The feast of Saint John at Santa Rosa and Catholic laity in the interior

                                                    The Santa Rosa Roman Catholic Church (Photo courtesy of Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs)

The 24^th of June annually is a special day to commemorate at Santa Rosa Moruca. It’s the feast of Saint John the Baptist the great evangelist and forerunner of Christ.  On St. John’s day in 1823 the sacerdote Fr. Hynes  arrived at Mariaba (modern Santa Rosa) from Georgetown upon request from the group of early Morucans who arrived there in 1818 escaping from the Simon Bolivar war in Venezuela. Upon the priest’s arrival at Mariaba the people welcomed their new John the Baptist Fr. Hynes, with bamboo firing which signified joy and happiness as the manifestation of the catholic faith in their new homeland.

 As Morucans reminisce and pay tribute to their ancestors' welcome gesture to their priest, on the feast of Saint John on June 24^th some 200 years ago, I would like to highlight two important aspects of Morucans and the Catholic Church. The first is: the introduction of Catholicism to Guyanese Indigenous Amerindians began by the early “Spanish Arawaks” as they were called, who were assimilated by Spanish missionaries in neighboring Venezuela prior to their arrival to “British Territory” in 1818. This brief history reflects a different Christianizing process by the church to indigenous peoples in Guyana, when comparing same to other modern nation-states in the Americas; where the church approach was brutal to the natives and the bible and sword were used to convert them.

The other aspect is the reality of laity in the Catholic Church in Amerindian communities in Guyana. This great gift began as is highlighted above with the first group of “Spanish Arawaks” when they arrived at Santa Rosa practicing the catholic faith for several years without a priest. They remained strong and united in hearts and minds as a minority group in a Protestant / Anglican state of British Guiana until with their prayerful request; they received a priest to attend their sacramental needs.

The lay-led church practice from Santa Rosa later expanded to other parts of the interior mainly to the Pakaraimas and the Rupununi regions. Thus, this is an important gift of the peoples’ faith to maintain and value as part of our worldview of Catholicism in Indigenous communities, in the interior of Guyana.

Acknowledging this blessing of Indigenous Amerindian laity in the church along with the sacramental and spiritual service of the priests who are accompanying them, it is pivotal that the two continue to be balanced as both complement each other in Catholicism in the interior; which brings people nearer to Christ.

In concluding, on the feast of Saint John the Baptist we beseeched him to intercede and pray for Morucans and Catholics of the interior to continue to strive in the catholic faith, and for the laity to have more generous and humble young men and women coming forth to work for the Lord in this part of the vineyard in Guyana, Lord hear us!

Happy feast of Saint John to all!

 

 

 

                             

 Indigenous and Catholic- Guyana

September is designated Indigenous Heritage Month in Guyana and this reflection takes on what is to be an indigenous Catholic. Those of us,  particularly from the North West, the Pakaraimas and the Rupununi embraced Catholicism as part of our “new culture” from the 18th and 19th centuries, and since then it picked up a rhythm in practice which is assumed by us and can no longer be described as something from outside. We ourselves also practice some elements of our beliefs such as to pray to ancestor’s spirits etc. We also use Catholic prayers and devotions as part of our Christian life. This mixture in beliefs contributes to our new identity as being Indigenous Catholic, even though in its initial years Christianity stifled some elements of our original worldview of the Creator.

Nevertheless, most of us declared ourselves “Catholics” in Guyana with the entry of the early missionaries. This missionary contact gave us motives to embrace the Catholic faith from a social and humanitarian aspect. In other words, adherence to Catholicism by the indigenous population whether Macushi, Patamona, Wapichan, Warrau and Arawak among others was not only due to the repetition of the Creed, but to political, social, spiritual, educational and economic factors related to alliances that were made concretely with those who came to assist us.

This experience is shared by the majority of Indigenous people, especially from Santa Rosa, where the Catholic faith was planted 200 years ago, and in the Rupununi and Pakaraimas for 112 years and more. One regular custom that reflects our belief is to attend Sunday services conducted by a lay leader who has a unique vocation to serve his or her people in the Church, or when there is a priest, which is rare in most of the villages, to have the celebration of Mass.

Additionally, it includes attending worship with a congregation comprised of children, a few young people and the majority elders who are the regular ‘diehard Catholics’ which makes one think why is it so?

