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2006
Lenten Project
CYSS has chosen as this year’s Lenten Project to focus on a mission located in
Cuernavaca
,
Mexico
. One of our Tiffin Franciscan sisters, Sr. Margaret Slowick, is currently living and ministering to the people of this impoverished region of our world. Some may recall Sr. Margaret from our office where she worked as Director of Campus Ministry.
All school donations collected should be sent to:
CYSS-2006 Lenten Project
P.O. Box
985
Toledo
,
OH
43697-0985
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Checks should be made out to: CYSS
Please send checks by Friday, April 21, 2006
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The following is a letter from Sr. Margaret describing the mission:
Mission
in
Cuernavaca
,
Mexico
“Whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40
Cuernavaca
is a city in the central part of
Mexico
, 50 miles south of
Mexico City
. It is approximately the same size as
Toledo
,
Ohio
. Although
Cuernavaca
is not near any of the famous beaches in
Mexico
, such as
Acapulco
or Cancún, its altitude of 5000 feet gives it a comfortable climate all year round. For this reason it is known as the “city of eternal spring.” The weather makes outdoor markets possible throughout the year. Here the people sell fruits and vegetables, crafts, and everything else from can openers to DVD’s (see photo). Many tourists visit
Cuernavaca
because of its beautiful climate in every season of the year.
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But most tourists are not aware of the widespread poverty that exists in
Cuernavaca
. There are many very poor areas in the city. A family might live in a two room shack with no windows, with only a curtain for a door. They might not have running water or indoor bathrooms. A child might be selling crafts on the street to help the family survive. Another child might be at a traffic intersection, washing windshields while the cars are stopped at the light. A five-year-old might be seen selling gum on the street. Some of these children do not go to school, because their families need the income the children earn. Or they cannot afford the shoes, uniforms, and school supplies that are required.
Poverty is a part of life outside the city as well. For example, the municipal garbage dump is just a few miles outside of
Cuernavaca
. Approximately one hundred families live on the edge of the dump. Each day, when the garbage trucks come in to drop off their contents, these people—men, women, and children—follow the trucks and sift through the garbage looking for items that they might be able to sell. There is not that much to choose from, since the garbage truck drivers have already gone through the garbage themselves for the same reason.
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Mexico
as a whole is a very poor country, as you can see from the following statistics:
- According to World Bank figures from 2003, over half (51.7%) the Mexican people live in poverty.
- About one in five Mexicans (20.3%) live on less than a dollar a day.
- 15% of the children do not attend school.
- Schools beyond the sixth grade are almost non-existent in rural areas.
- The average annual wage in
Mexico
is $459. And yet the cost of living is not that different from the
U.S.
The cost of food and clothing, for example, is comparable to the cost in the
U.S.
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Mexico
is one of the most Catholic countries in the world. Approximately 95% of the population is Catholic. This summer I had the privilege of attending the baptism of one little child in a simple outdoor ceremony (see photo). Their faith is enriched by many beautiful celebrations, such as the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12. On this date in 1531, the Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego and left her image imprinted on his ayate, or cloak woven from cactus fibers. This cloak, with its beautiful image of the Virgin Mary, still exists today, and is on display at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in
Mexico City
. The basilica is the most visited Marian shrine in the world, with an estimated fifteen million visitors each year. (In comparison, the shrines at
Lourdes
and
Fatima
average five million visitors per year.) On December 12, Mexican boys dress up as Juan Diego, and the girls dress up in indigenous costume as well. Statues of Our Lady of Guadalupe in local churches are inundated with bouquets of roses.
This past spring, my congregation, the Sisters of St. Francis of
Tiffin
, gave me permission to live in
Cuernavaca
and begin to develop a ministry there. I have lived in
Cuernavaca
since the end of June with my cat, Florecita. Someone abandoned her on the street in front of my house, so I concluded that God wanted me to have a little creature to keep me company!
I have begun my ministry here by working with an organization called VAMOS. (“Vamos” means “let’s get going” in Spanish.) VAMOS was founded in 1987 by a small group of Americans who were visiting
Cuernavaca
and were so appalled by the poverty that they decided to do something about it. They work on the premise that it is best to empower people to help themselves rather than simply to give handouts. In the past 19 years it has grown from a single project—helping street children get an education—to a total of 82 projects. These include providing healthy meals and vitamins for the children, tutoring, supporting the elderly, helping to create small businesses, and providing medical care. At one of the VAMOS centers this fall, I distributed backpacks that the youth of the Toledo Diocese had donated. I am currently working with children in some of the poor areas of the city.
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Your donations will go to help these people and most of it will go directly to the people or to programs in VAMOS that directly help the people. I will personally visit the recipients and the programs that receive the donations.
For those who are interested, I should be able to arrange for an exchange of letters between your students and some of the students here. For instance, your class and a Cuernavacan student from the same grade could exchange letters. If you are interested in this, contact me and we will work out the details. (Remember that Spanish is the native language for most of the children here.)
God bless you for being interested in the people of
Mexico
, who are struggling to make a better life for themselves and especially for their children.
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