A study in contrasts: then and now

On Sunday, July 28, the feast of Blessed Stanley Rother, I took my seat with others in the plaza in front of the church of Saint James the Apostle in Santiago Atitlan (Guatemala). We were there to hear a concert. The concert performers were the children of the Colegio Catolico Padre Apla’s who wanted to express their gratitude to our group of Oklahoma pilgrims for the financial support the archdiocese offers to their school, which is such an integral part of the parish and community.
 
Though we no longer send priests to Guatemala, we continue to provide material assistance each year. The Church in Oklahoma always will share a precious bond with the Church in Santiago Atitlan due to our shared history with the mission there.
 
We listened as beautiful children, some in colorful traditional dress and others in their new band uniforms, performed with acoustical instruments, brass and drums in a variety of styles. The choirs performed songs honoring Blessed Stanley, “Padre Apla’s.” This day marking the feast of Blessed Stanley was a day of tangible joy and colorful celebration.
 
As we gathered in the plaza following the beautiful feast day Mass, the sun was shining, and we were enjoying a pleasant 75-degree sunny afternoon along the beautiful shores of the volcanic Lake Atitlan. For me, it was one of those idyllic days that invited reflection. What struck me that afternoon was the contrast between then and now.
 
Thirty-eight years ago, at that very hour, the same plaza was a place of unspeakable anguish and grief as the people gathered upon hearing the heart-rending news that their beloved pastor, Padre Apla’s, had been killed during the night by unknown assailants in the rectory.
 
Today, the room where he was martyred has been transformed into a beautiful chapel that retains evidence of the violent act that once occurred there. The bullet hole in the floor and the blood stains on the wall stand in stark contrast to the ever-present flowers and artifacts that celebrate the life and holiness of the shepherd who didn’t run for safety but chose to remain with his flock to the very end.
 
Inside the parish church in front of the altar where the Body and Blood of Christ are made present at every Mass is a relic of the still liquid blood that Blessed Stanley shed that day, 38 years ago. The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians, as Tertullian wrote in the 3 ^rd century. The truth of that statement is verified in the vitality of the parish of Saint James the Apostle today.
 
Still, despite appearances to the contrary, all is not idyllic in Santiago Atitlan. Though the civil war has long since ended, poverty, drug trafficking and gang violence throughout Guatemala continue to afflict thousands of the poor, mostly indigenous, people of this beautiful land and nation. These are the people who are driven by fear and concern for the safety of their families to undertake the treacherous trek north.
 
Like the civil war in Guatemala many years ago, the current flow of migrants from Guatemala and other Central American countries today is part of a massive humanitarian crisis. We can and must do better than we are doing to address the causes of this heartbreaking migration and relieve the suffering of those who are gathering and being detained at our southern border. 
 
These are our brothers and sisters. We all can begin by examining our own attitudes and the rhetoric we use in discussing this crisis. We must begin with an acknowledgement of our shared humanity and the dignity of these persons who want the same things in life as we all do. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
 
Blessed Stanley Rother, pray for us.


Archbishop Coakley blesses a young girl after Mass in Cerro de Oro, Guatemala. Photo Sooner Catholic.

Click HERE to view more photos from the pilgrimage.