Seminary in Panama: October 2014

Friday 31 October 2014

San Migeulito - 253 Murders in 11 Months...

Panama City is, generally, quite a safe city to visit, in comparison with other cities around the world. However, just like all cities, it has its spots that are less safe, and, indeed, less than safe. In an earlier post I mentioned El Chorrillo, the area close to the colonial city of Panamá, which is regarded as a hotbed of crime. There is another area, called San Miguelito (Little Saint Michael - the Archangel. In Spanish, the use of the diminuitive indicates affection), which also has its problems.

San Miguelito is the area that immediately surrounds the seminary where I am staying. It is where I went on two Sunday's to say Mass in the area known as Santa Librada. It is an area approximately the size of Finglas or Tallaght. On yesterday's news it was announced that this area alone has had 253 murders this year - so far!!! This is just in this one barrio - the figure does not take account of murders committed in other parts of the city; nor does it say anything about those who were wounded and injured as a result of shootings!

Most of these murders are never solved and no-one is ever tried for them. When he was questioned as to why this is so the Commander of Police said: "Most of these murders are committed by people who kill somebody and then run away!!!" I suppose that if the murderers were a bit more cooperative there would be more arrests.

As is so often the case, San Miguelito is also one of the poorest areas in the city - poverty and crime very often go hand in hand. Drugs are part of the problem, and another big part of it is Gangs. Street gangs of young people who attack each other viciously, often leading to death or serious injury. Parishes do a lot of work with young people in the area and every parish, without exception, has an active youth group - it just is proving not to be enough.

Cars don't generally get stolen very much in the city - not much point, I suppose, with the dreadful traffic jams! However, on the open roads and motorways assualts are know to happen from time to time. One of the common ways in which these assaults take place is that a car collides with the target vehicle and when both have stopped the driver of the target vehicle is robbed.

It is against the law here to transport livestock after 6pm (in other words, they must be transported during daylight). This is to make it more difficult for the livestock to be stolen and for the thieves to make a getaway under cover of darkness.

However, and this needs to be said, the Panamanians are, generally, a very polite and helpful people and I have felt very safe here at all times. Like every country they have their problems but they are not as widespread as in some countries. The Police maintain a very strong presence on the open roads - partly to control speeding (which is incredibly common, and incredibly fast), and partly to provide security. Apparently, it is normal, when stopped by the Police, to offer a bribe - anything from 10 - 50 dollars depending on how fast you were speeding. That hasn't happened to me but it is something that I have been told by quite a few Panamanians.
I suppose that if I start driving here it might be wise to keep my wallet with me!
N

I'm Against Halloween - Because I'm a Catholic!!!

Happy Halloween!!!
At least, happy halloween if you're not from South America!!!
All over facebook at the moment there are comments and pictures that basically have the same message - "I'm against Halloween because I'm a Catholic..."

This seems to have it's origin in a combination of things:
1- There is a very clear anti-USA thing involved. Many people feel that their culture is being subverted by the strong commercial interests of the USA. It is very noticeable that there is a very significant presence of North American fast-food outlets, shops, and other businesses wherever you go in Panamá.

2- There is also a perception that Halloween here has become monopolised by satanists who hold all sorts of black masses etc. - Having asked around a little this is a bit of an urban myth. It may well be happening but is certainly not happening in any way that could be considered widespread. Part of this, of course, is due to the facility with which South Americans get involved in things like cursing (and I don't mean "bad language"), magic of one kind or another, and, more traditionally, Shamanism.

Shamans are a sort of witch-doctors with a strong religious element. They generally base their practices on a syncretism of traditional religious practices such as sacrifices of animals, food, or tobacco; and a fair share of Catholic devotion with images of the Blessed Virgin and the Sacred Heart Also St. Gemma Galgani, St. Jude, Hermano Gregorio (Brother Gregory), the Divino Niño (the Divine Child), and other saints judged to be particularly "powerful". I include pictures of the more obscure of these below.

3- The third thing that seems to upset people is that Halloween is proving more popular with younger people than the traditional celebrations for the "Day of the Dead" (2nd November - "All Souls" in Ireland).

It's quite interesting to note that the government has just passed legislation (as it does, apparently, every year) that is called the Ley Seca (Dry Law) which forbids the sale or consumption of alcohol and any event that involves dancing, on the 2nd of November - to respect the "Day of the Dead".

