Technical Education:
“Catherine McAuley embarked on technical education in Middle Abbey Street and subsequently in her House of Mercy in Baggot Street where her instinct concerning self-help and the blending of the academic with the technical in her school curriculum was both practical, liminal and foresighted.” – so writes Sr. Angela Bolster in her book “Venerable Catherine McAuley, Liminal for Mercy.” That work begun by Catherine in a poverty stricken Ireland was continued back in 1966 in Peru when the Sisters, who were then part of the “Cork Mission in Peru,” established a Technical Centre in Florencia de Mora. This was later moved to the District of Porvenir, where it developed and expanded.
Sr. Immaculata Murphy with San Jose Library and Church in the background
On June 11th, 2010 a new OUR LADY OF MERCY TECHNICAL AND PRODUCTION CENTRE was formally inaugurated and blessed in a new Human Settlement called Alto Trujillo. Alto Trujillo is located about half an hour outside the city of Trujillo with a population of 61,000 and growing every day. It is divided into barrios (districts) and is politically recognized as a place of extreme poverty. Nine years ago the sisters decided to move out of the somewhat developed areas where they had been ministering and join forces with those struggling to eke out an existence in this newly established settlement. In 2001 Sr. Josephine Keohane built a pastoral centre in the middle of the sand in Barrio 2A and called it San José. Having completed the building and formed little communities who met in esteras huts (huts made of straw matting) she returned to Ireland and Sister Immaculata Murphy continued in her place. Quickly San José was surrounded by huts, adobe houses and lots of families and children. In time a library/study centre was added and finally the chapel.
Esteras Hut (straw-matting)
Subsequently at a meeting with the people, there was a huge cry on the part of women to learn a skill and so move out of the poverty that existed all around. Little by little teachers from the Mercy Centre in Porvenir began to come a few days a week to teach skills in Alto. They met in homes initially and then construction began on a permanent building. On 11th June, 2010 the final phase of the building was completed and blessed and the twenty one teachers from Porvenir formally transferred to Alto to a beautiful new Centre complete with modern machinery and equipment. The Centre also includes a large bakery which gives employment to ten people.
Courses being taught in the new Technical Centre are: shoemaking, dressmaking, tailoring, hairdressing, computer education, silkscreening, baking, cooking for restaurants, crafts. On completing their courses students receive a diploma from the Ministry of Education. Participants are mainly women and teenagers who do not complete Secondary School for financial or other reasons. The new building and machinery were mainly financed by THE FATHER’S TABLE FOUNDATION of Florida and also by THE MINISTRY OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD, Boca Raton, Florida, Solidarity Fund of the Sisters of Mercy and Father Tim Sullivan, Chaplain to Cuan Muire, Farnanes, Cork.
Blessing of Phase I of Technical Centre
The President of The Father’s Table, his teenage daughter and a member of the Board, the President and Assistant of The Ministry of the Good Shepherd were present for the occasion. Students are very proud of their new Centre and feel that it has given them dignity. They presented a beautiful banner to the president of The Father’s Table which read:
“Do not give them a fish, teach them how to fish
The Father’s Table has taught us to recognise our talents and keep our dignity”.
While the teachers are paid by the State it is still costly to assist at the school as students must supply their own materials. During their visit our US donors committed themselves to finance 90 scholarships annually for three years. These would include materials for work. This is a great blessing and opens a door for many people who could not otherwise participate. We thank God for the generosity of so many people who made this project possible.
Linking the Rich with the Poor
Frequently in Ireland during the summer months we hear negative stories of the conduct of students following the completion of their Leaving Cert or when they are celebrating results achieved. Many go abroad to celebrate. This year in Peru we had a visit from a group of Leaving Certificate students from St. Kilian’s School in Dublin and we have a very happy story to relate.
It all began two years ago in 2008 when a group from St. Kilian’s, students and teachers, who had travelled to the tourist spots of Peru, visited the Mercy mission in the Andes in the town of Mache. The contact was made because one of the teachers, who happened to be from Cork, was a friend of Sr. Emer’s brother. Emer was, at that time, missioned in Mache. On their return and during these past two years they raised €52,000 for a project in Peru.
It was decided to use that money in the new Human Settlement Alto Trujillo, Barrio 4. About ten years ago, Sr. Betty Barry had built a Pastoral Centre in Barrio 4, the first Catholic Church presence in the area. Since Alto Trujillo was made a parish four years ago there has been a tremendous growth in the number of people participating in the Centre, called Our Lady of Mercy and a dire need for more communal meeting areas. The €52,000 raised by the Irish students was used to build a library/study centre, two additional meeting rooms and a unit of bathrooms. On 28th July, 2010, fourteen students, boys and girls, and two male teachers from St. Kilian’s arrived in Trujillo for the dedication and blessing of this new facility.
On arrival at the airport, a busload of parishioners from Barrio 4 were there to greet them with welcome placards and song, led by Sr. Dora Castro, coordinator of the Centre. For the people who went to welcome them it was their first time being at an airport and seeing a plane land. The excitement was tangible. Students and teachers stayed at the convent using the beds that were available plus their sleeping bags. They had come from Cusco and Machu Picchu, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and they had walked and camped on the Inca Trail.
They spent one entire day helping to roof adobe brick houses for two very poor women. The families themselves had built the walls but could not afford to roof them. Sister Dora bought the roofing materials (funds for housing comes from Sr. Mona Saunders who does painting for this purpose) and hired a builder to direct the project with the voluntary assistance of the psychologist who gives some hours working in the parish. The young people spent the time passing the sheets of eternity to the builder and putting them in place and helping in every way. Their spirit of solidarity and generosity and helpfulness endeared them very much to the local people. The two house owners spent the day thanking God for the help He had sent to put a roof over their heads.
Sunday morning the dedication and blessing of the St. Kilian’s Library and additional rooms took place. There was prayer, song and dance, ending with the teenagers from Barrio 4 and the Dublin young people all dancing together. Then the local church committee treated everyone to a delicious lunch. It was a great day of celebration. Next afternoon the group left for New York and Ireland. We were all very touched by the spirit of these young people, their solidarity and ability to integrate with another culture. While in the convent, they accommodated themselves to their limited surroundings, washed dishes and just endeared themselves to all.
Library in San Jose, Barrio 2
So we were all very proud of our Irish students and their teachers. St. Kilian’s German School, which is interdenominational, can be justly proud of them. The St. Kilian’s Library will be a wonderful asset to the area as a place where young people can study, have books available and do their homework. There is a large state school in the same block with 1,500 students. Not only do they not have a library but as yet several classrooms are made of esteras. The additional rooms will be invaluable for catechesis, literacy programs, parenting and other courses that the parish offers. AGAIN, WE THANK GOD FOR PUTTING GENEROUS PERSONS IN OUR WAY.
Immaculata Murphy rsm
Southern Province
