The Latest Edition of Belize 2020 News Is Now Available!

The latest edition of Belize 2020 News is packed with inspiring stories, personal profiles and progress updates. Please click below to view or download a PDF. 

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A New Year, a New Look, and a New Mission

By Brian Christopher, S.J.
Friday, September 27, 2019, Belize City, Belize

The academic year is off to a strong start at St. Martin de Porres School, and there is a sense that something new is in the air this year.

Four new rainwater vats with a filtering system are providing St. Martin’s students with increased access to clean water.

Summer break kept us all busy with four different renovation projects. Thanks to a grant we received, we were able to repaint our school buildings, replace or repair all the doors and windows of the school, and install four new rainwater vats with a filtering system, so our school children will have increased access to clean water this year. We were also able to give our office a bit of a “facelift,” to create a more inviting space for the various groups that meet there weekly.

 But the changes have been more than superficial. At the start of the school year, we launched a strategic planning process for the school to rethink how we operate from the ground up. Over the last few years, Fr. Matt and his team worked hard to rebuild the hull of this ship; now our challenge is to plot a new course. The process we have embarked upon is more than a matter of rethinking policies or classroom management strategies. We are re-examining and rethinking the culture of our school, so as to root it more firmly in a sense of shared mission. 

Over the last few months, St. Martin’s has also welcomed some new, and some not-so-new, faces to our team. Ms. Teresita Tillett returns from her year of working with the government as an assistant principal. Ms. Tillet brings a ton of experience as an educator, and a vast amount of institutional memory. The parish also hired Mrs. Debbie Ordonez our first Parish Business Manager. Debbie will be managing Swift Hall, as well as the day-to-day operations of the parish. Two months in, we are already so grateful for the new energy she has brought to our office. 

We have also begun two new ministries in the parish. The first is a monthly grief support group, facilitated by two local therapists. Many of our parishioners have experienced deaths in their families this year. Our hope is to provide a safe space, where folks can come and share the ups and downs of grief with others who are going through something similar.

In September, we also began a support group for people caring for loved ones with dementia of one kind or another. “Caregivers’ Journey” meets every two weeks again to share the ups and downs of caring for loved ones, but also to provide encouragement, a sense of community, helpful information and spiritual support. 

In July and August, St. Martin’s parish also hosted its first ever online retreat. The “We Are Called” retreat gave parishioners a chance to reflect more deeply on the five core values of our parish: Be deeply rooted in Christ, Be lovingly compassionate, Be warmly welcoming, Be boldly creative, and Be passionately engaged. Over two hundred people participated in this retreat in daily life! 

One hundred friends of St. Martin’s turned out for a boat cruise to raise money for the school.

Finally, on August 24 the parish sponsored a boat cruise to raise money for our school. The “Summa Kyant Done!” cruise hosted 100 passengers, who set sail for a full evening of music, dancing, refreshments, and fellowship, and all for a great cause! Our next parish fundraiser, which will be a shared fundraiser with Project HEAL, will be in early November to raise money for our feeding programs. 

It has been a busy few months, but things are definitely moving in exciting directions!

A Holiday and a Hurricane—A New Year with Old Problems—A Welcome Arrival—A Necessary Revolution—A Birthday

By Matthew D. Ruhl, S.J.
Tuesday, September 10, 2019, Punta Gorda, Belize

Today the nation of Belize celebrates the Battle of St. George’s Caye. In 1798, between the dates September 3rd – 10th, the British baymen and their slaves repulsed the Spanish who tried to assert their dominion over this territory. The British were victorious in repulsing Spanish aggression. Hence, we celebrate the Battle of St. George’s Caye. The British reported no casualties. Of the Spanish, no casualties are known. Not a particularly bloody conflict, but historically very important nonetheless.

In 1931, there was another battle in Belize. And there were many casualties. This was not a battle between warring factions, but a battle against the elements. The Hurricane of 1931 killed an estimated 2,500 citizens, almost twice the number of lives lost in Hurricane Katrina. Of those casualties, 11 were Jesuits, the greatest one day loss of Jesuit life in the Province. Once upon a time stories were told of these Jesuits being killed while saving the lives of their students at Loyola College in Belize City. But after 88 years, these men, their stories, and their sacrifice are all but forgotten.

