July 27th, 2003

From Sunday Presentation

to

Goodbye Fiesta

A typical Sunday here at St. Joan's. Or was it? We had an invited speaker; that is a common occurrence. However, this was a special opportunity to hear the homily in both Spanish and English. Two of our delegates gave the homilies. Timo gave the 9:00 homily and Bernardo gave the 11:00 homily. Their simple yet challenging messages of sharing what we have with others around the world and taking responsibility to participate as Christians and citizens. Both homilists were warmly received. A spontaneous round of applause erupted at both masses when Timo said "If people and governments are able to overcome their selfishness and establish a better balance among what we give and what we receive, there will be enough for all." and when Bernardo said "But if we don't have the capacity or the will to share, it is not possible to achieve peace, because if I have too much of something, it really belongs to somebody else." The full text of their homilies are on the website and I encourage you to read them both in their entirety. Also participating in the Mass were Alba, who read a portion of the Gospel in Spanish, and Ruth, who expertly translated Spanish to English for the congregation. I was very touched by the number of people that stopped to thank the homilists and came to talk to them after mass. It was a warm welcome and reception by St. Joan's of our brothers and sisters from Guatemala. After the services, the delegates spent some time with their host families. We came together again at 6:00 for a farewell pot luck and party. Many people came to share a little more time with the delegates on their last night here with us. We again shared a lot of good food. We also took some time to share with each other some of our thoughts and feelings from the week. Then we danced. We taught each other different dances. The Chicken Dance, the Merengue, the Twist, the Salsa, the Polka, just to name a few. A piñata was there full of candy for the kids. This, however, proved to be a little tougher than piñatas any of us had seen before. The children there needed the help of the youth and adults to get it broken open. We even broke the broom handle we were using in the process!! At long last and thanks to Juanito's perseverance, the goodies scattered on the floor and the scramble for treats was on. The highlight of the evening was at the end. We formed a large circle with our arms around each other in a group hug. A few people took the opportunity to share about the wonderful experience the visit has been for both the Guatemalans and the Minnesotans. Many thank you's were exchanged. Mindy Ahler Olmstead is the chair of the Sister Parish Committee at St. Joan of Arc. She and her husband Kraig live in South Minneapolis. Promises to keep in touch. Love shared by all. Everyone agreed that we will keep a bit of each other in our hearts and no matter the distance between us, we will always be together that way. Then the delegates were off to their host families to pack, get a little sleep and be ready for their journey home on Monday morning.

La Paz, Fruto de la Justicia, (Peace, Fruit of Justice) was the homily title our guests prepared for Sunday. The title speaks for itself. The delegates were extremely busy all week, with full days, plus the many hours they spent in preparation for the homily. I was impressed with their stamina, all the while remaining their true selves. They are humble, loving, caring people filled with questions on how to make this a better world. The farewell dinner was both exciting and solemn. It started with a delicious potluck dinner, filled with a variety of dishes including tamales. During dinner, conversation was ongoing and lively, not like the welcome dinner where we had to work to keeping it going. Now everyone was friends and did not even need the interpreters at times. Someone asked Dorita what was her favorite activity of the week. She said there were many, but overall it was the hospitality of everyone, and the compassion given to her with her mother’s death. She felt among friends. Mary responded to the same question by quickly saying “CHOCOLATE”. All week she pursued places looking for the dark stuff, everyone on the look out for her. Chocolate must be the reason for her sweetness. Sharing continued after dinner with people using the microphone to express their thoughts. Overall, a feeling of solidarity filled the room. The evening concluded with music and dancing, the twist, chicken and polka among others. Watching was optional as the hall filled with friends bouncing and laughing. and Nancy Lynch says, "Joy is being a wife, Mom of fourteen, eight with varying disabilities and living at home, Grandma of thirteen, and Great Grandma of three. Serenity is listening and watching the ocean, alone, at our home on Maui. Passion is friends, photography, reading, swimming and children." Nancy can be reached at nalynch@aol.com. I felt privileged to meet, laugh, cry, enjoy, and discuss world issues with each of the delegates. My thanks to everyone at SJA involved in this endeavor. You did a fantastic job!