Liking Huanusco, Zacatecas very much!

I can’t believe I have been here for 15 days. It seems like I just got here yesterday! The people are eager to get going with catechism classes. All of my printed material has to go to the Internet Café and print all my documents, etc. Not an easy task!
After Holy Week and all the Easter services, we started the Novena to the Divine Mercy—a bit late but we pray the chaplet at 3:00 p.m. daily.
We have daily Mass at 8:00 p.m. which makes my seven-block walk home in very dark streets. I always ask someone to accompany me. Imelda, who lives one block from me, always volunteers to walk me home.
I go to Lauds at 8:00 a.m. …. we have about 4 people who gather for that. At 3:00 p.m. is the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy to prepare for the feast this Sunday … today there were around 12 adults and children. At 5:00 p.m. there is a prayer group. At 8:00 p.m. we have Holy Mass with around 40 people and about 6 altar servers. That is an incredible amount of people for such a small town, I think.
Father and his secretary bought me fruit – a huge papaya, about 4 pounds of oranges for fresh squeezed orange juice, about 6 large mangos, a bundle of bananas and a jug of water. Margarita gave me three kinds of homemade cheese: queso fresco, ricotta and something like a brie cheese. My refrigerator is packed full. Earlier I had totally emptied the fridge and washed all the racks, etc. Now that she is on vacation so I can clean one area of the house at a time. I have seen no scorpions but that does not mean they are not around. I have not seen any cockroaches either. Thank God.
Hortencia is staying with me every night so that I do not sleep alone while the teacher is out of town this week. Hortencia took me to her twin sister’s home for lunch at 3:45 p.m. Her sister is one who goes back and forth to the USA with her husband. Hortencia never married and her sister never had any children. Her sister lives in a nice home. For lunch we had watermelon to start with. We had both homemade buttermilk or some sort of very sour yoghurt and tortillas next. She fixed roast chicken with zucchini, green beans, carrots and freshly boiled beans. She served pink guayaba drinks. For dessert we had toast with peanut butter and jam. How is that for a twist?!
Margarita, her husband and Eva, their college daughter, invited me for breakfast this morning. They are looking for a place for me to stay close to the church. They have a home behind the church and there is an empty home next to theirs. (In the end the owners called and said they would not be willing to rent.) Eva has visited two convents this past year. She is discerning her vocation. She says she wants to work with the elderly folks in a nursing home. She visited the Oblates of St. Joseph. She liked it so much she wanted to stay but her parents insisted she finish college first.
She is the second young lady who has approached me about their religious inquietudes. Marcela Ponce Ruiz also wants to discern her vocation. She is finishing high school in July. She is very mature for her age.
Monsignor Antonio Soto gave me a surprise visit. I was sitting in church fanning myself with my Spanish fan when I felt someone was kneeling down next to me and asking me if I was hot. Oh, my! I turned around and there he was. I was shocked to see him. It has been like two months since I last saw him. We went off to a little corner of the church and chatted. He was very pleased with my report. He wanted to know how Sister Adele Marie’s report was received. He wanted to know if I was well-taken care of and all. It was so good to see him!
Father Jesus Guerrero, the pastor here, is nervous about the consecration ceremony which will take place on May 10th in the little town of Arellano. We have worked out a program with the outline sent by the bishop’s office. I will need to teach lots of new songs to the congregation. I hope they can learn them. Father asked me to sing the Litany of the Saints for the Easter Vigil … like without any warning. Thank God our Sisters sing it and Patty Cleary, too. So, I “winged” it and it came out OK.
I walk the streets early in the morning when it is yet cool and I hear the sounds of so many birds. Do you know that the birds in Mexico sound different? Last night there was a strong wind which knocked down huge bird nests and lots of leaves. So at almost every house there was someone sweeping the sidewalks and street section. There are no street sweepers here. I hear the mingled sounds of the town and smell the food cooking. It makes me go back to my childhood and think I am a small child again. One lady brings me half a kilo of freshly cooked tortillas every other day. Goodness! I can’t eat that many tortillas. Got to make some enchiladas, chilaquiles, or something!
