Florida Catholic | Missionary

Father Fred Ruse in the Dominican Republic.

Courtesy Photo
Father Fred Ruse is joined by a group of children as they walk along a mountain path on his way to bless homes of residents around La Cucarita. During December, the missionary priest traveled throughout the area visiting and blessing homes.

DOMINICAN DISPATCH

A road to La Cueva could be a road to peace

FATHER FRED R. RUSE

Published: 01.11.08

DEC. 7: PEACE AND MISSION PRESENCE

LA CUCARITA, Dominican Republic | One of the effects of Tropical Storm Noel here in the mountains was the serious damage to our roads. The roads are always bad; after the storm, they were worse. The government negotiated to send a bulldozer to these parts to start the cleanup of the roads. Originally it was only going as far as Los Frios. Eventually, it was persuaded to continue to La Cucarita, Los Guayuyos and El Montazo.

It is slowly making headway up the mountain and may arrive here in La Cucarita on Monday or Tuesday.

Yesterday, Teanny (Corcino, a long-term lay missioner) and I and a man from the community here in La Cucarita went to meet with the coordinator of the project, a man who lives in Los Frios. He is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the bulldozer.

We asked if he would be willing to explore obtaining authorization to include the road to La Cueva in this project. La Cueva was part of a project to get a road last year. A tragedy occurred there, resulting in the homicides of two men: the bulldozer operator and a member of the community of La Cueva. It was a very tragic happening and still there are many unknowns regarding culpability among community members. The project was suspended and the road was left unfinished. The community has only a path for access in and out. All the bulldozer operators in these parts will have nothing to do with any project for La Cueva.

This is the second installment of regular dispatches from Father Fred Ruse, who was assigned pastoral duties to Orlando’s sister Diocese of San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic. Father Ruse resides in the mountain town of La Cucarita.
His first installment, “The missioner’s tools: a white dove and a mule,” is HERE.

As one man told me the other day, they are all afraid.

So, we made an appeal for La Cueva since the bulldozer is going to be here and it is government-funded at this time due to being a storm-related project.

The coordinator was very agreeable to work at convincing his superiors to favor this appeal. We promised that we would meet with the community of La Cueva to determine that the villagers would cooperate totally and not interfere with any part of the project. Next, we will plan another meeting once the bulldozer arrives here in La Cucarita between some representatives of La Cucarita, representatives of the bulldozer/road clearing operation, three representatives from La Cueva, Teanny and me on behalf of the mission. That may occur some time next week on Monday or Tuesday, though probably later, given the way things happen here.

I had a meeting in El Montazo last night and stayed overnight there. So, this morning, I changed my Mass schedule in El Recodo so to return to La Cucarita and get the mules to go to La Cueva for a meeting with all the community to present this proposal. This afternoon, I will go to El Recodo for the Mass that was to be this morning.

THE MEETING

It was a calm meeting, and all were in agreement to cooperate and refrain from any interference. We told them this is still not something that has been approved and should it be approved, (if) there is any problem during the operation, no matter how small, the driver will withdraw immediately.

The plan I proposed is that I will accompany the bulldozer driver the whole of the time it takes him to complete the project, which could be two or three days. Likewise, one member from La Cucarita will accompany me and two delegates from La Cueva will also be present during the operation.

Here is an instance where the presence of our mission — especially my face — seems to make a critical difference in what can be the opportunities and possibilities for these communities.

It is unfortunate, as I shared with the folks this morning in La Cueva, that there are people who are afraid to do anything good for La Cueva. It is an opportunity for that community to reflect on this as they enter a new year and think about what needs to be done for the transformation.

Keep it in your prayers. They need that road badly. We still have several important and decisive steps toward determining if this will be authorized.

Still, somewhere the community of La Cueva will need to negotiate more than just the “benefits” of peace, but somehow find peace and be an instrument of peace toward reclaiming/establishing a good name for itself.

DECEMBER 16: TAKING A NEW ROAD TO PEACE

Advent confession: I have taken a few missionary liberties with the season of Advent.

In the interest of having a complete Advent, and celebrating Christmas Masses on Dec. 23 and Dec. 24, we started Advent a week early here in Las Lomas. In this way, we had every week of Advent with all its Sunday readings. Also, I can start my circuit to the communities for Masses for La Navidad (Christmas), beginning with 9 a.m. Mass in El Montazo Dec. 23 and continuing with 1 p.m. Mass in El Recodo and 4 p.m. Mass in Los Guayuyos. Then, on Dec. 24, I have Mass at 2 p.m. in La Cueva and 6 p.m. in La Cucarita. Christmas is principally celebrated here on Dec. 24, not Dec. 25.

So today, we celebrated the fourth Sunday of Advent with the Gospel of Joseph’s encounter, in a dream, of a message from God sent through an angel.

Joseph had every legal right to end his betrothal to Mary. It put him in a dilemma. God came to him with a radical offer: Try a new road, he proposed to him, because I intend to do something really new in creation.

In such moments of indecision, struggle, doubt and difficulty, or when life is not happening as we had planned, it seems that such moments are exactly the crossroads where God offers us a new way to think, a new way to love, to believe, to serve, to live. He promises companionship — the name of this incarnation will be “God with us.” We will never be on that new road alone.

This week I will be making three pilgrimages.

One will be here in La Cucarita to two men who fought fiercely last week in a bar over a dominos game.

The second will be to two women in El Montazo who have had a very bitter battle going on between them for some time over five chickens that were poisoned — to the point of threats of using “witchcraft” against the other.

The third will be to two women in La Cueva who also had a very messy fight yesterday after one of their children threw a rock at the child of the other.

I will be carrying a white flag toward inviting each to a “new road” like that which was offered to Joseph. Through Joseph’s reply we find the first stirrings of the birth of the church; we receive the gift to the church and world of the “Word made flesh” and we meet Mary in her stunning witness of discipleship.

Just imagine what can be possible if these three groups of people elect to take the path of Joseph! I will offer them that invitation, above and beyond whatever “right” they might be inclined to propose is theirs. Joseph set aside his “right”: He chose to trust.

It is possible. It has to be possible or we are, as St. Paul offered, the most pitiable of people.

So, the Gospel is so very relevant, always and everywhere. In this way, I was able to invite all the communities here this weekend to use their last week of Advent to pray and hope for the emergence of and renewal to this “new way” that we celebrate at Christmas and can live in such moments as are offered us in the hard places of life, such as brawls, betrayals, bitter feuds and threats of death.

I ask the same of you in your prayers for these pilgrimages.

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A road to La Cueva could be a road to peace

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