Retreat and so on

It’s been a month since I wrote something for this blog. That’s not for the lack of anything to say! Life seems to be getting busier…

I’m slowly getting on top of the organization of the University Parish. We’ve organized a schedule of maintenance and sorted out a few of the pressing problems. I understand now, how each of the different groups work and we’re working on a new schedule for their meetings. It was a little chaotic for a while. The last director of the Centro de Proyección Universitaria (the University Parish) had three or four other jobs as well!

The refurbishment of the top floor (where the Marist Seminary will be) is progressing apace. It should be finished ahead of schedule around the middle of July. It'll be a relief to move in there - I wont have to commute from San Bernardino parish. It's not a great distance, but is a nuisance if I forget something. I'll be helping in the formation house once the seminarians (and the formator) arrive in August.

The Front of the Casa Hacienda "La Jordana

 

Last weekend I went on a “retreat” with 60 young people – “chavos” in the local vernacular. 28 of them formed the team that ran the retreat – with a little input from me and 32 were newbies. It was quite impressive. The retreatants ranged in age from 14 (although the minimum age is 15!) to 18.

The retreat was held at La Jordana – an old hacienda building and a couple of hectares which were given to the Society of Mary by the family of one of the local Marists some time ago. It’s situated in the middle of an open valley at about 2500 metres above sea level. That’s the height of Mount Taranaki/Egmont. La Jordana was used as a seminary for some years and recently as a Novitiate. Fr Peter McAfee SM from Whanganui was the last novice master there. 

The rains have begun, so the valley was quite green – it had been parched the last time I visited there. The valley is wide and open with small settlements dotted around the rolling hills. I imagine the majority of the locals are the descendants of the campesinos who used to work for the patron who owned the hacienda.

Across the valley from La Jordana

It’s a nice spot for youth retreats – spacious, fairly basic and far from shops and bars!

The team ran the retreat – giving most of the talks, leading games and so on, prayers, cooking and cleaning and even having perpetual adoration during waking hours! Well, to be accurate, they were in the chapel in front of the Blessed Sacrament, but I suspect there was a bit of conversation between them rather than with the Lord! They are teens! Still I was impressed by their seriousness and commitment. Not that there weren’t loads of activities and laughter.

I must have only slept about 8 hours in total the whole weekend, but it was great fun and I think the chavos got a lot out of it.

Los Chavos (and an ancient chap at the back centre!)

More photos of the retreat on the next entry.