Fumigation - of Everything!!!

Today the seminary is being fumigated. This is an awful nuisance at one level but a great service at another. On the plus side, it means that the campus will be mosquito-free for the next several months. This isn't just about the fact that mosquitos are a pest, but is actually a very serious health issue. Two diseases, in particular, chicungunya and dengue fevers are of particular concern.

Chicungunya is a mosquito-borne virus that causes inflammation of the brain. This is a form of encepahalitis. It can cause severe damage to the nervous system. Apparently, its effects vary from patient to patient (I'm not sure why) but it is certainly a very debilitating illness. Dengue (pronounced dengay) is another very unpleasant disease that mosquitos spread. Having once had dengue myself I can testify to the fact that it is very unpleasant. It left me totally flattened - entirely weak, with pain in the bones and a high fever that caused very scary hallucinations. Dengue has some similarities to malaria except that, unlike malaria, it doesn't recur. There are two forms of dengue - the kind that I had, which hits you and eventually wears off; and then there is haemorragic dengue which causes internal bleeding and is often fatal - it all depends on the mosquito that gets you!!! Even the type that I had, however, has long term consequences - I was told that it would affect my memory for about three years, and it did; I wasn't able to read a book or keep track of appointments without the aid of a written diary for about three years after I had the dengue.

Mosquitos, in fact, are the single biggest killer of people in the world. Their control/ eradication is considered to be one of the most important challenges in health care at a worldwide level.

As always, nothing is entirely positive. The fumigation of the seminary means that every inch of it has to be sprayed - inside and out. This means that everything gets covered with a fine white film which is the residue of the chemical used. While this is supposed to be non-dangerous, and guaranteed non-toxic, I don't believe it. Anything that can kill every insect in this place has to be absolutely noxious. I suspect that there are unrecognised consequences for human health.

I do remember when I was in Ecuador noticing that a lot of the chemicals used as insecticides are banned in Europe. When I inquired about this I was told that they were cheap and that European companies sold them to South American countries from stockpiles that had built up over the years. The supply would eventually dry up but, until then, Europe's toxic waste was to be used as insecticide on the plants that people in Ecuador were eating. Ironically, of course, many of these plants end up back in Europe - chocolate, bananas, oranges, grapefruit, passion fruit, mandarins, coffee etc: I guess what goes around comes around!!!

Catechists

The night before last was a very interesting experience for me. I was asked to give some lectures to a group of catechists at the Diocesan Centre. There were over 40 people present. These are all volunteers who come once a week to receive input (ongoing formation) so as they can be better catechists. It is a voluntary programme (all the catechists are volunteers too) but, once you sign up for it, you are expected to come to all of the sessions - generally they do.

I was asked to speak about Christology - the theology surrounding Jesus Christ. It was a lively discussion and, which was great, we tried to keep the focus on what might be really useful when working with a catechism group.

The sessions are organised by a Daughter of Charity, whose name I didn't catch. Most of the input is given by Fr. Santiago (the Rector of the seminary) - so he was pleased that I was able to give him a night off.

The really striking thing is the urgency that these people feel about learning more, as much as possible in fact. Their commitment is amazing.

The only fly in the ointment was that when I came home I left my phone behind me. It was gone when we phoned the following morning but, by some miracle, someone had found it and put it aside so we were reunited last night - quite stressful I can tell you.

Yesterday was taken up with different things here in the seminary - helping students prepare for exams, and with their essays etc. Yesterday evening I had to run the Holy Hour and then, after supper, we had Mass in english. This was at the request of a group of the seminarians themselves. All I can say is that I hope they know more theology than they do English!!! That said, it was a happy experience and they all enjoyed it. What made it that little bit more special was the fact that we were joined by an ex-seminarian and his fiancee who came to make their engagment formal with the blessing of the engagement ring. It was really very nice and it was clear that for them, the religious aspect of their marriage was very important.

Permanent Deacons

Last night I was invited to give a two hour lecture to those preparing for the permanent diaconate in the Archdiocese of Panama. Permanent deacons make up an important part of the life of the diocese. These are all married men who have felt the call to serve as ministers in the church. It is a huge commitment - in fact, something that is often overlooked is that these men really undertake two full-time vocations: that of being a husband and father, and that of being a deacon. It really makes me think about what it means to have a workload. These men, as well as rearing their families and ministering as deacons are (most of them, anyway) holding down full time jobs. It's probably important to mention that the deacons are not paid for their ministry (priests are!!!).

