry includes working with people who have survived torture, I’ve witnessed a variety of intense experiences and questions continue to arise for me in the midst of the suffering that I see, hear, and share on a daily basis. I´ve been continually searching--searching for a small community that truly calls to me and where I could find a family that would hear me and see me in the midst of my questions and confusion.

In the city, where I serve with my Franciscan family members (who are phenomenal), everything is so big and numbered. Masses can easily have 300 people from all different parts of the city and who are in a rush to their next work task or family event. I felt distracted. I love my Franciscan family, but I prefer to spend time with them at smaller gatherings where I can sit and share and laugh with each person. When we provide meals and celebrations for the homeless and hungry, I have this incredibly opportunity to connect, but not so much at the neighborhood Mass, which is too big and over-stimulating for me. Other church communities felt similar.

So, I sat with the discomfort of feeling lost for a while and I searched...and I prayed…and I waited…

About six months ago, I was invited to a barbecue on a Saturday night at Nueva Vera Cruz in the far southern zone of Cochabamba (one of the poorest areas of Cochabamba), where my boyfriend Fernando lives and serves. After taking two modes of transportation, I arrived to find two Maryknoll priests (Fr. Paul (Pablo) from the US and Fr. Alejandro from Argentina) preparing the grill with Fernando, and accompanying them, a young couple with their 6 month-old baby--Jhovana, Fidel & Sarahí. I was welcomed with hugs and a smile from each of them and then we shared a meal together, talking and sharing with such familiarity.

For this small community, it was a ritual. Every Saturday night, they planned to come together to eat and share time, and after just one evening with them, I was invited to make it my ritual, too. So, I did...and I am so glad that I opened myself up to them because Nueva Vera Cruz is the beautiful small faith community that I have been searching for since arriving in Bolivia. Their invitation six months ago has opened up an incredible space for us, at least once a week, where we can laugh, share experiences, share really amazing food, and, most importantly, share time together.

The other day, I was talking with Fidel about my concerns and fears for the upcoming months and beginning the process of saying goodbye to Bolivia.

He said to me, “Aquí tienes amigos y no te dejarán. No necesitas pedir porque por ser tan buena, te damos todo el cariño del mundo con gusto.”

“You have friends here and they will not leave you. You don’t need to ask because just for being such a good person, we are happy to give you all of the love and care in the world.”

Cutting Down Barriers and Stereotypes

noreply@blogger.com (Franciscan Mission Service) — Fri, 25 Jul 2014 04:00:00 -0400

Lay missioner Valerie Ellis talks about an experience she had connecting with a woman in a Bolivian prison.

When I heard that women in jail in Cochabamba earn credits by cutting hair in their peluqueria (hair salon), I knew I had to go. Not only do they have the opportunity to get out of jail sooner, but they also learn a new skill along the way.

I was able to spend several hours there one day with Hady, a fellow FMS missioner. As I was being treated to a shampoo, head massage, and conditioning treatment, I chatted with my hairdresser. I learned that she had three children. She was a beautiful, vibrant twenty-six year old, and was excited because the day before she celebrated her four year old’s birthday with her family. She expressed sadness that she was not able to live with all of her sons, and explained that her family members chip in to care for her other children in her place.

She approached life with a vigor that I am not sure I would share if I were in her situation. She expressed surprise that Hady and I were older than her and did not have children. It seemed that we shared opposite sentiments of remorse, as I was equally surprised to find out her youngest child was four years old, when she was so young and was facing such difficult challenges.

In the middle of my appointment, while the conditioning treatment was setting in, she asked permission to leave for a moment. She shared later that she had gone next door to attend a prayer service where she was baptized!

It was very touching that I was able to share in her experience, but what affected me most was her offer to allow me to watch her youngest son, to take him to the park or wherever I would like, having just met me.

Now, don’t get the idea that it was because we had an amazing bond based on my ability to chat. My Spanish was incredibly poor that day, and I was barely able to answer her questions and communicate my hair request. It made me sad to learn that she would leave her son with me anytime, on the off chance I was a good person.

You might be thinking, “This would only happen in another country.” Please don’t. The same thing happened to me on a much grander scale in the U.S. In Tampa, a co-worker whom I had just met asked me to drive her child cross-country, when she found out I was passing through her state on the way home to Wichita. I spent three days with a 12 year-old I met on the first day of our journey, and at the time I was younger than my new hairdresser friend.

What can I learn about the following Franciscan themes from these experiences, both in my old and new homes?

Poverty makes us take risks that we normally wouldn’t take.
What kind of simple faith and peace must these mothers have had to leave their most prized possessions, their children, in my care?
• What amazing opportunities I had to step out in faith and provide care for creation in unexpected ways.
Finally, and most important for me, is social justice. If justice was a reality in the jail system in Bolivia, a young mother would not be put in a position to reach out to the first kind face that came her way. Imagine this scenario: most of the women (and men) in the jail system are there for crimes that they did not commit. The biggest travesty? They sit in jail for years awaiting a trial, before they are even found innocent or guilty.

Valerie Ellis has been in the mission field with Franciscan Mission Service since January 2014. She is originally from outside of Wichita, Kan., and prior to seeking mission life lived in Tampa, Fla. Valerie has travelled internationally for work and pleasure, and designed and taught a class at Hillsborough Community College called “Avoiding Violence: Be a Part of the Solution.”

Learning from Weeds

noreply@blogger.com (Franciscan Mission Service) — Mon, 21 Jul 2014 04:30:00 -0400

Lay missioner Annemarie Barrett completes our series, "Mother Earth Teaches: Digging Deeper into Faith, Community and Justice."

At the end of the day, I am learning that Mother Earth is our greatest teacher.

When we look close at the garden, it is all there.

