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:

JANUARY 2001

A SHARED THOUGHT:

IT IS SO EASY TO SEE THE DEPRAVITY THAT EXISTS IN OUR SOCIETY TODAY. NOT TOO MANY YEARS AGO THINGS WERE MORE SUBTLE AND NOT SO OBNOXIOUS AND DEGRADING TO THE SENSITIVE AND MORE INNOCENT. THE IMMORAL AND DEATH CULTURE THAT IS PRESENT TODAY IS DESTROYING THE GOOD. THE BEAUTIFUL AND HOLY. IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE SACRED AND ALL THE VALUES THAT ARE SO IMPORTANT, ARE DIMINISHING DAILY. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT EVERY BEING ON THIS PLANET HAS A GRAVE OBLIGATION TO MAKE SOME KIND OF CONTRIBUTION TO BETTER THE SITUATION. WE ONLY HEAR OF ALL THE EVIL, MURDERS, VIOLENCE, ETC. ETC. BUT WE SELDOM READ OR HEAR ABOUT THE MANY, MANY GOOD AND WONDERFUL PEOPLE THERE ARE IN THIS WORLD--PEOPLE WHO REALLY DO CARE, PEOPLE WHO REALLY WANT TO SEE MORALITY RETURNING TO OUR SOCIETY. MY POINT OF THIS BRIEF THOUGHT IS THAT IF EACH ONE OF US WOULD DO SOMETHING POSITIVE EACH DAY--IT MIGHT BE VERY INSIGNIFICANT, AND YOU MIGHT NOT SEE ANY RESULTS IMMEDIATELY BUT IF YOU AND ALL THE REST WOULD PERSEVERE, THINGS WOULD REALLY HAPPEN. WE HAVE TO PUT GOD TO THE TEST SOMETIMES, JUST AS HE PUTS US IN SITUATIONS SO FREQUENTLY WHEN WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION TO DEFEND OUR FAITH AND PROCLAIM IT. WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD WE WOULD HAVE IF THIS COULD BE DONE! PRAYER IS IMPERATIVE; GOOD WORKS, SHOWING PEOPLE THAT WE REALLY CARE. IF GOD IS NOT IN YOUR PLAN OF ACTION YOU WON'T SEE ANY SUCCESS. BEGIN WITH A SINCERE PRAYER ASKING GOD WHAT WE CAN AND SHOULD BE DOING. THE END RESULT WILL BE FANTASTIC. REMEMBER, ANYTHING WORTH WHILE THAT YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH IN LIFE WILL ALWAYS HAVE ITS PROBLEMS. JUST WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO AND YOUR LIFE WILL TAKE ON A GREAT VALUE, HAPPINESS WILL REAPPEAR IN YOUR LIFE I GUARANTEE YOU BETTER HEALTH ALSO. YOU CAN NEVER OUT DO GOD!

CHRISTMAS AT SANTA MARIA

THE LIGHTS WERE FAINTLY LIT IN THE CRYPT WHERE WE CELEBRATE MASS AT SANTA MARIA, ENOUGH LIGHT TO SEE WHERE WE'RE WALKING AS THE SOLEMN PROCESSION BEGAN FROM THE REAR OF THE CRYPT HEADED BY FATHER ANTONIO CARRYING THE BABY JESUS TO BE DEPOSITED IN THE CRIB NEAR THE ALTAR. THE EYES OF THE LITTLE CHILDREN GLOWED IN JOYFUL EXPECTATION. A LARGE CRIB SCENE BUILT BY THE CHILDREN AROUND THE ALTAR WHERE THEY USED THEIR ARTISTIC SKILLS TO ENHANCE THE REALITY OF THE PLACE WHERE JESUS WAS BORN IN BETHLEHEM. THE POORNESS OF THE SURROUNDINGS WHERE JESUS WAS BORN IS SOMETHING MANY OF THESE CHILDREN COULD RELATE TO FROM THE POVERTY OF THEIR OWN PERSONAL BACKGROUNDS. JOYFUL MUSIC AND CHRISTMAS HYMNS PRECEDED THE EVENING MASS AFTER FR. ANTONIO PUT THE BABY JESUS IN THE CRIB.

THE CHRISTMAS-DAY MASS WAS A REPEAT OF THE JOY-FILLED ENVIRONMENT OF THE EVENING BEFORE. CHRISTMAS VACATION WAS TO BEGIN AFTER THIS MASS. BUT FIRST GIFTS WERE DISTRIBUTED TO ALL THE CHILDREN WHICH WERE GIVEN BY OUR BENEFACTORS IN QUERETARO. FR. NORMAN WAS SANTA CLAUS. A HAPPY CHRISTMAS WAS HAD BY ALL

