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:

APRIL/MAY 2000

A SHARED THOUGHT:

AS I SAT DOWN TO WRITE THIS LETTER, I SAID A PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT TO ENLIGHTEN ME WITH A REFLECTION WHICH WOULD FILL YOUR HEARTS WITH JOY AND HAPPINESS, TO GIVE YOU PEACE AND JOY AND TO MOVE YOU TO SEE JESUS MORE CLEARLY IN THE POOR AND DEFENSELESS WHAT CAME THOUGH WAS A COMBINATION OF WHAT JESUS HAD PREACHED SO VERY FORCEFULLY, WHAT ST. PAUL REPEATED SO BEAUTIFULLY AND WHAT POPE JOHN PAUL IS REPEATING SO FREQUENTLY AND ALSO TAUGHT BY ANOTHER PROPHET OF OUR TIME, FR. GUSTAVO GUTIERREZ. THE MESSAGE IS THAT WE MUST SEE CHRIST TN THE POOR AND THAT WE MUST HELP HIM/HER OUT OF THEIR HOPELESSNESS. THIS IS WHAT EVERY PERSON SHOULD DO BUT ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE IS TAKING IT SERIOUSLY. WHAT JESUS IS TELLING US TODAY IS RATHER SIMPLE HE IS NOT TELLING US TO TOTALLY ELIMINATE POVERTY OR TO MAKE OVER YOUR WEALTH TO THE POOR, ALTHOUGH IT WAS FOR US THAT HE BECAME POOR. H E IS ONLY ASKING EACH ONE OF US "FOR A LITTLE BREAD, SOME CLOTHING TO PROTECT ME AGAINST THE COLDNESS OF NIGHTS AND A LITTLE COMFORT IN MY HUNGER". WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD AND SOCIETY IT WOULD BE IF ONLY 20% OF THE FIRST WORLD COUNTRIES WOULD DO THIS. WHAT BLESSINGS WOULD BE OURS! SUCCESS, MATERIALISM, CARNALITY, PRO-CHOICE, NEO-LIBRALISM ARE NOT THE ANSWER. WE ALL KNOW WHAT IS THE ANSWER, BUT WE ARE FEARFUL TO EMBRACE IT. "I WAS HUNGRY AND YOU GAVE ME FOOD, I WAS THIRSTY AND YOU GAVE ME TO DRINK, I WAS HOMELESS AND YOU HELPED ME WITH SHELTER. NOW I TELL YOU THIS. WHEN YOU DID THESE THINGS FOR THE MOST NEGLECTED OF MY BROTHERS, YOU DID THEM FOR ME." YES, THESE WORKS OF MERCY CAN BE CHALLENGING TO ALL OF US, BUT WE MUST REALIZE THAT WE ARE ONLY SHARING THAT WHICH THE LORD HAS SO GENEROUSLY GIVEN TO US. IT WAS HIS LOVE FOR EACH ONE OF US THAT FINDS US WHERE WE ARE TODAY. IF WE HAVE PAINS AND SUFFERING, IT CAN BE A BLESSING. THE CROSS THAT HE BORE TO CALVARY WAS LOADED DOWN WITH OUR SINS. "THANK YOU JESUS, THANK YOU JESUS. I ONLY DESERVE YOUR WRATH, UT YOU HAVE GIVEN ME YOUR GOODNESS AND MERCY. HELP ME TO SEE AND ACCEPT YOU IN THE LITTLE AND INSIGNIFICANT ONES".

GRADUATION DAY AT SANTA MARIA

ON JUNE 9^TH WE CELEBRATED THE GRADUATION OF OUR CHILDREN FROM THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS WHICH INCLUDED SOME 48 VERY EXCITED, STUDIOUS AND BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN. IT WAS INDEED A MOST JOYOUS AND SUCCESSFUL EVENT. SEVERAL HUNDRED JOINED IN THE CELEBRATION AND ENJOYED THE MANY PRAISES FROM THE SPEAKERS AND ALSO APPLAUDED THE MANY FOLKLORICAL DANCES, SINGING AND A HOST OF OTHER PRESENTATIONS, A MARIACHI GROUP, TWO OF OUR ROASTED PIGS AND JOY, JOY, JOY! ALL OF YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY PROUD OF THAT MEMORIAL EVENT. THEIR DRESSES WERE GLORIOUS AND THEY ALL PARTICIPATED IN SEWING THEM. SISTER CLARA PATRICK OF MONTROSE, COLORADO TAUGHT MANY OF THEM THIS WONDERFUL ART OF SEWING. AT THE MASS ALL OF YOU WERE REMEMBERED IN HELPING MAKE THIS POSSIBLE.

OUR WEEKLY DINNER

FOR THE POOR THIS WEEKLY DINNER FOR THE POOR IS INDEED A JOY TO ALL WHO ARE IN ATTENDANCE. THE MASS, CONFESSIONS, DINNER AND DISTRIBUTION OF A HEFTY SACK OF FOODS IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. ON TUESDAY JULY 11TH WE SERVED MORE THAN 1300 HUNGRY STOMACHS.

SAN ANTONIO GROUP ARRIVES TO WORK

SPEARHEADED BY RICK AND SHIRLEY JONES OF SAN ANTONIO, A GROUP OF 20 MEN AND WOMEN JUST ARRIVED AND ARE IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING A COMPUTER ROOM IN WHICH THEY ALSO WILL INSTALL 17 COMPUTERS WHICH WERE BOUGHT WITH MONIES RAISED FROM THEIR PREACHING AND WEB SITE NEWS. A LATER REPORT WILL FOLLOW AS THEY FINISH THIS TREMENDOUSLY IMPORTANT PROJECT. STUDENT INTERCHANGE PROGRAM THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF MR. KURT CAREY, SUPERINTENDENT OF THE DISTRICT OF LA JARA, COLORADO, AN INTERCHANGE PROGRAM OF TWO STUDENTS FROM OUR SCHOOL HERE IN MEXICO AND TWO FROM LA JARA, CO. WILL BE EXCHANGING SCHOOLS. THE FACT IS THAT THE DAUGHTER OF MR. AND MRS. CAREY, THALIA JO CAREY, IS ALREADY HERE. THIS IS BEING DONE SO THAT THE STUDENTS CAN LEARN ENGLISH AND SPANISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE AND ALSO TO HELP CREATE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES AND THAT WE ARE ALL BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND EQUALLY CHILDREN OF GOD.

A NEW ERA BEGINS IN MEXICO

JULY 2nd BROUGHT EXPLOSIVE AND JOYFUL SHOUTS FROM MILLIONS OF MEXICANS. THE INCUMBENT POLITICAL PARTY THAT RULED MEXICO FOR 71 YEARS WAS DEMOCRATICALLY VOTED OUT OF OFFICE. I WILL SAY NO MORE ABOUT THIS FOR THREE YEARS. I PUT EVERYTHING ON HOLD UNTIL I SEE WHAT THE NEW PARTY WILL DO FOR THE 40 MILLION MEXICANS WHO NOW GO TO BED HUNGRY EACH NIGHT .AGAIN I APOLOGIZE FOR MY TARDINESS. WITH FR. JOHN GONE AND THE ELECTRICAL COMPANY THREATENING TO CUT OFF OUR ELECTRICITY IF I DON'T PAY THE BACK BILL, LIFE HAS BEEN A"FAST TRACK" CIRCUS AROUND HERE.

MANY SINCERE THANKS AND JUGS FROM ALL THE CHILDREN, PRAYERS FROM THE CHILDREN, STAFF, SISTERS, FR. JOHN, AND FR. CLIFF NORMAN