Clinica MAXEÑA 2018

                                     " FURRY CREATURES, PART OF OUR MISSION"             Since I was a child, animals have been part of our family!  I remember with great             affection, our first family Pet!  A wild Bunny, "Sniffles"  I lived in Butte, Montana             since childhood.  My Parents were from "Ireland"!  Patrick and Catherine; my Dad             was a Copper Miner and we lived next to a Copper Mine.             One day, many neighbor children were in our yard!  A wild bunny was seen running              about, but now hiding between the mine fence.  We were very Happy when my Dad              succeeded in capturing him, for us!  He was now our first PET, "SNIFFLES"!             Since I first came to the Mission of the Diocese, of Helena, MT., in 1966, Animals             have been part of the family!  It is no different, just more.  We have five Dogs, two             Cats, ten Bunnies, and one Rooster, OL

                                           INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATED THROUGH OUT COUNTRY                       HERE IN GUATEMALA THE DAY OF INDEPENDENCE IS IMPORTANT                       AND CELEBRATED SEPTEMBER 15TH!    THERE WERE BANDS,                        MARCHES OF STUDENTS IN STREETS,  PRESENTATION OF FLAGS                                    ON BUILDINGS,  MUSIC AND JOY!!  THERE  WERE ALSO PROTESTS                        OF INJUSTICES.  THERE WERE ROAD BLOCKS ON HIGHWAYS.                        MUCH JUSTICES STILL LACKS!  THERE IS HOPE FOR A BETTER                       TOMORROW!  WE HAVE NEVER LOST HOPE!!                       AS A NATIONAL HOLIDAY THE CLINIC WORKERS ALSO HAD A                        DAY OF REST!!

                               "GUATEMALAN COFFEE COOPERATIVE CONTINUES!!              THE RAINS HAVE BEGUN!  COFFEE SEASON BEGINNING.  IT DOES NOT              LOOK PROMISING THAT IT WILL BE A GOOD COFFEE HARVEST.  PRICES              ON THE LOCAL AND WORLD MARKET DO NOT LOOK PROMISING.               PEOPLE DO CONTINUE TO MIGRATE NORTH!  OUR MISSION AREA IS IN               COFFEE COUNTRY.  WHEN OUR MISSION FIRST BEGAN IN THE SIXTIES,               A COFFEE COOPERATIVE WAS STARTED BY ONE OF THE PRIESTS!  THAT               COOPERATIVE THRIVED, "THANKS" TO THE PEOPLES ENTHUSIASM, OTHER               COFFEE EXPERTS, AND COFFEE ASSOCIATION.  THE NAME OF THE               COOPERATIVE IS NAHUALA R.L.  THE COOPERAATIVE WAS FOUNDED BY,               FR. JAMES TACKES, OF THE DIOCESE OF HELENA AND OTHER  LEADERS OF                    THE COMMUNITIES  AND CATHOLIC CHURCH, IN 1964.                           A GROUP OF WOMEN "SOCIOS", CONTINUE VERY ACTIVE

                                      THE YEARS LEAVE MEMORIES OF THE TREES                   OUR MISSION WAS FOUND IN 1964.  I CAME IN 1966 WITH TWO                    LAY MISSIONARIES, FROM THE DIOCESE OF HELENA,  MONTANA.                    FOUR PRIESTS CAME FIRST.  THE LAND WAS MOSTLY COFFEE                   TREES BEFORE WE BEGAN CONSTRUCTION OF MISSION HOUSES.                   THE CLINICA MAXEÑA WAS CONSTRUCTED.  "MAXEÑA" IS FROM                  THE MAYAN QUICHE LANGUAGE; IT TRANSLATES TO TOMAS.  THE                  TOWN IS SANTO TOMAS LA UNION .  OUR PARISH IS SAINT                  THOMAS APOSTLE; OUR TOWN FIESTA IS DECEMBER 21ST, EACH                   YEAR.                   TREES WERE PLANTED, A FEW NATIONAL TREES OF GUATEMALA,                   "LA CEIBA"! THIS IS A FAMOUS TREE.  I REMEMBER WHEN ONE OF                    THE PRIESTS PLANTED ONE, FROM A BRANCH OF ONE, AND SAID                     I AM GOING TO SEE THIS FIFTY YEARS F

                                                 GROWING OLD IN POVERTY,                                                            BUT WITH LOVE                  MARIA, IS ONE OF MANY OF OUR BELOVED ELDERLY.  NOT AN EXACT                 AGE, BUT MARIA IS NEAR 90 YEARS.  SHE LIVES ALONE, BUT SURROUNDED BY NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS WHO LOVE HER.  SHE IS INCLUDED IN PASTORAL SOCIAL OF OUR PARISH.  THIS ENTITLEDS HER TO FREE BASIC FOOD DONATIONS AND FREQENT VISITS AND PRAYERS BY PASTORAL SOCIAL OF THE PARISH.  SHE RECENTLY FELL IN HER HUMBLE HOME.  FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS BROUGHT HER TO THE CLINICA MAXEÑA. SHE HAD INJURED A KNEE, WHICH WAS SWOLLEN, BUT NOT FRACTURED.  SHE WAS EXAMINED BY OUR DOCTOR AND GIVEN PAIN MEDICATIONS AND A HEALTHY SNACK FROM OUR ORGANIC "HEALTHY SNACK BOOTH".  I HAD NOT BEEN TO HER HOME FOR AWHILE, BUT PRESENTLY SURPRISED TO SEE WALLS OF NEW METAL SIDING, A BED, AND A SMALL KITCHEN TO THE SIDE.  SOME WEALTHY PARISHIONERS REPLACED THE WALLS OF