By Denis Brosnan
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 7/24/03)

Imagine living in a simple hut made of mud and thatch. Your only source of water is from the muddy rivers that run through your village. You probably can’t read or write and your main concern is where your next meal will come from.

For the people of Bánica, Dominican Republic, as well as other surrounding villages, this is the norm. In a country where poverty reigns supreme, the Catholic Church has opened its arms in hopes of improving the quality of life for these people.

Father Patrick Posey, pastor of St. Francis de Sales Church in Purcellville, spent eight years ministering and preaching to the people of Bánica. According to Father Posey, the late Arlington Bishop John R. Keating took him on a week-long tour of Bánica before he began his assignment. The bishop did this to prepare Father Posey for the grim conditions he was about face. "After I spent that first week in Bánica, I realized the severity of the situation," said Father Posey.

Since Father Posey arrived in Bánica, the village has seen tremendous improvements. There are now eight aqueducts from which residents can draw fresh water. In 1995, there were no latrines to be found in Banica. Today there are 300.

Despite the residents’ modest way of life, Father Posey says they are no different than people anywhere else in the world. "These people have the same concerns as anyone. They want their children to be safe and successful. They want to put food on the table. Just because they are live in poverty does not mean they are any different."

One of Father Posey’s main priorities was stressing the notion of education to the people of Banica. The illiteracy rate is approximately 85 percent, with few resources for children to utilize. "Many of the children have no way of accessing books or educational materials, so one of our main goals was to provide them with those resources," said Father Posey.

Despite the lack of education, Father Posey says programs like the Bishop Keating Scholastic Fund, has helped many children further there education and attend college. The Scolastic Fund, which pays for college tuition, is awarded to children who are involved in youth groups or C.C.D. and maintain at least a part-time job. The student must also achieve good grades. "The award serves as an incentive for a lot of the children as a way to make something of themselves," he said.

The average income for the people of Banica is roughly 3,000 pesos — $200 a month. "These people live off their land," said Father Posey. "If there is a famine during a particular summer, which there often is, then these people starve."

Banica’s only Catholic church is 500 years old and made of stone and tiled roof. However chapels can be located in many of the surrounding villages, due in large part, to the efforts of local high schools and colleges. Father Posey cited Paul VI Catholic High School, Bishop O’Connell High School, George Mason University’s campus ministry and Christendom College’s campus ministry as major contributors of these chapels. "Students and teachers will come to Banica with the supplies needed to build a simple chapel. With those supplies the residents will build there very own chapel," he said.

Father Posey also mentioned Dr. Gil Irwin, recent winner of the Brent Society Award, as a major contributor in Bánica.

Irwin serves as director of the Medical Missionaries in Manassas. The Medical Missionaries make frequent trips to Bánica and supply the people with much-needed vaccinations and medical equipment.
"There is still a great deal of work to be done in Bánica," said Irwin. "But improvements have definitely been made." Irwin added that over $65 million in medical goods and services have been shipped to Bánica on behalf of the Medical Missionaries.

According to Father Dan Gee, who is currently ministering in Bánica, the presence of God is as prevalent there as anywhere else. "I have definitely learned that God can work with anyone and anything under any conditions. I have met people in the mountains that simply love God and, although they do not have any book learning, in fact many can not read, they know Him well. The virtue of humility opens a large door of grace."

To help the people of Bánica from afar, Father Posey says contributions to the St. Vincent DePaul Society as well as the Medical Missionaries are very helpful.

Although he’s back in the United States, Father Posey says his heart will forever be with the people of Bánica. "They have such a strong sense of community there," he said. "Our cultures may be different but our faith is the same."