Dominican seminarians with Hatian seminarians

As a result of the dialogue, the two dioceses have committed themselves to work together in four specific ways: (1) health programs for the prevention of AIDS, malaria and dengue; (2) loans to poor people who would not ordinarily be considered good credit risks, enabling them to start small businesses; (3) theological education that gives leaders of the two churches greater awareness of the common problems faced by the two peoples of Hispaniola, and of the need to work together in solving them; and (4) calling on their respective governments for greater investment in health care and education. Now we’ll see if we can walk the walk, as well as talk the talk.

Before we began to follow in the steps of Jesus’ passion during Holy Week, another passion unfolded before our eyes. Miguel Angel Sánchez (1961-2008) was a homeless man who used to beg on the sidewalk in front of Epiphany. While giving him food and talking to him, Michael discovered that he was a former addict who had managed to keep clean, but in the meantime had lost his job because of a head injury. He desperately wanted to work, but couldn’t hold a regular job and feared that he would go back to drugs. Since the sidewalk was often strewn with garbage, and churchgoers had complained about it, Michael offered to pay Miguel a small amount for having the sidewalk clean on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings, when there are services. For a while this seemed to just barely provide the support Miguel needed to stay afloat. He still lived on the streets but managed to acquire several sets of clothes, and keep himself clean and fed. He started coming to church on Sunday mornings.

But then he took a turn for the worse. He was robbed of his backpack and all his possessions, and his health deteriorated to such an extent that he could no longer even clean the sidewalk. He asked to be taken to the hospital, but when we got there he didn’t want to take any of the tests they provided. At each turn, we had to talk him into it. He was finally diagnosed as having tuberculosis, and was offered treatment on an outpatient basis—which he refused as he ran off. We thought we might never see him again, but a week later he showed up on the sidewalk, looking terrible. It was heartbreaking to watch him go down, but we didn’t know what we could do besides keep him fed. Saturday morning, the day before Palm Sunday, he was found dead on the sidewalk. We went with his body to the morgue and waited while they did all the paperwork and contacted a funeral home. Palm Sunday afternoon we accompanied the body to the cemetery and buried him. In the meantime, it had been discovered that he had family in the US, and a brother managed to make it here in time for the funeral. He told us that Miguel had once been a master mechanic in the US, and that he had a son and a daughter both serving in Iraq. We have since found out that if tuberculosis isn’t detected until such a late stage, there’s not much that can be done. But this doesn’t make it any less tragic. All during Holy Week, whenever the hymns and readings conjured up the image of Jesus on the cross, the image of Miguel lying dead on the sidewalk also came to mind.

The morgue where Miguel's body was received Hillside at Cementerio Cristo Redentor, where simple graves are dug Bringing the coffin to the newly dug grave Ashes to ashes, dust to dust Miguel's headstone As he died virtually friendless, we were visited by our dear friends from Austin, Merry Wheaton and Dick LeVan. In addition to showing them around Santo Domingo, we took a couple of days to go up to Las Galeras on the Atlantic coast, and to go whale watching in Samaná Bay. Highlights of this trip were seeing three of these impressive creatures and having the tropical paradise of Playa Rincón all to ourselves one afternoon. Baby humpback whale rising to breathe with mother whale just below the surface Merry and Dick with us on the whale-watch boat in Samaná Bay We had Playa Rincón all to ourselves As far as the church community is concerned, Holy Week and Easter here are very much like they are in the US. Our services of Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Eve, and Easter Sunday would seem very familiar to a North American from the same liturgical tradition. Outside the church community, however, things are very different. As Holy Week progresses, more and more businesses close. From Good Friday until Easter Monday, nearly everything is shut down, and the streets are virtually deserted. The only centers of activity are the churches. Many households are also quiet because most people have headed for the beaches, using these holidays as one of their main opportunities for a vacation. Drunk driving accidents are considered a symptom of how Semana Santa is commonly observed. This year there were 40 deaths. Padre Napoleón leads the singing in procession Palms were handed out to spectators along the route of the procession The Epiphany Palm Sunday procession heads out around the block Back at the entrance to the church, getting ready to go in The procession goes from Mau's central plaza to Santa María Llena de Gracias Secular vestments were also worn on Palm Sunday On the last Saturday in March we went to Mao for the dedication of a new church for the congregation of Santa Maria Llena de Gracia. When we first arrived in the Dominican Republic, this was one of the places we visited. At that point back in August, the building was under construction, and the congregation was worshiping in a covered shed. It was wonderful to see their church finally completed, and to be with them as they joyfully took their place in it. This congregation has grown rapidly and has a contagious spirit of enthusiasm. It offers a model of how the Episcopal Church can continue to grow here. We look forward to a continuing relationship with them, so that we at the seminary can learn from them how to prepare men and women to establish and lead such congregations. The rapidly growing church in Mau has a large contingent of acolytes The procession reaches the entrance to the church Madonna and child adorning a wall in the newly built church Santa María Llena de Gracia as represented on the home made altar cloth   The congregation crams into the church Bishop Holguín blesses the font