The cure Chepén

In agony, thirty years ago, my grandmother Filomena whispered in the ear of the priest who attended:

"Father, father. You see that lady who is in the room? Is Death. Offer a drink or serve a drink, those that are saved for my funeral. Poor thing! You must be very tired ... With the work you do every night!

Fernando Rojas Morey, the pastor of Chepén, looked into the room and saw no one. However, in order not to contradict the wishes of the old, filled a glass with lemonade, walked to the room, left the drink on table and pretended to have a dialogue out loud to the lady that we all have to visit someday. When he returned to the room, his parishioner grateful and peaceful sleep.

Fernando's father these days celebrates fifty years as priest, forty-five of which happened in Chepén. During that time, his Christianity has consisted, as the Mother Teresa of Calcutta in encouraging people to do works of love, and take this as the best way to approach God.

Santo and rebel committed to the poor, the priest always understood Chepén

that poverty is an evil devil, and also the result of the oppression of some individuals over others. So many times we heard him say that poverty, which dehumanizes the human being is an offense against the sky. Work to abolish poverty, he added, is to work for the Kingdom of God.

He did not stay in words. When he began his ministry, raising chepenanos saw bricks and placing them one above the other to set an example to groups of families who were eager to have a school, a bakery or a community-owned radio. It can be said that the twelve parish-eaters that now exist, have been raised by the father Fernando with his own hands.

CHEP is the largest city Jequetepeque river valley. Although the region traditionally supplies of rice to all over Peru, nine out of ten young people were then condemned - for its economic shortcomings, to stay in primary education, work in the months of planting and harvesting and roam the streets all the rest of the year.

With them by his side, the priest founded the San Juan Bosco Institute, in addition to providing education and training, is also working and production because it leads to his students in the first classes to various technical specialties.

That was not all: a whole school came out of the parish of Chepén. Fernando's father sold his Volkswagen and the house that would serve as home for his last years, and insisted his shirt to establish - so that his boys had free higher education, the University Juan XXIII.

Forces interested and very superior to theirs when they closed the cloister was six years of operation. However, could not complain: in that short time, had managed to form two promotion systems engineers, agro engineers, nurses and administrators.

Do stop in the field of education? No, no way! I had to do something for the landless. For nearly a year, the priest walked Chepén and over desert land near the valley. Finally he found one, no rocks and easy to level. There he founded the agricultural cooperative "Tahuantinsuyo."

What about water? That land owner because they did not have irrigation. What could I do to get the water?

Do not shake a stick against the sky or cried out to God in the desert because it is a modern prophet. More realistic-and more quixotic, thought the windmills. No one had used, but Fernando's imposed. With the help of German parishes not necessarily Catholic and formidable efforts, the day came when the wind turned the shafts of the windmills and the water began to flow to the surface.

Fernando then gave the land to his beloved rural poor. In no time, a major green tinged what had once been desert. These days, the thriving business turns 35.

"Who has not had to endure tribulations, it has not begun to be a true Christian." - Saint Augustine said. Some rich ambitious land wanted to take the "Tahuantinsuyo" and clashed with its founder. Since they could not buy it, threatened to kill him. Finally, were the anonymous letters to the path of the facts.

They needed someone who would enjoy immunity, and bought a few coins to the command of murderers "Rodrigo Franco". A group of them came at night and stood Chepén near the church. In the early hours of the morning surrounded the church with powerful dynamite. At two in the morning, the house where he slept the priest flew through the air. "And the father Fernando? ... When five minutes before that hour, had left in haste and through another door to serve a dying man who claimed her last rites.

This story is not finished counting because right now the priest of Chepén build a new city. "New Monte Grande" is named, and tractors have already leveled one hundred acres of what is going to be a healthy human settlement for the families who now have a meter of land where to put a table, a kitchen and some beds.

The finish that I can tell is the story of Dona Filomena.

No my grandmother died that day. It took a couple of weeks before flying to the sky, and during that time she and I had the opportunity to laugh a little.

- It's did, it did! - Told me "Do you remember the joke we thought him? The father is an innocent .- Fernando said. - Imagine going to the cinema to offer you a lemonade from the Death! He did not realize I was making a joke.

We laughed for a while and then my grandmother insisted:

"Innocent ... as they should be saints and rebels.

This afternoon I phoned the father Fernando. I'll call for me to confess it is one of the few priests who absolve me. And I pray to pray a prayer for my grandmother and me, for the joke that she and I did thirty years ago.

1 comment

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  By matador, July 14, 2010 @ 5:44 pm

  what a shame it all fell alone everything is built on sand

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