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Santa Cruz, 20th July 2008
Today we have a really beautiful morning. The sky is a little bit clouded but the sun is breaking through the clouds and the temperature is reaching about 24°°C. Moreover, there is a light, refreshing breeze. Only on trees, bushes and lawns you can see "winter". We have the dry season now. The leaves wither, shrivel and change colour. Many trees loose their leaves for a short period of time but revive quickly after the first rains and delight us with their fresh green colour. Today it is very quiet here. Surprisingly, the night was quiet as well. I often have difficulties with falling asleep because of loud music, but today... the night was normal. Maybe because last week there were a few nights during which we could not sleep a wink. Last week there was an Our Lady of Mount Carmel celebration. She is the patron of La Paz. What do La Paz and Santa Cruz have in common? Actually nothing because we are 1000 km apart, high mountains separate us, people belong to different cultural groups and have different mentality etc. However, more and more people from the mountains settle in Santa Cruz and when the day of their feats comes, the day of fiesta, they celebrate it here as well. The Bolivians like having fun, protesting, blocking roads... but they often do not like working.
We sometimes celebrate as well when there is a special occasion... but in general we work... so that nobody doubts it!!! The occasions we celebrate are usually somebody's birthdays or jubilees, parish fairs but also somebody's rare visits. When visitors come... it is a big celebration for us. A celebration is also an opportunity to meet other people. Sometimes we are hundreds of kilometres apart and we are alone at our parishes. That is why we cherish the moments we are together as each of us needs it.
Not such a long time ago we thanked God for the 50th anniversary of priesthood of the bishop from the neighbouring Apostolic Vicariate from Camiri - Bp Leonard Bernachii. This Franciscan, born in the shadow of the Alwernia Mountain in Tuscany, has spent almost his whole pastoral life here in Bolivia. He was appointed a bishop of the missionary vicariate Camiri in 1994 but he has not parted from his Franciscan habit. Bishop Anthony and I went there to congratulate our honourable Franciscan fellow-brother.
We spent a nice Sunday in Camiri together with the bishop and some Italian fellow-brothers. In the evening the whole Camiri town gathered at the square in front of the cathedral to thank their bishop for his devotion and service for the missionary Church. Many guests came to the celebration. Our Cardinal Julio Terrazas from Santa Cruz was present as well. The same night we had to go back to Santa Cruz (300 km) because on the next day our Bishop had to go to Cochabamba for other meetings. Luckily, the road was good so we could go a little bit faster. Shortly before Santa Cruz I even overtook the Cardinal's car. And two days later I "got smacked" because I was faster than his driver... ha, ha, ha.
Another 50th anniversary, this time of birthday, was celebrated by our Fr Norbert (Martin) Brylka. It so happened that neither Bp Anthony nor I could congratulate him on the "Abraham" day because in our convent there was a meeting of missionary bishops from the vicariates and of the board of the Franciscan province. However, others went to Concepcion to congratulate our Norbuś and Br Mark saw to it that the birthday boy was duly honoured. There were our fellow-brothers, Sisters and our priests.
We wish our brother Norbert a lot of strengths, health and God's blessing in his further work here in Bolivia!
I am not writing so much at the moment because the time is passing so quickly. When I looked at the documents in my computer I noticed that the last time I had written was a few weeks earlier. But... nobody protests which means that everybody is busy as well. Now, during the holiday season people think about taking some rest, going somewhere maybe. And rightly so. I am thinking about it as well... but now it is only a dream.
In the time of the holiday season in Europe we have more visits from far away. Fr Juan Domingo, a diocesan priest from Toledo in Spain, has been here for two weeks. He has been coming here for a monthly holiday for almost 20 years. However, he does not rest here. He spends the time on helping us in the parishes. He gives conferences, especially in the Sisters' houses, helps financially in different eating places for children and poor people etc. This is his contribution to the missionary work of the Church. He usually lives in our convent because he feels good here.
Last week I welcomed here our fellow-brother, Fr Simeon Stachera. Simeon and I started our monastic life together 25 years ago when we did our one-year novitiate in Borki Wielkie. Later on, while I have been working in Bavaria, he has been working here in Bolivia for 10 years. He left Bolivia shortly before my arrival here and went to our oldest Franciscan mission - to Morocco. He has been working there for 6 years but he still belongs to the Bolivian province. That is why he frequently visits Bolivia. I had the opportunity to meet at least one fellow-brother with whom I started my Franciscan life 25 years ago. We went together to Concepcion to celebrate the outstanding birthday of Fr Norbert, but also to meet Bp Anthony. Both of them, Bp Anthony and Simeon, were working together in one community in Cochabamba for 6 years. It was a nice day. We were recollecting the good, old times and thinking of our homeland... of Borki, Gora sw Anny, Kłodzko and Wrocław. In the afternoon we went to a dam in Concepcion to admire the nature, pray and be together.
Our way back from Concepcion lasted 12 hours. It was not because of the horrible road full of holes and bumps. We simply visited other missionaries. Everybody is always pleased with having guests so it was difficult to pass over the parishes we were going through. We met Fr Kazimierz in La Asunta... but also Sisters kneeling in front of the exposed Blessed Sacrament. We met Fr Staś in El Fortin. There, in the St. Clara church we had the opportunity to celebrate the Holy Mass and recall the late Fr Gregory Rudall, a missionary who was working there. His tragic death by wild bees' bites made him become unforgettable in our memory.
Simeon has already arrived to Cochabamba. I will meet him again before his departure at the beginning of August. We are waiting impatiently for the next guests from Europe - our fellow-brothers, benefactors and friends. "My" Archbishop from Bamberg will come at the end of August. August will be a month in which... I will have difficulties in writing letters.
Bolivia is still at variance. Politicians argue about the power in the country which is divided and set at variance. People start losing hope. In reality the poorest suffer. Cocaine production increases. The producers grow rich. They are usually people from the ruling party. The prices increase as well. The US dollar which is the second currency in Bolivia decreases. Many private institutions collapse or become the state's property. The economic situation is not good as well.
Enough of politics for today. I wish you good holidays, rest and summer.
With best regards
Tarcisio, OFM
At the lagoon in Concepcion - © Tarsycjusz Lamik OFM
At the bay in Concepcion 2008 - © Tarsycjusz Lamik OFM
An orchid in Concepcion - 17.07.08 - © Tarsycjusz Lamik OFM
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