Furthermore, Church engagements taught us to be “good people”. Most of us leave Jesus behind in the chapel on Sundays. At home and village we are different in our treatment of others and most times silent on social issues. The custom also exists to go to church and say the mea culpa prayer or ask for forgiveness. This weak human side of us is a base to strive for salvation and practice the faith-in-action element of our Catholic belief.

As with all humans, not all our villages are on the same level in faith experience. There are lapsed Catholics, and those who left the Church because they fell out with others etc. Likewise there are others who won’t attend fellowship on a regular basis, and those who will eventually drift to evangelical churches or stay away completely from contact with churches and their teachings in communities. 

This reality gives an impression that most times Catholicism is not something which some of us are grounded in simply because we don’t find it too meaningful to us. For this reason, come the questions of faith for an Indigenous Catholic. What is faith and how do we see it? Is it perceived through the eyes of the pastors, or the Church’s hierarchy or is it perceived though the eyes of the Indigenous?

Given the way and the context in which faith is taught, there seems to be a disconnect between the lived  experience of us and the way the Catholic faith is presented. For example, after Confirmation, most of the newly-confirmed ones drift away from the Church or join other evangelical churches. Our indigenous brothers and sisters have basic needs for example food, shelter, clothing, security and family life. Villagers would travel out of their villages in search of employment. Due to the lack of employment opportunities the younger population migrates from their villages to the urban areas.

Externally, faith is associated with the church building, since its establishment in our communities, a place to obtain the sacraments and a place of worship. It is a place of initiation or baptism of becoming a member of the worldwide Catholic family and to be taught the catechism of the Catholic Church for example believing in the Creator, or Almighty God, Our Lady, the Holy Family and all the angels and saints. It is also a place where most of us seek our spiritual upliftment through prayers and devotions.

Socially, for most communities the church buildings play an important part of community life, where some see them as a place for social interactions, to converse with friends and neighbors and learn of activities happening in the village for the week which is usually announced by the village leader after the Sunday worships.

However, with the experience at present of the COVID-19 pandemic, church buildings are closed and the home becomes the place of prayer and worship to maintain the faith for some of us. The pandemic also brought out the strengths and weaknesses of being Indigenous Christian in contemporary Guyana. Some of us lucky ones with access to the internet followed livestreamed Masses on the internet on Sundays. With regard to the pandemic in our communities, some Evangelical groups received advice from their  leaders to adhere to the precautions, adding their voice to support frontline and local authorities’ message. Others remained silent including those on either side of the racial divide leading up and after the national elections. The divisiveness of our church communities was not positive. Church members were scandalizing others with incorrect information and allegations about politics and some doubting that the virus is real.

Generally, Christianity and human behavior is not static, there are always transformations. One example is with the entry of other Evangelical Christian groups in our villages over the years. The entry of these evolved pluralistic villages experiences comprised of Fundamental Christian beliefs into once Catholic-dominated communities. This experience creates opportunity for ecumenical fellowship of God’s people by allowing ‘our traditional Catholics’ and their counterparts from other evangelical churches to be tolerant and to show respect for other beliefs. There are some of us also who seem confused about these churches, and most would react to their different messages with certain passivity. There are also Catholics who became believers of other faiths and who decided to erase their names from the Church. And conversely, there is the experience of some Indigenous Catholics who after visiting and learning from other faiths have decided to return to the Catholic Church.

From historical experience, for most Indigenous Catholics, Catholicism did not kill our culture because it was strongly practiced at home even though it stifled it in some instances. However, it did not take on a drastic colonial extinction approach like what happened in parts of Brazil and other Latin American countries in colonial times. Studies suggested that Catholicism’s entry into Guyana came at a later stage.

In this context, the indigenous people especially those in the Rupununi and Pakaraimas were able to maintain their language, customs and traditions given their remoteness from urban influence. This is evident in the local beliefs for example: in traditional  healing and other customs pertinent to indigenous worldview. There is a wealth in indigenous epistemology which could possibly develop towards an Indigenous theology from our Christian ecumenical communities.

