A reflection on First Mission Assignment
By Lydio Mangao, Jr., Columban Student in Chile
Each week, I make it a habit to visit the nine chapels of the Columban parish of San Mathias in Bajos de Mena, Santiago, where I have been sent, choosing one or more at random.
Riding a bicycle, I would pedal hard to reach these chapels. It has been about two months since I arrived here, and I am still getting to know the streets. When I sense I am near a chapel, I tend to look up, searching for the cross among those rooftops of the neighborhood of Bajos de Mena. For me, the cross is more than landmark. It is a sign of the church, and of the gathered people of God.
On the 5th Sunday of Easter, a significant day in our liturgical calendar when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, the cross remains an integral part of our faith. To gaze lovingly at the cross of Jesus is to bear witness to the defeat of death. It is here that death is devoured by love.
What is our experience of death, injustice, abuse, betrayal, and darkness? I believe there is truth in this: we experience resurrection when we choose to love. Jesus asked us to live out the new commandment: to love one another as He has loved us. Through his life, he showed that this is not just ideal – it is a real and present possibility.
As a Columban missionary, I am aware of the risks that come with navigating this neighborhood. I recall one evening, on the Pentecost Vigil, on my way to a chapel, a man on a bicycle overtook me and abruptly halted in front of me. By God’s grace and perhaps the prompting of the Holy Spirit, a car coming from the opposite direction honked loudly after noticing the incident. The sound startled the man, distracting him long enough for me to escape.
I recognize the danger of riding the bicycle I borrowed, not only the risk of robbery along the way, but also the extreme weather conditions here in Bajos de Mena. These are crosses I bear. Yet, in the greater context of the mission entrusted to me, they are among the least of my concerns.
What draws me to go out to visit houses and chapels, is not the danger that lurks in the darkness of night, but my desire to be present, to listen to sacred stories and conversations with the faithful: their crosses, their faith journeys, their stories of resurrection. I want to witness how they express their love as parents and grandparents in complex family situations, as children caring for their parents, and as neighbors supporting one another.
At first, I looked up to find the the cross on rooftops to guide me to the chapels. Now, I find myself gazing at the cross in the lives of Chileans and migrants in Bajos de Mena revealed through personal stories they choose to share. Some stories speak of deep socio-economic poverty, painful relationship struggles, families striving to endure illness and betrayal-even wounds inflicted by ordained leaders of the Church. And yet, I still see them at Mass. I hear them speak their truth.
I have tasted their bread and cheese, their Hass avocado, and sipped their warm tea. The aroma of coffee, prepared for us to partake in, lingers on. Their faith and resilience in the face of these challenges are truly inspiring.
They choose to love, even in the shadow of the cross. This is their cross – one that devoured death through love. They loved and remain faithful because Someone loved them first. They continue to love despite all they have been through.
As they share their crosses with me, I carry them in my heart, holding them in sacred spaces – places only God knows, where the true weight of each burden is understood. Their stories of cross and love, despite their challenges, serve as a rich reminder of the tangible grace of God that builds in our human nature.
Their lives give me the strength to keep going – to pedal toward one chapel at a time, one cross at a time, one Spanish conversation at a time.
Now, I find myself slowly drawing closer to the heart of the Church – the gathered people of God in Bajos de Mena, Santiago, Chile. On my next stop, I will focus on three basic ecclesial communities within three chapels. Only God knows what the journey ahead will hold.
Your prayers and support are valuable and integral to our mission. Let us continue to pray for one another and support each other. #ActiveNonViolence #LiveSimply
