Jesus lives there, without a doubt

Our commitment with the Toba Qóm

Los Toba Qóm en Cerrito The Toba Qóm in Cerrito Die Toba Qóm in Cerrito
Servir a los más pobres… Serving the most poor ones Den Ärmsten der Armen dienen
Santa Misa Holy Mass Heilige Messe Fotos: Mision San Francisco Javier © 2008

PARAGUAY, Carlos Alberto Ovando. In the first week of May, 2006, the Nazareth course, Course 6, of the Apostolic Federation of Families was working on the topic of separated, divorced, and remarried couples. In searching for more accurate information, Margarita Alegre said she wanted to meet a priest who wouldn’t have problems sharing his experience with us. As a result, Father Leopoldo Esteban, an Argentine priest in charge of Indigenous Pastorate of the Missionary Community of San Francisco Javier, with its center at the Toba Qóm community, at 42.5km on the Transchaco route, in Cerrito, was invited to visit us.

After explaining what he was going to talk about and exchanging ideas, we then listened to his explanation of his missionary work. Until that moment, we were completely unaware of the massive charity work in which Father Esteban was engaged. As a matter of fact, it has already been almost four years since he had been living within that community. He told us about the school where he had been in Buenos Aires, as the director of this institution with more than 1,200 pupils; he also told us something his father had once said to him, "If you’re going to be a priest then you must devote yourself to the poor and not become a bourgeois in an office."

One day, he came with companions to visit some of the brothers from the Paraguayan communities and after returning to Argentina for a short time, he then returned and has remained there to the present time.

In reality, they need a pharmacy

We asked what were the needs there… the question in reality was stupid. When we began to travel to this community, we realized that any aid we could give would be ‘a drop in the ocean.’ Abandoned by the state, the conditions in this region in which the natives live, without exaggeration, is simply poverty-stricken. Grandmothers, mothers, fathers, young people, children of both sexes, are lacking the most basic needs; Father Esteban has been their lifeline. So to ask him about necessities is to shame oneself by displaying ignorance of such extreme poverty, although Father found the voice of God in all of this. It was a great surprise for him to discover that after coming to a married couples’ group to give a talk he could receive help. "Tomorrow I will send a letter and tell you," he said to us, "to decide where you could do the most good, I will send you a list of priorities."

The first thing on the list was "medicines," of all colors and sizes, solids and liquids; in reality, he needed a pharmacy. Next was food and finally clothing. In the face of this challenge, we set out, but not before sighing, "My God, what did you put us in?"

Each one did their part by visiting the laboratories, requesting budgets and donations. Then it was a real adventure to get to Cerrito and deliver the donations we had received. What we saw and felt is impossible to say. Without fear of being ambiguous, we can unequivocally say that we witnessed brothers of ours practically living like in the Stone Age. People of all ages, who were hungry, cold, and who lived under wool rugs in spite of all of Father Esteban’s efforts.

Jesus lives there

Since then, every month we set out again and no matter what we have to do and how we are, we go there; Jesus lives there, without a doubt. But in honor of the truth, we aren’t the only ones who support Father Esteban’s evangelization. Suddenly at the most dire moments, "donors" appear who help us help others.

We wanted to share this experience with you to see if there’s someone who is suited to the job of helping and seeing to it that our more destitute brothers can live in better conditions. Thank you in the name of the Blessed Mother and of the Toba Qóm.

Translation: amj, USA

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