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On the 1st April 2000 a lorry loaded with furniture and other items
arrived in a district on the outskirts of the city of Paysandú. Along with
the driver and his son were the first two Little Sisters of the Assumption
(Mirandolina Austria and M. Mercedes Suñer) to come to this part of the
country that has a ‘heroic history’.
Paysandú is a town of 92,000 inhabitants situated at some 378
km from Montevideo (capital of Uruguay), east of the border with Argentina
formed by the River Uruguay which, in the Guarani Indian language means
‘river of the birds’.
On New Year’s Day 1865, this town became legendary and
acquired the reputation for heroism. The previous night the town was
burning, the flames lit up the ’56-hour battle’ which had begun at 4.20
a.m. on the 31 December 1864.
The
origin of the conflict was to be found in the British interests which had
seduced a liberal minority in Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. The aim was
to destroy Paraguay which at the time was a prosperous and independent
country. It was the most developed country of Latin America.
The people of Paysandú refused to fight against their Paraguayan brothers
and this was the origin of the battle. The martyrdom of Paysandú was the
introduction to the war of the Triple Alliance (Brazil, Uruguay,
Argentina) which ended by ‘annihilating’ Paraguay.
The
Sanduceros (inhabitants of Paysandú) relive with great
pride those historical events that cost many lives but left them with the
honour of not having betrayed a neighbouring people out of economic
interest.
Similar events are occurring today, even though there may not be
bloodshed. Many factories have been closed and this has caused great
unemployment for several years past.
Our district is on the outskirts of the town. The houses were constructed
when the manufacturing industry was at its height. Many belong to former
workers from different factories. Today some are retired or survive with
temporary jobs. A minority has stable employment.
This has changed the appearance of Paysandú. There has been an increase in
the number of marginal districts, of people who are excluded, increasing
hunger, malnutrition, delinquency, drugs, insecurity etc. But the town has
not lost its characteristic hospitality, solidarity and determination to
‘look for some sort of job to get by’.
On our arrival we immediately felt the warmth of this welcoming people.
Neighbours came spontaneously to help us unload things from the lorry and
to put themselves at our disposition if we should need help. In that way a
bond of friendship was very quickly formed that has become stronger over
the years.
Very close to our house is the Chapel of Nuestra Señora del Pilar. The
Eucharistic celebrations are held on Saturdays. The parish is some 15
blocks away and there wasn’t much contact between the parish centre and
the outlying districts.
From the beginning, relations with the parish priest and the group of
committed lay people were good. This helped to make discreet contacts, to
observe the realities, the needs etc. so as to offer our services in line
with our charism.
There are lay people who have received training and who are involved in
the social ministry, in the ministry of the Word, of the
Eucharist, of the sick. These people carry out the celebrations in the
chapels and in the parish when the priest is absent.
The faith of the people has been largely conditioned by the secular
history of Uruguay. There is a large number of non-believers, of people
who call themselves atheists even though they invoke God. In general, it
is not so much a problem of faith but one of practice and insertion in the
Church.
One of our first tasks on entering into the social ministry group was to
get to know the reality better. So, visits to families were organised and
many and good contacts were made that helped us to get to know one another
and to detect the real needs of the district.
We saw the urgent need to help children in their school work since their
parents were not in a position to do this. We asked some of the
schoolteachers to give some voluntary collaboration in helping us
implement this project which has grown over the years and is now very well
organised. Many children take part, in two shifts, morning and afternoon,
from Monday to Friday.
Mirandolina accompanies the teachers and other collab¬orators who
periodically bring together the parents of these children and have
meetings where they exchange on themes related to their role as parents:
the difficulties of educating the children, their worries, doubts,
suggestions etc. The co-ordination team meets every fortnight in our
house.
We have received help from a psychologist to see to the needs of the more
problem children who generally come from families where there is conflict.
A group of young people have taken the responsibility of bringing the
children on Saturdays, organising games, enter¬tainments and outings.
From the beginning we were in contact with human rights
groups who have a broad range of activities here. María Mercedes
thus continued her long journey in this Justice and Peace commitment,
taking part in meetings for study and training, visiting prisoners in the
local jail with others and helping out in difficult or temporary
situations that needed a response or efforts to find a solution.
Along the same lines, we were able to form a group of women who wanted to
learn how to paint on canvas. That is how the first workshop in our house
came into being.
