The MMM newsletter Mekong is published every month and sent out by e-mail and regular mail to interested people around the world. It highlights the people and the programs of the MMM (the Maryknoll Mekong Missions). Jim Campion in Thailand is editor of Mekong.
Newsletter of the Maryknoll Fathers & Brothers, Maryknoll Sisters, Maryknoll Mission Association of the Faithful, Maryknoll Affiliates & others collaborating in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
Maryknoll sister MARY LITTLE, from Stratford, Connecticut, an educator and previously a member of the Korea region, is the newest member of MMM in Cambodia. She arrived in September from Seoul to join the Maryknoll sisters in Phnom Penh. Welcome to MMM!
Eighteen adults and four children are participating in the August-December 2000 MMAF Orientation Program at Bethany, Maryknoll, NY. The Leadership team has assigned the candidates as follows:
AFRICA: Kenya: Russell Brine, Coralis Salvador; Tanzania: Michael Farabaugh;
ASIA: THAILAND: Karen Hill, Kelly O'Brien and Tawney Thanh & Hiep Vu;
LATIN AMERICA: CENTRAL AMERICA: El Salvador: Shirlee Sullivan; MEXICO: Katharine and Philip Dahl-Bredine; SOUTH AMERICA: Bolivia: Barbara & Ronald Wick; Brazil: Joanne Blaney; Peru: Patricia Hannon, Sharon Kerrigan; Venezuela: Ken Rippetoe, Diane & Tobias Spanier & their daughters Rebecca Judith, Kayla Joan, Anna Marie & Maria Rose.
Shared sessions with five Maryknoll seminarians, a brother candidate and an associate sister will enrich the program. The sending ceremony will be Dec. 9. If any of you are near Maryknoll during the program, please stop and visit the candidates. They enjoy meeting other missioners.
(MIKE BASSANO made his first visit to Myitkyina in northern Burma in July with JOHN BEECHING and JIM MULQUEEN to teach tribal seminarians. He returned to Thailand in August to do pastoral work with Akha hill tribes in Mae Saey, northern Thailand, and to join the Doerner family in mission in Chiangmai)
I went to Myitkyina to teach seminarians and catechists liturgical music for three weeks with JOHN BEECHING and JIM MULQUEEN who taught English. We taught five hours a day and late in the afternoon would go into the city center to eat dinner.
--- It was there that I met Sansan begging in the street for money. She had a beautiful expressive smiling face and it was hard to resist giving her something. I would usually buy her cookies or cakes from the pastry shop. She would always smile back and then offer me a cookie as well.
She represents the migrant and misplaced people of Burma who live in poverty and sometimes have nowhere to go because there are no opportunities for work in this economically underdeveloped country.
--- His name is Stephan Gee Aung, a 16-year-old boy studying to be a priest. He comes from a Jinpaw hill tribe tradition and both of his parents died when he was young due to malaria. He came to the seminary hoping to better his life through educating himself to be a priest.
Since his remaining relations are poor and cannot provide enough nourishing food, Stephan is prone to illness. He recently contracted tuberculosis and is under treatment at a nearby clinic for six months.
When I went to say goodbye to him as we were leaving to go back to Thailand he was very sad and said how difficult it was for him to see us go. I told him we would not forget him and would return to see him again.
--- Soso is a trickshaw (three-wheeled bicycle) driver who showed me around the big city of Mandalay in central Burma. A wiry, thin fellow with an infectious smile who rode the trickshaw daily to provide food and basic necessities for his wife and three children, he wanted to learn English but did not have the opportunity to continue his studies because he was too poor and had to provide for his family now. He said he would remember me always and I told him the same.
These are faces of Burma that shaped my experience and memories in this land of special people.
BILLY and KATHLEEN DOERNER have begun assisting young hill tribe job-seekers and refugees at the new Hospitality House started by DAN BOYD in Chiangmai, Thailand's second-largest city.
DAN BOYD and Fr. Niphot Thianvian of the Catholic Council of Thailand for Development, also vicar general of Chiangmai diocese, participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony in August.
BILLY DOERNER will oversee the center and KATHLEEN DOERNER will research area women's and children's needs. SARAH and ROSEMARY are back in school.
The four-story complex will assist hill tribes and refugees coming to the city, providing temporary housing and orientation for young workers similar to that offered at the Welcome House Dan runs in Bangkok.
More than 20 Maryknoll Missioners are expected to attend an Interfaith Dialogue Workshop Nov. 16-25 directed by Indian theologian Sebastian Painadath at Saseesksha, an inter-religious ashram the Indian Jesuit priest directs in Kalady, in Kerala, India.
The Maryknoll Fathers & Brothers plan to open their 2002 Society Chapter in Thailand, according to superior general RAY FINCH. The 1996 chapter was held in Hong Kong, the first away from Maryknoll, N.Y., since the first chapter was held in Hong Kong in 1936.
The 2002 chapter will have two sessions: the first, in Thailand, will present the issues; the second, at Maryknoll, will produce decisions.
The MMAF Mission Service Department at Maryknoll has welcomed ELLEN COWHEY MMAF (Thailand 1994-2000) to the staff as alumni coordinator. Ellen brings a world of experience and enthusiasm to this new position which will be linked also to the promotions department. Her role will be to develop an active alumni association through outreach to our growing number of MMAF alumni throughout the USA (and abroad).