In conclusion, for most Indigenous Catholics, our perception of the Church is that it doesn´t preach fire and brimstone to us in these modern times as in the past. In view of this, credit must be given to the religious institution for respecting our culture, in promoting the languages and  customs, particularly in the Rupununi and Pakaraimas where our worldview remains strong, a positive element for most of us which makes part of our proud Indigenous Catholic identity even though we waver in our Christian faith as we celebrate in unity this great blessing!

A blessed Indigenous Heritage Month to all!

 

A chat with Vannie Edwards, a young PLA from the North West District

Vannie Edwards and youths at Wauna Nort West. ( Photo: Vannie Edwards)

In a recent conversation by WhatsApp with Ms. Vannie Edwards, a Parish Lay Assistant (PLA) from West District, she narrated that she is one of the youngest at her church, St. Theresa, an outstation of the main parish at Hosororo. I asked Miss Edwards a few questions which she responded to and which gives an understanding of the youth and church engagements there during this time of lockdown. Her narrative I share with the Catholic Standard.

When did you become a PLA?

“I became a P.L.A for my church St. Theresa in 2018. The community is an outstation of the main Our Lady of Lourdes chapel at Hosororo, located a little way from the town of Mabaruma. At the main church, there is one priest for twenty eight parishes”.  

She narrated that at St. Theresa there are three PLAs and she works mostly with the youths and children.

After becoming a youth leader and PLA, Vannie, as she is popularly known, went to St. Ignatius, Central Rupununi, in 2018 as part of her church team to participate in the Presynodal meeting on the Amazon. She and team also visited Trinidad that same year for the Jesus Explosion, a charismatic movement of praise and worship with focus on how to be a better Christian.

What did you do before becoming a PLA?

“I was active in church activities engaged in a youth group, assisting fellow young people to be prayerful, to visit the sick, shut-ins and elderly in the community. Our youth group also visited other young people, encouraging them to form youth groups in other outlying parishes. To offer them some things to do from the church aspect. This initiative came from seeing that young people needed support and guidance to live meaningful lives centered on God. In other words, how the church can assist young people. It’s sad to see that some are killing themselves by suicide; in recent times four young people killed themselves in different places in the sub-region: one in Kaituma, one in Mabaruma, one in White Water and one in Hosororo. Those youths needed help and our youths need to do more to combat this issue”.

How did the youth groups get started?

“It began as a charismatic group that reached out to the young people in the area. The main youth group is comprised of youths from Hosororo, the main parish, but now there are young people from all over the sub-district. The network of youth groups reached out to other parishes to keep prayer meetings etc. The youth groups also have senior church members who accompany us. They also encourage some of us to be nuns and priests and so on”.

Miss Edwards shared that Mabaruma and the Northwest is blessed to have produced their own priest, Fr. Marlon Innis SJ: “We are all proud of him. He is a wonderful priest, very down to earth”.

There are three main youth groups from different outstation churches from the main Church at Hosororo. The name of the youth group at Our Lady of Lourdes in Hosororo is Young Apostles. The one at Mabaruma is the St. Joseph Youth Group; there is Army Anointed Reigning Mighty Youth group from Kumaka, and St. Theresa´s Youth Group.

What are the groups doing to engage youths and others during this time of the pandemic when the churches are closed?

Her responses were: “We have a group chat on WhatApp where we engage with other young people and also adults. We do bible sharing, reading, meditations and songs on the social media platform. The group has members from all other places like Hosororo, Kumaka, Mabaruma and Wauna. There are also others from as far as Trinidad who take part in the activities in the group chat”.

She continued, “everybody contributes in the chat group and it’s encouraging. I found it a good way to support each other in order to keep the faith alive by praying, and sharing about church and God during this crucial time of COVID-19 lockdown.”

Besides this faith activity on WhatsApp, Miss Edwards and her fellow youths assist elders in the area who need help in cleaning and washing, and also carry food for them. They do these things observing the precautions of COVID-19 such as social distancing, wearing masks and praticing hygiene.

Besides church activities, Vannie is a nursery school teacher, and of recent through the church she got a job with UNICEF. According to her: “I go out to teach using resources from a kit given to me for early childhood children most of whom are Venezuelan migrants in the area”.

At home she keeps regular prayer meetings with her family, along with being active in the group chat on WhatsApp. The family prays the Rosary, the Divine Mercy chaplet and offer prayers for the entire world, the pope, the church, for the poor and suffering in the world during this pandemic crisis.

