Some people were disappointed...

As with everything in life, there is always someone who wishes things had gone otherwise. Very often this is just disappointment, but it can also be a case of sour grapes and, of course, how we view something will depend very much on what our role has been in organising and running it.

I have already mentioned that not everyone has been cock a hoop over JMJ - I don't know, I wasn't here, but the overall impression is that it was a great success although, as with all successes if we are honest, it was not an unqualified success.

It seems that one of the things that provoked a lot of frustration was the security surrounding the Pope during his visit. This was, of course, the local Panamanian security services with,  I am sure, input from the Vatican's own police/ security personnel. However, many people seem to feel that the security was unecessarily heavy handed. I suppose we have to presume that the security people knew more than the person in the street but, nevertheless, some people did feel a bit trodden on or left out.

Such, it seems, was the case with some (many?) of the staff at the seminary. Special cooks were brought in for the Pope which was certainly a disappointment for the kitchen staff, but, as they say themselves, it meant they didn't have the pressure. However, the fact that the staff were coralled in the dining room (the Pope was to eat in the library which had been turned in to a dining room for the occasion - it has air conditioning while the normal dining room does not) and were not allowed to leave it, even to wave at the Holy Father as he passed. In fact, they barely saw him at all which was a pity.

The seminarians and academic and formation staff of the seminary also had their difficulties with the security personnel - coming and going from the building was very problematic and several of the seminarians had to be vouched for on more than one occasion, even for a number of days before the Pope had come at all. But, unlike the household staff, they all got to met the Pope and shake hands with him - except for one seminarian, Freddy, who had to be operated on for acute appendicitis just before the Pope came.

There is now, standing at the entrance to the chapel, a small tree in a pot which has a ribbon on the pot. This is not an effort to decorate the place. It was given by a benefactor of the seminary to be planted by the Pope during his visit - but the security men wouldn't allow it. Now they have a very large pot plant instead of having what could have been a growing reminder of the day the Pope came to the seminary - it really does seem as if the security people could have relaxed, even a little.

There are Testimonies and there are Testimonies...

I wrote yesterday about World Youth Day. It is fair to say that it was a huge success, but not without its challenges and setbacks. Central and South America are not world leaders in organisation so one of the things that had to be overcome in the lead up to the event was to convince people that not only could Panama host the event, but that it could be the huge success that it turned out to be.
Today I spent some time with Fr. Justo Rivas who is a priest of the Archdiocese of Panama. Justo, who is a former student of mine in the seminary, was one of the main local organisers of the events leading up to, and during, World Youth Day. He told me today that, even with two weeks to go, there were many things that still had not been put in place. In fact, it was the young people who saved the day - they organised themselves into groups of volunteers to take on all sorts of tasks.
Justo told me of two of the most interesting "testimonies" that were heard during the evet. One young man (I'll call him Iván) was from a middle-income family which was just about managing. When his father lost his job due to the firm closing down, Iván and the rest of the family found themselves to be in very straightened times, often not having enough to eat. His family was disintegrating before his eyes and Iván knew that he would have to get money somehow. Unfortunately, as is the case with so many people (and not just young people) throughout the world, Iván made choices that turned out to be disastrous, not only for him, but for many people.
He began to deal drugs for some of the local gangsters. Initially, all seemed to go well but, as time went on, Iván gradually became his own best customer and became hopelessly hooked on the very drugs he was selling to others. This, of course, led to a spiralling decline which brought him, very quickly, to the attention of the courts and, ultimately, to jail. Jails are never nice places but, especially in South America and Central America, they can be places of extreme violence where gangs rule and life is cheap. However, Iván got help while in jail and, on his release, was introduced to the people at the St. John Paul II Centre who have supported him while he got off the drugs and into employment - in his testimony he highlighted the fact that if it hadn't beeen for the help he received from people he met along the way, he would not now be alive.
Another testimony, somewhat different, that was heard during the World Youth Day event wasn't one that formed part of the event itself - it was in a new bulletin. Another young man, let's call him Carlos, was interviewed and he proclaimed himself to be a thief and petty criminal. In the interview he told listeners that he and the members of his "guild" would not be active during the Papal visit so people need not fear - they would not be robbed. In fact, during the whole event, only one pilgrim was robbed and the courts sent out a clear message by sentencing him to 12 years in prison. Carlos was true to his word. In fact, he was true to his word in more than one way because he also told listeners that once the Pope was gone it would be back to business as usual and that he and his "guild" would "take it off you once again": and so it was, immediately after the Pope had left, criminality returned to the level it had been at before he came.