“Greatest teacher” of what? What is “all there”?

In reconnecting with the Earth and the communities that work her land, I have been reminded of the significant challenges that lay before us.

I have known for a long time now how grave the situation is that our planet is in. But I have only recently started to share work with communities that have been and will be disproportionately affected by climate change.

And yet, for as apocalyptic as the future does look, learning from the wisdom of Mother Earth has deeply renewed my faith in the potential we have to respond to these crises.

When facing these seemingly insurmountable challenges, her wisdom grounds me and offers me a new perspective.

Learning from the task of weeding in the garden offers some great examples.

The community of Santa Rosa with the Santa Vera Cruz parish community accepting the invitation to host next year's workshop on sustainable agriculture as a part of the Plataforma Regional de Suelos

Since joining the Plataforma Regional de Protección de Suelos, a regional organization of NGOs that practice sustainable agriculture here in Bolivia, our Pastoral de la Madre Tierra has attended various workshops they offer.

And in these workshops we have learned to study Mother Nature in order to transform the challenges we experience in our work.

In the garden, we constantly deal with weeds.

Instead of spraying the weeds with chemicals we are learning about companion planting. We are learning which seeds to plant together so that they mutually benefit one another, a practice that can significantly reduce weeds as well as pests.

Lettuce combined with fava beans in the parish garden

In these workshops we have learned that the values at the root of companion planting are collaboration and coexistence, not competition.

When growing plants are faced with weeds that threaten their growth and even their existence, they can move towards collaboration, to learn how to live together instead of compete.

These lessons are learned from the relationships that naturally occur in our environment. If we look at any ecosystem, we see the ways the different species coexist and even collaborate.

Great production of lettuce harvested from
the combination with fava beans.

When confronting harsh realities like that of climate change, what would it look like to take a step towards humility as a human race? Instead of relying on competition to save us, could we take time to learn from the wisdom Mother Earth? Could we invest in collaboration and commit to coexistence?

And in these workshops we have also learned that not all weeds are bad, not all need to be removed. Instead of fearing weeds, we are learning to work with them. We let them grow and stay around the seeds we have planted until they enter into competition, because we trust that those weeds, when small, can also maintain the life in the soil.

And many times while weeding I have found myself meditating on the process of weeding as a spiritual practice.

What are the weeds, or weaknesses, or shadow sides in me that keep me from God and others? How can I coexist with those weeds instead of denying they exist, so that I might grow?

In reconnecting with the Earth, I am learning to focus less on scarcity and more on the abundance of wisdom we have available to us through our relationship with the Earth.

At a workshop about familial sustainable agriculture in Acasio, Norte Potosí with the Plataforma Regional de Suelos

In the midst of great challenges of an ever industrializing, globalizing and isolating society, returning to the wisdom in our natural interconnectedness, I am learning that our connection to the Earth it is not only essential to our physical survival but also a deep source of spiritual revival.

Originally from St. Paul, Minnesota, Annemarie graduated from Loyola University in Chicago in 2012 with a degree in Communication Studies. Possessing a strong interest in social justice issues and some experience with international travel, she has been serving in Bolivia since January 2013.

Getting Over 'Otherness'

noreply@blogger.com (Franciscan Mission Service) — Wed, 16 Jul 2014 04:00:00 -0400

Program associate John Quense tells how he ended up teaching yoga every Wednesday at Miriam's Studio, an art therapy program in Washington, DC.

I find that God often draws me to Himself using very personal and uncomfortable methods. This particular encounter began in my bed (pretty comfortable) while I read about the conversion of St. Francis. While many of us may know the story of St. Francis and his encounter with the leper, have we really allowed God to draw us to Himself in a similar way? Do we really “know” what it is like to embrace the people that cause our very stomachs to turn at their mere sight or smell?

St. Francis and the Leper. By Eugenio Hansen, OFS. Creative Commons.

Reading this story, I certainly felt a tug on my heart to experience this sweet joy Francis describes from following Christ’s call to embrace that which he abhorred. I am learning that I need to be a little more cautious with my prayers because the God I am only beginning to encounter does not wait long nor miss the mark when I open up even a little.

The following morning I was offered the chance to go to a food kitchen for the homeless with a co-worker. Although I was a little nervous on the way over, it was not until I walked through the door that the “otherness” of the people smacked me in the face. The young woman I came with was full of smiles and must have talked to ten people before she turned to me and asked why I was just standing there. In my head I had not even picked myself up off the floor, let alone was comfortable enough to talk to any of “them.”

In the world I was accustomed to, people had all their teeth, smelled clean but more importantly they allowed you your personal space and, never asked you for anything. I am not sure what was worse: them, or myself judging myself for feeling such a strong repulsion. How could I call myself a Catholic, a Christian, or even a good person and feel such discomfort at the obvious sufferings of other humans?

God truly works in amazing ways, and I think that is more apparent when we see how he takes even the little we offer and turns it into something beautiful. I was there because I wanted to help. Despite my aversion to those around me, I started walking around the room and tried to have some conversations.

After utterly failing, I made my way to the corner of the room where I saw something familiar: yoga mats being laid out. Now this was something I could do. I asked if I could participate, and while doing deep breathing exercises next to three homeless men and women, our oneness hit me.

I was overwhelmed with the revelation that had I not had the family and friends I had in my life, it would have been me here being served meals, suffering from chronic mental illness, paranoid, homeless and experiencing my only break from that traumatic life during that hour of simple stretches or when drinking.

These were truly my brothers and sisters.

And yet again Christ hit His mark.

Originally from New Jersey, John Quense graduated from Rutgers University in 2011, where he double-majored in Spanish and political science. He also brings previous experience as a long-term Catholic volunteer, spending three months in Costa Rica in high school and six months in Mexico during college. Currently he serves as the program associate in our Nonprofit Leadership Program.