This is an ideal time to begin as 2000 marks the 25th anniversary of our first MMAF (known as the Maryknoll Lay Mission Program before the association of the faithful was established in 1994) sending ceremonies (January and Fall 1975). Ellen began her new work in July and is based at Bethany. She participated in the recent Maryknoll Affiliate conference at Maryknoll and started to address opportunities for alumni to participate with Maryknoll Affiliates and for affiliates to network with missioners overseas.
(VIRGIL DANIEL, AKRON, OHIO, SPENT THIS SUMMER WITH MARYKNOLL IN BANGKOK, TEACHING ENGLISH TO SHAN BUDDHIST REFUGEE MONKS FROM BURMA AT WAT PHICHIAT)
I've really enjoyed my first experience in Southeast Asia. Through Maryknoll and its ministry in Bangkok, I have had a chance to teach amazing students like the Shan monks at Wat Phichiat. Often I have been bemused to see and think new things outside the possibility of Akron, Ohio.
I've had my first encounter of the pig-on-the-hoof kind here in Bangkok. As I was departing the riverboat from Wat Phichiat on my way home, I met a large, black pig gently grunting his way towards the river. He/she (how can you tell?) was a wild looking fellow, but was oddly gentle with a companion on two legs who was trailing along to keep an eye on things
I've eaten a lot of pork here in Thailand (or meat that I thought was pork. Pork is "moo" in the Thai language) but this makes me want to eat more in the fish and fowl families (you know, he - or she - had a certain dignity).
I've also met quite a few animals hanging around the temples. Buddhist temples have always been a place of sanctuary and I guess that includes dogs, cats, chickens and now pigs. Here in Bangkok I've seen many stray dogs and cats just lying around. As a Buddhist country, the people just ignore them and go on with their own business. Though the animals may be dirty and mangy, I can't help but realize that in the U.S. they would have been destroyed a long time ago.
Speaking of sanctuary, Fr. Mike Bassano invited me to a meditation at the Burmese temple, Wat Phok. A Buddhist monk is to meditate once in the morning and again at night. First they chant for 45 minutes to an hour in the presence of a statue of the Buddha (I'm not sure if there is only one central location to do this, I've seen other altars around) then at the thrice chime of a gong (a flat piece twirled to resonate the tone) the monks continue for another 45 minutes to an hour of silent meditation.
Now to set the stage, I have to mention that I got home at 4:15 p.m. just minutes before the monsoon hit and it is still raining at 11p.m. When we got out of our taxi, we walked through the sheeting of rain towards the monotone chanting. We left our shoes downstairs and went up the modern looking marble stairs. We walked past the sitting monks (most were sitting in a lesser posture with their feet to one side) to the back of a long marble hall to sit behind the Mon refugee boys (not all were there, but I believe there are 55+ boys who are either orphans or separated from their parents) against the wall.
We sat on the stone floor. I did my best to sit with my feet to one side, especially for the next hour or so, but I'm not that flexible {Editors note: Virgil is a tall 320 lb. gentle giant} and I copied Fr. Mike, bowing three times in respect to the Buddha (I may not be Buddhist, but I have to respect their faith).
The Buddha was a life-size statue in gold sitting in the lotus (Indian style) position. He and the two smaller standing statues of his favored disciples were dressed in saffron robes like the monks at their feet. It was pointed out to me that he was Thai style in his gold material (a Burmese Buddha statue would have been made from white marble with inlay for eyes) but Burmese by the lotus at the crown of his head (the Thai style has a sharper cone of stylized flame). The Buddha statue was very modern, in an aura emanating from his head that flashed varied patterns of red, yellow and green light (an excellent aid in meditation...
I have a hard time centering and focusing but this made me think that I might be getting it right).
The boys in front of us were respectful enough to give us extra room. The boys (between 6 and 12 years old) were a trip when they yelled along parts of the chant (different chants were said in Thai, Mon and the Buddhist scriptural language Poli).
The hall was open with windows to the right and left and we all found the storm to be deafening outside with either rain or crashes of thunder and lightening. The storm cut short the meditation so that we ended with the gong.
Outside, the children had stripped down and were sliding around naked on the marble of the courtyard. I think the Mon monks were also invigorated by the storm, but they refrained from jumping about (I also kept my shoes on, though it would have been fun to slide across the courtyard). Fr. Mike said that the children had been taught how to hide from the Thai police raids because there were usually more refugees about.
For an end to this luscious evening, I got to again ride in a tuk-tuk (a tricycle with a canopy) though it's a new experience in fear when it's raining, and flooding to the axle of the tires. This was a magical experience and I'll try meditation again.
Just a moment that struck me, a Buddha moment.
Most everyday that I return to the Center House from my classes at Wat Phichiat, I end my boat ride at a Wat just north of our house. On our way through the temple to the street I pass a temple shop that Br. John had pointed out to me on our first trip together.
He said that if I was interested in buying a Thai Buddha statue (our earlier conversation was about how intrigued I was that it was illegal to take a bronze Buddha from Thailand...John said that it was alright if only a small one that was left in my luggage... At the worst they would confiscate it) that this place had second hand statues that had been given to the temple to raise money. He had waxed poetic that you should look and look at the faces of the Buddha until you find a face that "touched" you. They take the Buddha statue very seriously here.
I had read in the local paper that they used to have a neighborhood with bronze works (now moved outside the city limits as a hazard) that specialized in both Buddha statues and the bronze bowls that the monks use to beg for rice (every once in a while you see the monks in bare feet begging for food, both for themselves and any number of orphan or indigent dependents of the temple).
