Santa Maria del Mexicano de Colon, QRO. I.A.P.

APDO. Postal No. 13, C.P. 76270

Colon, Queretaro, Mexico

To dial phone direct from U.S. 011 52 429 20245

Direct FAX from U.S. 011 52 429 20046

Mexico: LADA (91-429) 20248

DEAR FRIENDS AND BENEFACTORS MAY-JUNE 1999

A SHARED THOUGHT:

EVERY HUMAN BEING IS SEARCHING FOR PEACE AND HAPPINESS. THE EXISTING PROBLEM IN THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE, OF ALL AGES., IS THAT THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT TRUE HAPPINESS CONSISTS OF AND WHERE TO REALLY SEARCH FOR IT. SO MANY ARE SO CONFUSED BECAUSE OF OUR HEDONISTIC SOCIETY, THAT IS, THE FALSE PHILOSOPHY THAT PLEASURE IS MY RIGHT AND GOAL AND THAT NO ONE CAN DICTATE TO ME, AND THAT I DO NOT HAVE TO FOLLOW A CERTAIN DEFINED SET OF RULES AND MORALITY. I AM SOLE RULER OF MY BODY, EMOTIONS AND IDEAS, "AND WHATEVER I DESIRE I HAVE COMPLETE FREEDOM TO OBTAIN." THIS IS THE PHILOSOPHY THAT IS SO PREVALENT IN OUR SOCIETY TODAY AND THIS IS LEADING SO MANY TO SELF-DESTRUCTION, PHYSICALLY AND MORALLY.

THIS TOTAL REJECTION OF THE TRUE CHRISTIAN MORALITY IS EVIDENCED IN EVERY AREA OF LIFE. FREEDOM FROM SEXUAL DISCIPLINE, DRUGS, ABORTIONS. DIVORCE, VIOLENCE, CHILD ABUSE, BRUTALITY, UNLIMITED AND UNJUST WARS, MILLIONS LIVING IN ABJECT POVERTY, LAWS PROTECTING MURDERERS, DRUG CARTELS RULING COUNTRIES, CHILDREN PURCHASING ARMS TO KILL. THE LIST CAN GO ON AND ON. LEADERSHIP IS WANTING IN THOSE WHO SUPPOSEDLY ARE TO TEACH AND GUIDE OTHERS BY THEIR GOOD EXAMPLE. WHY ARE THESE HORRIFIC CRIMES ON THE INCREASE AND ARE NOT BEING CURTAILED AND REVERSED

THE ANSWER IS EVIDENT AND VARIABLE ACCORDING TO SO MANY COMPLEX SITUATIONS THAT EXIST IN OUR CULTURE TODAY. I DO NOT ACCEPT THE STATEMENT THAT WE ARE IN A GOD-LESS SOCIETY, A LARGE PERCENTAGE MIGHT BE IN THAT CATEGORY BUT AT THE SAME TIME I SEE ON A DAILY BASIS SO MUCH GOOD. THE YOUTH OF TODAY ARE FACED WITH SO MANY DIFFICULT DECISIONS, AND FROM MY PERSONAL CONTACT WITH YOUTH DAILY, I MARVEL AT THE TRANSFORMATION IN SO MANY WHO ARRIVE IN ONE OF OUR FOUR HOMES. OUR ATTEMPT IS TO SHOW THEM BY EXAMPLE AND DISCIPLINE THAT IT IS ONLY THROUGH A SINCERE SEARCH AND ENCOUNTER WITH THE LORD THAT WILL CAUSE THINGS TO HAPPEN IN ONE'S LIFE. EVERY RETREAT WHICH WE HAVE HAD WITH YOUTH GROUPS THIS YEAR HAS BEEN A REAL JOY FOR ME.

WITHOUT PRAYER AND REGULAR ENCOUNTERS WITH A LOVING FATHER, A MERCIFUL BROTHER IN JESUS AND THE SPIRIT OF LIGHT, GROWTH IN HAPPINESS AND PEACE IS IMPOSSIBLE. LIFE WILL ALWAYS HAVE ITS CHALLENGES. WE MUST BE INVOLVED IN THIS COUNTER-REVOLUTION. WE MUST BE THE LIGHT TO OTHERS TO SHOW THEM THE WAY. WE MUST BE THEIR STRENGTH WITH ALWAYS A "HELPING HAND" TO THOSE IN NEED. IN OUR APPROACH TO HELP OTHERS WE MUST BE POSITIVE AND NOT FATALISTIC. GOD WILL PROVIDE. TRUST AND CONFIDENCE WILL BE OUR POWER TO WIN THE BATTLE OVER EVIL. THE LORD JESUS IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND LIFE. HE WILL NEVER FAIL US. GIVE HIM A CHANCE!

DROUGHT HITS SANTA MARIA

NEVER HAVE I SEEN OUR AREA SO DRY (AFTER A SEASON OF DOWN-POURS LAST YEAR)! IT LOOKS LIKE OUR ANNUAL CROP WILL BE LOST--IT HASN'T EVEN BEEN PLANTED YET.