The school year has commenced. Our 5,200 plus kids with our 240-plus teachers have resumed their academic lives. It is both a happy and sad thing: happy because our kids are in school; sad because our buildings, teaching aids, and school supplies are so miserably deficient. Across the street at St. Peter Claver School we have two wooden buildings of five classrooms apiece that are now 60-year-old, termite-infested claptraps. Teachers and students alike complain of the termite dust that falls on them during the day from roof and ceiling. One day, God-willing, they will be replaced by cement buildings.

The backhoe has arrived! And is now working at preparing the ground for our new basketball court. This will be a 6 to 8-week process. In the meantime we shall tear up the old court in the school quad, replacing it with an aesthetically pleasing landscape of cooling green trees and grass.

Fr. Sam Wilson and I have revolutionized the decades-old manner of proceeding in Toledo District. Rather than wear ourselves out running from village to village, Mass to Mass, a manner quite detrimental to meaningful pastoral practice, we have employed buses and selected a few hub villages that we will work in. We now serve more people more pastorally and more efficiently than heretofore with three priests. So far, absolutely no complaints.

And finally, on Sunday, September 8th, St. Peter Claver Parish and School celebrated our 157th birthday. Founded in 1862 by Belgian Jesuit John Genon, he took on virtually the same territory that St. Peter Claver Parish is still responsible for and what has become essentially the Toledo District of Southern Belize. Our Birthday Mass and seaside picnic were both extremely well-attended. And if I may be so bold, I do, in fact, feel the lifting of a malaise that has gripped our parish for quite some time.

Kansas City Gets a Patron Saint

By Matthew D. Ruhl, S.J.
Wednesday, August 7, 2019, Punta Gorda, Belize

In 257 the Emperor Valerian needed money to subsidize Rome’s many military engagements. He decided to inaugurate a persecution against the Christians, using that as pretext for extorting money from the Church. Pope Sixtus was martyred in Rome the following year. As one of seven Roman Deacons, a post responsible for the material goods of the Church as well as distribution of alms to the poor, Lawrence was called before the Prefect of Rome and told he should render unto Caesar what belonged to Caesar; i.e., save your life by surrendering to us all the valuables of the Church. Lawrence told the Prefect he would need three days to inventory and collect the wealth of the Church. A date three days hence was agreed upon.

Lawrence used the three days to run around Rome collecting all the poor, blind, crippled, enfeebled, lepers, orphans, and widows that the Church supported. On the appointed day, Lawrence shepherded them in to see the Prefect.

“What’s all this?” cried the Prefect.

“These,” answered Lawrence, “are the true wealth of the Church.”

The Prefect did not find this the least bit amusing. He ordered Lawrence to be slowly grilled to death on a gridiron. At one point, so the story goes, as his flesh roasted, Lawrence told his torturers shortly before dying, “I’m done on that side. You may turn me over.”

But the story is not over. His feast day, August 10th, falls in the middle of the Perseid meteor showers (July 23-August 20 with August 13th the height). In the Middle Ages these showers were referred to as “The tears of St. Lawrence” shed for the inhumanity of the human race. Go outside tonight and look up into the summer sky. Be patient. You will see shootings stars, or the tears of St. Lawrence.

Now much of the story strains credulity, but St. Lawrence was one of the most popular Saints in the post-apostolic age. Many churches bore his name. Many a Renaissance master put him on canvas. Why this popularity? Because of the beauty of his story. Whether historically accurate or not, Catholics longed to believe the Church genuinely considered the poor the true “wealth” of the Church. Centuries before there was all this talk of Social Justice, the people of the pew wanted a Church that believed in them, believed they were valuable no matter how poor or distressed they might be. The stories around St. Lawrence gave them what they were rightfully looking for, confirmation that they had worth. That is why I love St. Lawrence.

And finally, the Church, in a rare instance of true humor, declared St. Lawrence the Patron Saint of Barbecuers. Isn’t that great?!  I therefore nominate St. Lawrence the Patron Saint of Kansas City, home of the world’s greatest barbecue.

We Did It—Mr. Tommy Goff Pays a Visit—Wind—Small World

By Matthew D. Ruhl, S.J.
Thursday, July 31, 2019, Punta Gorda, Belize

It is official. We have scared up the money necessary to accomplish our basketball court. Two things: there won’t be room enough for a five-aside soccer field; we do have enough room and money for a full-sized court that will be used for pick-up games and the games of organized programs. Through this blog we raised $24,800.00. A donor stepped up to cover the difference. Work will begin in August. Thank you all so much for your donations. I am terribly grateful and so is St. Peter Claver Parish. This is a very good thing for Punta Gorda.