Feedback on World Youth Day

Any mention of Panama during this year cannot fail to make mention of the recent visit of Pope

Front of main seminary building

 Francis to lead the celebrations for World Youth Day. Certainly, the feedback from this event is largely positive here (like ourselves, they too have the naysayers) and people seem to have got a lot out of the whole occasion.
World Youth Day, as you probably know, is an event that takes place every  years and it moves from country to country as it is celebrated. A large cross is presented at the closing mass by the host country to the young people from the country that will host it next, in three years time. This year Panama handed over the baton (cross) to Portugal who will host the next World Youth Day in 2022. Even though it seems a long way off, preparations will need to get underway to be able to cope with the huge numbers of young people from all around the world who attend these events.
It is estimated that approximately 300,000 young people participated in this years event: however, of that number less than 100,000 officially registered (the larger number is based not only on those who attended the various elements of the event, but also on the numbers who arrived at the airports and border crossings).

Left over cofessionals

Confessionals were made to look like the JMJ logo

Close-up of confessional

While failure to register officially might have seemed like a great idea to the young people who were, most likely, on a limited budget, the fact that they didn't pay the registration fee (in fairness, not a large sum) means that the costs arising from the event, and remaining to be paid, are much higher than anticipated. The overall figure for hosting WYD (called, in Spanish, JMJ) varies, depending on whom you are talking to - it goes from 20,000,000 to 50,000,000 dollars. A lot of that will have been spent on security (of which, apparently, there was a huge amount), infrastructure (roads had to be resurfaced to cope with the huge amounts of traffic; public toilets, confessionals etc), and publicity. It is worth noting that the Archdiocese here didn't employ extra people to deal with the organisation of the event - it was all done by those already working for the diocese, the parishes and parishioners, local institutions and individuals who volunteered - a real army of people, as you can imagine.
It is also interesting to note that a large part of the overall cost will be met by the Panamanian Government - infrastructure projects are obviously down to them, but, significantly, the government saw the possibilites for this event to be a chance to launch Panama to the world as a destination for both tourism and business - watch this space!!!

Return to Panama 2019

It seems like an absolute age since I was last in Panama, and last writing this blog. In fact, it is a little under a year, but it never ceases to surprise me how much the contrast between my normal day to day life in Limerick and life here strikes me.
This year my journey here was quite a stressful one. Apart from all the usual things associated with travelling, I had a rather nasty surprise awaiting me in Madrid when I went to check in for my flight and was told that there was no seat on the plane for me. I think that this is the sort of thing that many of us would find both frustrating and difficult. Added to the bald announcement that it was unlikely that I would be able to fly was added the fact that the Iberia employee with whom I was dealing (who until then had been very friendly) now refused to even look at me and just waved vaguely in the direction of the departure gates, declaring in a mumbled voice that only the people at the departure gate could possibly offer me any hope.
Anyway, I set out for the departure gate only to discover that it took me almost 40 minutes to get there - Barajas, Madrid's airport, underwent a multi-million euro facelift in recent years which has transformed it from being a rather uncomfortable, low-ceilinged, and dark place, into a high-ceilinged, modern, chaotic mess. At least, with the old airport, it was always easy enough to figure out where you were supposed to be: now, with the new "imporvements", I doubt that even Harry Potter would be able to figure out what doors to go through and what to avoid.
When I eventually arrived at the departure gate the Iberia employee I met was very charming but said that nothing could be done - I would have to wait until everyone else had boarded and then, if there was space, I would be allowed to get on. Eventually, after a long wait, they did let me on and, I can tell you, I was greatly relieved!!!
I had booked through an independent travel website (which I won't name here) which I had normally found to be reliable in the past - now, I'm not so sure.
The flight turned out to be 10 and a half hours long (I had been expecting 9 - I realise it's not much of a difference, but those last 90 minutes really do make it feel much longer.
I arrived, feeling very tired, but at least I got here, and was welcomed by the Rector of Seminario Mayor San José (St Joseph's Major Seminary) where I will be spending the next two months; he was accompanied by a seminarian I taught last year so we had great catching up in the car.
There have been some internet issues so I am only getting going on the blog now, but, for the moment, I'll sign off. Tomorrow I'll share with you some of my impressions of the reactions locally to the recent Papal visit.

