First Mass Celebrated in Pacaipampa |
|||
 The church in the town of Pacaipampa, isolated in the remote mountains of northern Peru |
On Saturday, August 22, in Pacaipampa, situated in the mountains of the diocese of Chulucanas, Gioberty Calle presided at his first mass in this his native town. It was a day of great emotion for the people of Pacaipampa since Gioberty is the first vocation to the priesthood in its history. Only a month earlier the first religious sister of the town had professed her final vows in the Sister of Mercy, and now an Augustinian presided at the celebration of the eucharist. | ||
| Accompanying Gioberty on this day were many other
Augustinians from each of the different communities in the Vicariate of St. John of
Sahagun, as well as the Sisters of Mercy working in Pacaipampa. The presence of his
mother, who for reasons of feeble health could not make the long trip to Chulucanas on Aug
9th for his ordination, made this especially significant for Gioberty. She and
her husband presented the gifts of bread and wine to their son, just as they had in a
symbolic way presented their son to the Order and the Church for its service. Many other
family members from different parts of the country also traveled to Pacaipampa to be a
part of this historic occasion. During the homily, Gioberty expressed his gratitude to the many people who collaborated along the way to make this day a reality. |
|
||
 Children present some typical goods
in the procession of gift. |
 |
||
| At the conclusion of the mass the mayor and city
council invited all those attending to the small town hall across the plaza. There they
declared Gioberty to be an "Illustrious Citizen" of the town. This was followed,
as is the tradition in this town, with songs, poems and dances typical of the region. After the ceremony in the town hall the Calle family invited everyone to a special lunch. The rectory hall filled up and the neighboring kindergarten was also used to accommodate the large crowd. Like the gospel parable, everyone was invited, family, friends, old and young, children who would have a decent meal for the first time in a long while. All joined in the atmosphere of fiesta that is typical of the poor when an event of such religious significance is celebrated. Special thanks goes to all the benefactors of the Augustinian missions whose help has made the Augustinian presence in Pacaipampa a reality for the last 15 years. The parish in Bryn Mawr, Philadelphia, USA also has adopted the parish of Pacaipampa as a sister parish which makes links to this town and the Augustinians even stronger. |
 Holy Card given out as a remembrance of Gioberty's ordination. He designed the card himself. |
||
 Gioberty with the Regional
Superior of the Augustinians in Peru, John Lydon. |
|||
 To see more photos of the mass and celebration in Pacaipampa |
|||