During their 13 months in the Nonprofit Leadership Program, associates learn about St. Francis and volunteer one afternoon a week with marginalized populations in Washington, D.C

Franciscan Saint of the Day: St. Bonaventure, the "Seraphic Doctor"

noreply@blogger.com (Franciscan Mission Service) — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 10:42:00 -0400

Today we celebrate the feast day of Saint Bonaventure, the first and greatest of the Franciscan Doctors of the Church.

Saint Bonaventure was born in 1221 and joined the Franciscans in 1243, where he quickly established himself as one of the brightest minds in the Order. Having been sent to study at the University of Paris, he was appointed Master (equivalent to today’s doctorate) in 1257, alongside his friend St. Thomas Aquinas.

And if keeping up academically with the Angelic Doctor wasn’t enough, he was soon after elected Minister General of the Franciscan Order, all before he was 37. He was also selected by Pope Clement IV for the post of Archbishop of York, but in keeping with his Franciscan humility, he steadfastly refused this honor and the pope yielded. Gregory X would eventually make him a cardinal.

St. Bonaventure, by Francisco de Zurbarán

In his writings, St. Bonaventure emphasized the importance of mystical union with God, a union exemplified for St. Bonaventure by St. Francis. His was certainly a mind of the highest order, but to him, intellectual inquiry, while entirely good and valid, is of inferior interest when compared with the living power of the affections or the heart. Hence his famous phrase: “If you learn everything except Christ, you learn nothing. If you learn nothing except Christ, you learn everything.”

St. Bonaventure, besides being renowned for his intellectual prowess, was also a wonderful example of the Franciscan values of peace and reconciliation. He became Minister General at a time following St. Francis’ death when the Order was on the verge of schism over the issue of how strictly to enforce their founder’s vow of poverty. Displaying both a steady hand and a gentle touch, he was able to carve a moderate path that ultimately reconciled the two parties and kept the Order intact. It is no exaggeration to say that without St. Bonaventure, the Franciscan family of which Franciscan Mission Service is proud to call itself part would most likely not exist.

St. Bonaventure receives the envoys of the Byzantine Emperor
at the Second Council of Lyon.

St. Bonaventure died in 1274 while serving as one of the leaders of the Second Council of Lyon, where he continued his work as peacemaker, seeking a way to reunite the recently divided Western and Eastern Churches. In doing so, he challenged the vested political and ecclesiastical interests that would have rather kept the Great Schism open. He died under mysterious circumstances, possibly having been poisoned for his efforts. He was canonized in 1484, and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1587.

St. Bonaventure, mystical teacher and reconciler of peoples, pray for us and in particular for our missioners, that we may be bridges of peace and lights of Christ’s love to all we meet!

(Text adapted from The Catholic Encyclopedia, pictures courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Mother Earth Teaches: The Sacred Nature of Seeds

noreply@blogger.com (Franciscan Mission Service) — Mon, 14 Jul 2014 04:00:00 -0400

Lay missioner Annemarie Barrett continues our series, "Mother Earth Teaches: Digging Deeper into Faith, Community and Justice."

“In the Andean cosmovision, we recognize that we are part of our environment. We are not superior to the Earth, nor owners of her, but we coexist in harmony with her, in relationship with the Pachamama, and not in fear of her.

This relationship, meaning to say, our interconnection and interdependence with the Pachamama, brings us into spiritual connection with her.The source of this spirituality is the seed, la illa, which is the source and origin of all living beings. The seed is the source of life. The seed is both mother and child.”

-Excerpt from “La Semilla, Fuente de Vida,” a document made by the Pastoral de la Madre Tierra, Parroquia Santa Vera Cruz

Check out the complete (Spanish) document here and here
English translation to come.

Our work in the parish garden of Santa Vera Cruz might be different than what you would expect.

Yes, we try to farm organically. And yes, we are committed to developing sustainable local food production.

But no, these ways of producing food organically are not new ideas, and Western environmental movements have not introduced them.

The garden team's offering at the feet of the cross during the largest parish festival of the year.
The offering included the best vegetables produced in the garden.

In fact, these are ancient principles native to the Andes that have been buried under centuries of colonization; a colonization, which continues today through the domination of multinational corporations like Monsanto who works to homogenize seeds worldwide, effectively criminalizing the preservation of locally produced seeds.

Our work in the parish garden is to reclaim those ancient principles and practices in collaboration with local communities who have, thankfully, preserved some of their original wisdom. Located in the southern zone of Cochabamba, the parish of Santa Vera Cruz primarily serves a population that has migrated from the campo to the city.

Radish seeds,
ready to harvest in Santa Rosa

The parish has a history of fostering the coexistence of both Andean and Catholic spirituality. And it recently named our garden team the “Pastoral de la Madre Tierra,” or the “Mother Earth Pastoral Team.”

Naming our work in the garden as pastoral is a huge accomplishment for us. Because it recognizes what we already knew, that shared work in a garden is a spiritual experience.

In the parish garden, we talk while we weed, we laugh while we plant and we share silence as we water. We share our lives together in these gardens, our history, our present, our joys and suffering.

And in sharing with these people in the garden, we are invited into their traditions and available to their wisdom.

Potato seeds, saved in the parish garden

In sharing together, we learn from one other’s spirituality.

In learning about the Andean cosmovision, I have come to know the mountains as family, the sun and moon as brother and sister (sounds like our brother Francis, doesn’t it?).

I have been invited to transform my way of relating to animals, with mutuality instead of superiority. I have been challenged to know that the natural order of our environment is not human centric, but holistic, wholly interdependent.

And I have been taught to know seeds as both mother and child, the source of all life, sacred.

