A Journey of Love
Catholic Pilgrims Travel to Guatemala to Share in the Celebration of the Life and Death of Father Stanley Rother   

By Eileen Dugan                                                                                                                    
The Sooner Catholic

OKLAHOMA CITY — Twenty-two people accompanied Archbishop Eusebius Beltran to Guatemala July 22-29 on a pilgrimage to memorialize the life and death of Father Stanley Rother.

They had different reason for going. Some of them shared why they went and what they saw and felt on the journey. “I went because I wanted to experience being there because of Father Rother, to be where he worked and lived. I wanted to see the church, the surroundings, and the people,” said Ana Romero, who works in the Hispanic Office at the Pastoral Center.  

“What struck me most was the humility of the people and that they live in such poverty; it made me realize how good we have it in the U.S.”

Romero said the experience gave her a new outlook. “My visit has changed the way I look at things. I realized that we waste a lot of things here in the U.S. In Guatemala, they work very hard, but they barely have anything.

“A lot of people there attend Mass. Their spirituality shocked me. Some people practically live in church. They pray a lot. They arrive early for Mass while we often arrive late or just stay one hour. They like being in church. It’s like their home away from home.

“The other thing that struck me was that the country of Guatemala is just breathtaking! Everything is green because it rains so much. The mountains, the volcanoes, the lake are all very beautiful,” Romero said.

Mary Ellen Thomas, a potter from Chickasha, went to Guatemala “to learn. I went to observe the conditions in a third-world country. What struck me most were the vast differences in living conditions within Guatemala. For many, the living conditions were appallingly poor, and yet at church services, the congregation was very respectful of every human being.

“The people were all tranquil, clean, and happy. If they looked at you, they smiled. There was contentment and peace. The beauty of the family was evident,” she said. “It made my heart glow.

“But I felt extremely sad to see so much poverty. Near where the mudslides hit last year, it was appalling to see a little fenced-in area with a house with a dirt floor, a couple of geese walking around, and a little kid with a dog. The conditions were just subhuman! Surprisingly, the people are just glad to be alive. “In Guatemala, because of the extreme poverty, there is no way for someone to get ahead. Their biggest problem is a lack of education. Before going there, I read that 68-69 percent of the population is illiterate. You really can’t get ahead if you can’t read and write.

“I had a lot to think about on my trip home. The visit has really changed me! In the future, I’m going to direct the monies I contribute to charity toward those in poverty in Guatemala,” Thomas said.

Robert J. LaFortune, the former mayor of Tulsa, also went to Guatemala. “I went on the pilgrimage because I have an interest in what happened to Father Rother and the Indians at Santiago Atitlan,” said LaFortune. For him, this was the third trip to Guatemala.

“It was a marvelous experience to see the outpouring of love and affection for both Father Rother and Father McSherry. It was touching how all the little kids remembered Father McSherry and gathered around him,” La Fortune said.

 Father McSherry took over as priest in Santiago Atitlan after Father Rother’s death, serving there from 1984-2001. He now serves as pastor at Saint Patrick Church in Oklahoma City and made the pilgrimage to Guatemala.

La Fortune said he “was struck by the intense religious fervor of the people of the mission. We attended Father Rother’s Memorial Mass. The large church was so crowded, you couldn’t move around. It was a very impressive demonstration of their affection for Father Rother.”

At the mission, “the people have made a chapel in the room where Father Rother was assassinated. There are two little benches where you can pray or think, or meditate. I came there 10 years ago and revisited it again, this time. It makes you think how traumatic the end of Father Rother’s life was; they broke down the door and attacked him. Father Rother’s death was an example of the military oppression in Guatemala at that time,” La Fortune said.

The former mayor of Tulsa said the journey brings home how important faith is in our lives.

“Our pilgrimage experience gave us a deeper appreciation of our own Catholic faith and showed us that the Catholic faith of the people at the mission is a very living thing in their lives,” La Fortune said.

Father Stephen Bird, director of the Office of Worship and Spiritual Life for the archdiocese, went to Guatemala “to remember the love Father Rother had for the people of Guatemala and the sacrifice he made in shedding his blood. Father Rother is a great witness to all of us. “This was my fifth trip to Guatemala,” Father Bird said. “Once again, I was struck by the physical beauty of the country: Lake Atitlan, the mountains, trees, flowers, and the lush vegetation. In Santiago Atitlan, I was surprised and pleased to see the very large banner with Father Rother’s photo hanging on the wall over the shrine where Father Rother’s heart is buried.

 “It’s comforting to know that the violence has ended. The local people seem to have a more joyful attitude than in years past. But it was sad to see the area where many people were killed by the mudslides [in 2005].

“As I walked around the town of Santiago Atitlan, local people saw the photo of Father Rother on my nametag and said, ‘Padre Francisco!’ They certainly know about him [Father Rother] and remember him. I gave away the few Father Rother prayer cards I was carrying.”