With the announcement that financial aid is being cut to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, my prayer this morning drifted to the many trips I had made to visit our Mercy mission in Chanmagua, Guatemala. One trip, in particular, stood out.
My travelling companion, Sister Ellen Kurtz and I had spent the night in Guatemala City en route to Chanmagua. After travelling across Guatemala City, we boarded the bus to begin the four-hour bus trip — no bathrooms or AC on the bus — to Esquipulas. There we planned to meet our Sisters and travel the rest of the way up the mountain, ultimately arriving in Chanmagua.
Program participants and retreatants frequently walk the grounds here at Mercy by the Sea, as do staff members. For guests, the land and water offer opportunities for quiet reflection. For staff, walking the property can clear our heads or give us the chance to move our bodies, which have been sitting too long. It’s also a beautiful way to walk towards one’s daily goal of 10,000 steps.
After 30 years of facilitating programs at Mercy by the Sea, Mauryeen O’Brien, O.P., has made her last offering this spring. Over those many years, through her bereavement programs, Sister Mauryeen tended graciously and compassionately to the hearts and spirits of some the most vulnerable seekers crossing our threshold.