There was also a prescribed formula for the proportions of the Buddha though their was room for different styles (I've come to recognize the Chinese, Burmese and Thai styles...also there is the sitting, standing, and lying positions). I decided that I wanted to find a Buddha for me in the traditional sitting, Thai style.
So earlier today, as I drew a golden Chinese Buddha (Chinese style doesn't have a flame rising from the top of the head as the Thai style does) at Wat Phichiat I decided that I needed to finally enter the temple store on the way home and look for a Buddha.
Of course it was raining like a fiend as I slogged my way to through the nameless temple (this raining season is wild!) and into the shop. I pointed towards the darkened room of statues with raised eyebrows and expectant look (it's all in the body language) and got permission to look around.
There was a plethora of bronze statues ranging from an inch to two feet tall. The characters depicted also included everything from Hindu lore, holy monks, the present king, and of course a variety of Buddhas. I immediately gravitated to the 4 inch statues in the Thai style.
At this point the curious shopkeeper had followed me to find me on my knees as I was pulling statues out of the display case and examining them carefully. She spoke no English and I was fast discovering my limitations in Thai (I just started the number system this morning) but I managed to find that each figure cost 500 baht (about $12.50 American) and that the ones with Thai language script at the base came from this very temple (whose name still went over my head...its a real tongue twister). I wanted one of those and I spent time looking into their faces.
I noticed that there wasn't a lot of expression present, but I did see that the face wasn't symmetrical. At first this put me off, but I remembered a Navajo belief my friend Dee Barlow taught me the night before, that the artisan would always leave an imperfection to let the Spirit into the work.
This is an incredible thought for my own life (gives me some insight into my lapses and sinfulness ... that we learn from our mistakes) but for the moment I thought it was a good guide for purchasing a good Buddha. I'm still not sure why I chose the one I did (at face value, about three of them were pretty identical), but I am now fascinated with this darkened, bronze Buddha.
I discovered that he is a little heavier because he has a core of reddish clay that I believe to be part of the original molding process. I think he's perfect (at the moment he's perched on top of a book on Buddhism that I should get around to reading).
MMM TEAMS: Please send reports & photos by first of month to Maryknoll MEKONG newsletter editor Jim Campion, at e-mail address maryknol@ksc.th.com or fax (662)291-9396; or mail to: MARYKNOLL MEKONG MISSION, 2074/17-18 NEW ROAD, BANGKOK 10120, THAILAND
Newsletter of the Maryknoll Fathers & Brothers, Maryknoll Sisters, Maryknoll Mission Association of the Faithful, Maryknoll Affiliates & others collaborating in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
by TOM O'BRIEN, ALISON and DAVID PURVIS and CHARLIE ROBAK
Maryknoll responded swiftly to the suggestion by sending TOM DUNLEAVY to Vietnam that same year to explore ?possibilities. For Maryknoll, apparently, this was an opportunity not only to collaborate with Rome toward the above-mentioned goals but also to do mission in a place where the majority of people were poor and in need of help to recover from decades of warfare, where there would be an opportunity to contribute to reconciliation between Americans and Vietnamese, and where ?there could be a witness to Gospel values in a communist and intentionally atheist environment.
BILL O'LEARY joined Tom in 1993, and CHARLIE ROBAK arrived in 1994. Their visas were based on Maryknoll's commitment to carry out projects. Bill took over coordination of the Nam Dinh project when Tom went on sabbatical. Charlie coordinated a "cow bank" credit project suggested by the Ministry. At the invitation of the Ministry in 1995, Charlie developed a second skill training project for poor youth in Than Tri near Hanoi. TOM O'BRIEN was granted a visa when Bill left Vietnam for medical treatment in 1995 & he took on coordination of the Nam Dinh project.
In Late 1995, Maryknoll was asked to develop another skills training program, this one in Hanoi's juvenile detention center. MMAFers DAVID & ALLISON PURVIS received visas in early 1996. Alison took over the Than Tri project to allow Charlie to concentrate on the juvenile detention center. David developed a new project assisting small handicraft producer groups to develop their business skills, and succeeded in getting this approved as an official Maryknoll project. When the Nam Dinh project ended in 1998, Alison developed another skills training project in Hanoi at the invitation of the Ministry.
In 1997, Charlie's detention center work expanded to include a Transition House project to assist boys after they leave the center. In 1998, Maryknoll accepted another skills training project in Ha Tay province, coordinated by David. Also in 1998, Maryknoll was invited to coordinate with a Vietnamese foundation in a project to provide free acupuncture treatment to children with disabilities. This project is coordinated by TOM O'BRIEN.
Maryknoll has been doing projects in Vietnam for seven years now. Our partner Ministry generally directs us toward projects that benefit youth and children, with a focus on vocational skills training. It appears that this will continue to be our focus into the immediate future. Our projects do respond to the needs of the poor and marginalized. Vietnam is slowly moving from a planned to a market economy and, as it integrates more into the global economy, both positive and negative effects of globalization are felt, with a widening gap between those who benefit and those who don't, growing under-employment, lack of adequate social services such as health and education, increasing crime and drug abuse, and a growing HIV/AIDS problem. Maryknoll's projects respond in effective and creative ways to all of these problems. Maryknoll's work as an NGO is respected and appreciated by our project partners.
