Monsignor Antonio Soto, Vicar of Religious Life for the Dioceses, called and set up an appointment with me for the day before Thanksgiving Day. I had been waiting for this opportunity for two months.
Mons. Soto listened to me attentively as I explained to him the purpose of my visit and our Community Project. To show me that he had "done his homework" he shared with me all the papers printed out that I had emailed him earlier. I went ready with a second copy of everything...including a copy of our Constitutions. He said that the priests of the Presbyteral Council would be meeting with the bishop the next day and that he would bring our SSMO Project up for discussion and opinions.
He was pleased with our efforts so far. His idea, once the bishop gives his consent, would be to have two of us Sisters come...and bring three or four Associates...to live and work together in the area of addressing the spiritual needs of women and children who have been left behind by the husbands and fathers who have immigrated to the USA. He felt that our Charism would be wonderful and bring new life to the small "colonias" (neighborhoods) where there are great numbers of abandoned families.
I shared with him a little bit of our community history and he told me that he had visited our web site and read our Constitutions. He said, "I see that you are willing to depend totally on God and that no work is too difficult for your community."
He realized that thus far in Mexico I had had experience in a private school. Next I would to be with the Sisters of Mary Immaculate in Irapuato, Guanajuato whose ministry is mainly in the field of geriatrics. He asked where I would be for the third ministry. I told him that I was not sure. He suggested I return to the south of Zacatecas where I might help with pastoral work in the "colonias" so that I would have a better or more complete picture to share with our Sisters in Oregon. He would try to find "hospedaje" (hospitality) for me with other religious.
Mons. Soto suggested he and I visit the priest in charge of the Diocesan Immigration Office and talk to him about our Project. He would like for us, Sisters, to write the purpose, the objective, the method and the evaluation tools for this Project in a very clear manner. He said he would like to see our Sisters work not in any particular parish but in a larger diocesan-wide area. He sounded very positive and said that he would be in communication with me. His office is within walking distance from our house, but I have only one month left in this dioceses.
We have only just begun. Everything moves so very slowly!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
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