What a Fiesta that was! On Sunday there we had around 1400 people out at El Cenaclulo retreat centre for our Parish Fiesta. And what a great day it was. It took a lot of organizing and it was clear from about 0630 onwards that the crowds were going to be big! They were lined up all around the Church from early on … and, as I suspected, it was the people without tickets that arrived first!!! When we eventually got there – 25 buses and more on their own steam – it was a great day. We started with the presentation of the individual chapel who put on chants or songs around our theme of ‘missionary disciples’. After that we had a very moving Benediction service with Freddy and his youth group from Resucitado chapel leading us – it seemed that Freddy was transfixed in a heavenly gaze. Powerful! After that we split up into four very large groups – toddlers, kids, youth, and adults – for talks on the theme. After that I had organized a Treasure Hunt for the young folk around the Retreat Centre – that was terrific fun too. Lunch and then get ready fro Mass. Throughout the day we had music from Tito and Damian, raising above the roofs most of the time but also getting us to be truly quiet and reflective when it was needed. Tito is a great trouper. Most of all what I loved was the smiles on people’s faces. For families and young folk who live in dusty sectors where there are no places to play football, it was just great to see the kids playing on the swings, the young people playing football and basketball and the adult sitting around chatting. A great Parish day all in all. After that it was a quick turnaround as we had to get Elise and Rachel off to the airport for their farewell. Their final touch was to donate the bed they had bought and used to their new-found friend, Carmen. She had been great with them throughout their three weeks and it was moving to see how they had got close to one another, especially in the Soup Kitchen. For Elise and for Rachel it was very clear that their time here had been moving – every day was a new experience, new people and a new perspective on how poor people live. They started off knowing that poor people live in shanty towns and ended up knowing some great friends in poor conditions. Of course that is not the end of the friends as I am still surrounded with Andy and Christine, their tow kids, Gerard and Christine and their pal, Johnny. Wherever we went last week it was all eight together in the truck – a little bumpy but good fun. We went to meet the other St. James guys for our regular Monday meal, we saw the Iguanas, and we visited the Napos family, Freddy’s family and many more. More than that, they worked down the school and in the Nursery each morning so that was, as ever, a great way of getting to know the people. Now that Rachel and Elise are away, it is the Hands that will be doing the visiting and the work for the week ahead. One of the constant events of last week was the Novena in preparation for Sunday’s Fiesta. We had split it up amongst each of the chapels: they brought their own music and musicians; they lead the prayers; and they each put on a moving ceremony about the theme for that night. We also had invited speakers to lead us in the talks about being ‘missionary disciples’. In general they were good but one, in particular, was far too long – 35 minutes – which meant that people were falling off their seats …. Literally! All in all, it was much better than previous years and I think made a deep effect on many people. The Church was packed for each night. Now we have moved into a period of calm after the storm and the only remaining part of the Fiesta period is the football competition next Saturday which, with the Hands here with their footballing expertise, should be great fun!

We’re on the threshold of being overrun with guests here. Elise and Rachel continue to flourish in their Latin home but tomorrow we have five more coming: Andy, Christine, Gerard, Christine and Johnny. This has meant that part of my week was getting the house ready, moving furniture all over the place and getting new beds and sheets. It will be great to have the house so busy. We are also in the midst of our Parish Novena. We are now on Day Three and it seems to be going well. Different from previous years we have all the nights in the Parish Church where a different chapel leads the liturgy and there is a guest speaker to lead the reflection. The main theme is that we are ‘missionary disciples of Jesus Christ who came to give us life’. The Masses and Novena are all lively and there are some imaginative ideas coming out too. This morning we had our Parish Eucharistic Walk when I carry the Blessed Sacrament through the whole of the Parish visiting the eight chapels on the way. As in previous years people popped in and out of the Walk. Damian and David kept the singing going (Tito is laid up in bed) but we had to stop every so often to let the oldies at the back catch up --- I was at the front. At each chapel the catechists had prepared small prayer services and had decorated the chapel. Of course, a great innovation this year was that, when we finished at Narcisa chapel, they had prepared Hot Chocolate for us; it went down a treat. Next Sunday we have our Parish Fiesta at the retreat centre of ‘El Cenaculo’. It promises to be a great affair although there could be too many folk! Booking buses and keeping a check on them is a nightmare. At the start of the week we headed off to Ayangue with Rachel and Elise for our monthly meeting of the St. James’ Society. It was excellent weather the two days we were there and I had a chance to jog along the beach and then swim in the pool. Fantastic! As ever there were decent meals and good craic so it was terrific.

