Shrouded in

low-lying clouds, the mountains of central and northern

Guatemala are home to a mystical people who pray to the

saints, celebrate Mass and honor the Mayan deities of

their ancestors.

Their lives

are simple, predictable and exceedingly poor by U.S.

standards.

Last

Friday, 10 parishioners from Holy Trinity Catholic Church

in Peachtree City returned home from a five-day

fact-finding mission in Guatemala. Their goal: to assess

the needs of Catholic parishes in the Diocese of

Huehuetenango and report their findings to Holy Trinity

church members.

The mission

team learned to expect the unexpected. The members also

discovered a lot about themselves, their faith, and the

important role the church plays in the lives of their

Catholic brothers and sisters.

The group,

ranging in age from 19 to 70 included Father Fernando

Molina-Restrepo, David Suwinski, Rudi Forster, Bill

Camper, Pedro Cabrera, Clara Reed, Marta Ramos, Maria

Ramos, Kirsten Foschman and me, Pat Newman.

The group

endured marathon drives on boulder-strewn roads, crowded

sleeping quarters and numerous cold showers. Fernando was

hit hard by an amoeba-induced illness three days into the

trip and was cured by a village clinician working at one

of the church-sponsored health facilities in San Marcos.

The mission party also discovered that 30 minutes travel

time by the Guatemalan watch can be anything ranging from

35 minutes to two and a half hours by sport utility

vehicle.

Education

is a luxury in this small nation, especially for females.

Most young girls living in rural areas are lucky to

finish third grade. Communities rely heavily on the

church for more than spiritual sustenance. Health and

dental clinics are run by the Catholic Diocese as well as

parochial schools, which outnumber the state-run

facilities seven to one.

Holy

Trinity's destination was Huehuetenango, a city of about

70,000 people that also serves as diocesan headquarters.

The diocese, a sprawling geographical region which

encompasses 31 communities is headed by Monsignor Rodolfo

F. Bobadilla, a warm and humble man who offered two days

of hospitality for the team. He provided two road-worthy

vehicles, drivers with the expertise of NASCAR

professionals and stomach-settling herb tea for the road

weary.

Given the

facts and figures of a diocese which covers 7,540 square

kilometers and 31 church-supported municipalities and has

only 18 priests, the task of a U.S.-based parish

providing assistance could appear to be "Mission

Impossible III." But the team, guided by insights

and suggestions from Bobadilla, strong leadership from

Fernando and divine intervention, believes plenty can be

accomplished.

The people

are in dire need of medical attention. There are adequate

supplies of over-the-counter drugs and supplies in the

clinics, but no M.D.s are available due to the high cost.

Dental care is limited, and most procedures consist of

tooth extractions.

Children

often walk long distances to school without breakfast.

Providing a morning meal, the group was informed, would

be an inexpensive and effective way to help in the

educational arena. Construction of a rectory in one of

the parishes was another suggestion made by the bishop,

with an estimated cost of $25,000 (U.S.).

Providing

basic school supplies may help the diocese stretch its

educational funding. Teachers in parochial schools (12

elementary) are paid $100 per month, half the salary of

teachers working in government-run schools. Sponsoring a

seminarian (priest in training) was another area of

interest broached by the team.

Another

group of volunteers, perhaps from the medical field, is

tentatively scheduled to make the second trip to

Huehuetenango Aug. 7. The ongoing project is Holy

Trinity's fulfillment of a promise to follow Pope John

Paul II's directive to attend to the needy and poor

during the church's Jubilee year focusing on social

justice.