Diary of Fr. Ron B, a Roman Catholic priest who studied with us for three
weeks in May 2006. Thanks Fr. Ron for sharing your experiences with us in such a
personal way.
May 14, 2006 Sunday
A dense black veil whose stitches showed with with jagged flashes hung over over
Houston. The storm meant a delay of five hours which put me into Mexico City way
past schedule. No contingency plan. The second leg of my flight was fascinating.
I sat next to a Mexican insurance agent who had been schnookered by a cab driver
in New York, and on the other side a Russian violinist teaching at the
University of Mexico. And in a mixture of English and Spanish, we talked about
the daVinci code! I determined to get a hotel near Termianl Sur from which I
could take the bus to Buenavista the next morning. But I ignored the specific
instructions I had been sent and succumbed to the siren call of a taxi driver.
He took me to an hotel all right, but one 45 minutes from Terminal Sur. How was
I to know? And he charged 3x the estimated rate. I learned the hard way.
May 15 2006 Monday
Arrived before noon in this quaint town built on the hillside. The church
predominates from its size and position. No class so I could get organized and
rest. My host is Gloria Arizmendi-Trujillo and her home is a block from the
church. What commends me to this program is its religious underpinnings-- the
schedule is geared to Mass. The church is open all day and has much traffic in
and out. It truly is a place of prayer, yet with such numbers it appears
bright, shiny and clean. Pews are beautiful mahogany. A large reliquary
containing the bones of St. David rest below the altar. I am determined to go
with the punches. I simply must overlook the lizards climbing the walls and the
ants crawling out of the sink. I refuse to be whimped out by these little
creatures. My hostess is so kind to light a candle in front of me like some 'santo'
to frighten off the flies. Will take all these things in good humor.
May 16 2006 Tuesday
Class is four hours long! I immediately liked Gabriel, and he began my training
on Level 2 (out of 8!). We covered so much material in this time. I believe that
the guided imitation method with this mix of grammar, substitution drills and
repetition.
May 17 2006 Wednesday
Tour of the town. No treadmill to be on so these walks up and down the hills
will constitute my exercise. City market was small but fascinating. I huffed and
puffed my way up to the capilla on a small hilltop that afforded a gorgeous view
of the pueblo and the surrounding countryside. Some young girls put me to shame
on the way up as they ran up the steps;I believe it was a gym glass. Pretending
piety, I stopped at each of the stations of the cross on the way up.
May 18, 2006 Thursday
A local mariachi practices in the house adjoining my bedroom. Some of them were
religious songs if I understood the words correctly. Another tour today of the
once a week flea market. I was hoping for some artsy type of handcrafts, but
mainly plastic gadgets.
May 19, 2006 Friday
Because Gabriel on the previous day's tour had failed to show me the lavanderia
we went on another walk. I learn so much not just about the culture, the context
of the people's lives, and livelihood. Class interrupted for a brief respite as
Gabriel met with the city engineers on paving the rest of his street. High
premium put on individual initiative and neighborly corroboration and lest on
government action. Interesting.
May 20, 2006 Saturday
No class today but I determined that I was not just going to sit around and
sleep. My plans to go to Acapulco were not realistic since it is such a long
distance away -- 4 hours on bus. So I got on a 'combi' that is a van that
doubles for a bus and went to Iguala. 15 pesos. Sat next to a gorgeous tennis
player on her way to the courts in the bigger metropolis. I learned the axis of
the city is the zocolo on which typically set the church and the government
buildings, and the mercado which is a colorful crowded market. I enjoyed
watching a crew of men decorating the high reaches of the altar with vines for
an upcoming feast. I purchased the liturgy of the hours in Spanish, a prayer
book that I feel will be helpful and a crucifix for my collection. Although I
thought I had understood the directions of the driver on where to catch the
combi on the way back, somehow I missed him and resorted to the Termino and took
the autobus. An enjoyable ride since first a perfume salesman, then a snack
vendor walked the aisles selling their wares. Then en route a guitarist sang to
us several songs one of which I figured out exhorted us to "remember to
smile".