The government officials put on a big party to celebrate the “Day of the Child”. The town plaza had inflated toys for them to climb and play; they provided gifts and treats. We had our regular 8:00 p.m. Mass and many parents attended but some parents stayed with their children at the party. Oh! Oh!
For Mother’s Day there will be another big party! Too much partying for me! The young people from the high school are practicing dances, etc. The children are memorizing poems which they will recite at the plaza. I am sure they will have loud music, too.
In the town of Jalpa they have market day on Fridays. I went with Hortencia and I saw a whole raw chicken fall off the table; the young man picked it up and placed it back on the pile. One must always wash the meats very, very well. I know that they claim we eat chickens which have been infused with tons of chemicals, frozen and then we eat months or even years later. Well, these chickens supposedly arrived fresh in the a.m. for the market but the heat was incredible and they were piled high and not refrigerated!
I have purchased “fruit waters” at the market and eaten sugar “gorditas” – they remind me of my Mom’s sugar tortillas except these are very thin wafers. Yummy! I am so grateful that I have not gotten gravely ill over food or water.
I see an unbearable mistreatment of animals: dogs, cats, roosters, horses, etc. Street dogs dodge people as a possible reaction to being kicked or beaten with a broom or stick. House dogs sit tied to short chains with flies all over their little eyes and dirty dog dishes with dried tortillas as their meals. This is the season for innumerable flies. Roosters are caged in tiny crates while waiting to fight their opponents. So sad. Such cruelty! Horses are often tied to short ropes and they show their ribs while standing under a small tree. I cannot stand the sadness in their eyes.
But I also can’t stand cruelty to children. Many children at the market were selling stuff. They seem way too young to be working to support their families. Last evening a lady told me that a brother raped his sister and the family and the town’s people reject the mother and the baby. I can almost hear their silent screams.
Below is my schedule for my work until July here in Huanusco. Some ladies were commenting how strange it is for me to be willing to live here all these weeks. They said, “We have never had a Sister stay longer than a few days.”
Lauds will be prayed every morning at 8:00 a.m. in the church for anyone who might be interested in participating in the Liturgy of the Hours. Lots of people have their short versions of the Office.
Monday – “Rancho Dos Rodriguez” during the day to guide the people’s faith formation and in the evening at 6:30 p.m. and help the Catechists (with Lourdes as Director) with their own faith formation and also help them with classroom tips. They will participate as Lectors, musicians, acolytes, and offertory collection and procession during the 8:00 p.m. Mass.
Tuesday – “Rancho Nuevo” during the day to guide the people’s faith formation and in the evening at 6:30 p.m. help the Families—the adults (with Lourdes as Director) with their faith formation through Bible Studies and also give them tips for discipline with children. Different adults will offer to be Lectors, musicians, acolytes, and offertory collection and procession during the 8:00 p.m. Mass.
Wednesday – “Rancho San Pedro” ” during the day to guide the people’s faith formation and in the evening at 6:30 p.m. help the Young People— (with Lourdes as Director) with their faith formation through Bible Stories and leadership styles by offering to do all the ministries at Mass at 8:00 p.m.—Lectors, musicians, acolytes, and offertory collection and procession.
Thursday – The town of Yerbaniz ” during the day to guide the people’s faith formation and in the evening at 6:30 p.m. we have Holy Hour followed by Mass and perhaps propose different kinds of prayers for Holy Hour. Mass will follow at 8:00 p.m.
Friday – “Rancho Remudadero de Abajo” during the day to guide the people’s faith formation and in the evening at 6:30 p.m. I will participate in Religious Education of the children with Lourdes as Director. I will visit different classrooms and some of the older children will offer to participate as Lectors, musicians, acolytes, and offertory collection and procession during the 8:00 p.m. Mass.
Saturday – Classes will be offered for young ladies, their damas, chambelanes, padrinos and parents who will be having a Quinceañera in the upcoming months.