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Silver Jubilee of Augustinian Missionary Presence en Pacaipampa In 1984 after a two day trek up the washed-out mountain
roads, Frs. Art Purcaro, Rich Mullen and three Sisters of Mercy arrived to
form the first parish staff in the parish of
This year marks the 25th anniversary of that
first arrival and the people of the parish, along with the local municipal
authorities, wanted to mark the occasion with a large celebration. Much has
changed in the town of Pacaipampa in those years. When the first
Augustinians arrived the town had no light and no running water. Water had
to be hauled by hand from the local river at the lowest point in the valley.
The only way of communication was by two-way radio which offered a
precarious system to communicate to the outside world. Today there is light
(recently installed a year ago), running water and even two telephone lines
for the whole town, as well as a couple TV towers to capture two stations.
Where twenty-five years ago horseback was the only means
A three day celebration was programmed from Sep. 11th to the 13th. On the first day most of the people living in the town gathered at the entrance to town to welcome the arriving visitors representing the Augustinians of North America and the Sisters of Mercy. Fr. Art Purcaro and Sr. Patricia Mulderick where chosen to reenact the arrival on horseback of the twenty-five years earlier. A man on stilts represented the arrival of Fr. Rich Mullen who towered over the Andean peoples. The procession was led by a school band that came from the town of Santo Domingo, some three hours drive away and they stayed for the entire three days to animate the celebration. After marking the arrival of the missionaries, everyone
gathered in the main plaza of the town to hear the words of welcome by the
local mayor and words of welcome by the present pastor Fr. Fidel Alvarado.
As evening came, inside the parish church, vespers were prayed, presided by
the Chicago Provincial, Fr. Bill Lego. From here everyone went down to the
lower plaza of the town where the children from the primary and secondary
schools were organized for the traditional Torch March (Paseo de Antorchas).
This is a The following morning at 6am the school band began
playing and firecrackers went off to signal a special celebration. At 9am
the main mass was presided by the Bishop of Chulucanas, Dan Turley, who also
had served 8 years in the parish of Pacaipampa. In his homily he asked for
different people to speak about what it meant for them the 25 year presence
of the Augustinians and religious sisters. The church was filled with
representatives from each of the 98 villages that are served in the parish.
Different people arose to express gratitude for the work of evangelization
of these years and for the pastoral attention that allowed them to grow in
the knowledge and commitment of the faith. They were moving testimonies
from the poorest regions that walked hours to be present at the mass.
Bishop Dan also talked about how Mary seemed to protect this town in a
special way because it Following the mass everyone again gathered in the main plaza and representatives of the small villages presented poems and songs as a tribute. This was followed by one large lunch for everyone present, organized by numerous local residents cooking since before dawn. In the evening the plaza was converted into a giant “dance floor” and the CD player belted out all the favorite tunes so that everyone, old and young, could join in the dancing which is an essential part of any Peruvian celebration, be it in the family home or on the larger scale of a parish feast. By about 1 am the music started to die down and the dance came to an end. However, even after the late night the next morning at 6am the band began to play again, thus announcing another special day. The Sunday mass was dedicated the the patron of the
town, the Virgen of the Assumption and was presided by the Vicar in Peru,
Fr. John Lydon. In his homily he underscored the role of Mary’s protection
in the history of the parish and the importance of following her example of
fidelity to the mission of her Son. After the homily all present were
invited to join and rededicate themselves to Mary’s patronage, in front of
the statue which has been in the church since the late 16th
century. At the end of mass Fr. Bill Lego gave words of thanks to the people on behalf of the Augustinians. This was followed by Sr. Pat Mulderick who expressed thanks on behalf of the Sisters of Mercy and finally Bishop Dan Turley expressed the thanks of the entire dioceses of Chulucanas to the Augustinians and the Sisters of Mercy for their years of service in Pacaipampa. Finally the statue of the Virgen of the Assumption was carried in possession throughout the entire town, being carried at first by the Augustinians, then by the Sisters of Mercy, then by the youth preparing for confirmation and finally by the local municipal government workers. With the procession finishing in the parish church the celebration of the 25th anniversary came to a close, the fruit of gratitude on behalf of the people and of the Augustinians and Sisters of Mercy who have served in this remote parish.
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Pacaipampa.
The town’s major celebration is to the Virgen of the Assumption and dates
to 1589, however for many decades, because of its remote location and a lack
of priests, the parish did not have a resident priest, and much less a
parish staff. So the arrival of the Augustinians and Mercy Sisters was a
sign of new life in the parish.
of
travel, now roads cover a large part of the county which marks the parish
boundaries. There are almost 100 small towns within those parish limits,
all of which participated in the celebration in order to express their
thanks for all the graces received in these years.
Peruvian custom for major celebrations such as Independence Day, and as a
tribute to the Augustinian and Mercy presence was held on this occasion.
Hundred of children, each making their own design, with a candle lit inside
of the “antorcha”. The march went through the entire down in a festival
atmosphere and ended in the main plaza in front of the church, where the
organizing committee named three winners for creativity of design. This was
followed by a series of local poems, dance and songs that are a Peruvian
custom for major celebrations with small prizes awarded for the best
performers.
suffered no loss of life during the many years of the terrorist movement
called Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) which was active in the area in the
1980’s.