North meets south

photo by: Sister Jeannette Filthaut

Big smiles welcomed Sister Joan Whittingham (right) at the first Peruvian home the Sisters visited

It was a profound experience for Sisters Joan Whittingham and Jeannette Filthaut to visit the Peruvian Mission of the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul.

As General Superior, Sister Joan was well aware of the challenges facing the congregation’s South American mission. However, until her trip at the end of 1995 she had never before visited a Third World country and the journey allowed her personal insight into the dire conditions there. She was deeply touched by Peru’s pollution, impoverishment — and the hope of its people.

“It’s wall-to-wall poverty in their homes,” said Sister Joan. “Yet the depth of the human spirit is so evident in the dignity and the spirit of the people.”

Travelling companion Sister Jeannette Filthaut agreed. “You see, smell, taste the poverty,” she said. “But you also experience the joy and creativity of the people. You have to see that first hand to truly appreciate it.”

For Sister Joan, the experience was encapsulated in a visit to one woman’s home. “There was no running water, it was just a shack,” she recalled. “But on the wall there were two framed certificates her son had received for writing poetry. Her pride in her son was profound.”

In their visit to the barrios of Carabayllo, a district outside of Peru’s capital city of Lima, the Sisters encountered poverty beyond anything they could have imagined.

“It was staggering to see how far the poverty reached up the side of the mountains, the smell of poverty, the dust, the garbage,” said Sister Joan.

“Yet there was a vibrating life as you walked around the barrio,” she said. “There are so many people, houses on top of each other. You can hear that life at 4 o’clock in the morning.”

Despite their poverty, the hosts shared what they had with the visiting sisters. “Everywhere we went they had prepared things for us, to show us who they were and to celebrate their lives,” said Sister Jeannette, who spoke of wonderful celebrations in Carabayllo, Ancon, Lima and Cuzco.

Said Sister Joan, “Even though there was a language barrier you could feel the excitement.”

One of those celebrations involved a meeting with Father Jorge Calderon, Latin American director of the Christian Workers Movement. Father Calderon stressed the importance of the Sisters’ 25-year presence in the area. The people of Carabayllo, he said, recognize that Sisters Rose Healy, Irene MacDonell and Rose Marie Bokenfohr are willing to stand with them through thick and thin.

“The people kept saying, ‘Sister Irene planted the seed, we are the fruit,’ ” said Sister Jeannette.

That comradeship is an important part of life in the South American nation — and something from which North Americans could learn a valuable lesson. “They shared their experiences of solidarity,” said Sister Jeannette. “It’s something we miss here in our individualistic society. They are not each going their own way, they are striving together.”

The trip also marked the two Sisters first meeting with Sara Jimenez Angulo. The Sisters of Providence’s southern novice was described by Sister Jeannette as “a woman with a real passion for justice.”

The former mayor of Carabayllo, Sara continues to play an important role in the community. She took her visitors to several educational centres she helped create. There they saw her work with the teachers of preschool children. It quickly became obvious to the visitors that Sara is highly respected by the community. “Everywhere you go you can see the respect the people have for her,” said Sister Joan.

“She is a strong woman,” added Sister Jeannette. “When she gave the homily at our Associates gathering she was profound. It was based on Isaiah 58, a call to speak out and stand up for justice.”

It was a call which the sisters felt strongly. “During this trip I realized I have too much,” said Sister Jeannette. “Not just possessions, but everything that is available to me, even space, and opportunities that many of them don’t have access to.”

Sister Joan also felt her perspectives affected by this powerful journey. “My belief in God was reinforced when I saw the profound spirit and dignity of these people who continue to find extraordinary hope and meaning in the midst of all the squalor. I now see in scripture a whole new insight into how God is on the side of the poor.”

photo by: Sister Jeannette Filthaut

Alfredo and Betty share the meaning of the Christian Worker Movement; Christian members of the working class with an option for Christ and his message