Anyway, while Halloween is being celebrated elsewhere on the planet people here are busily preparing for their national day which commemorates Panamá's achieving independence. This celebration involves every institution in the city marching in a parade. This includes schools, emergency services, public bodies, religious bodies, and even businesses. More about this later.
In the meantime - HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!
N

Divino Niño

St. Gemma Galgani - Passionist

Hermano Gregorio - Venezuelan Doctor

Wednesday 29 October 2014

San Carlos and the Only Irishman in Panamá (and it's not me!!!)

San Carlos Church

Last night I was asked to accompany Fr. Aquiles from the seminary when he went to a place called fiesta with a novena to St. Charles Borromeo. The fiesta is a very big deal in all of these small communities, much like the Pattern Day would have been in small towns and villages all over Ireland in times gone by.

Nelson

We were accompanied by two of the seminarians - one of them (José) does his pastoral work there, helping with the youth group and catechism classes, and the other one (Nelson) actually comes from San Carlos.
San Carlos (St. Charles) - or at least one of the communities of the parish very close to the town itself.

Jose

We were supposed to leave at 4pm but this turned out to be "hora panameña" (panamanian time) - we eventually got going at almost 5.30pm. I was expecting to go to one of the barrios in the city itself but no, we were going about an hour and a half in to the interior - San Carlo isn't a barrio, it's a Pueblo (town) and it is approximately half the distance from Panamá to Chitré, the town that I visited last weekend. That wasn't the only surprise; we were about half way through the journey when I was informed that I would be preaching at the fiesta - the people knew all about me coming and were expecting me!!!

All of a sudden, in the middle of the chat in the car and the blaring music from the radio I had to get my thoughts together for a homily. As it turned out it didn't arise - Aquiles had got the time wrong - we arrived at 6.40 for a Mass that had been due to start at 6pm. The parish priest gave up waiting for us at 6.30 and had started the Mass before we arrived - he thought we weren't coming. That didn't stop Aquiles - he passed me the vestments and we went out to join the parish priest who was, to say the least, surprised to see us turn up like that. After the gospel Aquiles, who as it turns out had been the one originally asked to preach, gave the sermon - so I was off the hook.

You can see the church from the photos which were taken after the mass but they don't show that the church was full for the service. This is interesting because at least half the people had travelled from the recintos and recogimientos in the surrounding area (small villages) and, due to the lack of availablility of transport, would have difficulty returning home, many of them having to walk long distances. As we pulled out on to the main road we saw one of the altar servers (young lad about 11 years old) trying to hitch a lift in the dark - we picked him up and we had travelled at least 15 minutes in the car before we arrived at his destination. It is quite amazing to see the lengths people here go to to take part in their parish. The parish church is in San Carlos itself but the parish has about 28 communities of varying sizes that it takes care of as well.

I almost forgot to mention that despite arriving late we were fed after Mass - a lovely dish with rice and seafood of all sorts - really delicious.

San Carlos looks like a very pretty town - we were there at night when very little could be seen. The church is about 2 minutes walk from the beach and I was invited to go there any time I want - I just need to let the PP know and he will go away. I can have his house so long as I make sure the church services are supplied - which is fair enough. While it's certainly attractive, I'm not sure I'm going to make it - at least not this time, as commitments are beginning to pile up and I am being asked to do a number of different things before I return to Ireland at the end of November.

Bishop McGrath

Today I was brought to visit an Irish priest named Seán Rooney (known here as Juan) who was brought to Panamá by the very famous (at least here) Bishop Marcos G. McGrath who is a legend in Panamá. This Panamanian by birth, with such an Irish name, was the man who really organised the Archdiocese of Panamá and was the one who introduced, and followed through with, the teachings of Vatican II in the diocese. He is the credited with being the reason why the diocese has so many well-trained permanent deacons and a huge number of lay ministers of one kind or another.

Fr. Rooney, and a great many others were brought to Panamá by McGrath from all over the world to

Fr. Seán (Juan) Rooney

help to staff the diocese that was so short of priests at the time. Rooney, who comes from Belfast, originally came to the diocese here for 1 year - that was 41 years ago!!! I know from what I have heard from priests, seminarians, and lay people, since I arrived, that he is highly respected here. He is now 62 years old and I am told that his health has not been good for the last few years but his parishioners take very good care of him and he certainly seems to love being here. On a consoling note (for me anyway) - he told me that he has been here for 41 years but hasn't got used to the heat yet.

He also told me that he is the only Irish missionary working in the Republic of Panamá and that he has been the only one here for all of those years apart from a Divine Word priest who came for two years some time ago. Little did I know that by coming here I would double the Irish representation (in terms of clergy anyway). I hope to see him again before I leave.
N