Shrouded in low-lying clouds, the mountains of central and northern Guatemala are home to a mystical people who pray to the saints, celebrate Mass and honor the Mayan deities of their ancestors.

Their lives are simple, predictable and exceedingly poor by U.S. standards.

Last Friday, 10 parishioners from Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Peachtree City returned home from a five-day fact-finding mission in Guatemala. Their goal: to assess the needs of Catholic parishes in the Diocese of Huehuetenango and report their findings to Holy Trinity church members.

The mission team learned to expect the unexpected. The members also discovered a lot about themselves, their faith, and the important role the church plays in the lives of their Catholic brothers and sisters.

The group, ranging in age from 19 to 70 included Father Fernando Molina-Restrepo, David Suwinski, Rudi Forster, Bill Camper, Pedro Cabrera, Clara Reed, Marta Ramos, Maria Ramos, Kirsten Foschman and me, Pat Newman.

The group endured marathon drives on boulder-strewn roads, crowded sleeping quarters and numerous cold showers. Fernando was hit hard by an amoeba-induced illness three days into the trip and was cured by a village clinician working at one of the church-sponsored health facilities in San Marcos. The mission party also discovered that 30 minutes travel time by the Guatemalan watch can be anything ranging from 35 minutes to two and a half hours by sport utility vehicle.

Education is a luxury in this small nation, especially for females. Most young girls living in rural areas are lucky to finish third grade. Communities rely heavily on the church for more than spiritual sustenance. Health and dental clinics are run by the Catholic Diocese as well as parochial schools, which outnumber the state-run facilities seven to one.

Holy Trinity's destination was Huehuetenango, a city of about 70,000 people that also serves as diocesan headquarters. The diocese, a sprawling geographical region which encompasses 31 communities is headed by Monsignor Rodolfo F. Bobadilla, a warm and humble man who offered two days of hospitality for the team. He provided two road-worthy vehicles, drivers with the expertise of NASCAR professionals and stomach-settling herb tea for the road weary.

Given the facts and figures of a diocese which covers 7,540 square kilometers and 31 church-supported municipalities and has only 18 priests, the task of a U.S.-based parish providing assistance could appear to be “Mission Impossible III.” But the team, guided by insights and suggestions from Bobadilla, strong leadership from Fernando and divine intervention, believes plenty can be accomplished.

The people are in dire need of medical attention. There are adequate supplies of over-the-counter drugs and supplies in the clinics, but no M.D.s are available due to the high cost. Dental care is limited, and most procedures consist of tooth extractions.

Children often walk long distances to school without breakfast. Providing a morning meal, the group was informed, would be an inexpensive and effective way to help in the educational arena. Construction of a rectory in one of the parishes was another suggestion made by the bishop, with an estimated cost of $25,000 (U.S.).

Providing basic school supplies may help the diocese stretch its educational funding. Teachers in parochial schools (12 elementary) are paid $100 per month, half the salary of teachers working in government-run schools. Sponsoring a seminarian (priest in training) was another area of interest broached by the team.

Another group of volunteers, perhaps from the medical field, is tentatively scheduled to make the second trip to Huehuetenango Aug. 7. The ongoing project is Holy Trinity's fulfillment of a promise to follow Pope John Paul II's directive to attend to the needy and poor during the church's Jubilee year focusing on social justice.

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