Jeanne Simonelli, Erin McCulley, and Rachel Simonelli
“Oh... then... perhaps the streams have moved closer to the
houses, the wood is falling right into the center of the village???...
That’s a nice watch you have there on your wrist; did it cost you a
lot?”
“Well, Padré, you see, the Guatemalteco, he came last week, it
was a very good price... .”We all laughed. Samuel continued.
We try, in these ways, to connect the population with the larger
world. It was the women who first came together to form coopera-
tives, and in the beginning they had no resources in common, so they
put their debts in common. This has given them a way to come to-
gether; women can express themselves in reflections led by women
catechists, link scripture to everyday life.
You know, we believe in the Catholic Church that there is holy suc-
cession reaching back to the apostles. When priests and deacons are
ordained, they are ordained in a line reaching back to Jesus Christ.
Now, all of the apostles were men....Don Samuel gives a little shrug. “But Mary, she was the mother of
Jesus, she was almost an apostle... .” Into another story. “When we
ordain deacons these days, we commission the couple, husband and
wife.” He pauses on the word commission, a canon-safe word.
They serve together in the communities, and then the husband dies. We
try to appoint a new deacon to replace him, but the people say, “Pa-
dré, we already have a good deacon.” So we said to ourselves, “Yes,
this works,” and so ministry is given to both men and women.
The group is dying to ask the big question, ask about abortion, but
they already know the answer. Like the students, this diocese has had
to pick its battles, and the first deals with basic human dignity.
The government is learning that its policies are having repercus-
sions outside the country. They have not counted on the strength
and hope of the people. There is a convergence of problems on the
Earth. Working for peace in one place is working for peace every-
where. And you are everywhere, praying for us in Chiapas, and
prayers are an unknown weapon in this war.