Religious Education

I have been in the Dominican Republic for two months. Eventually I will be doing the accounting of the two parishes but am waiting for a computer and for the accounting program to be downloaded on it. There is also a clinic and pharmacy that is in the planning stages so I hope to be able to use my nursing skills there. Now, I am helping out with the religious education in the more distant communities.

My first experience of teaching religion here was being dropped off in a community with thirty children and one teenager. The children are all Haitians in this community and of course I only speak English and Spanish so taught in Spanish. Some of the kids, who have been here in school for a few years, seemed to understand but most just stared at this strange woman in their community. I tried teaching some songs, even though I am not great at carrying a tune, and the kids liked that.

My second experience was in a community with Dominican children so communication was not a problem. I started with 3 girls and 4 boys and by the end of the time only had the 3 girls in the church and the 4 boys chasing lizards outside.

I now have seven communities where I regularly teach religion to. I have been asked to teach the teachers at the Catholic school how to teach English. I also have the possibility of teaching English to a group of adults. There are also lots of ill people to visit and some wounds that need treatments in the home. Each week brings new experiences and opportunities for work.

The photo is of the most distant community of Banica. The Church here gives out soy fortified rice and we took advantage of the visit in the community to distribute it. Since this photo, the church we were in for the photo has partially collapsed. During a heavy rain and wind storm a section of the side wall fell and the front and back walls are heavily cracked. Getting materials to that community to rebuild will have to wait until after the rainy season. We went thru a mudslide on the way to the community and had to return to Banica via a long trip around thru a large city. 

Holy Week in the Dominican Republic

Holy Week in the Dominican Republic was an interesting experience. There was the expected live reenactment of the Way of the Cross using the cement cross on the main highway. Another day, in another town, the traditional praying Way of the Cross before the church services. Holy Thursday was during a huge downpour of rain, and there was a beautiful floral setting to have a holy hour after mass. 

What I found different here is the relative few people who participate in processions and church services. Only about 30 people from a large town participated. The other thing different here, from other places I have worked as a lay missioner, is the use of bullwhips to “chase away evil”. Men dressed in red, devil costumes and cracked these huge, long bullwhips on the street corners. Lots of loud music and drinking parties spilling out of homes onto the streets. Heavy drinking and bullwhips did not seem a good combination, so I spent most of the week near the house.

I am enjoying getting to know more about the culture here. All vegetables are only available in the open-air market. The paths are narrow and clogged with people, wheelbarrows, hot pushed bar-B-Q grills with roasted meat and huge loads carried on the head. I got knocked around a little and found unknown people just grabbing me to steady me from behind or holding my shoulder for balance if they jostle me in passing. Very kind people. The people selling are also friendly.