May 21, 2006 Sunday
On this day in 2000 JPII canonized 25 Mexicans martyred during the Cristera
period. Since St. David Uribe-Velasco was born in this town, and at the time of
his death was its pastor, this was cause for a great celebration. There was a
special Mass at 1:00. The altar was resplendent with red gladiolas, the choir
wore red tee-shirts, and the organizing committee walked in carrying the statue
all dressed in red. A fiesta followed Mass in the zocolo organized by Gabriel.
This evening after the 8:00 pm Mass in the zocolo in front of the church there
was a tower set onto which were lashed huge pinwheels and various incendiary
devices that were set off in consecutive order to the oohs and aahs of the
spectators. It is called a castillo and because it allows folks to be up close
to it I thin it is far superior to our American style of fireworks.
May 22, 2006 Monday
Monday, and it is garbage pickup day. Except here you load the garbage on the
truck yourself. The role of the garbage man is to tramp it down as the
housewives throw their sacks on the truck Isaac will be my teacher for the week
as his father leaves on a business trip. I hope the young man is not intimidated
by my questions: what brought about the cessation of the Cristera persecution?
how are the 3 present political parties (PRI, PAN, PRD) related to the communist
regime of that period? what are the accent patterns of Spanish and why? Isaac
studied ESL in North Carolina with Tom Shortell.
May 23, 2006 Tuesday
Isaac introduced me to the public library in its new location, and we looked up
the Cristera War 1923-1929. This was the period during which David Uribe was
kidnapped and killed. I surprised myself at my ability to read Spanish and I got
a good grasp of the intransigence of the Marxist Government and the Mexican
hierarchy. A complex history brought more moderate figures to the forefront and
finally a truce issued in that long period of toleration that lasted into my
childhood. I remember in the "Young Catholic Messenger" stories of
Christ the King and Miguel Pro!
May 24, 2006 Wednesday
A kitchen without a kitchen sink! But Gloria manages quite well since the
covered courtyard is a few steps away & water is stored there along with the
dishwashing chores. I took a brief walking excursion to the house where St.
David's bones were hidden for so many years. Because of the guilt of his
executioners, they returned his rosary, staff, wrist watch. to the church
May 25, 2006 Thursday
I am at the point today where I can put my arms around the language (at least
theoretically.) With the periphrastic future under my belt, and today's lesson
the preterit I should be able to express basic concepts in past present and
future. But it is all in the head, and not yet on the lips. Today was water day
at the school. Isaac showed me how the city's water supply is diverted to
different parts of the city every day, and the homeowner has to fill his cistern
on water day. Of course, potable water is peddled like the LP gas canisters--
the trucks go up and down the streets with the muscle man on the back shouting
out what he is selling and the homeowner rushing out to stop the truck if he
wants either water or gas.
May 26, 2006 Friday
The household is a flutter. A new puppy. I was asked if I liked it. A flood of
bad memories of my wars with animals came back, but since I didn't know how to
express it, I lied: Me gusta! It seems to me that all the dogs in town look
alike. I wonder... Don Jorge was explaining to Armando the different names of
corn at various stages of its development. The spirit of my parents was rooted
in deep dirt and they would have dug their toes in during this discussion. How
many US housewives wish they had home delivery! Watching the bread man is
immense fun. He comes by with this amazing sombrero fully 4 feet across filled
with a variety of breads. He goes down on his knees, presents the housewife with
a plastic bag and she selects what she wants, pays him, and off he goes to his
next sale.
