Aid to the Church in Need: Christ in the rainforest

Christ in the rainforest

Posted by Information Report on 27/6/2007, 10:10 am
Message modified by board administrator 27/6/2007, 11:41 am

Christ in the rainforest
(With photo of Sr Luisa and Indio woman)
35 years ago Sister Maria Luisa left everything to follow Christ. At that time her path took her from Spain to the Amazon region in the east of Peru. She belongs to the order of the Sisters of Jesus and she is convinced that it was divine providence that brought her to the Indians in the rainforest.
The living conditions of the Indians are primitive. The people are poor; their huts are built of palm leaves and most of their small settlements can be reached only by boat. There are no roads, and medical care and education are provided only by the missionaries. The women cook the simple meals on wood fires and grow the bare minimum of necessary food in little gardens. Yucca, plantain bananas and occasionally a little fish -- this is their staple diet. "As a religious sister, I often sit with the women and cook with them. It is important to be near to people, to simply be with them", says Sister Maria Luisa.
Another sister tells us: "As a young novice, I was sent by my order into the rainforest to serve the Indians. I come from the city, so the beginning was hard. When I asked where the shower was, they pointed me to the river... What was still worse for me, however, was all the mosquitoes. Already after just a short time I was bitten all over. But despite this, I was certain that God was calling me!
And indeed, the presence of the sisters is crucial. Not only do they provide what the state fails to provide, but they also bring Christ to the people. Sometimes entire families convert together. One story particularly impressed Sister Maria Luisa. An Indian of the Yurimaguas tribe fell ill with tuberculosis. He had been far from the Faith, but in his need he turned to the sisters for help. They nursed him back to health and, soon afterwards, he, his wife and six children all embraced the Catholic Faith. Today the two parents work as catechists, and one of the sons wants to become a priest. Says Sister Maria Luisa, "The Indians are still unspoilt; they are entirely genuine. When they convert, they are overwhelmed by the faith. Then one truly sees the working of the Holy Spirit!"
But sometimes this sister, who so readily smiles, can also become very angry. "The Indians in the rainforest are forgotten; they live on the margins. Many people think of the rainforest merely as the "green lungs" of the world. They are only interested in environmental problems, but they don't care anything about the people who actually live there." But the Church is on the side of the Indians and does not deal with them condescendingly, but instead humbly shares their lives.
One particularly important aspect is the Bible apostolate and the training of the catechists. The Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) helps to support the life and ministry of the religious sisters and missionaries who have followed God's call into the Amazonian rainforest. In his recent visit to Aparecida, Pope Benedict showed that he too has not forgotten the Indians of Latin America but that he also has their concerns at heart. Sisters like Maria Luisa are showing them that Christ will come to them even in the rainforest.
To help this cause please contact the Sydney office of ACN on (02) 9679-1929. e-mail: info@aidtochurch.org or write to Aid to the Church in Need PO Box 6245 Blacktown DC NSW 2148. Web: www.aidtochurch.org

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Aid to the Church in Need PO Box 6245 Blacktown DC NSW 2148 ABN: 62 418 911 594
Ph/Fax (02) 9679-1929 e-mail: info@aidtochurch.org web: www.aidtochurch.org