Retreat with the Augustinian Pre-Novices

There has been a lot going on over the last few days. I was asked, on Thursday, to give a retreat to the Augustinian pre-novices on Saturday and Sunday. As you can imagine, that required getting the head down to prepare something to say to them. There are 16 pre-novices here, 5 of whom have applied to go to the novitiate this year. The Augustinians are the biggest religious order here and get by far the highest number of applications to join. It is not surprising, therefore, that the bishops of the two largest dioceses in the country (Panama City and Colón) are Augustinians.

The pre-novices are a very impressive group of young men. Very articulate and seem very capable. And, which is terribly important, they seem to be happy, and to get on well with each other and with the professed communit.

The pre-novitiate is in the north  of the city and is set in what, until recently, was a rural setting. The friars still have a sizeable garden which they use to provide their own fruit and vegetables - this is not something to take lightly, in the seminary where I stay we rarely see a vegetable and, when they do appear, they are normally peppers or onions, nothing like the variety we would typically have in Ireland. Obviously, this has implications for health - like it or not, vegetables are good for you!

What is not good for you, however, are mosquitoes, and the Augustinian pre-novitiate has plenty of them! I was bitten well over 30 times. In fact, having taken too much sun (not something that is easily avoided here) and the insect bites, I wasn't feeling terribly well when I got back to the seminary I stay in. I'm hoping this will pass as there is also some sort of a virus doing the rounds in the seminary which is hitting lots of people and causing fever, diarrahoea and that sort of thing. Not what I would like to be dealing with when travelling.

On my return I found some people looking for a priest to preside at a service of  Renewal of Vows for 36 married couples. The priest that was to join them had backed out at the last minute and they were under pressure. I was able to help them out but I sort of crashed for a while when I got back.

In the evening I had to give a talk to the seminarians. Each week one of the formators (they consider me to be a formator here) gives a talk on Sunday evening which  is a reflection on the readings that will be heard at mass during the coming week. I was glad that I had gotten ready towards the end of last week as I wouldn't have had time over the weekend.

The Radio, traditional dancing, and St. Paul... and a scrape

I had a very enjoyable, and very varied weekend. On Friday night the seminarians held a night to

Seminarians

mark the month of May as the month of Mary. Each diocese put on something - some of them sang, some of them danced, and one of them in particular had a song composed that reminded me of the music of the Spanish Tunas, university groups from the middle ages that went from house to house singing to their sweethearts - it was really something.

 The Diocese of Chitre, an area known for its folk brought some traditional dancers. The men wear simple white shirts, a hat known as a pintado, and a small bag known as a chacara. This is still an outfit that is seen quite often here at formal events. The women wear long dresses known as polleras (literally chicken dresses - the long skirts would have been used long ago to shoo chickens from the house etc). They also use very elaborate head dresses which are highly symbolic. The head pieces were originally made from a combination of pearls and whitened fish bones - nowadays they are made from plastic, unless you want to spend an absolute fortune and have one made of pearls.

