THE GOOD
NEWS
ARCHBISHOP BELTRAN
| JOBS BOX |
| OKLAHOMA CITY ARCHDIOCESE |
| CONTACT US |
| from November 6, 2005 Living
Wage Debate Welcomed at OKC Parish Devastation
in Guatemala By Ray Dyer OKLAHOMA CITY — Father Thomas McSherry, the Oklahoma priest who ministered to the people of Guatemala for 17 years following the assassination of Father Stanley Rother, said the devastation caused by mudslides there in early October is heartbreaking. Archbishop Beltran and Father McSherry traveled to the hard hit area of Santiago Atitlan days after Hurricane Stan caused massive rivers of earth to slide down the sides of nearby mountains, burying everything that stood in the way. Entire villages were covered by the mud. The death toll in and around Santiago Atitlan is said to be well over 1,000. Thousands more were left homeless and many children were orphaned by the storm. Returning to Oklahoma with Archbishop Beltran and Father McSherry was Juana Ixbalan, the administrator of the Catholic mission at Santiago Atitlan. The mission was created there more than 40 years ago by the Catholic Church in Oklahoma. The ties between Oklahoma Catholics and the Guatemalan people were solidified by the July 28, 1981 assassination of Father Rother, the native Oklahoman considered a martyr for his courage in the face of government-sponsored persecution of the impoverished people of Santiago Atitlan. The recent mudslide claimed Juana's oldest sister and her husband, as well as the couple's three-year-old daughter. Father McSherry said over the years the people of Guatemala have experienced much suffering, but nothing could have prepared them for the mudslides. "The people know violence and they know earthquakes," Father McSherry said, referring to the long and bitter civil war of the 1970s and 80s. He recalled how frequent earthquakes shook the area while he was in Guatemala. "But they have never had anything like this. It's devastating," said the now pastor at Saint Patrick's Church in Oklahoma City. With Father McSherry translating and with Archbishop Beltran seated next to her, Juana met with a small group of reporters at the Catholic Pastoral Center less than 24 hours after arriving in Oklahoma City. She estimated as many as 600 families were lost in the mudslide and said an average family in Guatemala numbers about five. Juana said thousands more are homeless and living in shelters provided by Catholic and protestant churches. Guatemalan homes are constructed primarily of cane poles with a tin or metal roof. A large home would measure 28x14, Father McSherry said. These homes had no chance of withstanding the mudslides. Some neighborhoods were buried under as much as 20 feet of mud. Juana said survivors would like to pull their loved ones from beneath the mud and give them proper burials, but that may not be possible. She said it is hoped that the areas covered by the mud will be declared "sacred places." Juana said mental health workers will be needed to help many people overcome the pain and fear caused by the deadly mudslides. Upon learning of the disaster, Archbishop Beltran immediately sent $32,000 to the Santiago Atitlan mission. In recent weeks, parishes across the Archdiocese have taken up special collections to help the survivors of the mudslides. Juana said the support is greatly
appreciated. She was scheduled to spend about 10 days
in Oklahoma, speaking at parishes across the Archdiocese,
before returning to Guatemala. How to Help If you'd like to help the people of
Guatemala send checks to:
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