These gatherings enabled us to come closer to very poor and marginalized
women, many of them unemployed, who were astounded to see the abilities
they had and who, for the first time in their life, had the opportunity to
develop them.
María Mercedes trained in various handcrafts: making
cards, pottery, repoussé technique in aluminium for work in wood or glass,
etc. She then shared her knowledge with the women and that is how the
handcrafts workshop which they named ‘Taller de la Asunción’ was formed.
At present they have a stand in the crafts Gallery in Paysandú and their
work has enabled some of them to get their homes linked up to the water
and electricity systems.
In response to an invitation by the diocese, María Mercedes, from 2000,
took part in the annual meetings of the Pastoral de
Fronteras along with priests, bishops, lay people and religious
from Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil and, more recently, Paraguay. The number
of participants in these meetings increased as we began to deal with vital
themes for the ‘triple frontier’ zone1, basically the theme of fresh water
and the attempts by rich countries to take control of this region around
the Iguazú Falls.
The speeches and discussions that followed enabled us to become more aware
of the importance of fresh water and of the underlying threat from
countries that are trying to take over this zone.
From the time of our arrival, Mirandolina responded to requests in the
health field: injections, checking blood pressures, visits to the sick.
Gradually she organised these visits with other women and so the network
broadened out; this helped us to connect up with families who had other
problems besides illness.
Today, Mirandolina forms part of the
S.O.C.A.F. (service for training and help to families)
along with some professionals: social psychologist, social worker,
presidents of the neighbour¬hood committees.
This group comes within the scope of the Social Action of the presidency
of the Nation and seeks to give a response to different problems families
have: unemployment, crisis of values, insecure housing, overcrowding,
alcoholism, family violence, attention to youth, teenage pregnancies,
educational drop-outs etc. It is within this framework that we now
accompany the group for help with schoolwork we had set up.
In February 2002 Liliana Salas and Gabriela Peña, a temporary-professed
sister, joined the community. .
Liliana joined in the liturgical animation through her
guitar and singing; this enabled her to bring together a group of women
and to form a choir to animate the celebrations. With a priest and some
couples she also participated in a study group on the problems families
have and how responses can be given at the present time.
Gabriela entered into relation with the young people of
the parish and a group for adolescents and young adults was formed in the
Capilla del Pilar. It was not easy because of the cultural differences,
but bonds of friendship were formed that have lasted over these years and
made it possible to carry out some joint activities: recreational
activities for the younger ones, study days, convivial gatherings,
meetings with young people from other Christian communities.
An important aim was to enter into contact with the family of each
adolescent and young person. This was slowly achieved and enabled us to
get a deeper knowledge of each one’s situation.
Another need that we saw was at the level of catechesis
and that is how we came to give support to the mothers who are catechists,
to the catechesis for young people and the preparation for baptism.
In 2004 Gabriela left Uruguay and joined the community of La Inmaculada
(Buenos Aires) to begin her studies to become a nursing aide. At the same
time Nelly Coronel arrived at Paysandú. For a few months, there were four
sisters in the community and then Liliana, at the request of the General
Council, left for Spain and later for the U.S.A. to prepare for her
mission in the Philippines.
Nelly gradually became acquainted with the reality, seeking to give her
contribution where it was necessary.
With
others, she followed a training course for ministry to
children as a form of preventive care and attention to child
malnutrition and pregnant women.
At the moment groups have been formed and visits to the families are
organised, giving accompaniment during the preg¬nancy and for any
complications that may occur and following up the children from birth to
six years so as to detect any cases of malnutrition in time.
The leaders meet every fortnight to evaluate the work and plan the steps
to be taken. They work in liaison with the schools, general hospitals and
with other professionals.
There is an effort to create more fraternal
human relations between the families; one of the occasions for this is the
celebration for the babies’ first birthday.
She also accompanies a group of 20 families who have built their
houses through a co-operative. The
neighbourhood, known as COVIMA 20, is close to our house and the families
are trying to overcome difficulties to finish the building of a community
centre that was begun a long time ago. The centre is meant to serve many
different purposes and that is why Nelly and some women have succeeded in
motivating some men and young people to continue the work.
María Mercedes’ accident and then her death ‘shook’ this little community,
but we are encouraged by the strength of the Spirit and, with the
enthusiasm that characterised Mercedes, we are trying to continue working
away ‘impassioned for the Reign’, dedicated to the
construction of a world where there is greater justice, solidarity and
peace, one in which new relations are possible.
Mirandolina and Nelly
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