On Saturday morning our Sacristan spied a tommy goff slithering into the church organ. These venomous snakes are the number-one killing snake in the region. A snake man was called. He dispatched our poisonous intruder without incident.

On Sunday night a freak storm hit Punta Gorda. The wind blew tile and chunks of concrete off our roof and sent them sailing over the roof and into our parking lot. I cannot imagine the wind speed that would carry 2-3 lb. chunks of concrete. We lost a tree or two and lots of branches. In windy storms the tiles of our indoor drop-ceilings rattle and lift. Sometimes that action distresses certain beasts who have made their home in the ceiling. On Monday morning our Local Superior, Tom Greene, who is spending a couple of days with us, woke to an irritated bat dive bombing him. Welcome to PG!

July 31st being the Feast of St. Ignatius, Fr. Quang Tran, S.J. and Local Superior Tom Green, S.J. found themselves in PG involved in a couple of summer programs here and in the village of San Marcos with a group from New Orleans. Shrimp and fish were happily consumed. As fate would have it, one of the volunteers was the brother of a woman I worked with at a Boy’s Hope summer camp 32 years ago in Canada, Owakonze.

More Robotics Fun in Belize!

The amazing Clavius robotics team is freshly back in St. Louis after hosting two weeks of robotics camps for kids in Belize City. The team conducted six day camps at St. John’s College where 70 grade school and high school students learned about basic and advanced robotics and decision theory. The kids worked in teams to design, build and program robotic vehicles while practicing their critical thinking skills. This is the second year the Clavius Project has sponsored the camps in Belize.

 Congrats to Jeff Pitts, project moderator, and the crew of mentors and volunteers for inspiring the next generation of Belizean scientists and engineers!

Silence is Golden—Rat, Bats, and Termites, Oh My—An Empty Chair—Willie John

By Matthew D. Ruhl, S.J.
Thursday, July 10, 2019, Punta Gorda, Belize

Grade schools across the country were dismissed for their two-month summer vacation last week. It is a much quieter campus, as you might suspect. I can actually hear the sea surf rather than than the peals of children. Now that school is out, we have a great many repairs and no shortage of deferred maintenance. With all the schools and churches St. Peter Claver serves, we have 107 buildings to maintain. Every building without question has rats, bats, ants, termites, and geckos while suffering the water damage of God knows how many rainy seasons. Only the gecko does not create a health hazard. I am very fond of vermin-eating geckos.

Summer maintenance will commence at our Grade School in the village of Indian Creek. Tampa Jesuit held a fundraiser for us and sent a check for $13,000.00 (Thank you Tampa Jesuit). The money will be used for a new roof after all the bat guano is cleaned out. One room could not be used all year due to all the guano dropping from the ceiling. Raining down with the guano was the dust from termite eaten ceilings. We are also replacing the roof at Peter Claver School due to extensive termite damage.

Fr. Penn Dawson, S.J. has completed the “Pastoral Year” that many freshly-minted Jesuit priests undertake. He has been assigned to Loyola New Orleans where he will teach law next Fall. Penn is already missed here. His verandah chair sits alone and empty for me and Sam to lament. But now the full sacramental complement of 36 churches and 30 schools falls on me and faithful colleague and friend, Fr. Sam Wilson, S.J. Thank God St. Peter Claver has a great staff of Lay Persons whose love and dedication keep all these churches and schools going, not least of which are our 232 grade school teachers and our 113 Village Catechists.

Finally, dear friend Willie John Snyders, S.J. will be saying farewell to his beloved Belize after 30 years and more of service. He taught, advised, and did Campus Ministry at St. John’s College High School; sang in the Belize Chorale Society; and found very fulfilling work at Belize Central Prison. Many tears have been shed with this farewell. He will be continuing ministerial service in Grand Couteau, Louisiana. Recently dedicated Snyders Hall now serves the freshman of St. John’s High School as a reminder of this remarkably generous man.

(Click here to contribute to needed improvements on the St. Peter Claver campus.)

Willie John and Matt.

Willie cleaning out his office.

Rainy Season’s Arrival—An Anniversary—An Honor

By Matthew D. Ruhl, S.J.
Thursday, June 6th, 2019, Punta Gorda, Belize

Fr. Matt received an honorary doctorate in humane letters from the University of Scranton in May.