Carrot seeds,
ready to harvest in Santa Rosa

Can you just take a moment to let that sink in?

If those tiny little seeds that we plant in the ground are as sacred as the seeds we plant in the womb, what are we doing treating them with chemicals, homogenizing them, and commoditizing them?

Rooted in the sacred nature of seeds, our work in the parish garden strives to decolonize our very selves, our way of relating to the Earth and one another.

We are learning to save seeds like my Bolivian boss’ grandmother did, honoring her wisdom, instead of buying them exclusively from an unreliable market.

We are learning to value seed diversity as essential to our survival, rejecting genetically modified seeds and the use of pesticides sold to us by agricultural industry concerned more with profits than sustainability.

Killkiña seeds, a Bolivian herb,
saved in the parish garden

We are waking up to the fact that the defense of that seed diversity is a social justice issue, critical to our faith as Christians who are committed to protecting life and caring for creation.

And we are opening ourselves up to new learning everyday, collaborating with local communities to unlearn our harmful ways of working the land in order to relearn what we have deeply always known, that we belong to the Earth.

For more information about the importance of defending our seeds, I recommend this fantastic article from the ViaCampesina.

Bridge-Building in Bolivia

noreply@blogger.com (Franciscan Mission Service) — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 04:00:00 -0400

Lay missioner Hady Mendez answers one of the questions mostly frequently asked of a missioner: "What do you do in Bolivia?"

I build bridges. No, not the kind people walk on or cars drive across. I build other types of bridges. Another way to describe what I do is “bring people together”. It’s not actually one of my ministries, per say, but it’s what I like doing best and what comes naturally to me.

I actually have three distinct ministries. But somehow they are all related. And each day, my worlds seem to collide more and more.

Hady with the graduates of the Manos Con Libertad life skills pilot program

Each week day morning I head to Manos Con Libertad. It’s a ministry for women and children. Many of the women that are part of Manos were previously incarcerated. Some have been out of jail for over 10 years. Others just got out of prison last week.

Some of the other women at Manos are what I would describe as “women in need”. Some have economic needs. Others are in need of assistance with family situations. Still others are looking for support as they take on new challenges or make changes in their lives. I would sum up the work I do at Manos as “empowering women” so they can have a better chance at succeeding in life and helping their children to do the same.

On Thursday afternoons, I go to the jail with my Manos co-workers. Part of our ministry is to work with the women in jail by teaching them useful skills, reading the Bible with them, and simply being their friend. Even though I’m usually exhausted when Thursday afternoon rolls around, I enjoy it. I have really started to develop friendships with the women in prison. We talk about their families, their life outside of jail, their favorite food, their feelings, and more. One of the women has allowed me to see the inside of her prison cell. Others have shared what landed them in jail. And still others have cried with me because they are so frustrated with their situation.

One small group of women asked me to teach them English so I meet them for lunch and English lessons every other Monday. On alternating Friday afternoons, I join another missioner and hang out at the prison salon where women are learning to do hair. Occasionally they will practice on me, but mostly we just catch up: talk, laugh, and share stories.

Purses by AHA Bolivia

On Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, I go to my third ministry site, AHA Bolivia. AHA Bolivia is an ethical manufacturing company based out of Cochabamba. They employ more than 200 knitters to manufacture knitwear and recycled plastic bags. My job involves a little bit of everything, but mostly working closely with the owner of the company, Anna. She’s a California girl, graduate of Princeton, and has been living and working in Cochabamba for the last 20 years.

Recently, Anna told me she needed some additional machine knitters and wondered if any of the knitters in the jail could do it. Sure enough, I was able to connect Anna with the woman in charge of the knitters in the prison. Even better, those knitters are now helping to fill orders for Anna’s company. How freaking exciting is that?

Hady in a poncho knit
by one of the women in prison

We didn’t stop there. Anna’s company runs an online tutoring program for the children of the artisans/knitters. Anna wanted to grow the program. Know how we can get more kids involved in the program? Fast forward to today, the children of the ex-prisoners who work at Manos have been attending the online tutoring classes for the last few weeks. The better news? They love it!

“I can’t believe we’ve done so much together in such little time,” Anna said the other afternoon as we were going through the calendar for the summer interns. Because just last week, two of the HS interns went to jail with me to teach the women in English. And this coming week, three of the college interns at AHA will be eating lunch with me at the Manos restaurant and then going to jail with me to work on art project with the prisoners. Worlds colliding. I love it.

And it doesn’t end there. I’ve already asked other folks I’ve met here to join in on the fun. To Allison, known for her salsa dancing and art skills, I’ve asked to come give dance and art lessons to the women at Manos. To Karen, a former missioner and mother of three amazing children, I’ve asked to share her experience as a Christian mother and wife.

I feel we all have different gifts from God and mine happens to be building bridges. I don't over-think it when an idea to connect people pops into my head. God plants the ideas/connections and I follow through. It's a gift and I feel blessed to have it help me while I'm on mission.

The party never ends. Nor does the seemingly endless opportunities to serve and bring people together. I’m enjoying my work immensely and appreciate all the love and encouragement my supporters provide to keep me motivated, positive, and focused.

Go build some of your own bridges today! PAZ Y BIEN FROM COCHABAMBA.

Bringing Beauty to the World

noreply@blogger.com (Franciscan Mission Service) — Wed, 9 Jul 2014 04:00:00 -0400

Lay missioner Mary Mortenson reflects on her time with an artist cooperative in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

Last year, when I was still stateside, I was exploring and working with clay almost everyday. I rented studio space from the University in Eau Claire and spent 20 to 30 hours there a week. A big part of my identity was that I was creating something that was of ME. My OWN artistic expression. That was a lot of pressure.

Mary Mortenson working in Wisconsin

I struggled to find the balance of learning and growing from the work of those that I admired and yet finding my own voice. Sorry if that's too much artist lingo.