May 27, 2006 Saturday
Today I took a trip to the silver city, Taxco. If this hill city is steep, Taxco
is steeper. It was a real workout to get up to the Church of St. Prisca where
the nice shops are. What an ugly church. The guide described it as being part
rococo, part baroque. But the extravagance in a poor country, the
ostentatiousness of it, the lack of focus and an overwhelming sense of clutter
for me was a real turnoff. The battery on my watch gave out so I felt frustrated
about how much time I had. When it comes to finding the sitio where the combis
load their return passengers, I am a babe in the crowd, completely lost &
confused. I suspected I was short on cash but ended up taking a cab back to
Buenavista where he waited at the bank while I got enough money from the ATM to
pay him. Foolish, embarrassing and expensive.
May 28, 2006 Sunday
A rest day, one of the few that I really have had. Spent the day reading a novel
about Napoleon. May 29, 2006 Monday Some pastoral aspects today. Isaac took me
downtown to xerox various blessings, baptism procedures, quinceaneras, etc. On
the way back to Gloria's stopped and visited the local priest. He spent a year
in Chicago working with the Mexican population so knew some English. Was
involved in several movements and I can judge that he runs a very progressive
parish.
May 30, 2006 Tuesday
Quiet it is not! Church bells ring every fifteen minutes, day and night and I am
close to figuring out the code. The chickens have a gossip circle that begins
way early in the morning. The braying of the burro is a sharp cacophony with the
cooing of the doves the family keeps. Farm sounds are the background of my study
although I am in the midst of town. Twice a week the local mariachi band
practices next door. I detest the local sound trucks that travel the streets
touting with immense amplification other virtues of their political candidate.
Isaac interpreted in another talk with the pastor, Fr. Rudolfo, on the Cristera
Rebellion. The interplay of church and state was in evolution since the days of
the conquistadors, and even today the dreaded Article 30 of the Mexican
Constitution has undergone amendment. Although there are unfilled parishes in
this diocese of 86 parishes, the Padre seemed positive and optimistic.
May 31, 2006 Wednesday
Gabriel conducted the short class today before our departure. I get excited over
small discoveries, in this case the correct way to parse a verb with a hard
"e" following a "g". Discoveries! St. Jose Vidal was the
location where St. David was executed. It is above a magnificent lake with a
long Aztec name There are plans for a magnificent shrine to tower above this
location, but I was allowed to concelebrate Mass in the Capilla del Cristo
Rey,the present small round concrete structure with a deal of informality in
liturgy and congregational behaviors. But an amazing crowd for a weekday. There
is a small covered shelter in the back of the Capilla that marks the spot where
he was shot. It was eerily reminiscent of the shrines I visited in Guatemala and
El Salvador that were humble witnesses to the atrocities that have occurred
during current history. During the fiesta I spoke to several relatives of the
Saint, and in my halting Spanish learned a great deal about him and his death.
June 1, 2006 Thursday
Another thunder and rain storm last night that took out the lights. Showered in
the dark. It seems to get light -- and dark -- so suddenly here. Easter is wild!
At least that is what came across in the video Isaac showed me about Holy Week.
The processions were what I had seen before in National Geographic, etc., save
the 'penitentes' carrying the bundles of cactus on their backs. But Easter is
more like Carnival, with people with a wide assortment of costumes and masks
dancing and parading with great hilarity, leading up to the denouement in the
evening on the zocolo. A massive image representing Death is hung above the
square; it is made up of papier mache, cloth and fireworks. To celebrate the
victory of Life over Death, it is set afire with all the ensuing explosions and
irregular fire. When the spectacle is over, it is ripped down and shredded by
eager celebrants.
June 2, 2006 Friday
My final day was tinged with anxiety. But it went like clockwork. The review
class covered several questions that were still on the shelf. The taxis charged
what I had hoped. The hotel Isaac recommended made be gulp- $110! I have never
lived so extravagantly in my life. After I checked in and discovered where the
Selva Terminal was, I went through the archaeological site Teopactelco, a series
of pyramids built my rivals to the Aztecs of Mexico City. Interesting but I need
to study more about them to interpret their meaning.
Tomorrow the airport and the flight home