VACATION TIME

SISTER MARY TERESA PACHECO IS NOW IN NEW MEXICO RESTING AND VISITING WITH HER FAMILY. SHE HAS BEEN WITH OUR PROGRAM HERE AT SANTA MARIA 13 YEARS NOW AND IS AN INDISPENSABLE PART OF THIS MISSION. HER WORK DETAIL IS BOTH SUPERHUMAN AND SUPER-NATURAL. THE CHILDREN COUNT THE DAYS OF HER RETURN. FR. JOHN HENLEY WILL BE GONE FOR FOUR WEEKS DURING THE MONTHS OF AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, VISITING FRIENDS AND FORMER PARISHIONERS. FR. JOHN'S HEALTH IS MUCH BETTER AND HE NEVER STOPS. A REAL DYNAMOFOR HIS 70 YEARS.

YOURS TRULY HAS BEEN TAKING HIS "VACATION" IN A HOSPITAL FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS. HOPEFULLY THIS YEAR WILL BE DIFFERENT. I AM ASKING THE GOOD LORD TO PERMIT ME TOMAKE A 30-DAY RETREAT IN A MONASTERY WHERE THERE ARE NO TELEPHONES, NO CHILDREN YELLING AND SCREAMING, AND ESPECIALLY NO PARENTS COMING TO ME BEGGING TO TAKE THEIR CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN ON THE "STREET SCENE". A 30-DAY BREAK FROM THIS SHOULD GIVE ME AN ADDITIONAL 10-YEARS OF LIFE. I AMNOT TELLING THE LORD I DESERVE IT, BUT THAT IT WOULD BE A NICE LITTLE SURPRISE.

BUILDING PROJECTS

WE ARE STILL STRUGGLING ALONG ATTEMPTING TO FINISH OUR NEW PRIMARY SCHOOL, STILL LACKING A FEW NECESSARY "IMPERATIVES" BEFORE WE CAN OPEN THE DOORS. JUST TO NAME A FEW: 1) WATER AND DRAINAGE; 2) DESKS AND OFFICE EQUIPMENT; 3) PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT FOR TWO GROUPS--ONE FOR BOYS AND ONE FOR GIRLS; 4) FINISH OFF LANDSCAPING; 5) ETC.ETC. ETC. SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN TO MAKE THIS EVENT A REALITY. WE JUST MIGHT WIN A LOTTERY

RECONSTRUCTION OF 100-YEAR-OLD "SAN JOSE"

THIS IS OUR "HEAVY CHALLENGE". WE "ONLY" LACK PUTTING ON THE ROOF, ROUGHLY 1000 SQUARE FEET; TWO FLOORS THE SAME DIMENSION, MORE OR LESS; A CHAPEL; ELECTRICALAND WATER SUPPLY; BEDS, DESKS, DINING ROOM, LOCKERS, BATHROOM AND SHOWERS. ALL THIS IS SCHEDULED TO BE FINISHED BY THE MIDDLE OF OCTOBER 1999. AND IT WILL BE! (I JUST PURCHASED A I TON OF TRUST AND CONFIDENCE AT OUR LOCAL MARKET, SO WE ARE IN GOODSHAPE). THIS BUILDING WILL HOUSE 60 BOYS OF PRIMARY SCHOOL AGE.

RETREATS

EVERY WEEK WE ARE HAVING SPIRITUAL RETREATS FOR GROUPS OF 30-35 STUDENTS. THESE RETREATS ARE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS. GOD HAS TOUCHED MANY OF THEM IN THESE ENCOUNTERS WITH HIM.

GRADUATION DAYS

JULY 10th & JULY llth WILL BE GRADUATION CEREMONIES FOR OUR PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS. WE WILL HAVE ABOUT 60 MOVING TO HIGHER EDUCATION. WE HAD A GOOD YEAR. THIS IS OUR SECOND YEAR AS A PRIVATE PRIMARY SCHOOL (FORMERLY THE STUDENTS ATTENDED THE LOCAL PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN COLON), AND THIS YEAR SANTA MARIA PRIMARY SCHOOL WON FIRST PLACE AMONG THE OTHER 8 REGIONAL SCHOOLS. IT WAS A YEAR FOR OUR SECONDARY SCHOOL,TOO, CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT MANY HAD BEEN ON THE STREETS, ABUSED, RUN-AWAYS, EXPERIMENTING IN DRUGS, ETC. REMARKABLE CHANGES HAVE BEEN REALIZED AMONG THE STUDENTS DURING THE PAST YEAR. THE GOVERNMENT SENT OUT A TEAM OF PHYCHIATRISTS, PSYCHOLOGISTS, AND SOCIAL WORKERS TO EXAMINE OUR PROGRAM IN ITS ENTIRELY. THEY WERE SCHEDULED TO STAY THE ENTIRE DAY. AFTER TALKNG WITH THE STUDENTS IN GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS, CLASSROOMS SITUATIONS, THEY LEFT AFTER ABOUT THREE HOURS WITH GLOWING CONGRATULATIONS OF OUR PROGRAM. IT WAS NICE TO HEAR THAT FROM AN EXTREMELY CRITICAL GROUP OF PEOPLE.-- BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS-CAN PERFORM MIRACLES.

A special embrace of gratitude And affection reaches out to you, our friends and benefactors from all of us.

Children, Youth, Staff, Sister Mary Teresa, Sisters, Fr. John and Fr. Clifford A. Norman