The Rainy Season arrived right on cue with a good thundershower in the wee hours of June 1, Opening Day of Hurricane Season. Of course now at Masses all around the country the Prayers of Petition will including the prayer for protection against all storms. Down south here we are particularly susceptible to flood due to the very poor quality of so many roads. “I can’t get through” is the most common refrain of the Rainy Season.

This month I celebrate 25 years of Pastoring. I was first appointed pastor of St. Matthew the Apostle Catholic Church in North St. Louis 25 years ago in 1994. It has been thus far a genuine adventure. If I were to pick out the greatest reward of these 25 years it would be of the very good, soulful friendships made along the way. What is also gratifying is that after 25 years, I am still extremely happy with my choice of apostolic labor within the Society of Jesus. And it was my dear friend Ed Kinerk, S.J. who patiently listened to all my desires as a scholastic and observed, “Well, Ruhl, we need to train you for parish work.” A couple of years after that, I was the Associate Pastor at St. Joseph’s in East St. Louis when Ed called one morning from the airport and said, “Ruhl, I gotta get you to St. Matthew’s.” Now, here I am, 25 years later, in Punta Gorda, Belize, Pastor of St. Peter Claver Parish.

On May 24th, I received an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from the University of Scranton. Family and friends were there and it really was a very enjoyable weekend. I am truly honored by that award, especially as it came, unbeknownst to the givers, at the beginning of my 25th year as a pastor. All love and respect to my dear friend Scott Pilarz, S.J., President of the University of Scranton.

Belize Goes to Court—Preparation—Sargassum—We Get a Garden—Rev. Dr. Ruhl at Your Service—Summertime In PG

By Matthew D. Ruhl, S.J.
Wednesday/May 15, 2019/Punta Gorda, Belize

Photo credit: Paul Streltsov

The country has voted to go to the International Court of Justice to settle a Guatemalan claim against the territorial integrity of Belize. This land claim of Guatemala’s has been a thorn in the side of Belize for decades. Yesterday, in a referendum wherein Belizeans went to the polls, the nation decided to meet Guatemala at the International Court of Justice at The Hague to settle the dispute.

 As is my pastoral habit of 26 years, the first year of a new pastorate is spent primarily getting to know the people and seeing how the parish does things. I listen to hopes and complaints. I look for parish strengths and weaknesses. And now my Claver 2025 Team, with the Parish Council, are polling parishioners to discover what they believe the parish needs. The response has been overwhelming. There will be no shortage of input as we put together a five-year plan.

 Sargassum has arrived. The algae, not a seaweed, comes from the Sargasso Sea in the North Atlantic. It is essential habitat to many species of fish and turtles who seek its shelter for breeding and refuge. The problem is that when it lands on our beaches it smells like rotting eggs. The good news is that sargassum is wonderful compost for gardens, very high in nitrogen. So, for the sake of our new garden, we will put up with the smell. Although Claret and Amy, who are closest to the garden, want time off until the sargassum dries.

 Speaking of gardens. Yes, we have planted a garden and added to our landscaping. There are no florists in PG, so for weddings, funerals, Easter, Mothers’ Day, etc., we have to go to Mexico or Guatemala, making expensive flowers even more costly. We had to fence the garden for, as you know, our campus is open and every passerby thinks any flower is fair game. We got plenty of free cuttings from a parishioner who owns and operates the very lovely SPICE FARM, a botanical garden of exquisite beauty about 40 miles north.

 On May 26th, I will be awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Scranton. I am deeply touched by this honor and have every intention of enjoying the moment. Some family and friends will be joining me and I am very happy about that too. I was on the Board of Trustees at Scranton for six years in the early 2000s and now have some of my dearest friends living in Scranton. You can bet I shall WIDELY distribute photos of me in cap and gown.

 Finally, with summer around the corner, I want you to report that we who have absolutely no air-conditioning have been enjoying daytime temps in the lower 90s, with heat indices in the 105 to 110 range. Our little grade schoolers and teachers have not even any fans and must endure the swelter. No heat days off in PG. The school year lasts until the end of May.

Jesuit Ministries in Belize Featured in New Video

Please check out this interesting and lovely new video highlighting the Jesuit ministries in Belize. It was created by Jeremy Zipple, S.J., assistant pastor of St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church in Belize City and a documentary filmmaker. 

