Lent is an ideal time to carry out our usual missions and help our faithful on their journey of conversion. This mission was carried out by Mother Luisa and Mother Joaquina. We were going to visit small villages in our parish of Andamarca and the places chosen were Valle Paurán and Pumabamba. Our auxiliary bishop of the diocese of Huancayo – Luis Alberto Huamán Camayo – would visit the place for the first time, as would Mother Joaquina.
Surprisingly, the police and all the local authorities had organised a solemn welcome. The whole village was waiting and had even organised a reception lunch, but as they are so poor they could only offer us “papita sancochada y queso”, typical food of our Peruvian highlands.
In the villages we visited we did our catechesis, prayed the rosary and the Stations of the Cross, and prepared the people for Holy Mass and confessions. Bishop Luis Alberto was very happy with the preparation of our faithful.
It was a Holy Thursday. It was time for Holy Mass and Monsignor began his sermon. “For me every Holy Thursday is such a great gift that I do not deserve it. And I tell you why. Someone was pregnant. She felt unwell, she went to the doctor and he said – You are five months pregnant, but you must abort it because otherwise you will lose your life. Choose to save your life and take care of your husband and small children or the child to be born. She chose to save her baby’s life and she died. Do you know who that child was? -she asked the people, “That child was me, she died so that I could live. That is why every Holy Thursday I thank my mother that I am a priest, even if my brothers blame me for her death. The people were very moved, as were we, and we thanked Monsignor for his testimony.
We returned to the headquarters where he celebrated Easter Sunday. At the end of our mission, he thanked us for our witness as Missionaries of Jesus, Word and Victim. Many things I have learned from you in this mission,” she said, “the first is how you learn the names of each one of your faithful, and secondly, to see the simplicity with which people approach you. This filled us with joy, and although we do not seek honours and greatness, we see our missionary work rewarded even when we work in the remote and dangerous area of the Vraem. Thank you Mons. Luis Alberto for visiting us and giving us a great testimony of simplicity and humility.
