TLDR: Today ends my second month away from the parish. Please read on for a sabbatical report of what I have accomplished since my last report. Enjoy.
I can’t believe how fast this sabbatical is going, and I also can’t believe how much of a blessing it has been to me. During this second month, I visited the family farm in Ituango, a town approximately 125 miles northwest of Medellin, high in the Western Cordillera range of the Andes Mountains. Sadly, the beautiful area still remains a home to old guerrilla groups that refused the 2014 general amnesty between the revolutionary forces and the government. As a result, the area remains a bit dangerous. Kidnappings for ransom and violence against farmers remain a problem. We drove in under the cover of night and left early on the fifth day, without visiting the town even once. This incognito trip was unnerving, but once we were in the self-sufficient, beautiful farm, we felt safe and well-spoiled. There is something incredibly wholesome when the lemons in your drink, the plentiful avocados, multiple fruits, chicken and pork meats, cheeses and milk, beans, plantains, yucca, and a host of other vegetables are all produced by the farm. This was a time of rest and my sisters and I played multiple rounds of dominos, ate too much, and reminisced about our childhood years in the beautiful farmhouse and the expansive fields. It was truly a “going home” experience I will never forget.
I have reconnected with two additional seminary friends; Jaime is an unmarried college dean here in the city of Bello and Leonardo is a Roman Catholic Priest who is currently the Dean of the Cathedral in the Archdiocese of Medellin. I gathered five of the six friends with whom I have reconnected for a meal on the night of the United States’ first World Cup game. We laughed, told stories, cheered for the US, and stayed up a bit too late. It is amazing how the six of us ended up in careers of service. Alvaro is a Social Worker, Edwin and Leonardo are R.C. priests, Jaime and Ivan are deans of their respective institutions, and I am an Episcopal priest. We give most of the credit to the boarding school that formed us for several years prior to attending seminary.
This leads me to soccer. I am obsessed with World Cup tournaments. In fact, when I began planning this sabbatical two years ago, I carefully chose the dates to coincide with the 2026 World Cup, with the intention of watching all 104 games. I have watched all the games of the first round and all of the second round so far. It will be a bit tougher going forward because in the next round there will be multiple teams playing at the same time and I will have to choose which games to watch. The intention is to get up early the next day and watch the replay of games I missed the day before. I have been very impressed with the US and Cavo Verde teams. Few commentators expect the United States to make beyond the round of 16th, but so far, they have won both of their games and have shown incredible skill. This may be the year we make it all the way to the finals. I believe we have what it takes to make it.
In terms of Cavo Verde, the world has fallen in love with their goalie, Vozinha, a 40-year-old player from Portugal’s semi-professional league. Filled with doubts over his age, the goalie had to be convinced by the coaches and players of the national team to play for his home country. No one, including me, expected the team to survive their first challenger, Spain, which is a favorite to win the entire tournament. In fact, Spain controlled the ball for the majority of the game, but they did not count on this phenomenal goalie. Vozinha flew to the left, to the right, straight up in the air, kneeled, crawled, fought attackers from all directions, and by the end of the game he had stopped at least a dozen direct hits, forcing Spain to a 0-0 draw. The old goalie became an overnight sensation on social media. He had not been able to fly his mother to the Cup, but wealthy donors surprised him the next day by flying his mother to America all expenses paid. He had about 4,000 followers on social media before the game, but within two days he had over 13 million followers. He had lived a life of relative poverty and had once been described as the poorest player in a world cup team. Within a day, he had received various contracts for television commercials and interviews. It truly has been an incredible story to watch.
Of course, few of us expected the old goalie to repeat this feat, especially because their next challenger was Uruguay, a team known for their offensive play. This time, the entire Cavo Verde team rallied in support of their goalie, who performed just as well as during his first match, forcing a visibly frustrated Uruguay to a 2-2 draw. It is unclear whether Cavo Verde will make it to the next round because only 3 out of a group of 4 will make it and they have two draws, which means only 2 points. I hope they make it and get to play against the giants of soccer. I want to see how Vozinha defends his team against Argentina or Germany. Please join me in rooting for the little guy. This is what the World Cup is all about and soccer does truly unite the world.
The picture you see in this blog is the entrance sign for “Elderly Care Center,” a ministry of my childhood church, Saint Agnes. You will also see a link to several other photos at the bottom of this blog: Fr. Carlos Urrego, the rector of Saint Agnes (After we were finished celebrating), and several pictures of some of the residents of the home. Long story short, after I accepted a “welcome home” invitation to concelebrate with the rector, I received a tour of the ministry for indigent people of the area. When I left for the USA in 1986, they had 19 elderly folks, today that number stands at 97. The parish supports all the expenses for the home with little help from the Diocese or the government. I asked Fr. Carlos what his biggest need was. Surprisingly, (he didn’t even think twice) he said, “Protein and Coffee.” Then he added, “We can only provide meats about twice a week and they get tired of eating eggs every day.”
I called Dede Johnson from the parking lot of the home and asked her for a balance for my discretionary fund. Then, I went to the butcher the home uses and pre-paid for 12 weeks’ worth of proteins for the home, at the rate of 400,000 pesos per week for twelve weeks (Approximately 125 US dollars per week). According to the butcher, this would be sufficient to provide protein to the entire home for two additional days a week. After this, I went back to the home and presented Fr. Carlos with the gift. There were tears in his eyes, “You don’t know what this means to us!” I walked back home thinking about the difference 1500 dollars can make to a ministry like Saint Agnes’ home. My goal is to use additional funds in the future to repeat this donation for at least nine more months, making it a whole year’s gift from Saint Dunstan’s to Saint Agnes. Immense thanks to anyone who has ever contributed to the Rector’s Discretionary Fund, your kindness has reached Colombia and it has done a world of good.
Finally, let me say a word about the Colombian presidential elections. This is the most polarized the country has been in ages and the two candidates represent the far-left party of the outgoing president (whose record has been problematic) and the far-right party of a businessman from Barranquilla. The far-left candidate ran on a platform of reconciliation, pardon to armed guerrilla groups (which have once again taken vast territories in the last four years), a suspicious stance against the United States and Europe, and various social reforms. The far-right candidate ran on a platform of security and re-investment. He wants a complete crack down on guerrillas and drug cartels, to build ten maximum security prisons for serious street criminals and gangs, the full participation of the United States in combating guerrillas and cartels, more American and European investment, etc. Needless to say, the existing guerrillas and armed groups have a lot to loose with a far-right president and have caused various high-profile incidents to intimidate the nation and to force entire territories to vote for their candidate.
The last round of elections took place yesterday, Sunday, June 21st. As of this morning, the far-right candidate has been declared the winner by a small majority. The election was overseen by international groups and declared to have been a fair election. Now, many folks are nervous about how the leftist groups in the mountains will react. We expect an increase in violence, but many hope it will be short lived and many pray the government can regain control over various territories. Please keep Colombia in your prayers, especially over the next few months.
To end this long report, I want to once again thank all of you who supported this sabbatical. It has given me time to think, relax, read, and rejuvenate my ministry. May our Lord continue to bless you,
Fr. Roman+
Your Wandering Rector