When Tom Dunleavy returned from sabbatical in 1995, however, he was asked by the mission team to develop Maryknoll's contacts with the Church in order to explain Maryknoll's purpose in being in Vietnam and to explore ways in which Maryknoll could be of assistance. Tom visited bishops and dioceses, and channeled funding to Church programs from Maryknoll and other sources. Maryknoll gave priority to supporting pastoral-theological formation and updating for Church personnel, and supporting Church socio-economic development initiatives. Through Tom's efforts, Maryknoll was able to carry out one of the purposes in coming to Vietnam, and Maryknoll's relationship with the Church is deepened. His deeper interest relationship did not go unnoticed by the security police, however, and Maryknoll began experiencing a more restrictive atmosphere in its work. We had difficulty seeking visas for new personnel, and were subsequently informed that "concerned authorities," a codeword for the security police, do not want the number of Maryknoll personnel to expand beyond its present size. Tom Dunleavy was not able to get his visa renewed in early 1997 and had to leave Vietnam. We learned in 1998 that "concerned authorities" did not want Maryknoll to work outside the Hanoi area, and our NGO permit was restricted accordingly. Only with great difficulty have we recently received authorization to continue our project in Nam Dinh in its second three-year phase.
Ironically, Maryknoll's credibility as an NGO thast does good projects has grown at the same time that we have experienced these restrictions. We have an excellent relationship with our Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, and with all our project partners in local governments. We also have good credibility and an excellent relationship with the local Church, even though since 1997 we have been extremely careful in the way we relate to the Church. We continue to channel funding to good Church programs, but we look for ways to do this without compromising our position with the government. Still, we're constantly aware that these "concerned authorities" are on our case.
That being said, however, the limitations on our mission presence also need to be acknowledged. Because we are here as an NGO that must operate within the particular national security environment of Vietnam, there are definite restrictions and limitations on our freedom to do mission as we would want. We can only work in places that the government authorizes, and we can only do projects that are either given us by the government or that get approval from the government. Implementing projects often means that we must work as project administrators and coordinators, with limited direct ministry to people. Nor can the size of Maryknoll's presence here expand naturally as personnel become available since there seems to be a ceiling imposed on our size.
However, even within this environment, we have found ways to stretch these limits and be creative in our responses. Charlie has been able to expand his apostolate to juvenile offenders from the limiting confines of a skills training center inside the detention center to a pioneering program of assisting the boys to reintegrate into society after leaving detention, a program that includes direct ministry to the boys in counseling about drug addiction and HIV infection. Alison and Tom O'Brien have expanded the scope of their vocational skills training projects to include innovative community-based components, including work with youth who have disabilities. David was able to develop his own small business development project, drawing on his own business background, and then receiving government approval to continue and even expand it. In addition to official project-related work, Tom has developed an informal but direct ministry to street children in Hanoi, assisting them with education, vocational training and medical needs.
Given this reality, some questions arise concerning the future of Maryknoll's mission in Vietnam. Maryknoll is present now in several countries as an NGO, and working as an NGO may be the only way mission groups like Maryknoll can be present in some countries. However, with the particular restrictions on Maryknoll's NGO presence that exist in Vietnam, should Maryknoll continue on indefinitely in this mode of mission in Vietnam? Are we being as effective as we could be? Are there alternative ways that Maryknoll could be present in Vietnam that would give us more freedom of action, or more direct forms of ministry than is usually present in project work? Should we be more actively exploring and developing other possibilities, such as the English teaching work that Maryknoll does in China? Should we continue on in Vietnam at all, given the restrictive environment and Maryknoll's personnel crunch?
For those of us now present in Vietnam, this is a good place for Maryknoll to be in mission. There are many challenges to which Maryknoll can respond. There is the challenge of witnessing to the Gospel by unselfishly serving the poor and marginated within an intentionally atheistic environment. There is the challenge of lending support and encouragement to a local Church that has suffered and still experiences restrictions on its freedom. There is the challenge of modeling another way of being Church to a rather traditional local Church isolated from the changes resulting from Vatican II. There is the challenge of reconciliation, between Catholics and those who have perceived the Church as an enemy, and between countries that fought a long war with many unhealed wounds
Veteran lay missioners RIMANDO "BOIE" and LOURDES "DIDING" ALARDE, who worked in their Mindanao, Philippines homeland before coming to Thailand in September, have joined Maryknoll Mekong Mission to work at Stella Maris Seamen's Center in Phuket for three years. DAN BOYD, who chairs the Thai Catholic Commission for Seafarers, invited them as part of MMM's call for more collaboration with other mission-sending societies. Boie & Diding, who both joined the Philippine Catholic Lay Mission (PCLM) in 1988, will work with migrant seafarers and others on the seaport and resort island in south Thailand. Philippine Maryknollers started the PCLM when it was known as the Philippine Lay Mission Program (PLMP).
LAURA OLSON, a Maryknoll Affiliate from Seattle, Washington, will research women's and children's issues with MMM in Thailand for one year, the maximum commitment for an affiliate, while SHIRLEY OSTERHAUS, a campus minister from Seattle, is teaching Burma Shan Buddhist monk refugees for a month in Bangkok. JOHN BEECHING, who coordinates affiliates and others, refers to affiliates who do mission service as "full time missioners on a part time basis."
