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Missionaries of the Holy Family Missions in Mexico The story of our missions in Mexico began in the fall of 1959 when Father Charles Zeyen, M.S.F. first went to Mexico. Soon after his arrival in Saltillo he began working with the poor people in the barrio of Landin. In the space of four years, and with the help of benefactors in the United States, Padre Carlos changed the scene in Landin. The chapel of La Santa Cruz de las Cuevas was enlarged and renovated; a civic center was built where people could recreate, shower, do their washing and ironing, and receive medical attention, and where classes could be given. Religious societies were organized as well as an athletic club for the boys and young men. A credit union was started, which quickly grew to 123 members. Padre Carlos also helped the men find work by forming them into a loosely knit construction company. He went out himself into various parts of the city looking for jobs for them. His work in Landin did not go unnoticed. Even the civil authorities soon realized how crime had diminished and murders had ceased in the formerly unruly neighborhood. On February 4, 1965 the Very Rev. Henry Bliestle, M.S.F., superior general, gave his permission to accept the Mexican mission as outlined in a contract between the Most Rev. Luis Guizar Barragán, Bishop of Saltillo, Coahuila and the Very Rev. Henry Romer, M.S.F., provincial of the North American Province. However, this event was preceded by almost a year of deliberation, investigation, and consultation on the part of Father Romer. He met several times with the bishop and traveled to Mexico City for a conference with the Apostolic Nuncio. Even before the terms of the contract were defined, Father Romer assigned Padre Carlos to the parish of Sierra Mojada (Nuestra Señora del Refugio). Padre Carlos took up residence at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Esmeralda and began working at once on a suitable rectory. Esmeralda is about 200 miles northwest of Saltillo near the border of the State of Chihuahua. The initial work of Padre Carlos which began in 1959 laid the foundation for over four decades of missionary service in Mexico which ended in 2000. The Missionaries of the Holy Family who served in Mexico are: Rev. Charles Zeyen, M.S.F. Rev. Stephen Devine, M.S.F. Rev. Arthur Riggs, M.S.F. Rev. Richard Oberstar, M.S.F. Rev. Zachary John Flanagan Rev. James Lienert, M.S.F. Bro. Theodore Garcia, M.S.F. Rev. August Otto, M.S.F. Rev. Alfonso Coenders. M.S.F. Rev. Robert O'Hara, M.S.F. Bro. Jude Treviño, M.S.F. Rev. John Kilburg, M.S.F. Much was accomplished by the Missionaries of the Holy Family who worked in the missions. At the beginning many hardships befell the missionaries who built from nothing not only beautiful and functional structure but also helped build up the Church. A great sense of gratitude is given to them for their sacrifices and perseverance.
Vignettes of Mexican Missions
The
following is a general profile of our mission territory. It should
be noted that I am not one devoted to statistics and precise numbers.
These facts, figures and history are only meant to acquaint you to
the area and to provide you with a sense of the area. The inspirational
experiences with the people of the area and their deep faith will
be the subject of future vignettes.
Ocampo is the largest county in all of Mexico. These three counties are located in the northwestern area of the State of Coahuila. The area is roughly 175 miles wide and 200 miles long. All this area is semi arid, sparsely populated, and similar to the borderlands of the Southwest. Until more recently, there were only about 75 miles of paved road in the entire area, and this on the eastern edge. All the rest of the roads were made by simply “driving that way”. Before the Missionaries of the Holy Family arrived in 1967 there was only a priest in Cuantro Cienegas, which is on the far eastern edge of this three county area. While he frequently visited the larger communities to the west it was at special times, such as Christmas and Easter that a priest from the Diocese would be in the smaller communities of Ocampo, and La Esmeralda. In general, the faithful in this large area were provided with only the most basic spiritual services, and in the more remote areas, not even that. This is because the area was remote and inaccessible, and secondly, the people were mostly too poor to support a priest. It was for these reasons that the Bishop of the Diocese of Saltillo granted this territory to the Missionaries of the Holy Family. My area of work was on the far western side, the most remote part of the territory. This is the parish of Our Lady of Refuge. It is roughly seventy-five miles wide and two hundred miles long. The church of Our Lady of Refuge, is located in Sierra Mojada, while I made my residence in La Esmeralda, which is only a couple miles away and where most of the people now live. The reason for the church being in Sierra Mojada dates back to when the area was a vibrant mining community. In the year 1879 rich silver ore was discovered at Sierra Mojada, where the first mines were located and a town quickly grew. Sierra Mojada became the largest town and the official seat of the district, or country so the church was built there. The ore and the mines at Sierra Mojada were closer to the surface so mining was easier. During the days of the bonanza, Sierra Mojada continued to prosper, but later more abundant ore was found in deeper mines at La Esmeralda and Sierra Mojada slowly declined. Today most of the minor’s adobe houses are heaps of dirt. Only some of the better-built homes of the wealthy are still standing and are in only fair repair. Many of the man-made caves where miners used to live are still inhabited. It is said that at one time the town had a population of twenty-three thousand (Most consider that an exaggeration.), and now only about seven hundred people live in Sierra Mojada.
La Esmeralda is now a town of about fifteen hundred. When the large mining companies closed the mines in La Esmeralda in the thirties, the miners formed a cooperative, rented the mines, and continued mining on a reduced scale. Later, by law, the ownership of the mines passed to the Cooperative. By this time all the silver and lead ores had been depleted, and now only zinc was being mined, and it was a marginal grade of ore. Around 1992 the smelters refused to accept the marginal ore, and so the mines closed completely. Later the Cooperative sold the mines to a company based in Seattle, and it is almost certain that the mines will reopen of a large scale, and the ore will be processed right at the mines. So now you have a bit of the geography and the history of the area. In the next of these vignettes I will share with you about the most fabulous natural resource in the area – the people and their faith! Until
next time,
Rev. James Lienert, M.S.F. has written extensively about his work in Mexico - over 30 vignettes. His writings genuinely convey the work and spirit of a missionary priest. You can enjoy reading all of Padre Jaime's Vignettes on line at our page for Padre Jaime Vignettes
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It
is best for the author to introduce himself right from the start.
My name is Rev. James Lienert, Missionary of the Holy Family (MSF).
I worked in our Mexican mission territory for 33 years from 1967 to
2000. During these years I was the pastor, and sole priest, in the
parish of Our Lady of Refuge located (blue star on the map) in the
state of Coahuila, Mexico. In the year 2000 I turned seventy-five,
at which age it is obligatory to present a letter of resignation.
It is true that the letter of resignation would have been put on hold
had I been willing to continue, but I realized that I was no longer
able to adequately take care of the needs of the faithful, and that
it would be for the good of the people to have a younger and more
up-to-date priest serve the people of the parish.
©
2003 All Rights Reserved. Please do not duplicate or redistribute in any form without the expressed written consent of the Missionaries of the Holy Family. |