The big question that was asked of me, was “What are you trying to tell the world through your work?” Once again: A lot of pressure.

I found myself, at times, paralyzed. No creative juices flowing.

Previous to that question, though, I had been able to work and create freely; loving the discipline of it...the work, the time, the care. All of it.

I had been free to explore, risk, and try, try again.

Mary's ceramic work

Before making our decision to come to Bolivia for a couple of years, I left the studio and clay with a little bit of lingering self-doubt. Hoping that I could offer something new through my work.

Since being down here in Bolivia, I have had the privilege to work with a artistic cooperative just outside of Cochabamba. They are a collective of people that have come together with a common interest in shared work and making things with their hands. Any income they make is shared equally between its members.

I was invited to work with them initially because they were hoping to start working with clay. They make mosaics out of pre-made ceramic tiles and were hoping that they could start making their own so they could get a larger variety of shapes, colors, and designs. After looking at the numbers, though, it was clear that they didn't currently have the money for some of the expenses (such as a kiln, clay, and glazes). So I just became an extra set of hands in the process of making mosaics.

Mary and Doña Elena working on mosaics

Doña Clemestine working on mosaic

It has really challenged my previous ideas of art only being an individual expression. I love that I am only ONE step in the process of taking product from start to finished work. So many hands and eyes are involved with each one, and I have had to learn to surrender my desire to have "control" over the outcome and allow it to change and evolve as each person offers themselves to each creation.

I find myself so light-hearted in the workshop - full of wonder and excitement as I see all that can come from many hands and hearts at work.

I look forward to taking what I have learned here at co-op art, into my creative expressions in the future. What a weight off my shoulders.

My question is no longer, “What are you trying to tell the world through your work?” but instead “How can I be ONE part of contributing more beauty in the world?”

And that doesn't scare me because I know I will have so many great partners along the way.

New Evangelization: Bell Towers vs. Houses

noreply@blogger.com (Franciscan Mission Service) — Tue, 8 Jul 2014 04:00:00 -0400

Continuing our coverage of the first-ever OFM Congress on Mission and Evangelization, communications manager Bridget Higginboham shares some thoughts on the presentation Br. Enzo Biemmi, of the Brothers of the Holy Family. Biemmi was an expert observer at the 2012 bishops’ synod on the New Evangelization.

Bell at San Damiano in Assisi

If you’ve ever been to Italy then you know that it chock-full of churches. For centuries these sacred structures were at the center of communities and every day life.

In recent decades, however, the bell towers of Italy have metaphorically fallen, says Br. Enzo Biemmi. As secularism takes over, they are no longer the focal point of the landscape.

Like St. Francis in the 13th century, we today are called by God to “Go and rebuild my Church.” So, as we rebuild, should we construct more bell towers?

No, says Biemmi.

He warns that if the Church fixates on its past and the shadow of the bell tower, then it will become a pillar salt. We must not be distracted by the dust wind of broken bell towers.

The Church, instead, should be reconstructed as a house in the midst of houses, says Biemmi.

I love this analogy because when I think of a house, I think of a home: the space where you and your family live and a space where you can invite others in to join you. As nice as an iconic landmark might be, a tower is lofty and distant.

I think that the Church as a house instead of bell tower relates well to Franciscan Mission Service’s style of ministry. To be a "house among houses" is to be a neighbor, which is exactly what our missioners strive for as they live in solidarity with the marginalized and impoverished communities with whom they serve. Rather than clamor like a noisy bell, they are called to throw open the doors and windows of their hearts so others can see God residing there and feel invited in.

Biemmi said that reforming the structure from bell tower to house demands pastoral change. We are constantly called to go out. Similar to Pope Francis’ cry that the Church should be like a field hospital for the wounded, I see a house as having many ways to tend to the needs of people: kitchens for nourishment, bathrooms for cleansing, bedrooms for rest, living rooms for fellowship. A house - a home - is a place where you can celebrate, heal, grow, learn, belong.

Drawing from the apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium and his time at the Synod, Biemmi says that in conversion to personal holiness, we need conversion and holiness of church structures. Reforms of structures without personal holiness doesn’t work either.

As we aim to be New Evangelizers, I think it is important to ask ourselves what spaces we should be creating in the houses that are our parishes and faith communities. Our Father’s house has many rooms, but which rooms are missing from ours? For whom do we need to prepare a space and extend an invitation?

Check out Bridget's other posts on the Congress.

Bridget Higginbotham is our communications manager and came to Franciscan Mission Service as a Nonprofit Leadership Program associate volunteer in 2011. Originally from Orlando, Fla., she is a proud Girl Scout alumna and graduate of the University of Florida's College of Journalism and Communications.

The Marginalization of Farmers and Learning from Communities

noreply@blogger.com (Franciscan Mission Service) — Mon, 7 Jul 2014 04:00:00 -0400

Lay missioner Annemarie Barrett continues our series, "Mother Earth Teaches: Digging Deeper into Faith, Community and Justice."

In connecting with the land, I am also growing closer to farmers. And in our time spent together I am learning more about their reality, their suffering and their resilience.

In knowing the women in Santa Rosa, all from farming families that have migrated to the city, I am learning all the time about the incredible richness of their culture in the campo, or countryside.

I am learning that what they lack in material wealth they make up and over in their food, language, music, art and dance, which are all rooted in the small towns they are from in the campo.

I have witnessed the tension between the traditional dress of these mothers and the Westernized dress of their daughters who have chosen to no longer wear the pollera skirt.

A Santa Rosa woman in a poller and her daughter in more Westernized clothes. Photo by Peter Ferguson.