The young missionary, who loves working with children, also prays for them: “Especially those who suffer from domestic abuse, aborted children, and for families that need God, particularly those who have gone astray. Prayers are also offered for the political crisis in Guyana and the effects the pandemic is having on the world. I think that God is putting people to the test with these things. And it’s sad to see Guyana being upside down, where people forget about Jesus and get worked up over politics that results in anger and bitterness with one another”.

My the good Lord help us! 

No St. John´s celebration in 2020 for Catholics in the interior of Guyana

In the interior of Guyana, the annual celebration of the feast of the birth of St John the Baptist on June 24th usually begins with a solemn Mass, followed by a public activity of lighting a huge bonfire and people gathered around to walk on the remaining hot coals. The public event normally is accompanied with mostly Brazilian forró music and dance, something that is practiced especially in the Rupununi; a celebration that takes a similar form in neighbouring Brazil. However, this year 2020, the solemn feast was observed at home and families prayed for those victims of the Coronavirus, especially at Santa Rosa, Moruca which is the hardest hit Catholic indigenous area presently.

In Guyana, the St. John the Baptist celebration began to be observed at Santa Rosa to celebrate the arrival of the first priest to the people there after they requested for a sacerdote to be their pastor. According to Church documents, Fr. Hynes arrived at Santa Rosa on June 24th 1830 - the feast of St. John, where he baptised 75 children and married two couples.

Upon the priest´s arrival at Santa Rosa, the early Morucans welcomed him with the local custom of firing bamboo cannons and a bonfire. A symbolic gesture of God´s mission to John as in the story of John the Baptist where God sent him for that special mission to preach about repentance and to baptize people, tell them about the Kingdom of God and prepare them for the Messiah’s coming.

Given this history, St. John´s celebration was subsequently brought to the Rupununi by the Arawaks of Santa Rosa; the oldest Catholic mission in the interior of Guyana. Later, most Catholics and others embraced the practice in celebrating the feast in the Rupununi. In neighbouring Brazil it is also celebrated and Catholics of the Rupununi working over there are exposed to the solemn religious feast, so both sides most Rupununians celebrate it depending on which side they are for June 24th every year.

Speaking with residents of the Rupununi and Santa Rosa by Whatsapp recently, they said that this year there were no activities of making a bonfire and walking on the hot coals in the villages because of the mandatory ban on social gathering and on public events to curtail the spread of the Coronavirus in indigenous communities. A celebration that a lot of people missed.

May Saint John intercede and pray for the people of Santa Rosa who are suffering from the Coronavirus out-break there these days. St. John Pray for Morucans!

Brief history of feast of the birth of St John the Baptist

The nativity of John the Baptist on the June 24th is a high-ranking liturgical feast, kept in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox and Lutheran churches. The sole biblical account of the birth of John the Baptist comes from the Gospel of Luke.

Christians have long interpreted the life of John the Baptist as a preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ, and the circumstances of his birth, as recorded in the New Testament, are miraculous. John's pivotal place in the gospel is seen in the emphasis Luke gives to the announcement of his birth and the event itself, both set in prominent parallel to the same occurrences in the life of Jesus.

Brief history of the bonfire for the St. John celebration

The celebration of mid-summer´s Eve was from ancient times linked to the summer solstice. Some people believed that mid-summer plants especially Calendula/ Marigold had miraculous healing powers and they therefore picked them on this night. Bonfires were lit to protect against evil spirits which were believed to roam freely when the sun was turning southwards again. However, over time, this holiday has lost most of its sacral meaning and only its festive elements remain.

Additionally, although mid-summer is originally a pagan holiday, in Christianity it is associated with the nativity of John the Baptist, which is observed on the June 24th annually. It is six months before Christmas because Luke 1:36 implies that John the Baptist was born six months earlier that Jesus, although the Bible does not say at which time of the year this happened.

Perhaps it’s time for unconventional education to shine

Photo: M. Abraham

Education has come a long way in Guyana contributing to national development. However, there is still some division between those who have the opportunity to study and those less fortunate children who lack opportunities and support to pursue it for upward mobility. This system of education that produces some social inequality is promoted by conventional ideology for capital and market products. Guyanese Indigenous people and other poor rural population because of their geographic location, cultural and social differences have always been at a disadvantage in obtaining formal learning, despite governments’ efforts to deliver quality education to them.

