March, 2009             

           For some ten years I had worked in the far south of Peru about ninety miles from the Chilean border in a place called San Francisco, Moquegua, before being elected Director of the Society of St. James the Apostle (In the midst of those years, in 2000, I did a year of administrative service in Boston, returning to Moquegua just in time for an 8.4 earthquake!). The history of those years could fill the next three years of this newsletter but it won’t. In my remarks at the conclusion of the final liturgy at the parish, I wished the community a future filled with joy and hope in Christ Jesus, the Light of the world. Expressing that same wish I spoke for the first time as Director to the membership of the Society of St. James, gathered for our Annual General Meeting in Lima, Peru.

          As missionaries our primary task is to proclaim Christ Jesus and develop faith communities where his Light can shine. As missionaries who work in areas of extreme poverty, our mission must be exercised with joy and hope. These phrases remind us of the principal documents of the Second Vatican Council: “Gaudium et Spes (Joy and Hope) and “Lumen Gentium (Light of the Nations). The vision of that Council, which was born a few years after the founding of the Society of St. James, has guided our members in forming mission communities. In the Council’s spirit of renewal, the Society continues to develop faith communities in which the people are encouraged and formed to take responsibility for all aspects of the parish. Active participation is the goal. In the years to come another important Church document will be guiding our ministry as well.

          In the month of May, 2007, the bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean met in Aparecida, Brazil, for the Fifth General Episcopal Conference of that region of the world. They took a fearless look at the life of the Church and designed a pastoral plan to respond to that reality. The document from Aparecida calls for all ecclesial communities to renew themselves in their pastoral life and their witness of Christian life. There is to be a new “continental mission,” whose clear priorities are the proclamation of the Kingdom of God and human betterment as the Church lovingly reaches out to the majority of the population who are far from the community of faith. The bishops have determined that this will be the permanent ecclesiology of their region, a vision that reminds all the baptized that they must be missionaries of Christ to their neighbors. Some of the dioceses where the Society labors have already taken major steps in implementing the vision of renewal from Aparecida.

          In the years to come I hope to share this vision of Church with you and keep you informed on its progress. I am sure that it will play an integral part of our future Annual General Meetings.

          This year nearly all the members were able to attend the Meeting, which began on Monday evening, February 9 and ended with the closing banquet on Thursday, February 12. The newest member was away, studying Spanish in Cochabamba, Bolivia, while a member who went down to South America with the first group fifty years ago reflected on what was to be his last General Meeting before retirement. The principal speaker was the Rev. Daniel O’Leary, a spiritual writer based in England, who has written extensively on the sacramental life of the Church and is a noted retreat master. Also present was Mr. Larry Flynn, the Society’s auditing and investment consultant. He spoke about the world financial crisis and how it may affect the Society’s work. Deacon Tony Rizzuto, from the Office for Child Advocacy of the Archdiocese of Boston not only spoke to us but was able to visit a mission site as well. In his presentation on the safety and protection of children, he did the same preparation program on this theme that thousands of persons, not only in the Archdiocese of Boston, but throughout the United States have also taken. Also from the Archdiocese of Boston, it was a pleasure for Fr. Thomas Kopp, Director of the Propagation of the Faith (the Holy Father’s own Mission-aid society), to be our guest. He was able to speak with the missionaries about their experience and to see for himself some of our mission sites in Villa el Salvador and Carabayllo in the Lima area. Keeping in mind the need to renew body as well as mind and spirit, Dr. John Ryan gave a presentation of preventive medicine and was available for consultation. In the midst of a full schedule, Society members discussed Society “business,” focusing on the issues that affect our work. The Society Council met on Monday and Friday. This group is made up of elected members from the three countries where we work – Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia – and is the principal adviser to the Director, participating with him in the administration of the Society.

          The trip back to Boston started by rising at 2:00 AM on Monday, February 16, for a 7:30 AM flight out of Lima. The day before I was able to make my first “pastoral visit” as Director to three mission sites in the Diocese of Carabayllo, to the north of Lima. Three were in an urban setting and one in a rural setting, in an area frequently visited by St. Rose of Lima. Both the pastoral visit and the Annual General Meeting gave me a great deal to think about during the trip that finally ended at 10:30 PM as I walked into the Center House in Boston’s North End. It was a very long day with a great deal of time to reflect on the greatest blessing and greatest responsibility of my thirty-two years of priesthood – To be the Director of The Society of St. James the Apostle. Please keep me – and all the members of the St. James Society – in your prayers.

Sincerely,

Fr. Kevin Hays
Director     

The missionaries take time to pose for a group photo.

The lectures and presentations at the AGM covered a broad range of topics. Larry Flynn spoke on financial issues.

Deacon Tony Rizzuto gave a presentation on the safety and protection of children.

Fr. Daniel O'Leary, a noted retreat master, was the main speaker

Dr. John Ryan addressed the phsical well-being of the missionaries, giving a talk on preventive medicine.

The missionaries scramble to fill out paperwork before the next presentation begins.

Fr. Roger and Fr. Martin are able to catch up during the lunch hour.

In between meetings and lectures, the missionaries enjoy time to gather for lunch, and sing a song or two!

Fr. Thomas Kopp, second from left, and Society priests come together for Mass in the chapel.

As Fr. Kevin takes in the surroundings of the Diocese of Carabayllo, he reflects on the past week, and the three year journey that lies ahead.