Making the move from the campo to the city, means raising their children far from that native culture. Agricultural production is an integral part of that culture, a connection to the land that is largely absent in the new city life of their children.

I notice the constant marginalization they experience in the city, how these mothers stop speaking their native language, Quechua, as they ride the bus to the large market in the center of the city and switch instead to speaking Spanish.

I have heard first-hand the racist and classist narratives that some people in the northern zone of the city use when they speak of people that live in the southern zone (where I now live).

The southern zone, which includes communities like Santa Rosa where I work, is largely populated by people who have migrated from the campo. And I have heard the narratives in other parts of the city that claim that “they” (the people that have migrated from the campo) are all ignorant, un-teachable, irresponsible, corrupt and lazy.

And I have noticed how easy it is to ignore the fact that we also depend on those same people for our food, how easy it is in the midst of globalization to value only Western notions of progress deeming these farmers as ignorant because they cannot read or write a language imposed on them by colonization.

Woman in Santa Rosa proudly showing her certificate of attendance from the regional workshop on sustainable farming.

I have experienced being automatically respected, trusted and assumed to be knowledgeable in the garden where I work because of my white skin and light eyes and North American nationality, although I could not have even told you how to plant a seed. I have experienced such racism and classism, not so subtle, in action.

I have also witnessed the reality of the women in Santa Rosa without sanitation systems, without trash collection and limited access to public transportation. I have seen how marginalized they are in comparison to other more affluent ends of the city whose basic needs are met; all examples of structural racism and classism.

And this is precisely why our Franciscan charism is so essential. Through a humble ministry of presence as a Franciscan lay missioner, I have had my eyes opened to the incredible wisdom of the women in Santa Rosa and their culture.

Yes, I can read and write and I have a college degree, but I could not grow my own food to survive, to care for my family or community.

Sharing a fun photo with the families in Santa Rosa.

I have learned in connecting with the Earth and communities like Santa Rosa, to value the worth of hard work that can heal both our bodies and our spirits.

I have learned to value the priceless wisdom of native farming communities, whose knowledge will be essential to our survival as our Earth continues to transform while the atmosphere warms.

I did not come to Bolivia to help poor people to live better, I came to share work with marginalized communities, mutually, to learn also from them. And in working in both the parish garden and the family gardens in Santa Rosa that is precisely what I am able to do.

For suggestions on how you can learn from marginalized communities and practice justice by listening, I recommend checking out this article.

Photoshoot: Goodbye to Cochabamba

noreply@blogger.com (Franciscan Mission Service) — Sun, 6 Jul 2014 09:19:00 -0400

Missioner Nate Mortenson shares some photos he shot in Bolivia.

This weekend marks a special time for Mary and I. We are packing up our beloved room at the Franciscan Social Center in Cochabamba and moving to Carmen Pampa where we’ll begin working at the university in Carmen Pampa - UAC (Universidad Academica Catolica). Here’s a little photo tribute to the city we’ve gotten to know so well these past 5 months.

Current missioner Nate Mortenson began his first year of service in January 2013. The youngest son in a family of nine, Nate hails from La Crosse, Wisconsin. He studied Spanish and geology at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, where he also met his amazing wife, Mary.

Franciscan Saint of the Day: St. Elizabeth of Portugal

noreply@blogger.com (Franciscan Mission Service) — Fri, 4 Jul 2014 18:10:00 -0400

Today marks the feast day of St. Elizabeth of Portugal, one of the few women in history to be both queen and nun.

Elizabeth showed an early enthusiasm for her Faith. She said the full Divine Office daily, fasted and did other penance, as well as attended twice-daily choral Masses. Religious fervor was common in her family, as she could count several members of her family who were already venerated as saints. The most notable example is her great-aunt, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, T.O.S.F., after whom she was named.

St. Elizabeth and her husband King Denis

Her marriage to King Denis of Portugal, contracted when she was 10 years old, was an unhappy one. Denis, although a hard-working king, was not a man of high morality, and his court was famous for its corruption. Nevertheless, Elizabeth quietly pursued the regular religious practices of her youth. She was devoted to the poor and sick, and gave every moment she could spare to helping them, even pressing her court ladies into their service. Naturally, such a life was a reproach to many around her, and caused ill will in some quarters.

Denis does not appear to have reformed in morals till late in life, when we are told that the saint won him to repentance by her prayers and unfailing kindness. They had two children, a daughter Constantia and a son Alfonso. The latter so greatly resented the favours shown to the king's illegitimate sons that he rebelled, and in 1323 war was declared between him and his father. St. Elizabeth, however, rode in person between the opposing armies, and so reconciled her husband and son. Diniz died in 1325, his son succeeding him as Alfonso IV.

Icon of St. Elizabeth

St. Elizabeth then retired to a convent of Poor Clares which she had founded at Coimbra, where she took the Franciscan Tertiary habit, wishing to devote the rest of her life to the poor and sick in obscurity. But she was called to act once more as a peacemaker in 1336, when Alfonso IV marched his troops against King Alfonso XI of Castile, to whom he had married his daughter Maria, and who had neglected and ill-treated her. In spite of age and weakness, the Queen-dowager insisted on hurrying to Estremoz, where the two kings' armies were drawn up. She again stopped the fighting and caused terms of peace to be arranged. But the exertion brought on her final illness. As soon as her mission was completed, she took to her bed with a fever from which she died on 4 July, in the castle of Estremoz.

St. Elizabeth of Portugal, who lived your life in service to the Franciscan values of peace and care for the most marginalized, pray for us!

Learning to Be in Bolivia

noreply@blogger.com (Franciscan Mission Service) — Fri, 4 Jul 2014 04:00:00 -0400

Short-Term Mission and Global Awareness Trip participant Jennifer Peresie reflects on her experience of going with Franciscan Mission Service to Bolivia in May 2014.