In the context of a local church where parishes can have anything between 50 and 100,000 inhabitants and only one priest, if there is even one for the parish, it is not unusual to hear of priests suffering from burn out. One can only imagine how long they would last if, as well as their pastoral duties, they would have to care for a family and hold down some sort of employment.

Some are teachers or office workers but, really, there are all sorts who present themselves to be trained as deacons - firemen, mechanics, shopkeepers, taxi men etc. They are also of all ages although most of the men are probably over 50 (still a lot younger than most priests in Ireland). In the group that I met last night there were 24 who were studying for the diaconate; there were also two religious sisters and one lay woman, all of whom are involved in catechetical work and are taking advantage of the formation being offered to the deacons.

We began at 6pm and went until just after 8pm - these people had come directly from work; some of them would not be home for another 1 1/2 hours after the lecture ended. Then they would have to get something to eat, take care of whatever needs to be taken care of at home, and try to get to bed in time to get some rest before rising at between 4am and 5am the following morning - it is an enormous commitment. Fr. Santiago, who normally takes the class (he is the Rector of the seminary - a very fine man and very hard working) told me that while some might miss a class from time to time, there is generally a full compliment - they take this very seriously.

I was talking about the whole question of Vocation - what it means, how we can understand it, its role in the life of the church, and that sort of thing. We had a very lively discussion during the lecture and I have to say that I really enjoyed it.

Most dioceses in Ireland don't have permanent deacons. Dublin introduced them relatively recently but, in Dublin at least, it was as a response to dwindling numbers of priests. Here, while the low numbers of priests is a very real issue, there is also an experience that has taught the diocese that the deacons offer a style of ministry and a world of experience that priests can't.

Most of the permanent deacons preside at Sunday services in the absence of a priest; they bury the dead, batptise those who are to be baptised, witness marriages, and, probably most importantly, accompany the people of their parish by leading services to mark all sorts of community, family, and individual milestones. Of course, quite apart from the liturgical end of things, the deacons are very busy with social projects, catechesis, training of parish ministers, visiting the sick, and generally doing their best to bring the values of the kingdom to the people they are serving.

Tonight I will be spending some time with a group of people who work (voluntarily) as catechists in the diocese.

Panamanian "Prayer for the Homeland"

As we draw close to the end of November I thought it might be interesting to share the oficial Panamanian “Prayer for the Homeland”. This prayer, written by a Panamanian Jesuit is used as the Prayer of the Faithful at all Masses in Panama during the month of December.

The response after each individual prayer reads: “Our Father, from this “isthmus country”, hear our prayer”. The prayer, as you will see, follows the text of the Our Father quite closely. I wonder, if we were to do something similar in Ireland, how our prayer might read?

Official Prayer for the Homeland

God, father of all peoples, who cares for everything with your providence, kinkly receive the prayers we direct to you for our Homeland.

R/ Our Father, from this “isthmus country”, hear our prayer.

- Since it is your wish that all people be saved, may your name be recognised and loved in Panama. R/

- May your Kingdom come; a kingdom of peace, of love and of justice. May your will be done: that we may be the builders of a civilisation of love, where those who lead seek the common good, and where hate and resentment are overcome; give us the generosity to share all the many good things that You give to us. R/

- Give us our daily bread: may we always be able to eat it in our own home and to enjoy a standard of health that is worthy of human beings. May your providential care ensure that those on the margins of society always have enough of everything that they need. R./

- We ask you Lord, not to allow us to fall in to the temptation to destroy life: may we never profane the dignity of men or women. Grant that among us there will never be abandoned children or old people without love. R/

- Free us from all evil: from sin that separates us from you; from everything that cheapens the human condition; from selfishness that makes us indifferent to the suffering of others; from pride that hardens our hearts and makes fraternity impossible. R/

Lord, we ask that you hear our prayer because we believe that you love us. Amen.

Diaconate Ordination of Luis

Today is the day for the ordination to the diaconate of one of the members of the Vicariate of Panama.

Luis is 30 years of age. He is from Darién, which is the province of Panama that borders Colombia. Luis' area was always looked after by the Capuchins so, logically, he joined them when he wanted to pursue his vocation. He was sent to study in the seminary in which I am currently teaching. However, the man who had inspired this decision in him subsequently left the priesthood and Luis found that he wasn't receiving any encouragement from the other members of the Order. He left the Capuchins and gave up on the idea of religious life and priesthood.