Several people were asking about the flooding here in Cambodia. It's the worst in 70 years and caused a lot of people to be uprooted, with about 135 deaths, The big problem has been heavy rains north of us in China and Vietnam that brought high flood levels down the Mekong River. Here in Phnom Penh where we Mmers live, you wouldn't know there is any flooding at all. But on Sunday when the priests go out to the villages along the river, they and their congregations arrive by boat.
I went out today to the deaf school where I will be working later, and the water was covering the road all the way up to the junction with the main road. The water levels will not recede enough for the school to be used for another 6 to 8 weeks. That's normal though. The school is under water every year for 2 to 21/2 months. It just happened earlier and with heavier flooding this year because of flooding that took place in July. Those floods soaked the ground so that these noraml seasonal floods have no place to go. The poor villagers still have monumental problems ahead of them.
by JIM CAMPION
The little town of Bethlehem, where nearby shepherds still watch their sheep by night, lay still as the Oct. 1-Nov. 11 Maryknoll society Fall Renewal Program 2000 began this fall, although the Holy Land was in turmoil as violent clashes in Jerusalem and elsewhere wreaked death and stilled talk of renewed peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders Ahud Barak and Yasser Arafat.
JACK SULLIVAN e-mailed to the Maryknoll world Oct. 2: "All are in great shape. There have been serious disturbances in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem which you no doubt have been getting news reports about. All is quiet here in Bethlehem and we are all quite safe and secure."
Eileen O'Leary of the Maryknoll Continuing Formation/Education department also sent an e-mail: "As in the past, you are asked to remember in your prayers those on the Maryknoll Renewal Program in the Holy Land." The eight participants (two brothers and six priests) are JIM KOFSKI (Thailand), JIM McAULEY (Philippines), BOB CRAWFORD and LENNY MARRON (Taiwan), and RAY NOBILETTI, ED ARNOLD, AL PATRICK and DePORRES STILP (USA).
Last spring, 11 Maryknoll sisters, lay missioners and priests participated in P2K (Pilgrimage 2000), the first combined (society, congregation, MMAF) Holy Land Program. Though those who participated enthusiastically endorsed widening the society-sponsored program beyond priests and brothers, the program will end soon.
The Holy Land Spiritual Renewal Program for Maryknoll Society Members began in 1978. Since then more than 350 priests and brothers have participated. Realizing some society members still wish to participate but acknowledging a decrease in applicants and efforts to reduce the number of Maryknollers in society service positions, the General Council has decided to discontinue the program.
Thirteen Maryknoll priests and brothers requested participation in the Fall 2001 program. If sufficient requests are received before May 31, 2001 for a fall program in 2002, that will be the final program. "If we do not have a suficient number by May 31, 2001, the fall program will be the final one," the society COUNCIL BULLETIN announced.
The combined program participants last spring were JEAN MALONEY MM (Korea), MICHELLE REYNOLDS MM (Hong Kong), JO LoPRESI MM and CAROLYN and RONALD BOSSE MMAF (Chile), MARIE CROWLEY MM (Sudan), PAUL BRIEN MM, CARL MEULEMANS MM, CONSUELA TORRECER MM and MARY ANNE SMITH MM (USA), and JIM CAMPION MMAF (Thailand). Several visited Rome or Lourdes to complete their individual pilgrimages.
We were in Israel between Pope John Paul II's visit and Israel's withdrawal of troops from south Lebanon, so we were free to travel the countryside including areas near the Lebanon and Syria borders. We heard Palestinians and Israelis express their hope for peace despite the failure of earlier peace talks.
During the relative lull, Chinese premier Jiang Zemin visited Israel and the West Bank, staying at Yasser Arafat's new home just across from our dwelling with the Betharam Fathers in Bethlehem. Jiang visited religious sites including the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem and the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem.
His impressions were not reported, but he continued a crackdown on religions shortly after he got back home.
Warm greetings from California! I hope this finds you, your families, and communities well! I am writing for two reasons. First, I wanted to express my sorrow at the death of Sr. Joyce Quinn. I hold you and all the people that Sr. Joyce worked with in Cambodia in my heart and prayers. Thank you for sending Sr. Luise Ahrens' eulogy, a tremendous tribute to Sr. Joyce and her work as a missioner.
Secondly, I wanted to thank you for your ongoing MEKONG newsletter. I have always enjoyed reading it and have especially looked forward to receiving it after having visited you during our Leadership Team meeting in 1998. Thank you for giving us an ongoing "up close and personal" look at your mission/country realities, your ministries, your missioners, and your hopes and dreams in each edition! Your newsletter helps build our sense of global mission as a Maryknoll mission community! Your continued work together as missioners from MMAF, the Congregation and Society is a wonderful witness! Thank you for the time and commitment you invest in working together as one mission community!!
Blessings and best wishes,
Mary Mallahan Hicken, (MMAF) US Area Coordinator
MMM TEAMS: Please send reports & photos by first of month to Maryknoll MEKONG newsletter editor Jim Campion at e-mail address maryknol@ksc.th.com or fax (662)291-9396; or mail to: MARYKNOLL MEKONG MISSION, 2074 /17-18 NEW ROAD, BANGKOK 10120, THAILAND
Newsletter of the Maryknoll Fathers & Brothers, Maryknoll Sisters, Maryknoll Mission Association of the Faithful, Maryknoll Affiliates & others collaborating in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
Kathleen and Billy Doerner with their children Sarah, 12, and Rosemary, 8, live in the city of Chiang Mai (the second largest city in Thailand), where Maryknoll just recently opened a Hospitality House for hill tribe people. Billy and Kathleen help direct activities of Hospitality House, whose purpose is to assist the many poor indigenous people, who have come to the city for a variety of reasons, to find a temporary place to live, with food and shelter.