When I signed up for this trip, I think I had illusions - no delusions! - of changing the world. That is a lofty goal for anyone, but certainly in a two-week span. While in Bolivia, I certainly had great opportunities to serve, but I had even more opportunities to learn from and to share with others. Initially, however, I reacted to these opportunities not with joy, but with complete frustration that I could not do more - or sometimes anything - to help.

Bolivia is a very poor country. Approximately 60 percent of Bolivians live below the poverty line and 25 percent live in extreme poverty. Clean water, healthcare, and housing are luxuries many go without. Learning about the daily struggles of many Bolivians left me speechless (admittedly a rarity for me). I wanted to do something, anything, to help. And by not doing more to help I thought I was failing.

But I came to realize that there was also value in listening and just being with others. As one teenager we served and interacted with put it, "thank you for caring." She said she was thrilled and surprised that people from the United States would want to spend time in Bolivia with Bolivians. Her thank you initially perplexed me. Of course I wanted to be there and I listened, but if I really cared shouldn't I translate that care into action? Shouldn't I do something to help her economic circumstances or to make her struggles easier? But to her - and to the others I met - my caring was action. It was empathy, respect, and even empowerment. It was the power of being.

Eating empanadas with the ladies of Manos Con Libertad

Just being is difficult. We are told to "Just do it." We are all doers, constantly moving and struggling to get that one more thing done. But are we be-ers? Do we value sitting still and taking it all in? Do we value just being with others?

In Bolivia, I learned that just being often carries as much or more value to others as doing. Further, I have recognized that sometimes God calls us to just be.

To borrow from Jesuit priest Gregory Boyle, who reflected on his ministry to gang members in "Tattoos on the Heart," God's expectation is often that we just be with the excluded, stand with them, and see it (whatever it is) through. Sometimes success and outcomes are bad measures. What is needed is being - a ministry of presence.

Being is more than the proverbial stopping to smell the roses. It is getting in and really experiencing. It is dirtying the heart. In Bolivia, it was very challenging for me to just be. But in being with the excluded, the poor, or the needy, I was also doing.

As I continue on my Catholic journey, I will strive to spend more time just being. Admittedly it is going to be hard. I would probably rather be doing. But just as God calls me to do, he also calls me to be, to a ministry of presence with others.

Jennifer Peresie is a parishioner of Sacred Heart in Tampa, Florida, and was encouraged by her pastor Fr. George Corrigan, OFM, to participate in our program. Fr. George was an FMS missioner to Kenya before joining the Franciscan friars.

If you would like to go on a Short-Term Mission and Global Awareness Trip, please contact Program Manager Natalie Helfrick at natalie@franciscanmissionssrvice.org or 202-832-1762.

Bl. Junipero Serra: Franciscan Founder of Southern California

noreply@blogger.com (Franciscan Mission Service) — Tue, 1 Jul 2014 14:50:00 -0400

Today marks the feast day of St. Junípero Serra, a Spanish Franciscan friar who is best known for founding many of the Spanish missions in the region of New Spain that would later become California.

Born in 1713 in Mallorca, Spain, he entered the Franciscan Order in 1730, at the age of 27, taking the name "Junipero" in honor of Saint Juniper, who had also been a Franciscan and a companion of Saint Francis. Renowned for his intellect, he he was ordered by his superiors to teach philosophy in professorial status to students, and later he received a doctorate in theology from the Lullian University in Palma de Mallorca.

In 1749, he left for mission work among the natives of what is now Mexico City. During this time, he served as the mission's superior, learned the language of the Pame Indians, and translated the catechism into their language. In 1768, he was transferred to "Alta California," where he was appointed superior of a group of 15 Franciscans. In total, he established nine missions, including Mission San Francisco, Mission Santa Clara, and Mission San Juan Capistrano, many of which have grown into major urban centers while still bearing the Franciscan names bestowed upon them by St. Junipero.

Statue of Junípero Serra at the Mission San Diego de Alcalá in San Diego

His time as "Father Presidente" was marked by continual difficulties with the military and political leaders of New Spain. Serra saw the native peoples as children of God who deserved the opportunity for salvation, and would make good Christians. Serra successfully resisted the efforts of Governor Felipe de Neve to bring Enlightenment policies to missionary work, seeing them as driven more by the Spanish government's economic goals and not the religious goals of the Franciscans. Serra pushed for a system of laws to protect natives from some abuses by Spanish soldiers.

In the last years of his life, he once more visited the missions from San Diego to San Francisco, traveling more than 600 miles in the process, in order to confirm all who had been baptized. He suffered intensely from his crippled leg and from his chest, yet he would use no remedies. He confirmed 5,309 persons, who, with but few exceptions, were native peoples converted during the 14 years from 1770.

The grave of Junípero Serra in Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo.

He died at age 70 at Mission San Carlos Borromeo, California, where he is buried under the sanctuary floor. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1988.

Remembered today mainly for his role as "Founder of Spanish California," Bl. Junipero Serra is also a model of the Franciscan values of caring for the most marginalized, denying oneself, and having absolute confidence in God to provide. Bl. Junipero, patron of vocations, pray for us!

(Sources: Text adapted from Catholic Encyclopedia, pictures from Wikipedia)

The Disconnection from our Earth and the Call of Franciscan Mission

noreply@blogger.com (Franciscan Mission Service) — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 04:00:00 -0400

Lay missioner Annemarie Barrett continues our series, "Mother Earth Teaches: Digging Deeper into Faith, Community and Justice."

Living in the city, shopping at grocery stores, and watching a lot of TV, I never had to think much about how my food arrived at my table. I could answer that easily, “From the grocery store.”

But how did it get to the grocery store?

