Posted: July 9

It is a holiday, I´ll take it

(Buenos Aires, Argentina) "Celebrate holidays when they come, however they come." If that is not currently a rule of some sort, I propose we make it one. And so I find myself celebrating the ninth of July- with military bands in the parade this morning and a fine barbecue this afternoon as the sun shone brightly on a beautiful winter day.

Yes, I know what I just said is slightly askew, but if you travel far enough, it all makes sense. In Argentina they celebrate their independence day on July 9 (not July 4), and it is in the middle of their winter, one of the shortest days of the year. Like the people of the United States, Argentinians love a good "asado" or barbecue. On the fourth of July, I was trapped inside airplanes all day flying from Rome to Puerto Alegre, Brasil for a meeting of Jesuits representing the communication apostolate in Latin America. So I am more than content to take the holiday my southern hosts offer.

Sixteen Jesuits met at the old philosophate-theologate complex which sits in the outskirts of a city of almost four million people in southern Brasil. The rambling set of buildings has been converted into a spirituality and meeting center. Our group was easily handled along with several other groups. I was grateful that we came together at all since little has happened in the four years since Jescom-LA (Jesuits in Communication-Latin America) last met, also in Puerto Alegre. This meeting was a bit difficult but we finally arrived at some good conclusions that we can present to the provincials; I am hopeful that our work will lead to some good results.

I was also happy to see old friends, including Father Eugenio Gomez of Mexico whom I met in Guadalajara when I was brushing up on Spanish prior to moving to Washington to join the Jesuit Conference staff. Eugenio was just studying philosophy then, but now he is on his way to tertianship after three years working at Radio Huayacacotla in the mountains northeast of Mexico City. He brought good news that the radio station finally won permission from the government to broadcast in FM as well as short wave. The struggle to get easier access to people had gone on almost 25 years. Partly the government was uncomfortable with the fact that the radio broadcasts primarily in three indigenous languages. The Jesuits in that area are also involved in legal struggles to preserve people´s right to their lands. The fact that they have won some of the court cases only made it harder for the Jesuits to get the license for the radio. But they have it, and now they can reach people even more easily. I don´t mind going a long ways to get some good news, or to enjoy a barbecue. Happy holiday, Argentina.