For almost 4 years Luis worked as an air-conditioning technician - I think that means that he installed and maintained air conditioning machines. However, the idea of a vocation to the priesthood never entirely left him. He spoke to a number of people, including the rector of the seminary (not, I hasten to add, the current rector) but didn't really get anywhere. He eventually spoke to the bishop of Darién who advised him, since he hadn't felt encouraged by the welcome he got from the seminary (to which the bishop would be sending him), to consider the Augustinians. Luis had never come across the Augustinians as we don't have any presence in the province of Darién but, following the bishop's advice, he spoke to the then Vicar of the Augustinians in Panama (Fr. Salvador).

Salvador met with Luis and encouraged him, and after some time Luis decided he would try his vocation with the Augustinians. Today, as he is ordained a deacon (by Bishop Manual Ochogavía - an Augustinian himself), marks a significant milestone in a journey that began for him 12 or 13 years ago. His family have just arrived and there is great excitement. Unfortunately, I won't be able to be at the ordination as I will be representing the Augustinians at the celebrations for 800 years since the foundation of the Dominicans - we agreed that someone should attend this and that it would be better for the Panamanians to be present at the ordination. Anyway, I hope to make it back for lunch!!!

Last week there was a solemn profession in the Vicariate. In spring of next year there will be another one - this is a circumscription that is growing, and quickly!!! With an average of a little over 30 the future looks good for the Augustinians in Panama.

Theology Week

The Seminary here does its best to engage with wider society through its various activities - sometimes this means pastoral or social work, at other times it has to do with its academic life. I have already written about its relationship with the USMA and the Bolivarian University of Colombia. This week is one of the important regular weeks in this effort.

Every year the Seminary hosts two academic "weeks". In the first semester there is the "Philosophy Week" and now, at the end of the second semester we have "Theology Week". During these weeks different speakers are invited to speak on varying topics; seminarians also speak. The idea is that the seminarians begin to engage with intellectual life outside of the seminary.

Apart from the challenge that this poses for the seminarians, there is also another important element to these weeks. They provide an opportunity for the seminary to contribute to the intellectual life of the diocese, the city, and, of course, the country. The talks are televised for transmission by the Catholic TV channel. This is a channel that has a very large viewership and these talks (more the Theology than the Philosophy apparently) are watched by a large number of people.

These talks are open to the public and it is interesting to see the profile of the people who attend. Among the participants are people who work as catechists, religious sisters, and permanent deacons. The commitment of, particularly the catechists and the deacons, is humbling. These people work all day long, take care of their family commitments, and still find time to undertake significant commitments in their parishes. Those participating in these talks are all coming from their day jobs - on Monday, for example, one man came still wearing his fireman's uniform (he is a catechist).

I will be one of the speakers tonight. My topic has to do with the concept of "Covenant" and the "ministeriality of the church". I still have to finish what I am going to say so I have to go...

Sacraments, Preparation and First Communion

Last weekend was full of activity. I was helping out again in the Augustinian parish. This is the time of year when first communions and confirmations take place here. Just as in any parish this means that there is lots going on. In fact, the months of November and December are particularly busy in Panama because a lot of things coincide - First Confession, First Communion, Confirmation, Independence Day Celebrations, Advent, Christmas, and this is also the time of year that is most favoured for weddings (so I'm told).

Confessions were interesting - not because of the sins, but because of those confessing. First Communion here is given when children are approximately 11 years of age; Confirmation, when they are 18. This is such a totally different experience to Ireland that I found it to be quite striking. Firstly, the children for first communion, being that little bit older, are much more confident. They also have a much better capacity to understand at least the basics of what is involved in the celebration of Mass. Their confessions reflected this as it was very noticeable that they were able to think about their lives and the significant relationships in them.

Making confirmation at 18, when they are just preparing to leave school, instead of at 11 when they are just leaving it, is a totally different experience. These are no longer children - they are young adults. They also have the experiences, dreams, and challenges that you would expect young adults to have. Making confirmation for these young adults is not an automatic event. This is something that they have chosen - and they have to choose it for themselves.