Belize 2020 Co-Founders Tom and Maureen Nolan Featured in Jesuits Magazine

Please check out the lovely article on Belize 2020 co-founders Tom and Maureen Nolan in the latest edition of Jesuits magazine. Click here for the article only or click on the magazine’s cover to view the full issue.

Christmas at Melhado—An Unwelcome Christmas Gift—Christmas in PG—Christmas in the Jungle

By Matthew D. Ruhl, S.J.
Monday, December 24, 2018, Punta Gorda, Belize

The Jesuits of Belize got together for their Christmas Dinner on December 17th. It was our first Christmas in our slowly renovating Melhado Hall. (Just for the record, Melhado Hall was built with money earned by a Belizean bootlegger who sailed his rum across the Gulf of Mexico and up into New Orleans from Belize [then British Honduras] during US Prohibition.) Santa made his appearance and distributed his presents and Willie John Snyders won the prize for the most festively dressed, most appropriate as he is the most colorful character amongst us.

 While in Belize City for our Christmas dinner, I awoke one night with a dull, throbbing toothache. Went to the dentist. It appears Santa has brought me a root canal for Christmas. I will return to the city December 27th for this joyful experience, to be followed by a new crown. Until then it's ibuprofen and antibiotics. (LaBarge, do you realize that means NO booze over the holiday?!) So, while I close out the year with a root canal, I will begin the New Year with a crown!

 On December 21st, the St. Peter Claver Staff had their Christmas Party, prepared by the Ms. Catalina, Ms. Olive, and Fr. Penn. We had a big fat dinner of turkey, ham, potato salad, cranberry, stuffing, with cakes and pies for dessert. We exchanged gifts. I thanked the staff for being such a hardworking and agreeable lot. Pointed out the changes that have already come to St. Peter's and warned them of the changes coming.

 With Sunday falling the day before Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Sam, Penn, and I have a marathon of Masses to do. When it is all done we will have said 18 Masses in 15 different churches. (So, LaBarge, as you can see there was no time for booze anyway.) The three of us will enjoy our own little Christmas celebration on December 26th at a lovely jungle resort restaurant.

 A BLESSED CHRISTMAS TO ONE AND ALL, AND THE MOST JOYFUL OF NEW YEAR'S.

Wooo-Hooooo—First things First—Good Fences Make Good Neighbors—Honoring a Patroness

By Matthew D. Ruhl, S.J.
Wednesday/December 12, 2018 /Punta Gorda, Toledo District, Belize

Bishop Larry Nicasio

On December 2nd it became official. I am the Pastor of St. Peter Claver Catholic Church in Punta Gorda—–Wooooooo—–Hooooooooo.  About 800 people crammed into and around the Church.  Prayers and songs were offered in English, Spanish, Qeqchi, Mopan, Garifuna.  And I understood every word………of English. When it was done everybody moved over to the parish hall for tamales and sandwiches.

The very first thing on my agenda is to push Mass attendance. I plan on doing this by boosting the many committees that went moribund in the last few years: Lay Ministers, Youth Group, Liturgy Committee. These things sound boring and inconsequential, but I assure you when these committees are vibrant they make ALL the difference on Sunday morning.

Of course our grounds need work, a lot of work. But here is the problem and it is a really big problem. Before we can repair our grounds, we need a fence in order to maintain our repairs.  From the moment I arrived people were saying to me, “We need a fence.  We need a fence.”  After three months of being here, I see why so many teachers, parents, and parishioners want a fence. This Sunday past a local election was held. Our school is a polling station. The crowds trashed our grounds.  Urinating in the yard, drinking their rum in the church garden and school verandah, mountains of trash discarded which the local canine crew spread across the grounds. Even without an election, vandals break into classrooms. People cut through the grounds on foot, on bikes, in cars, and on motorcycles. Folks have no problem stealing the few flowers we do manage to grow.  Revelers and lovers will settle on our verandah at night with their weed and alcohol and radios. During the week anybody can just walk into any classroom they want to pester a teacher or a child.  On the weekends our campus is literally treated as a public park. There once was an attempt at fencing one side of the school grounds, but money fell short and the fence is filled with gaps where there were supposed to be gates.  I will begin the process of looking into fencing our 20 or so acres. This will be terribly adventurous as fencing is hardly a sexy sell and our Sunday collection averages about $700 per Sunday, or $350 US.  And a fence is only the first stage in what needs to be a great overhaul of the grounds.  I think I’ll be here a long time.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Today we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The Patroness of the Americas is honored here with a candlelight procession around the neighborhood followed by Mass.  She is important to us for many reasons, not least of which is her protection of us from hurricanes and devastating storms. As the Hurricane Season has concluded without a destructive storm, we give thanks.

