José Abreu, Sacristán Extraordinario	Boshop Holguín addresses the Diocesan Convention	Michael and April between sessions at the Diocesan Convention

In the life of the church here, the highlight of the month was the annual diocesan convention, February 8-10, hosted by San Esteban in San Pedro de Macorís. In addition to the delegates from every mission, many church members who were not delegates also attended the three-day affair, particularly the festive closing service. On that occasion two deacons were ordained as priests, and a former Roman Catholic priest was received. Bishop Holguín’s address emphasized the need for the Dominican church to deepen its institutional roots as it continues to extend its missionary outreach. To this end, he challenged the congregations to develop evangelistic and educational strategies with specific goals for growth. We are curious to see how the leaders and people of the various congregations will respond. In the wake of the convention, there was a meeting of the Dominican Development Group (see their link) which brought here old and new friends from Texas—David Morrow, Hugh Majors, and Josie Rose. It was great to see them.

Procession gets underway at the closing service of the Diocesan Convention	Diocesan Convention - Ordination of Vicente Peña and Bienvenido López to the priesthood	Josie-Rose,-visitor-from-Midland,-Texas

Padres de la Patria - Francisco del Rosario Sánchez, Juan Pablo Duarte, and Matías Ramón Mella

After the convention April made a ten-day visit to see her parents in Claremont, California. When we first told them that we were going to the DR, it seemed to them that we were dropping off the edge of the world. So April promised to visit twice a year—we’ll be back to see them for the second visit in July. The fact that our original visas have expired without our yet getting our residency posed a potential complication for her exit and re-entry. Luckily one of the clergy, Vicente Peña, was a former government official and seems to know everyone in whatever branch of the bureaucracy. The Diocese has appointed him to be the liaison in all interactions with the government, and he’s been shepherding our residency applications through the proper channels. The day before the convention, in the midst of preparations for his ordination, he drove all the way from La Romana to Santo Domingo and back, two hours each way, just to make sure that April had everything in order with Immigration. That’s how nice folks are here.

The flag flies over El Conde and from a window of every home on 27 de Febrero

After the convention the second semester at the Centro de Estudios Teológicos (CET) also began. Michael is teaching a course in Old Testament theology, which is one of the second-year requirements in the three-year theology program. Both of us are continuing our work in the library, making a push to complete it by the end of this academic year. We have nearly finished classifying all the uncatalogued books in Spanish, and are now beginning to work on filing them in the catalogue and some new acquisitions. April is gradually learning what is entailed in her new role at the diocesan office, helping to coordinate the visits of mission groups from abroad. She also has a continuing tie with the pre-school, Ovejitas de la Epifanía, drawing posters and worksheets for the children.

February is a time for celebration here. Independence Day is February 27—which marks independence from Haiti, not Spain. The Spaniards left more or less voluntarily, at which point the newly independent and much stronger Haiti tried to extend its control over the whole island. Led by Juan Pablo Duarte, the Dominican Republic effectively resisted in 1844. In the morning there were wreaths laid at the Puerto del Conde, where Duarte entered Santo Domingo in triumph, as well as a big military parade in the afternoon. February is also Carnaval time. Instead of just one big bash before Lent begins, here they keep celebrating on the Sundays in Lent. Santiago and La Vega are famous for their extravagant parties and parades, but it’s a pretty big deal in Santo Domingo, too.

Carnaval Scene - Diablos Azules
Carnaval Scene - Los Lechoneros	Bird´s eye view of the Carnaval parade
Carnaval Scene - El Rey de la Luz
Carnaval Scene - Salvajes de la Selva	Penitentes reenact the passion of Christ

Father Jean Monique Bruno receives a retirement gift from Bishop Holguín	Bishop Holgu in commissions Michael and Dean Brito as Interim Associate Vicars of the Chuch of the Epiphany to be assisted by Deacon Bob Snow

February also marked a transition that is important for us. Jean Monique Bruno, the pastor of the Church of the Epiphany, retired at the end of the month. The congregation had a big celebration in his honor on Sunday the 24th, and we had the whole Bruno family—including various relatives from Haiti—to our place for dinner the night before. Bishop Holguín appointed Michael and Napoleón Brito, the Dean of CET, as interim associate vicars. Michael will focus on work with the English-speaking congregation and Dean Brito will focus on work with the Spanish-speaking congregation. It’s a big shift from assisting to being partly in charge, and we are discovering the implications as we go. The main challenge for Epiphany is twofold. It needs to renew its mission in continuity with its tradition but in new directions, and to do this in a way that enables the English- and Spanish-speaking groups to better complement one another. The coming months will be focusing on this. The present leadership arrangement will continue at least until June, but it could take months longer to find a new pastor for our church.