I am living approximately 2 1/2 hours north of Chiang Mai in a small village Called Mae Suay. There we have Holy Spirit Catholic Center, a collaborative effort of four Catholic mission groups: Italian PIME Fathers, Maryknoll and Thai Sisters of St. Camillus and St. Joseph of the Apparition.
Father Mauricio, a PIME priest from Italy, has warmly welcomed me here. He is director of the center, where there are also many volunteers from France, Italy, Singapore and Thailand, as well as a sfaff of Akha and Laku folks, who form a team working together in service to our indigenous people here. Our center is also a boarding home for over 100 children and young people who come in from villages deep in the mountains to have an opportunity to study at the local primary and junior high school.
It provides a good place to live, shelter and clothing as well as scheduled times for study, play, prayer and liturgy. The center provides a place for younger women who have finished school to learn a trade by sewing and making clothes. Young boys who have quit school are also given the opportunity to learn agricultural skills in raising chickens, pigs and planting a huge vegetable garden on our property, which has ample space to cultivate food for the center. There is also a special study program for younger children and adults who have quit school because of learning disabilities.
From the center we move outward to the 27 villages where most of our people live. The people have many social, health, educational and spiritual needs that we respond to on a daily basis. One of our major efforts is to help our people receive national identity citizenship cards, since the Thai government has finally recognized that hilltribe people have a right to full citizenship.
The Akha and Laku people are gentle and hospitable people. Because of the effort and concern to reach out to the needs of the indigenous people here, many have expressed an interest in Christianity. Today in all of the villages that we serve there is a chapel, a trained catechist as well as a leader of prayer who help in formation of the Catholic faith, while respecting the culture and tradition of the hilltribe people where God is already present.
It is a wonderful and challenging experience driving up into the mountains to celebrate Eucharist with the people. While most can speak the Thai language, the preference is to speak in their own language. So it is a unique experience to celebrate Eucharist together, with myself speaking in Thai language with all the folks responding and singing in their respective Akha and Lahu language as well.
This Christmas we shall have a special celebration of pilgrimage. After a big, joyful celebration with all of our kids in our chapel at the center, the statue of the infant Jesus shall be carried from our center to all 27 villages in the mountains (with the help of our four-wheel drive pickup truck). As the statue arrives in each village, there will be a joyful celebration of eating, singing, dancing and praying in the Akha and Lahu tradition The celebration of going from one village to another may last more than a month. What a way to celebrate Christmas by going to the mountains and proclaiming that Jesus Christ is born!
Saturday, Sept. 30, 2000: Events in the Holy Land just before the Maryknoll Renewal Program began set the tone for our first week, bringing a tragic awareness that life here is far from the tranquil image of "Silent night, holy night." On Friday rightwing Knesset member Ariel Sharon visited the Temple Mount, site of El Aqsa Mosque.
In the next two days more than 25 Palestinians were slain by Israeli bullets in protests that swept Gaza and the West Bank. The former defense minister's Sept. 29 visit and the subsequent violence set a negative tone for Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year.
On Saturday evening Brother Al Patrick and Father Jim Kofski, formerly in the Middle East Unit, renewed old acquaintances when they joined Christian Brothers at Bethlehem University for liturgy, happy hour and a gourmet dinner.
Sunday, Oct. 1: All eight participants and our director, Father Jack Sullivan (Hong Kong), arrived by Saturday evening. Our co-director, Maryknoll Sister Maria Rieckelman, stayed behind in the United States for medical treatment but hoped to join the program after a few weeks.
Sunday morning was free, and Maryknollers chose between the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem's Manger Square and riding into Jerusalem for liturgy. Fathers Eddie Arnold (Peru), Jim Kofski (Thailand) and Jim McAuley (Philippines/U.S.) concelebrated Mass at the Notre Dame Center in Jerusalem and met members of the Filipino community afterward.
A brief "walking tour" of the Old City was reduced to a view of iron doors, as shops were closed in protest over the killings during the previous two days. However, there was virtually no delay at the Israeli checkpoint below Tantur(an inter-religious study center) regulating traffic between Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
Jack introduced the program in the afternoon, with each of us offering insights into Whom do you "bring" here today? Where are you coming from? and Are there any special circumstances or health concerns?
Besides Al, Jack and the two Jims, participants were Fathers Bob Crawford and Lenny Marron (both Taiwan), Ray Nobiletti (Hong Kong/U.S.)and Brother DePorres Stilp Korea/U.S.). At home in the evening at the Betharram Fathers, participants had the opportunity to watch videos by Donald Senior on "The Desert" and "Bethlehem."
Monday, Oct. 2: A brief visit in the morning brought the group to the Milk Grotto, near Manger Square, which recalls the Holy Family's flight into Egypt. We also spoke with the owner of a nearby olive wood factory who accused Israel of expropriating land from Bethlehem residents. From his rooftop he pointed out a nearby Jewish settlement being built on a hill expropriated from local (Palestinian) Christians - without compensation, he added.