Garifuna Settlement Day—A Geezer—Project #1—Goings On

By Matthew D. Ruhl, S.J.
Wednesday/November 28, 2018/Punta Gorda, Toledo District, Belize

November 19th was Garifuna Settlement Day, the day that celebrates the Garifuna people landing on the shores of Central America. The days leading up to Settlement Day were full of celebrations with Miss Garifuna and Miss Punta Gorda in attendance. There was a fete of music with Garifuna cooking, a Garifuna language translation contest, a Battle of the Drums competition, all culminating with a reenactment of the original landing followed by a parade to St. Peter Claver Church where Fr. Callistus Cayetano, a local Garifuna Catholic priest, celebrated Mass.

Fr. Matt and Claret Jacobs celebrate their November birthdays with sweet treats.

On November 23rd, I began celebrating my birthday with the Peter Claver staff with a big, fat turkey lunch, at which we also we also celebrated the birthday of friend and colleague, Claret Jacobs. On November 24th I turned 60 years old, celebrating with friends from Belize City along with Lissa and Tom Whittaker who traveled to Punta Gorda from Kansas City—God bless them! We all enjoyed a lovely dinner at a resort in the jungle. The Whittakers and I finished up the prolonged birthday celebration with a day trip to Placencia on the 26th. I am now 60 and officially on the road to Geezerdom.

I met with the St. Peter Claver Parent/Teacher Association. All are quite concerned with the direction of our school and frustrated with the lack of support the school has not been getting. I understand and sympathize with their litany of complaints. They want a fence around their school and have been requesting it for years. I explained that a fence around the school, especially a school with the acreage we have, is a big-ticket item requiring some planning. I asked what would be something that we could do immediately that would be a sign of hope. Agreement was fast, furious, and unanimous: fix the bathrooms. So our first project will be fixing up the grade school bathroom, a facility that has suffered Deferred Maintenance Syndrome for many years.

In the meantime the Parish Council is busy putting together the Installation Mass wherein I will be officially installed as Pastor. Our Parish Life Committee is also busy putting together our Annual Parish Fair to be held on December 15th. The Fair’s raffle proceeds will go towards a new church ceiling.

Please Remember Us on #GivingTuesday, November 27!

You can make a difference on #GivingTuesday, Nov. 27, a global day of giving! Please consider making a donation or a gift of your time to support Jesuit ministries in Belize by clicking on the Join Us button in the menu. Thank you!

Open Door Policy—A Countdown—Mighty Mites—An Installation—Jesuit Volunteers—The Dark Side

By Matthew D. Ruhl, S.J.
Wednesday/November 7, 2018/Punta Gorda, Toledo District

Here at St. Peter Claver we keep our church doors open the day long.  We have a little box for candle money that regularly gets rifled. But last week a fellow came in and rifled the Tabernacle, thieving a ciborium full of consecrated hosts. The fellow was apprehended when he tried to pawn the ciborium to a Catholic pawnbroker. I asked the arresting officer if he knew what the thief did with the hosts, and the officer said, "Ate them."

Despite this, we will not lock our church. I am not just saying this; it is true: Punta Gorda is full of prayerful, devout people. So many people drop into our church to pray and light candles it would be a sin to lock it up.  So, with rebuilt Tabernacle and new lock, our doors remain open.

Well the countdown is on. Yours truly will be 60 years of age on November 24th. As a child I once asked my mother what it was like to give birth to me. She said: "Well, you were number nine so you came out lickety-split. And I remember them bringing you in with my Thanksgiving dinner. I was so happy to have a quiet Thanksgiving with my new son and not having to prepare a Thanksgiving dinner at home."

