APDO. Postal No. 13, C.P. 76270
Colon, Queretaro, Mexico
To dial phone direct from U.S. 011 52 419 292 0248
Direct FAX from U.S. 011 52 419 292 0046
Mexico: LADA (91-419292) 0248
DEAR FRIENDS AND BENEFACTORS:
April/May 2003
A SHARED THOUGHT
The world is not coming to an end as so many are thinking. It may seem as though we are on the brink of disaster, with that I do agree. What we need is a global "SPRITIJAL THINK TANK", not a global governing group that is based on power and materialism. Again, we better get our act together and bury our culture of death, power, war, Consumerism, racial discrimination, sexual depravity and another half dozen other wrapped philosophies and theologies. Christianity is losing ground yearly. A serious reversal of our present-day morality is no where in sight. What then is needed? A good question? I would answer. But what is the answer? Indeed a thought provoking point. To keep this brief, I would venture to say that we seriously need a prophet, the likes of which has never been, as of now, born a prophet that can move nations, not just 25% of one nation. You might answer, another "EARTH SHAKER" like JESUS CHRIST. We have two thousand years of the Christianity that he founded priesthood, lived and died for. According to world standards he was "SORT OF FAILURE". Of all the nations, do we have one that is truly Christian? The Vatican? A credible leader, but totally Christian? You may answer that yourself I Martin Luther King Jr.? Yes, a mover and martyr for a morally good cause. M. Ghrandi? Another martyr for morally a good cause. Their success was short lived through A. Hitler? Yes, a mover of one nation, but the cause was horrific and self-destructive. But then where can we look for such a person? Is a possibly that of the millions of aborted babies these past 30 years, this "prophet" might have been one of those killed before birth? I sort of think that is what God has permitted? SELF-DESTRUCTION AS WE CONTINUE TO DESTROY our beautiful planted earth, we are destroying thousand and thousand of great leaders who perhaps would have made our world a peace living world. Where God would truly reign? We all must continue our march toward victory over hate, vise and murder and plant the seeds of love and service to others in our own hearts and souls--another of my far fetched possibilities: THE INCARNATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Wow what a winner that would be.
OUR BELOVED FR. JOHN PASSED TO THE LORD
May 07,2003, Wednesday evening at 7:30 p.m. THE LORD CALLED Fr. John Henly to PRESENT HIM with the Beauty of SEEING AND EMBRACING HIM ALONG WITH OUR BLESSED MOTHER. WHAT an UNIMAGINABLE JOY THAT MUST HAVE BEEN. Those two whom he had loved and served so faithfully for some 50 years with such an impregnable faith that never was he in doubt as to what was his mission. Truly a soldier of Jesus Christ. and guided by our dear Mother I envy his joy, peace and happiness at this moment. His mission was to imitate Christ Jesus as priest and sacrificing his life also for the salvation of so many souls. He never trembled from these awesome duties but with undaunted courage he carried The banner of Jesus Christ proclaiming that Jesus is his mission and as St. Paul, it was first and foremost, Jesus crucified.
Fr. John loved and he shared this love with all those who he served both in the United State and also here in Mexico. His love for our some 230 children of Santa Maria and also 30 elderly in our nursing home was his energy and joy. That day before he died there was a group of grade school- girls who came to his apartment and sung for him. What a great amount of energy and joy that gave him. And afterward each giving him a little kiss, as tears came to his eyes. That is love and all the suffering that he endured was indeed well worth this love that he experienced of Jesus and Mary in the love of our little girls. I could easily write a book of the joys and suffering that we both shared. What is important is the fact that he served Jesus well in his parishes in Georgia and with our children and elderly. "Fr. John rest in peace and send your love to us whom you loved. We miss you dearly and all of our boys, girls and elderly send you a great big hug which made you smile as though you were the most blessed priest in the world."
THE DROUGHT HAS ARRIVED HERE ALSO
Our small crops of alfalfa and others which we use for the animals ( not for the children) is flourishing at this moment, but the reservoir dam has dried up. Hopefully you will also receive a photo in this letter of the students cleaning out SOME of the residue which has accumulated these past 100 years. They are working three hours per day and longer days on Fridays and Saturdays. We're making a dent ever so slightly, now hoping that the rain will come. The dam project is a gigantic one. Engineers had no easy solution. This is a beginning but with a lot of good hot sweat we will win out. The kids are nearly doing a fantastic job. No complaining at all. They are appreciative of what has to be done and they are doing it.
ANYONE FOR BARBECUE LAMB
That is correct! Just recently we bought 53 female and 3 male lambs. Most meat prices are about the same as they are in the U.S.A. When buying meat you really don't know what you are getting or what they used in feeding them. They are small now but growing quickly. We also have a cow and 4 calves. Soon I will be buying about 80 rabbits, of course, all for eating. Things are looking up. God is good to us. Feeding some 260 people three times a day is a big challenging at times. SECONDARY SCHOOL REMOLDING
You would not believe the tremendous progress seen in our secondary school. The roof was falling in and presenting in serious problem. "Tear if down and let's start all over." The first secondary school located within the large complex of Santa Maria and built on very limited funds. This time with a great amount of help from the Colorado group headed by JOHN MC CLURE and LEROY SALAZAR, we will have something that will last many, many years. God bless all of you for you love and cooperation.
Thank you very much and lots of love and hugs from all of us to each of you. Children, Sisters, staff, Father John and Fr. Cliff Norman.