In high school I was blessed with the opportunity to attend POWER Summit, a small youth summit in Saint Paul, Minnesota, hosted by Celeste’s Dream a youth ministry sponsored by the Sisters of Saint Joseph. It was the first time that I was invited to think about where my food came from and the first time I met people growing their own food.

But it was not until living as a Franciscan lay missioner here in Cochabamba that I really started to share daily life with people and whole communities who came from farming families, to work side by side with people who have grown up connected to the land.

One of the women in Santa Rosa with the tomatoes she produced in her home garden

It was then that I realized that my television never got around to teaching me about plant recognition.

I had never seen a turnip in real life.

I did not know the difference between an apple tree and a peach tree. I did not know the first steps in planting a seed.

Living disconnected from the land, it was easy to laugh at tree huggers and other stereotypes, really because I had no idea what it might feel like to care enough about a tree to hug it. Why would you do that? My cell phone cares for me, sure, but a tree? I did not get it. I am exaggerating, but you get the point…

Then I met, Casta, my Bolivian boss in the garden who was raised in a farming family. I listened to her talk about caring for the garden in her home. She spoke about each plant with affection, like it was her own child or friend.

Casta and Annemarie harvesting potatoes in the parish garden.

She invited me to work with her, caring for the plants in the parish garden. I spent many days weeding and digging and watering. And little by little, I started to understand.

Through contact with the land, I woke up to the mutuality; the relationship one can form with the plants, as they live and breath just like us, as they nourish us while we nourish them.

In connecting to the land as a mother, it became harder and harder to imagine using chemicals in our work. The more I learned about how plants and trees are both delicate and resilient, just like us, I became more careful of where I walked in the garden, aware that I was walking through a space filled with living beings, not products to be consumed and thrown away.

Meal prepared in one of the homes in Santa Rosa.

And the women in Santa Rosa taught me as well. They pointed out all the little seedlings in their home gardens. They invited me to meals made with the fresh vegetables they produced. And they still make fun of me for not being able to adequately plant potatoes.

Harvesting potatoes in the parish garden.

Did you know that in the campo you need to know how to plant potatoes well before you can think about getting married? Because in the campo you produce food and income for your family, so you need to know how to produce to be able to start a family. I did not know, but these women have taught me.

And it makes sense, doesn’t it?

If we live connected to the Earth, we realize that we depend on her just like she depends on us. When our food depends on our harvest and not the supermarket, we learn to respect the cycles of the soil, the seasons and the production. We learn to live in relationship to our Mother Earth and the people that work her land.

And as a Franciscan lay missioner, I have learned that solidarity in practice here means sharing work with these marginalized farming communities, valuing their culture and their wisdom, choosing to learn from them and their connection with the Earth. Recognizing that my reliance on imported food, corporate controlled food systems, and contamination producing large city living is unhealthy for both me and my community, local and global.

OFM Congress: Enzo Bianchi’s Three Elements for Evangelization

noreply@blogger.com (Franciscan Mission Service) — Fri, 27 Jun 2014 04:00:00 -0400

Communications Manager Bridget Higginbotham blogs about her experience last month at the Order of Friars Minor first international congress on mission and evangelization.

What does “evangelization” mean and how do we do it? According to Enzo Bianchi, one of the first lecturers at the OFM Congresso, evangelization means to give witness and bear testimony, but not necessarily by using words. “If the Lord sends us among the peoples and the Lord does not permit us to speak, then it is enough to live in brotherhood and love.”

Bianchi is the founder and prior of Bose, an ecumenical monastic community in Italy made up of about 80 Christian men and women from five different countries. The value he places on prayer and community shone throughout his lecture, “Talking With God To Talk About God: The Heart of Every Evangelization.” This session really helped set the tone for the congress and was among my favorites.

The first part of Bianchi’s lecture was about the importance of communicating with God, which I summarized in a previous blog post.

In the second part of his lecture, Bianchi shared three elements we need for evangelization:

1. Being authentic – The authority of evangelization comes not from technique but conviction. With this conviction you need to exercise coherence. For instance, Jesus had a place of authority because he lived what he preached. This is also the magnetic appeal of the saints who lived what they preached as well – I mean, just look at St. Francis of Assisi. If you are authentic and faithful to your convictions than you will be trustworthy.

2. Becoming neighbor – We need to become neighbors and practice drawing closer to one another. “We live in a world where the neighbor has died,” Bianchi lamented. We are no longer capable of proximity, but the mission of the Christ was built on proximity. It is from this proximity that we learn how and who we speak to.

Often in mission field we are working with the poor, but Bianchi adamantly says that we should never define who the poor are. “’Who are the poor?’ that is an absurd question! Get to know your neighbor. You do not first determine what his poverty is or you will categorize and imprison him in your own schema. And that is not Christian charity.”

Jesus wasn’t trying to figure out who the poor were, he just said, “Who is my neighbor?” And the neighbor has a potential to be a collaborator and an equal. It takes a converted heart to see people as a “neighbor” and not an “other.” If you only see what they lack, then you don’t see what they bring.

3. Sharing the Gospel without cultural bias–We need to know how to take the Gospel and nothing else but the Gospel when we go out. As in, we need to bring the Gospel in its purest form. “We need to remove Western culture to so we can bring the Gospel and it can flourish anywhere,” Bianchi said.

All three of these elements made me think of our lay missioners, their three months of pre-mission formation, and the approach we hope they have in their ministries.

I also got to thinking: While being authentic and neighborly are far from effortless postures, they seem easier to do than totally checking our cultural baggage at the door. How do we even begin to try? While Bianchi did not have a firm answer, he did emphasize the importance of invoking the Holy Spirit and having a great humility.

If you speak Italian, you will enjoy watching his lecture from the congress, which is available on YouTube. English speakers can enjoy translations of several of his books.