I arrived to this parish in May of 2008. My initial impressions centered on an obvious lack of creativity and dynamism, primarily due to the complex situation of an aging membership and changing society. Very few young people took part in activities of the parish; there was a sense of resistance to change, and little vitality. I found the situation serious, and I could foresee that the church in Tamayo might slowly, but inexorably, face a big problem in the coming years.
We know that many negative influences and rapid changes in society directly affect the way of thinking and the manner of life in a community. In this part of the world, however, the problems extend far beyond solving the matter of a declining role of the Church in the community. Here, our people face constant external threats to their security: poverty, crime and a lack of authority, drug gangs and violence and increasing individualism. On weekend nights, we regularly hear intoxicated residents shooting off their guns, and the disputes of drug gangs from the corner of the street and the park. Youth involvement in using and selling drugs is very high. There are assaults and robberies every day, both in urban and rural areas. The situation breeds a great deal of fear. Solutions from the civic process are scarce as nepotism is rampant and people are very polarized along political party lines. In this milieu, the parish priest has to pursue creative solutions with the community.
The young people are particularly vulnerable to the pressure, stress and discomfort we live under. They are subjected to so many negative and harmful influences from the outside. Many young people here believe that education is not a guarantee for a better future: believing that it is better to join the gang and sell drugs in order to get money faster. In our province (Bahoruco), we have the third highest teen pregnancy rate in the country, with 35% of adolescents age 15 to 19 having been pregnant. At our regular meeting of an institute for the “Protection of Children and Adolescents” however, we always find cases of girls only 13 to 15 who have had their first baby. These and other factors—realities that will continue to undermine or entrap them further—are strangling the future of the young.
The Church’s pastoral ministry is addressing this complicated problem. In 2008, our diocese of Barahona promoted a program called Misión Continental, resulting from the 5th General Conference of the Council of Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean in 2007. Through long and continuous formation processes, missionaries in several communities, through their earnestness and faithful commitment, have produced real fruit by increasing the number of active people in the mass and weekly activities. In some places, their numbers have risen four and five-fold.
During a pastoral visit to our parish in 2009, the Bishop of Barahona (Rafael Felipe Nunez) said: “In our milieu now everyone has to take part in the mission; men win over other men, families invite other families, adolescents and young people invite their peers.” In our parish, we formed a local council in order to encourage current members to have a role in reviving our pastoral activities. One of the most important tasks was to create a group for the young people—the future of the Church. In June of 2010, we started with a small, motivated team that enthusiastically sought new members and new methods for ways to advance the group. This idea was effective; young people invited their friends in their own particular ways and manner. The hard work and efforts of those pioneers has brought hope! The group has been growing, and we now have forty-seven members who are active in various pastoral activities. They call the group “Juxcris:” Juventud Con Cristo (Youth With Christ). This is a remarkable achievement for us in the midst of a society marked by a multitude of obstacles to the Good News.
The youth apostolate has become a haven to our young people of faith: a space where they can express themselves through words of God, personal reflections, art, activities, and service. They can talk openly with their peers and with caring adults. I think a key component of our success is that, from the beginning, we made the vision, mission and objectives quite clear. And our vision toward setting this group apart was that, above all else, caring relationships between the members would be the foundation. So, before agreeing on goals and activities and plans, we first needed to create a climate of acceptance, respect and understanding. We wanted to be not just “the sum of our parts,” but rather “a whole of friends,” who are esteemed, supported and valued. This fosters an atmosphere of trust and open communication: which makes this dynamic group of people even more effective when they focus on issues and outreach.
In order to experience some concentrated formation for the group, we held our first summer camp activity in 2010. The program was very well attended. Its primary goal was to formalize the objectives for the youth ministry. They also focused on several central questions facing young people: “Who am I? What is God’s plan for each of us? How does God call us?” Angelina Reyes, one of the camp advisors, described the complex situation of the problems we are facing as a candle in the wind: “Sometimes the wind blows very strong, which almost blows out the candle. But at the same time, even barely holding its position, it continues to give light. The wind is strong—but if we are forty candles with just a little light together, we can light up the room. Young people with a strong discipline and principles can overcome the strong wind, and bring light to our darkness. Nothing is impossible with the protection of our faithful friend, Jesus. Let us not let our fire die out.”
At the end of camp, we made a little pact: everyone agreed that the youth members should study and finish well in both their high school and university endeavors. They also each committed to not marry before having a satisfactory job. So far, all the members have remained committed to their promises. Everyone was so happy with the results of this camp that we have repeated it each year; it is eagerly anticipated.
Being part of a group can help young people develop important personal and interpersonal skills, and this platform responds to the thirst of the young to assert themselves personally and socially. We constantly strive to give them opportunities to think critically and solve problems, and assume both personal and collective responsibility for their responses. I have seen how the group helps young people open up and relate to others. It promotes dialogue and thoughtful communication between peers and is an academy of coexistence where expressing one’s ideas and listening to and respecting another’s opinions is valued.
The group is also a school of service and commitment. The members gradually assume tasks and commitments, testing their skills and abilities as they learn to work with others and feel useful. Our confrere Fr. Ramon Caluza, cicm, while he was director of “Radio Enriquillo FM 93.7,” animated the group to help produce an important weekly juvenile radio program. They talk about important issues to their generation from their point of view. They are very enthusiastic and proud of carrying out this task. It has taught them a lot about discipline, organization, and commitment. They must respect time and punctuality, as one of the most important aspects of mass media communications is a strict adherence to time and precision. The highlight is seeing them master self-control, learning to speak quietly and use decent words, and to listen carefully respecting the differing opinions of others. The most important thing to me is how they learn to work together in the team to reach a common goal.
Finally, one of the most important facets of this group is that they share what they have in faith, and motivate others about the advantages of being part of the youth apostolate. They have gone to mentor and help create groups in other communities, and many have even convinced their parents and other loved ones to participate in church life activities so that they can then receive the sacraments. What wonderful apostles!
This group is very passionate about animating and motivating others of their generation. Although we still have a lot of work to do in the midst of the storm, our small candle continues spreading its light, especially among our young people. Hopefully it can grow into a paschal candle, symbolizing the eternal presence of Christ, which will light all the darkness of humanity. I believe these young people can change the future: with their hope and hearts full of faith and love… and their small candles in the wind.
Hieronimus Jemantur, cicm
Tamayo, Dominican Republic
Fr. Hieronimus Jemantur, cicm, is an Indonesian native who joined Missionhurst-CICM in 1997, and was ordained in 2007. He spent three years working in the Dominican Republic from 2001-2004 then continued his studies in Indonesia for a time, returning to the Dominican Republic in 2007. Fr. Hieronimus is currently working as parish priest in St. Anthony of Padua parish, in Tamayo, diocese of Barahona.