Near the Church of the Nativity we also visited St. Jerome's cell beneath St. Catherine Church, where the saint completed his translation of the Bible (the Vulgate). Lenny celebrated Mass for us in the cell-turned-chapel. Behind the altar is a beautiful mosaic depicting Ss. Jerome, Eusebius, Paula and Eustochium. The latter two, wealthy women from Rome, financed two monasteries: one for Jerome and his followers, and another for themselves and their companions.
In the evening we joined a group of 36 in a three-month program at Tantur, for a slide lecture by local (Jewish) guide Allen Rabinowitz on 500 years' history of Jerusalem. The period included that of Herod the Great, a visionary and builder who also stopped at nothing to preserve his position. We had routinely passed through the Israeli checkpoint to take the shortest way to Tantur; but later the checkpoint was closed, obliging us to return to Bethlehem by a circuitous route through Beit Jala.
Tuesday, Oct. 3: Allen Rabinowitz led us on an insightful tour of the Jewish Quarter, ending on the steps that led to The main entrance to the Temple Mount in Jesus' day. We were inspired to realize that Jesus himself likely climbed those stairs many times.
A visit to four Synagogues on the walking tour provided a metaphor for a much-needed peace process. Allen explained that many synagogues have a "genizah," a room in which prayer books and the like, damaged beyond repair, are kept. From time to time these are buried with special ceremonies attended by Jews, Muslims and Christians alike. We could only hope that all the parties at odds in the Holy Land will similarly bury their differences one day! In the afternoon we visited the Shepherds' Field near Bethlehem. Various traditions identify several sites a kilometer from Bethlehem as the area where angels announced the Savior's birth to shepherds.
At a Greek Orthodox church dedicated to the Mother of God, we were graciously admitted by a nun to admire the magnificent iconostasis and smaller icons. Remains of a fourth century church have also been unearthed on the property. We also visited the nearby Latin site commemorating the event, where candles from devotees over the centuries have blackened the caves in which shepherds and their flocks sought shelter. Evidence of a fourth-century monastery have also been found there.
Wednesday, Oct. 4: We shared our personal "infancy narratives" in terms of a "window of ancestry": our family of origin and our own birth and childhood. A variety of "threads" running through our stories served to remind us that different paths can still lead to the same goal.
The evening brought another reminder of local realities: a three-hour brownout. Indicative of far more serious problems, we could hear gunfire and teargas explosions from the direction of Rachel's Tomb at the edge of Bethlehem. With the Palestinian death toll from current violence, Rachel continued to mourn her children.
Thursday, Oct. 5: A free day allowed us to spend time visiting Manger Square, reflecting, writing postcards, shopping or riding up to Jerusalem. This diarist visited former colleagues at Caritas Jerusalem, which in the past five years has begun a counseling center for drug addicts and is considering a center for overseas contract workers including Filipinos, Sri Lankans and Rumanians.
Nabeel, a friend in the Old City's Muslim Quarter, offered me a cup of "qahwa" (traditional Arab coffee), and we discussed politics as we used to do. Nabeel's store in the marketplace now sports an awning with the name "Good Time"--something we hoped would return very soon.
In the evening the Renewal group enjoyed the Christian Brothers' hospitality at Bethlehem University, and Jack Sullivan presided at liturgy. During a tour of the campus we admired frescoes on the chapel walls, and we learned about the tourism program's distance learning setup. A satellite links students at Bethlehem University with peers in Israel, France and Tunisia--a first-time experience for most of them. It didn't take the students long to overcome their shyness on camera and to begin talking live with their contemporaries -- advancing international understanding even before they had entered their chosen profession.
Friday, Oct. 6: An incident involving a member of the Tantur group illustrated the uncertainties of the times here. He was slightly injured the other night by a stray bullet that struck him in the head on the property at Tantur!
Dear friends around the world!
Greetings from Oaxaca! I have the privilege to communicate with you all about the exciting meeting we hosted here in Oaxaca in July of this year. For the first time ever, the three entities, MMAF, Congregation and Society members, working in Mexico (Oaxaca, Merida, Chiapas, Queretaro and Mexico City) and the Border (Ciudad Juarez and El Paso), and the children, gathered to discuss the realities they face in their different sites and the work they are involved in to respond to those realities.
We missed the Sisters working in McAllen, Texas, and the MMAFers who are just arriving in the San Diego/Tiajuana area, both border towns, but hope to have them join us in November 2001 in Merida for the continuation of this meeting.
It was an exciting collaborative event whereby information, history and a wealth of experience was shared. We began to create a foundation of networking amongst ourselves as Maryknollers and the local partners with whom we work. During this meeting we began by simply connecting with one another and identifying common areas of interest and work in which it would make sense for us to collaborate with one another. We believe that by working together in this fashion we can only help to make the realities which we face more just and dignified for our Mexican neighbors...
I must also mention the fact that we had a heck of a lot of fun getting to know one another and celebrating 50 years of the presence of Maryknoll Sisters in Mexico! Complete with Mariachis, Margaritas, Guelaguetza (Oaxacan Annual Dance Festival) and a "Market Day" Exhibit of all of our works!
Thanks for reading!
Peace, Mags Petkiewicz MMAF
Thanks for keeping me on the list for receiving the Mekong Newsletter. I look forward to reading it each time it arrives by e-mail and then I read it again when it arrives by hardcover. I get so little news on what's happening back there that the newsletter is one of my principal links these days…
But concerning the hardcopy edition that you send me, I have a couple of requests. First could you send it to my new address in Milwaukee. I've opened the MMAF Midwest Recruitment Office here... Secondly, if it isn't a strain on your budget, could you send me two hard copies. I like to keep one as a personal copy. But I found the newsletter very helpful in providing information to persons interested in what Maryknoll is doing in Asia. It gives an excellent presentation of not only what people are doing, but what people are thinking and on what is going on in the countries. It is good work! Hope you intend to keep this newsletter published into the future.