Catechesis here is generally done in the parish, so those who wish to be admitted to these sacraments have to make quite an effort to make it to the celebration. Each one has to follow a course that lasts for 2 years (2 hours a week). The course is given by catechists who are volunteers in the parish. Those who don't complete the course, don't make their first communion or their confirmation. This is a very different experience from Ireland where all sacramental preparation is done in the primary school. This is very often done very well but I have always thought that there are two important drawbacks - 1) the catechesis is associated only with school and not with the parish. This means that once school is left behind, so, very often, is the catechesis; and 2) the time dedicated to the sacramental preparation is much greater when it is done in the parish. Another important advantage that I notice is that less emphasis is given to the actual celebration, and more to the learning - there is much less practising for the big day (if, indeed, there is any, because normally there isn't) and much more practising of their faith by going to Mass each week (a requesite), and by being involved in parish activities.

Of course, all is not perfect here either - Panama has the same problem that we have when it comes to those who have been confirmed - once they are confirmed they are rarely seen again in the church. However, it is true that there is a much higher index of participation in parish activities for young people in Panama than in probably any local church in Ireland.

On Sunday I was asked to preside at a First Communion celebration. This was a group from a religious run secondary school (run by the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception) which means that this group didn't do their preparation in the parish but in the school - not, however, during the hours of lessons; catechesis is done after normal school hours. Like all of these celebrations there was a great deal of joy.

Some things that stood out for me during the First Communions - there was no disruptive noise from the congregation; most people in the congregation knew the responses to Mass and also the hymns; everybody arrived early; the children participated in all the moments of the Mass but without the "performance" element that can so often take over from the celebration itself. All in all a very interesting experience.

God Speaks Chinese Too!!!

Yesterday I took part in a programme on Radio Maria. This is the Panamanian branch of a movement

which is world wide and which offers Catholic programmes to its listeners. Earlier this year, if I am not mistaken, Radio Maria began to broadcast in Ireland. This is not an entirely Marian radio station - it seeks to engage with issues such as spirituality, theology, family and social issues, as well as a broad variety of different current affairs programmes. Mass is broadcast on a daily basis for those who are housebound and there are also a number of reflections on the daily readings, christian living, and similar topics.

The programme that I was involved with is called: "God Speaks Chinese Too!". As the name suggests, this is a programme that caters for the needs of the Chinese community here in Panama. Here in Panama this is a very large community and very vibrant - many people are first or second generation Panamanians and still have family in China. Chinese is the favoured language of many of these people and, since there are many Catholics among their number, this programme goes some way to meeting their spiritual needs. There is also a Mass, twice a month in Chinese. Attempts have been made in the past to have a Mass every week, or perhaps even a Chinese parish here but the major difficulty has been the availability of a priest who speaks Chinese.

I was invited by Claudina Siu, one of the many people who attend Mass in the Augustinian parish who are of Chinese extraction. Obvoiously, I wasn't speaking Chinese, but I was invited to be interviewed to discuss, among other things, the differences I notice between the church in Ireland and in Panama, the work I am doing in the seminary, and also a little bit about the studies I have been able to do in the area of theology. The programme also involved me giving a Sunday reflection. The programme was being pre-recorded because I have class at the time of its transmission - it will be going out on next Thursday at 11am (Panamanian time) so if you want to tune in I'm sure you can find the details on Radio Maria Panama's website - a great chance to brush up on your Spanish and your Chinese!!!

Together with myself and Claudina was a lady who read messages in Chinese and also another lady who has links with the Chinese community here, who was the second interviewer. The programme lasted 50 minutes and while I expected it to be difficult to fill the time, it actually flew by.

I'm not sure what listenership Radio Maria has in Ireland but I do know that in Panama it is widely listened to. It is an important tool for the evangelisation effort of the Panamanian church and is also a great way for communities to be in touch with each other by knowing what each other is doing. They also have a very good Catholic newspaper here, called Panorama Católica - run by the only Irish priest resident in Panama (Fr. Sean Rooney, from Belfast). This is really well laid out and there is a section for each part of the country as well as current church events, catechesis, parish resources, and stuff for children.

All in all, very interesting to see the effective use being made of radio and printed media in a conscious effort to evangelise. There is probably much we could learn for application in the Irish church.

Working on the Panama Canal

As you can imagine, no trip to Panama can be complete without a visit to the canal. This canal, often referred to as one of the wonders of the world, is intimately connected with Panamanian life at many levels – in fact, the income from the canal provides a significant part of Panama’s GDP. 