Tear downs. In Belize termites are very much a force to be reckoned with. They are Omnipresent Mighty-Mites. No Belizean home is a stranger to the little pyramid of sawdust that indicates termite presence. Two wood school buildings that had housed three classrooms apiece had to be torn down quickly after being shuddered. The buildings were ten-year temps that we had to use for twenty-five years. Finally, the termites had their way and they became unsafe for students. Vandals broke in and that would be just the beginning of the buildings being used for badness, such as fire, juvenile baby-making, habitation for homeless, drugs, et cetera.  So down they came.  In the last few years our enrollment went down so we can afford to lose the classrooms. However, enrollment is already on the upswing and we will have some decisions to make.

Plans are underway for our December 2nd Installation Mass for me as pastor. Villages are being informed, buses scheduled, choirs contacted, food planned.  It should be, it needs to be, a celebration of Catholic unity amongst Toledo Catholics.  Recall that the Toledo District of Belize is home to Punta Gorda and St. Peter Claver Parish. St. Peter Claver Parish has under its administration 36 village churches and 30 village grade schools all separated by washboard mountain roads: that's over 5,000 grade school students and 242 teachers. Languages: Qeqchi, Mopan, Spanish, Garifuna.  So you can see how a unifying moment would be good for Toledo Catholics.

Speaking of the villages, our Jesuit Volunteers are working hard to animate Youth Groups in the villages. This year we must try another tack since Youth Groups run by the volunteers fall apart when the volunteers return to the States. Their task this year is to train local Youth Facilitators who will keep the Youth Groups alive after the Jesuit Volunteers depart.  See the photo of Monica, Rebecca, and Matthew, our volunteers.

And finally, I have officially gone over to the Dark Side. I have an iPhone. The pictures of the volunteers and the demolition are mine. Trying to figured out how to take and forward a photo amused little Monica so much, she took that photo.

A First Step—A Holy Hootenanny—Christmas in October

By Matthew D. Ruhl, S.J.
Wednesday/October 24, 2018/Punta Gorda

It is called a Cursillo. It is the convening of the 34 Catholic Church leaders, Catechists, from the 34 Maya village churches administrated by St. Peter Claver for a three-day retreat. Fr. Sam Wilson organized the event hosted by St. Benedict's here in Punta Gorda.  It succeeded as a first step toward putting order to the administrative chaos and divisions within the villages.  Men and women arrived with their hammocks and notebooks.  Sessions dealt with leadership styles, issues with Evangelicals, gripe sessions. The most important outcome was the desire of the Catechists to put an end to division and bickering and move forward, united in their Catholic Faith.

To celebrate that unity, St. Peter Claver will host a great gathering on Sunday, December 2nd, on the occasion of my being officially installed as the Pastor of St. Peter Claver.  Buses will be contracted to bring the Faithful out of the mountains to Punta Gorda.  Events will begin with Mass and Installation, presided over by Bishop Larry Nicasio, followed by the serving of great portions of food and drink as we feast seaside in the yard of the church. Choirs from the various churches will be invited to perform for the crowd. All in all a crowd of about 1,000 should be in attendance.

It is sometimes difficult in Punta Gorda to go out and get what you need when you need it. Sometimes supply and selection are limited.  Sometimes cost is prohibitive. And so we find ourselves uniquely short of some of life's staples.  Currently we have no phones due to lightning strike and cordless phones are not available here. No TV due to the same lightning strike. Our stove is on the fritz:  two burners work out of four, no oven. Our washing machine is falling apart. And last night, Fr. Sam ate a cold supper: microwave had gone out.  So, Fr. Penn will travel to Belize City tomorrow and visit a friend of mine who works at COURTS, a department store. He will return with a new stove, new phones, new washing machine, new microwave. Interestingly, nobody was hoping for a new TV.  Our evenings are spent on the verandah talking, with Fr. Sam frequently strumming some Delta Blues on his guitars.  We retire to our rooms to read around 7 p.m.  Lights out by 9 p.m. Everybody is up and at 'em by 4 a.m. Nobody misses the TV at all.

North to Alaska—Back to Missouri—Wooo-Hooo!—Back to PG—A Love—And More Love

By Matthew D. Ruhl, SJ
Thursday/October 4, 2018/Punta Gorda, Belize

OK—time to get back to work and writing. I had a busy but delightful three weeks in the States. A week and more was spent up on Kodiak Island in Alaska with seven friends rallied together by Mark LaBarge. Each of us brought home 100 lbs of filleted fish consisting of salmon, halibut, and rock fish. We saw Kodiak bears on land and a pod of killer whales on the sea. There was some dispute between Mark LaBarge and Jim Heinie about who should get credit for catching a 96-pound halibut, but Judge John Weller heard the facts and rendered an opinion that satisfied all but Mark LaBarge, who, had in fact been interfered with while trying to reach the fishing rod with said fish. Mark’s son Eric managed to haul in a 134 halibut which awed us all to the point of forgetting the 96 pounder.