On Saturday I spent the day preparing for some talks I am due to give next weekend, and then, in the

evening, I went with a group of seminarians to Radio Maria, the Catholic radio station. This is part of an international organisation which operates also in Ireland. However, I don't think that in Ireland it has anything like the listenership that it has in Panama. Each week the seminarians do a one-hour slot which involves a biblical reflection (normally on the following day's gospel) and then a discussion on some topic. On Saturday we were talking about power - it actually turned in to quite an interesting conversation.

On Sunday morning I went to St. Rita's Parish to help with masses there and then, at lunch time, I was invited by a friend of mine who is Panamanian, from a Chinese background. We went to the old colonial part of the city and had a great chat and a chance to catch up on all the news, as well as sharing ideas for various activities.

When Claudina left me home I went with a group of seminarians to see the new film on the life of St. Paul. I have to say that I enjoyed it very much - I hadn't really expected to! After the film we went to get something to eat and then, after a very enjoyable evening, we managed to jam the minibus against the roof of the garage. This seems to be something that happens from time to time and they were able to free it before too much damage was done - other than to the driver's ego!

Fiesta and a History Lesson

Can't figure out how to rotate these pictures

Every parish here, and every chapel, has to have its Fiesta. This is a combination of a relgious
celebration and all sorts of other things that people can get involved in.Some of these fiestas are very eleborate affairs, and some are much simpler - that very often depends on the type of area you are in, because that can determine the amount of money available to spend on the whole operation.

Last night I was in a parish called Pueblo Nuevo to take part in their fiesta. The lead-up to the big day is marked by a novena - in this case, in honour of Our Lady Help of Christians. I was asked to say the mass last night and to preach. Pueblo Nuevo is an interesting parish here in many ways.

Firstly, it is one of the oldest churches in the diocese (despite the fact that its name means, in English, New Town). The altar piece that you can see in the photo is 101 years old and is the original one from this colonial period church. Other things that give the age of the church away are the statues that are to be found in it which are all of a very high quality and have none of the garishness that is to be found, very often, in other, more modern churches.

It is very unusual here to have such an old building that is not in the city centre. This is for two reasons. Firstly, the climate here is so severe that things don't generally last that long. In fact, if the altar piece had been made of wood it would probably have rotted by now, or been eaten by termites. The second reason that its survival is unusual is due to the phenomenon that is, unfortunately, common in many parts of the world - very often parish communities want to have more modern buildings and better facilities and, when they see other parishes building brighter, more spacious, and more striking buildings, they often want an "upgrade".

That makes it interesting to ask why the church in Pueblo Nuevo survived in its original form. My guess is that the answer to this question is actually quite easy to ascertain - poverty. Pueblo Nuevo is what is called here a "Barrio Popular". The thing about a barrio (neighbourhood) that is Popular, is that it is not popular, in the English sense of the word. Barrio Popular means a sort of local authority area which, unfortunately, tends to be almost exclusively inhabited by the poor, the unemployed, and people facing many challenges. These people, simply put, have greater needs for their scarce resources than the building of churches. And, unsurprisingly, these people have a great spirit. As seems to be reflected all over the world, people who have been through a lot and who have to cope with difficult and often precarious situations, are very often open, resourceful, and creative people - with a great sense of humour. Sometimes, in wealthier areas, people can find it hard to let their hair down or they can put themselves under pressure by having high expectations.

Presentation - Image of Mary Help of Christians with a Panamanian twist

The parish priest, Fr. Israel, invited me to join them for the evening and we had a lovely time. Some of the seminarians came and made up a choir and we had a very lively celebration. The generosity of these people is really amazing and they even gave me a presentation at the end of the mass and then, as is considered to be quite normal here, we had a meal with the organising committee.

These occasions are very important for maintaining the sense of community in an area. In fact, in poorer areas, they are probably particularly important (even though they are certainly more modest affairs than those in wealthier areas) because they encourage people to take a break from a daily grind that can be very grinding and to celebrate who they are and what they have achieved.