It really is quite an amazing operation. More than 10,000 people work on the canal which is open and working twenty four hours a day and three hundred and sixty five days of the year; and, generally, they are better paid than those who work elsewhere. At any one time there can be up to 100 ships waiting to pass through the canal (on both sides); and this is just the large cargo ships – yachts etc are “squeezed” in with them. Ships book up to five years in advance to be able to cross the canal and they are charged by tonnage – large cargo ships can pay amounts between 250,000 and 300,000 dollars a trip. This will give you an idea of the value of the cargo these ships are carrying. A man working on the canal told me that some ships can have up to 20,000,000 dollars worth of cargo.

The canal has an average depth of 85 feet. When it was opened it could accommodate any ship in the world. Now, with the advent of super tankers, that is no longer the case. That is why the Panamanians are currently building an extension to the canal – another channel which will accommodate these larger vessels.

There are a number of ways to visit the canal – one (the most normal) is to go to one of the lock gates and watch ships passing from the viewing platforms. The other is a tourist ship that carries passengers from one side of the country to the other, passing through the canal. I found a third way. A lady in the Augustinian parish who works at the canal arranged for three of us (myself, Fr. Edwin, and Br. Fabian) to spend the day on a working tug boat on the canal.

There are 40 tugs that work on the canal. Each one has a crew of four – a captain, an engineer, and two sailors. Each tug weighs 27 tonnes and has 6,000 horse power. Their job is to push, pull, guide and steer the large ships through the canal and through the lock gates. We spent 12 hours on one of these and were with the crew as they worked away. It really was a fascinating way to see the canal and a great way to understand how it works. We were extremely privileged as this is not a “trip” that is open to the pubic generally. It is something that is done from time to time but always as a treat for “friends”. I think I should stress that we weren’t working, we were watching the others work – the only way to do it!!! I think the photos give a good idea of some of what we saw.

Centenary Bridge - from below

Notice how tight a fit

Logo of the Canal Authority

The Lock Gates

Centenary Bridge at Dusk

Car Transporter

Being guided by a tug just like "ours"

Bringing Grain to Cuba

Fr. Edwin giving the safety talk

Lock Gates Closing

Look at how full the ships are

Only 4 inches to spare on either side

View from the bridge

The Captain

Locomotives used to regulate the speed of the ships to a snail''s pace

Fr. Edwin and Br. Fabian and some of the thousands of cranes

"Our" Tug

One of the Ships we Guided

Getting lined up for the lock gates

A Tug just like ours

Independence Day

Last week was probably the biggest week of the year in Panama. Independence day is the 3rd of November but, at different times during the same week they celebrate different stages of independence: from Spain, from Colombia, and I'm not sure from what else. The there are the "gritos" (shouts) of independence - as each city got the news the shout went up. Obviously, in the days before internet, or even telephones, the message was carried by horseback and so different cities received the news on different days.

I suppose you could say that Panama became independent gradually, twice. Once from Spain and Colombia, and then again as the news of independence spread through the country.

Celebrations began on the 1st of November with the solemn burning of all the flags on public buildings. Like many Latin American and Central American countries, the flag is a very important symbol of the country and is treated with a great deal of respect. School children regularly swear their oath of allegiance to the flag promising to protect it and their country from any harm.

Celebrations are marked by very long parades in which civic institutions, schools and colleges all take part. This is taken very seriously and participants practice for months beforehand - honing their marching and band-playing skills. It is also a big time for families. Since everyone is off work (except a very unlucky few) it gives people the opportunity to travel back to their original home place and catch up with friends, family and relations.

The parades are real family occasions and are carried off with a great deal of panache and dignity. I'm told that there are also less ordered celebrations in neighborhoods where there is a lot of dancing and, by all accounts, lots and lots of drinking.

I didn't see much of the celebrations this year due a bug I picked up (the reason I haven't been on line very much lately) but I am told that they were a huge success.

One interesting thing to note is that while Panama has no army (since the overthrow of the military dictatorship of General Noriega) the police is, esssentially a paramilitary force. In fact, to see them around the time of the parades on the TV it is impossible to tell the difference between them and an army. Many of the people here at the seminary say that while there is no official army, there is a de facto one, within the police.

Normal Service Resuming

To those who follow this blog I apologise - last week I was in the Augustinian parish helping out and, unfortunately, I got some sort of bug which knocked me out. I am now on the mend and will begin posting again tomorrow