In 2020 came COVID-19 and the Ministry of Education began closing schools to contain the spread of the virus. This activity interrupted the academic learning in the classrooms for all children in Guyana and these days all are at home.
For Indigenous children in the interior, a few lucky ones are receiving academic lessons work at home, while the rest are in the farms with their parents. The majority lack access to online learning provided by the Ministry of Education, although some try to listen to the radio if they have solar energy or batteries to power the device at home.

For parents, teachers, the Ministry of Education and modern society, it is crucial for children to receive academic education and perform well at the core subjects to obtain the benchmarks rated by the system; a pivotal achievement for the Ministry of Education to be on par with standard education of the world that capitalism promotes.

But let’s be real. The same education based on ‘meritocracy’ fails most of Indigenous and other poor children with its rigid and selective system centered on education of the head and intellect and limited space for critical analysis. Given this understanding, it is hoped that COVID-19 serves to revolutionize education. As the meritocracy system slows down during time of closure of schools, perhaps it’s time for unconventional education to shine.

Given that conventional education comes to “educate” indigenous people, it should also consider that they have a unique worldview of education.

With the closure of schools parents are teaching the children to plant and grow local food from the farms, apart from teaching them the local language and customs from the elders. Additionally our children are learning to live sustainably with the environment and the proper use of lands while learning the importance of the natural resources etc.

Furthermore, there is a lot of richness in popular knowledge to learn from in rural and indigenous communities in Guyana. Some examples are the local season for fishing and hunting. There are also concepts of mathematics and sciences these communities generate. The circular shapes of the cassava bread when baked can teach shapes and the carbohydrate and other nutritious values it contains. There are many more examples of popular education to teach the children. This shows that conventional education is not the only way of schooling a child. Unconventional learning is also valuable and it should not be perceived as a second-class education. Having this aspect of education is vital for coping with disappointments when children academic performance is low at school. So while schools are closed and meritocracy learning slows down during this pandemic, it is time for unconventional education to shine for those students not having access to academic lesson at homes, until schools reopen in September.

Yours truly

Medino Abraham

Celebrating Pentecost in the adversity of COVID-19

 By Marlon Innis SJ 

Last Sunday, May 31st, the Church celebrated Pentecost, Jesus sending down the Holy Spirit to his disciples empowering them to continue the mission. Armed with the Holy Spirit they were able to perform wonders, and be the prophetic voice to the people. The Holy Spirit empowered the disciples to proclaim with wisdom the coming of God’s kingdom among us on earth. This mission still continues today. Prayer, devotions, meditations among others are very important, but there is a need to do more. For example we can pray for a divine intervention, such as sending rain during a drought. If we fail to address destructive human practices towards the rainforests, then droughts are inevitable.

Similarly, the Church is the prophetic voice which must speak out in defence of the poor and vulnerable especially in face of adversities. For example, during the Forbes Burnham administration, Father Andrew Morrison, SJ now deceased, continuously used his prophetic voice to speak out and to challenge the ills which were destroying the fabric of Guyana's nationhood, and he was right to do this.

In recent times, there appears a reduced appetite for the prophetic voice to address core issues facing the people. Appeasement and remaining silent in order to protect a vested interest should not be entertained. Although Archbishop Oscar Romero who was an academic and a conservative chose to use his prophetic voice in defense of the poor and vulnerable. I think that the need for prophetic voice is worldwide but more so in Guyana especially during our adversities.

While in Guyana, the focus is on finding and maintaining ways of combating the rise and spread of COVID-19 which will eventually pass, there also exist opportunities for initiatives which will not only address the spiritual needs of the people.

Fifty-four years after independence we are still faced with issues, such as racial biases, voting according to race and exclusive governance, lack of care and concern for others, and perhaps the absence of a link that connects the spiritual/religious care with the fundamental issues of the day among many more. For instance, how is it that Catholics can attend Sunday Masses and other religious events where we profess brother and sisterhood, but during election season hatred, malice, anger, intolerance, stereotyping and negative judgments are displayed against each other. How can we link the Gospel message to people’s life situations so that efforts can be made to process our thought patterns? Is there a role the Church can play in nation building?

