Seminary in Panama: Masses, Mammals, and Birds

Well it's all shoulders to the wheel as the exam season begins. Term actually doesn't finish until the end of the second week in December but exams are due to begin on the 1st. My group have the good fortune (or misfortune) of starting early with me as I will be heading back to Ireland next Sunday, due to arrive on Monday the 1st after what has been a very interesting and worthwhile time spent here. It's encouraging too that the formation team in the seminary has found it to be a positive experience as well. Just as I knew nothing about them, they knew nothing of me either and my coming here was really an act of faith on their part - it has worked out.

I got a bit of a dose last week - imagine getting a cold in such heat!!! It has knocked me sideways a little but, thank God, I am over the worst of it. This weekend I had some interesting visits for Mass.

Saturday morning I said Mass for the Mother Teresa Sisters (Missionaries of Charity). Only one of these sisters is a native Spanish speaker (she is Mexican), the others are all English speakers. That was the reason why I was parachuted in to say Mass in English which, apparently, is the official language of their congregation. After Mass we were treated to a typical Panamanian breakfast - sausage in a type of sweet sauce, maize cakes with meat in the centre, steamed maize (bollos), hojaldres (deep-fried flour batter), and home made cheese - unfortunately, because of not feeling terribly well I didn't really take part but the seminarians dived in with an enthusiasm that they don't always show for theology!!!

In the evening I was brought to San Cristobal (St. Christopher). This is a place you do not want to enter in to. Once you turn off the main street it is clear that this is very unsafe unless you are known. There are people watching who is in every car - I was travelling with a nun so we were ok but I was going to be sure to stick close to her - hide behind her if necessary!!! Everyone seemed to be drinking - beer, wine, spirits - everyone, even quite young children in their teens. It was also quite evident that there were a lot of weapons around with revolvers being quite visible. Surprise, surprise!!! this area has a problem with street gangs!!! There is a lot of drugs too and, as is always the case, a very high (or low) degree of poverty.

The nuns that work here are from a Panamaian congregation called the Missionaries of Catechesis - they have their work cut out but they are extremely committed. They run a little school and work a lot with the mothers of the area and they have certainly won the respect of the locals. The Mass was great fun and we had lots of laughter but, like poor areas everywhere, the stresses of life have taken their toll even on the faces of the people. I left there with tremendous admiration for the families that rear their children with such love and affection in the middle of areas where there is so much violence and where life is so cheap.

This morning (Sunday) I returned to say farewell to Santa Librada which was the first barrio that I visited. Imagine my surprise when out of the blue they made a presentation to me of things to do with their parish - I was very touched by such thoughtfulness and kindness, and, then again, that sort of thing seems to be very typical of the Panamanians.

After that Mass at 8.30 I arrived late for another Mass at 10 with the Mother Teresa nuns - this time in Spanish, and not with the nuns themselves but with some of the residents of the home for people with physical and mental handicap that they run. I have to say it is a beautiful place - immaculately clean and the food looks very good indeed. Many of the people here are very severely handicapped but there was a lovely atmosphere all round and the nuns and the many helpers they have organised (including diocesan and Augustinian semainarians) seem to run a very happy set up.

By the time I got home I was worn out - two Masses at home would be fine but here, with the tremendous heat, it's another story. Tonight I am taking the formation team from the seminary out for dinner to say thank you for the welcome I have received here.

In the meantime take a look at some of the photographs of wildlife that I have taken while I have been here. I haven't gone anywhere special looking for things so these things are really quite common here. Unfortunately I haven't had time to identify these so if you can help by leaving a comment that would be very welcome. To start you off, the monkey is a Howler Monkey (don't know what the type in the cage is other than very depressed, and with good reason); and the other animal that looks like a badger with a tail is called a Cuati (even in English). Enjoy
N