Back in Missouri the Ruhl Clan gathered at Truman Lake for our second family reunion in three years. A family Mass preceded a fish fry that consisted of the Alaskan halibut and salmon along with bass and crappie pulled out of Truman. It is a blessing to have a family that sincerely enjoys getting together. The number of grand nephews and nieces and dogs continues to grow unabated. A brand-new set of twins was too young as yet to travel. Looks like we had better start thinking about our next reunion.

Before returning to Belize I had to go visit my cancer doctor at KU Med. It had been one year since I had a cancer removed from my lip. After examining my lip and surrounding area he said he did not need to see me again. Wooo—hoooo!!!

Back in Punta Gorda school, of course, got started while I was away. At St. Peter Claver our enrollment is up slightly this year, bringing our student body up to 575. I am continuing my St. Martin’s habit of visiting each classroom every morning, reminding teachers and students alike that they have a pastor who cares deeply for them. We have many issues to face in our village schools such as bat infestations, crumbling buildings, and of course, personnel issues. Thank God for my Assistant Local School Manager, Claret Jacobs, who effectively investigates and deals with most problems.

I am on my bike each afternoon, cycling down the highway and out of town. I love bicycles. I love them. Greatest invention ever. I love the sound of rubber on pavement; I love the feel of gears turning; I love the breeze; I love seeing people who wave; I love unexplored bends in the road; I love the flora and fauna (saw a big red-butt tarantula crossing the road the other day); and I love the way riding makes me feel physically, emotionally, spiritually. I have never had a bad ride! Speaking of love…

Love is in the air here in PG as the air is full of love bugs, those uninhibited copulating critters that float affectionately all day on their billowing pillow of amorous air. Even after they have spent their passion they remain attached to one another for days, discussing perhaps what schools their children must attend.

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By Matthew D. Ruhl, SJ
Wednesday, August 15, 2018, Punta Gorda, Belize

On Sunday, August 5th I drove about 40 minutes into the lushly forested jungle mountains to preside at my first village mass as Pastor of St. Peter's. (Recall that St. Peter's has administrative responsibility for 34 villages, each with a church while 30 villages have grade schools. Under my care are 5,265 students with 242 teachers. Please pray for me.) As the Maya village Crique Jute (creeky  HOO-tay) is made up only of farming families, the church is named after the Patron Saint of Farmers, St. Isidore.  About thirty villagers of two hundred were in attendance. The rest have been siphoned off by evangelical churches, a topic to which we shall return at another time. I truly enjoyed St. Isidore's, the good people and the beautiful mountains.

Billikens for Clean Water visited Punta Gorda last week. Their goal was to test water  in the villages and offer solutions. In one village they asked about gastro-intestinal issues. The mothers all reported stomach complaints especially with their children. Some village members guided the Billikens to the village water source, a spring pond in a cave. Upon testing they discovered large presence of bat guano. The Billikens are investigating alternative water sources after giving a boil water recommendation.

The new Jesuit Volunteers have arrived in Belize. As they toured the country they visited us here at Peter Claver where three JV's will be working. Of course we introduced them immediately to the verandah and all enjoyed pizza, beer, and view.

On Sunday August 12, I drove to Big Falls to say Mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe. A mix of Mopan and Ketchi Maya, this is one of the few villages that can be reached by paved road. Halfway through Mass, I beheld on the clean, whitewashed wall of the church a lovely and sizable tarantula. Fortunately the hairy and long legged beast did not move throughout the Mass. I did not offer hug or handshake at the Sign of Peace, and... I am not sure... but...was that a tarantula tear that fell to the floor? Listen, we all need to be more accepting of each other...even if we are tarantulas.

It is that time of year again when I return to the States for a little R&R. There will be a Ruhl Family Reunion at Truman Lake. Before that I will be fishing in Alaska with my good friend Mark LaBarge. I shall return to PG on September 21st, a date that has threefold significance: It is Belize Independence Day; it is the Patronal Feast of my namesake, St. Matthew; it will mark my one year anniversary of having a cancer excised from my lip. So with all that....see you in September.