The feast of Pentecost provides the answer for us, which is to fiercely embrace the value of the Gospel by rejecting the evil which our two political dinosaurs, who have and will continue to feed their supporters, inclusive of members of the faithful, a racial diet which seeks to divide and sow the seeds of mistrust. Efforts must be made to teach our faithful that collectively all can rise up in faith, inspired and motivated by the Holy Spirit and the various initiatives which are in place to empower the people, to reject the source of evil and destruction in our country.

In the United States, there is protest in the midst of COVID-19 over the murder of African Americans. This violence is driven by the same force and motivation which is also at work in Guyana, a belief that one group of people is privileged over the other. Hence this cycle is repeated regularly. Almost every nation and its people bear scars that have deep-seated feelings of anger and resentment. This has plainly been displayed in the United States; likewise Guyanese bear the scars of post-colonization repression under varying leaderships which have governed Guyana. We carry many wounds from the past and unless these fundamental issues are addressed, our socio-economic, political, and spiritual development will remain an elusive dream.

The temptation is to appease and to keep silent so my vested interest is preserved. This pattern of self-interest can be seen in Guyana at present. Perhaps the words of Martin Niemoller, who was a well-known Lutheran pastor, might offer them a second thought. "First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a socialist, then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist, then they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me." 

Opportunity in the crisis 

Dear Editor,

In Guyana, the nation is caught in a web with post elections results fiasco since it was held on March 2nd triggered by the touted occurance of fraud in the electoral process or because both major parties want to be in power. Faced with this situation of political quagmire the population is kept in suspense to know who their legally elected leader is.

Then came Covid-19 to make things worse with deaths, followed by curfews etc, which the Guyanese people have to put up with. These situations affect the Guyanese psyche particularly the divided politics that plagued the nation since independence. The people do not deserve this from our leaders.

With the impact of COVID-19 and its quarantine measures to keep people at home to control the spread of the virus, many are bored despite the good coming out of it such as the planting of gardens, praying etc.

There is also the issue of big families cramped up in small apartments or houses, making it impossible for social distancing, and the increased likelihood of the evil practice of domestic violence and child abuse occurring in our homes during this time. To make matters worse, due to the shutdown of most workplaces, people are out of jobs and there is no money to buy food for families. Many go starving without meals. Luckily, there are those generous persons rendering assistance to those in desperate need of food etc.

In such time of despair people usually turn to Church and the creator for comfort. But these days church buildings are closed to contain the spread of the virus. This made pastors switch to use the internet (those who are fortunate) to celebrate Masses or worship services with the faithful. A great initiative of virtual evangelization of the faithful locally and abroad.

However, more could be done besides the livestreaming of Masses, and prayers. For example bible study or bible sharing by Zoom with a group of lay persons and their priests or pastors. Same could be done for those who don’t have internet access to engage in bible study as a family and pray for Guyana during this time of quarantine and political crises.

I am fortunate at Ignatius House (Chicago) to have the opportunity to attend daily and Sunday Masses. However I think an opportunity is being missed to find creative ways to teach and preach the Gospel message. While it is good to live stream Masses it is important to find creative ways to teach the faith. Probably support groups could be formed; to explore the deeper meaning of our Catholic faith. Additionally, an environment can be created where persons can examine their faith journey in connection to COVID and the other impasse. How can I see the image and presence of God in other persons who hold differing views from mine.

Additionally during this lockdown, it is important to contemplate and empathise with those: in confinement sometimes for crimes they didn’t even commit, for the imprisoned refugees, the visually impaired, the physically disabled, the animals locked in zoos denied of their freedom in their habitats. Those shut-ins, those patients who are quarantined or isolated, those that suffer from domestic abuse, those stranded and unable to return home because the closure of borders and those materially poor without food for the good Lord to send generous people to assist.

Finally, Guyanese should contemplate on the negativities that divide us triggered by race-based politics, and think about inclusiveness to deal with the current COVID-19 pandemic. We can do this hoping that a post Coronavirus unity will prevail. We must think about working together towards nation building for ALL, because presently the nation´s soul is shattered a result of the pandemic and political crises. We need to seek God in this situation.

Marlon