My new office address is: Jim Probst, Maryknoll Mission Association (please spell out), 3195 S. Superior St., Milwaukee, WI 53207. Tel/fax/answering machine: (414)483-9608.
My home address is: Jim Probst, 2639A S. Pine Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53207; tel: (414)483-2074.
All is going well here. Hope the same for everyone there.
Jim.
BUI CHU VILLAGE: Renowned throughout northern Vietnam for its spectacular church, Bui Chu Village is equally well known for its exquisite hand embroidery, sequin and bead work on everything from bags to embroidery items. Many of these items have already been successfully exported around the world. The village is in Nom Dinh province, about 150 kilometers southeast of Hanoi.
SON DONG VILLAGE: Located in a highly religious area of Ha Tay province, littered with pagodas and temples, this charming village is known for being a traditional carving and lacquer ware center. Youngsters are taught from an early age how to master this ancient skill. A wide portfolio of wood carvings and lacquer ware goods are produced in Son Dong to exceptionally high standards by its friendly and hospitable villagers.
XUAN TRUONG COMMUNE: An area famous for its many churches, of Xuan Truong Commune is in the lush and verdant Red River Delta, 140 kilometers south of Hanoi. At present, rice is the main product of the commune. However, graduates from the local vocational training center are ready to establish soon a number of small businesses in the area which should aid Xuan Truong's future development.
THANH TRI CARPENTRY GROUP: In a southern suburb of the capital city just six kilometers from Hanoi's center, this small carpentry group specializes in the design and production of contemporary furniture. Members of the group use a variety of wood and bamboo to produce, among other things, Jewelry boxes, not only popular with local expatriates but with many consumers from around the world.
THAN TRI TAILORING CENTRE: Set up by a number of graduates from a local vocational training center, the Than Tri Tailoring Group is close to National Highway 1. The center produces a range of products which are sold at a number of outlets in the capital. Specialty products of the center are clothing and home furnishings, including covers, curtains and linens.
VP COMPANY TAILORING GROUP: This very enthusiastic and multi-talented group in Hanoi specializes in mass production of beautifully made clothing for both domestic and overseas customers. The group is particularly adept at working with silk and canvas, producing on time and with the highest craftsmanship. In addition, group members have a keen eye for detail and are attentive to customer needs.
VAN DIEN VILLAGE: Van Dien Village is 18 kilometers south of Hanoi just off the main north-south road, National Hwy. 1. For over 200 years, the village has produced much sought after carvings and mother of pearl inlaid furniture. Most businesses in Van Dien are family owned and run, and most products made here exported to neighboring countries in Southeast Asia.
THO NGHIEP VILLAGE: Coming from a province famous for its textile industry, Tho Nghiep villagers use silk, cotton and linen to produce a wide variety of styles of clothing, style which are stocked in many shops throughout the capital. The village is in Nam Dinh province, 140 kilometers south of Hanoi in the Red River Delta. A journey along National Highway 1from Hanoi to Nam Dinh city is required to reach pretty Tho Nghiep, 40 kilometers further.
HA MO VILLAGE: Elegant lace products are made in Ha Mo, 15 kilometers from Hanoi in an area densely populated with handicraft villages. Ha Mo is famous for its lace products, which come in many shapes and sizes and are suitable for all occasions. These products include hand-woven tablecloths, coasters, place mats and wall hangings. Lace shirts, shawls, blouses and purses are also made at this charming little Handicraft village.
NINH SO VILLAGE: Known to one and all as the "rattan village," Ninh So is 18 kilometers south of Hanoi, nestling on the banks of the Red River in Ha Tay province. As its nickname suggests, Ninh So is famous for its rattan and bamboo basketwork. Products made by the 5,000 village workers have been exported to countries all over the world. Export markets include countries as farflung as Russia, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, France, Japan, and more recently Taiwan and Germany.
DUYEN THAI VILLAGE: Just a 30 minute drive south of Hanoi is one of Ha Tay province's most picturesque and hard working villages, Duyen Thai. Well known for their wide range of lacquer ware products, villagers have engaged in the lacquer ware industry for years and the range of quality bowls, jewelry boxes and toothpick holders are just some of the testaments to this.
CHUYEN MY VILLAGE: About 25 kilometers south of Hanoi along National Highway 1, Chuyen My has for centuries been a notable producer of mother of pearl handicrafts. Villagers take pride in the fact that their products, such as inlaid pictures, cigarette boxes, pens and even chopsticks are amongst some of the finest and best-produced in the country. Individual designs and colors can be catered for.
Maryknoll Vietnam project mailing address: Maryknoll, GPO Box 123, Hanoi, Vietnam; Web site: www.maryknollvietnam.org; Maryknoll project e-mail address: mmhanoi@netnam.org.vn
MMM TEAMS: Please send reports & photos by first of month to Maryknoll MEKONG newsletter editor Jim Campion, at e-mail address maryknol@ksc.th.com or fax (662)291-9396; or mail to: MARYKNOLL MEKONG MISSION, 2074/17-18 NEW ROAD, BANGKOK 10120, THAILAND