Last year I accompanied my sister, Sr Elizabeth Doyle on a return trip to the mission lands of Chile where she had spent 16 years of her Columban missionary life. After Elizabeth returned to Ireland, an earthquake knocked many of the buildings where she had worked. As the rebuilding programme came close to completion in 2012, her Chilean friends insisted she come back and see what they had achieved. I offered to carry her bags.
Santiago
We met with Columban Sr Angela McKeever who accompanied us to the Immigrants' Cultural Centre in the basement of the local church. It was to be the first of 36 churches I visited in two weeks. I'm delighted I didn't miss it.
The following day we visited Columban Sr Kathleen Mary Riordan. Her ministry is in a very tough area and the locals adore her. We noticed the huge presence of churches, schools and parish halls. But it is tough. Three bells were stolen from the one church in one night and when they erected iron fencing around the community centre, it also disappeared overnight.
Valparaiso
Those of us of a certain age may remember a poem from school which began, "Thainig long o Valparaiso" [English translation: A ship from Valparaiso came]. I had to visit Valparaiso, the biggest port in Chile!
Iquique
Iquique lies 940 miles north of Santiago so we went by air. We were met by Fr Pablo, a Belgian Franciscan and the quintessential missionary. Fr Pablo and Columban Sr Elizabeth Doyle had laboured together for many years and it was great to see old friendships renewed. On our arrival at the friary, I noticed a large crowd gathered outside on the steps and pathway. It was the welcoming party for the lost missionary, my sister Elizabeth.
Columban Sr Elizabeth was now back where she belonged. It was closer to a Royal Visit than a return to the missions. The following day we visited the new centre for the handicapped in Alto Hospicio, a work very close to her heart. The team there was agog with excitement and pride.
Dedication 24/7
It was so refreshing to visit the Columban Fathers house in Alto Hospicio and witness the simple, unquestioning ministry of those wonderful men. No wonder they're so highly thought of by the locals. I couldn't do it. I don't think I'd have that level of dedication, the simple lifestyle or their sense of Christ-filled focus.
Up To Camino
I finally got my chance to drive on the Pan Americana highway that goes all the way from southern Chile up to near Alaska. Now not many people get the chance to drive a tabernacle up the Andes, but that is what we did. We had loaded a tabernacle onto the back of a truck in Iquique, it was destined for the new church in Camina, where Sr Elizabeth spent most of her Chilean missionary life. We eventually arrived in Camina, 2,300 metres above sea level. Ten minutes later, I had my first nosebleed - ever!
The next day, once word got out that Sr Elizabeth was back in town, that was that. Mass at 12.00 seemed to have taken three hours, there were so many speeches from the locals! My sister Elizabeth graciously responded. The length of the speeches were a testimony to the love, respect and admiration the locals had for Columban Sr Elizabeth, a woman who had worked so tirelessly and unselfishly to keep their spiritual lives alive and thriving for so many years. I felt rather proud. After a wonderful communal feast and a goodnight's sleep we headed back down the mountain.
Mission
When those early Irish missionaries rowed out across the Atlantic, it was a tough life. I found the life of the 21st century missionary in Chile a tough one too. Creature comforts are few, expectations are huge, and the level of dedication and service leaves little time for recreation. But they enjoy what they do. It takes special people to do missionary work and they are special.
Padraig Doyle, a layman, is the younger brother of Columban Sr Elizabeth Doyle. All photos courtesy of the author, Padraig Doyle.
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