The big event of last week was my 45th Birthday. Birthdays are real serious affairs here and you cannot let one go by unnoticed. So I was not surprised that the celebrations go going two days early when I was at Friday night Mass in Narcisa chapel. They had a big banner behind the altar ‘Feliz Cumpleaños’ so there was no mistaking they were in party mood. After Mass we went back to Helena’s house where we were treated to popcorn and cake, after we had shown off our dancing skills! Then on Sunday there were two Masses where a cake made an appearance – La Paz and Resucitado chapels – and I celebrated in Ecuadorian style by biting the cake so that the people behind me could shove my face in said cakes! After that it was get-to-bed-early because there was to be a party at the school on my Birthday morning. However at 12 midnight I was awoken with a long bang as a ten-strong group serenaded me from the street. So it was up again and have more cake, more songs and more dancing. Back to bed at 1.30am. Then up again at 5am as another group of seranaders came a-calling! After that there was no point in going to sleep because it was time to get down to the school. And, as I opened the door into the main yard, there was a column on either side, fifteen fifth-year girls in pink ball gowns and fifteen fifth-year gentlemen in suits (all hired I suppose) as an entrance to what can only be described as a school show. Amazing that they had taken the time and effort. Fantastic! And, of course, I had to do a Highland Fling, although I wasn’t kilted-out! By the time the evening came, I was fiesta-ed out but not before we had the last party and the last cake of the year. Once again my face was in it! Feliz Cumpleaños! All of this was done in a backdrop of my niece, Elise, had her pal, Rachel being out here visiting for three weeks. Their plane arrived ahead of schedule and I don’t think they have stopped since they got here. After the weekend of getting to know all the people and the chapels, they got going with work down the school: peeling tatties, cutting up onions and then teaching English. In the afternoons, after catching up with sleep, we have walked around the town and met various families in their homes. Of course, the people immediately have taken them to their hearts and invited them to various places: a group took them into the city on Wednesday night; and then Carmen, their ally in the Soup Kitchen, asked them round to paint their nails. You come out to the shanty and you end up getting your nails painted!!! A big event of last week was the visit of a possible donor from the USA, Rachel Blair who had come through the local Rotary club that has done various jobs for us. Basically she is interested in helping with the equipping of the Medical Centre that we had been working on for some time. Unfortunately the funds have been slow in coming but Rachel was keen to help. So we showed her around the area, the site where the Centre is to be built and we had a long discussion with the housing charity that will run the Centre. There are still a few problems: the housing charity have still to get the legal papers to the land; the charity ‘2 Hands’ is confirming how much money is pledged for the construction; and Rotary is to sort out its paperwork. However, it all looks as if things can maybe move forward in some sort of way???? All of this happened after my fantastic visit to Quito. Of course, in the company of Colm Hogan from Tipperary, the best thing about the visit was staying with Paddy McIntyre, a very funny priest from Derry. It was indeed laugh a minute. But we managed to pack a load into the two days we were there: tourist attractions of Quito city; visit up north to wood-carving town; and a run up the cable car that gives you tremendous vies over the capital city! Thanks, Paddy!

I am up in Quito for two days with Colm Hogan making a visit to Paddy McIntyre, an Irish priest who has been working here with St. James for over 25 years. Apart from great admiration for his work, he is a great personality with a great laugh. We have not stopped laughing since we arrived. AS well as laughing though we have been doing some shopping for Church things: statues etc, for our Churches back in Guayaquil. Of course, I have just seen off Joe Bradley and Gerry Croall after their week with us in Nueva Prosperina. What a great week they had. Such a short time meant that we had to squeeze a load in. They both worked in the school each weekday morning: while Joe was shadowing Tito in music classes (tin whistle) and English, Gerry was showing off his culinary skills in the Soup Kitchen. Being part of the school community is always a tremendous thing for our visitors as it brings them into very close contact with 500 shanty residents. However the key for Joe and Gerry was then to visit some of the houses in the afternoons to show how these well-dressed pupils lived once they leave the safety of the school. I think it would be fair to say they were shocked at what they saw: the very basic living conditions without running water, sewerage and electricity and so many family members squashed together in cramped surroundings. We also went to the various Masses in the week and over the weekend which allowed them to see further into Parish life. I personally loved having them out with me here – Gerry I have met on several occasions back home but I have known Joe through HCPT and his family over many years. Both have done a lot to raise money for us over here. They are great sports. The sad event of the week was the farewell for Ed Veasey. After 20 years with the Society and eighteen of them in the poor south-side area of Guasmo, he has decided to take a sabbatical fro six months. He will be going to preach in Boston and then in Scotland before heading to a retreat centre in England. We had had a farewell from the missionary priests last week but last Friday there was a big Mass with the Archbishop in Ed’s Parish. It was a very emotional affair as Ed had been part of that Parish and of people’s lives for all those years. Best of luck, Ed, in these months ahead. The other event I want to mention is the Baptism of 40 children on Saturday. Normally I have a big number of Baptisms towards the end of the year as we approach First Communion season. However, the other Catholic school in our Parish, San Ignacio, had done a sweep to find out how many kids were not baptized within their school roll. So that was the result. And more or less you could say it was very difficult trying to Baptise so many and keep control. But I think we got there.