VOLUNTEERS AT SANTA MARIA

OVER A YEAR AGO WE BEGAN HAVING A BIT OF TROUBLE GETTING AND PAYING FOR TEACHERS. I REALIZED THAT SOMETHING HAD TO HAPPEN OR WE WOULD HAVE TO DOWNSIZE OUR PROGRAM. IMMEDIATELY I CALLED UPON A DEAR FRIEND OF MINE, SAINT PHILOMENA, TO TAKE OVER THE RESPONSIBILITY OF GETTING US SOME GOOD VOLUNTEERS AND HELP US TO PAY FOR SOME GOOD TEACHERS. AS USUAL SHE WAS FAITHFUL AND CAME THROUGH BEAUTIFULLY ANNA FARINA IS TEACHING HERE FOR HER SECOND YEAR, TEACHING SCIENCE AND PHYSICS; RICK JONES AND HIS WIFE SHIRLEY AND THEIR SON DANNY; LEONARDO VILLASENOR; AND MORE RECENTLY DANIEL AND WILMA RAMIREZ, AND SILVIA WEST.

I COULD WRITE A FULL PAGE ABOUT THEIR SENSE OF DEDICATION AND LOVE FOR THE CHILDREN AND THE ELDERLY, AND THE TREMENDOUS CONTRIBUTION THEY ARE DOING TO IMPROVE OUR PROGRAM AND TO ADD THE EXTRA "SPARK" TO EVERY HOME, BUSINESS OR INSTITUTION NEEDS. PUT THEM ALL TOGETHER AND THEY ARE A BEAUTIFUL FLAME THAT GIVES THE CHILDREN AND THE ELDERLY AN EXAMPLE THAT IS SO VALUABLE. SAINT PHILOMENA NEVER FAILS US.

OTHER STAFF MEMBERS SO VITAL TO OUR PROGRAM

FR. JOHN HENLEY IS A TREMENDOUS ASSET. HE IS LOVED DEARLY BY EVERYONE ESPECIALLY THE CHILDREN WHOM HE LOVES DEARLY TOO, SISTER MARY TERESA PACHECO CONTINUES TO BE THE ENERGY THAT KEEPS EVERYONE MOVING ALONG WITH SISTER MARY HANDMAID, SISTER MARY GUADALUPE AND SISTER MAY PAULINA. I THANK THE GOOD LORD THAT HE HAS BLESSED US WITH SUCH WONDERFUL PEOPLE OF GOD.

SCHOOL REPORT -- PRIMARY AND SECONDARY

THINGS ARE MOVING ALONG AT AN ACCEPTABLE PACE, MORE OR LESS, ORGANIZING AND DIRECTING A SCHOOL CAN BE FRUSTRATING WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE THE CALIBER OF TEACHERS THAT YOU WANT. AS THE-SAYING, GOES "YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR". I CAN'T PAY FOR THE BEST SO OUR RULES ARE A BIT MORE DEMANDING IN ORDER TO GIVE OUR CHILDREN THE PREPARATION NEEDED IN ORDER TO COMPETE WITH THE REST. HAVING ROUGHLY 285 CHILDREN TO EDUCATE AND WITH 90% OF THEM HAVING SOME SORT OF PROBLEM, PSYCHOLOGICAL, PHYSICAL OR MENTAL. SOME CASES ARE INCREDIBLE, SUCH AS INCEST, SEXUALLY OR PHYSICALLY ABUSED ORPHANS, RETARDED, HAVING EXPERIMENTED IN DRUGS AND SEXUAL RELATIONS AND SATANIC CULTS. THERE IS NO END TO WHAT MIGHT COME UP TOMORROW. BUT GOD IS EVER PRESENT AND IT DOES REQUIRE A LOT OF LOVE, PATIENCE, ACCEPTANCE, GOOD EXAMPLE AND LOTS OF PRAYER ON OUR PART. THE CHALLENGE IS GREAT BUT ONE MUST ALWAYS BE WILLING TO ACCEPT THE CROSSES OF LIFE.,

SANTA MARIA BRIEFS

OUR PROJECTS ARE ALWAYS FINISHING AND NEW ONES ARE BEGINNING. OUR RESTORED BOYS HOME IS A MARVEL. TWO YEARS AGO IT WAS FOUR WALLS OF ROCK IN BARE SPACE, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING: NO ROOF OR FLOORS. TODAY BECAUSE OF A LOT OF WORK ON THE PART OF THE CHILDREN AND OUR GREW OF WORKERS IT IS A JOY TO SEE IT FUNCTIONING. HAD GIRLS LIVING IN IT FOR ABOUT THREE MONTHS WHILE WE RESTORED THE BATHROOMS, KITCHEN, AND LOCKER ROOMS FOR THE GIRLS HOME IN COLON. NOW THAT THE GIRLS HOME IS COMPLETE WE ARE WAITING FOR A GOOD MAN TO SERVE AS DIRECTOR OF THE BOYS HOME WHEN THE BOYS MOVE IN.

Lots of love from the children, Sister Mary Teresa and all the Sisters, and from Fr. John Henley and Fr. Clifford "Antonio"