The following is a reflection from Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde on his trip to the Arlington Diocesan Missions in the Dominican Republic.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

There is a familiar saying: one picture is worth a thousand words. I would modify that by saying: one experience is worth even more than a picture and infinitely more than thousands of words.

I am writing you as I return on Feb. 6 from my pastoral visit to the two parishes which our diocese supports in the Diocese of San Juan de la Maguana in the Dominican Republic. As you know, I left on Feb. 2 with three members of our Diocesan Mission Task Force (Father Gerry Creedon, Paul Schott Stevens and Betty Childers) and Alfonso Aguilar, a member of the Arlington Catholic HERALD staff. This was my first visit to the mission parishes. For me, this visit was a time of grace and insight.

Fifteen years ago, my predecessor, Bishop John R. Keating, entered into an agreement with the Diocese of San Juan de la Maguana whereby we would support that diocese by giving priestly personnel and assistance. In doing this, Bishop Keating was giving a tangible expression to the truth that the Church is, by Her very nature, missionary — a truth proclaimed clearly by the Second Vatican Council, especially in its document “Ad Gentes.”

Father Creedon was the first priest assigned for service in the Diocese of San Juan de la Maguana. He has been followed by Msgr. Thomas Cassidy, Father Donald Rooney, Father Patrick Posey, Father John O’Hara, and now Fathers Daniel Gee and Christopher Murphy. They have been joined by numerous volunteers over the past 15 years, including some seminarians (for short periods and other laity for longer periods). Persons with medical experience have likewise assisted; Dr. Gilbert Irwin from Manassas has spearheaded this effort, aptly called the Catholic Medical Missions. In fact, I visited with a group of them in Banica on Friday evening. Moreover, at the present time, two graduates of Christendom College are volunteering their services as catechists in both parishes.

Our two priests serve two parishes at the western edge of the diocese, actually on the border of Haiti: the Parish of San Francisco d’Asis in Banica and the Parish of San Jose in Pedro Santona. Each of these parishes has a number of outlying districts — small places called campos where the people gather for the sacraments, catechesis and assistance. The parish of San Jose has more of these campos than that of Banica. Many of these small communities can be reached only by hours of travel, yes, sometimes by motorcycle or truck, but often, only by mule or foot. I visited three of these campos by truck — the most difficult of these three (and they were by no means the more difficult) being Cercadillo. Traveling to visit the people in these remote areas; seeing their need for potable water and sanitation, basic transportation and medicine; not to mention their need to be formed more fully in the faith (catechesis): all of this made me experience the missionary nature of the Church in an entirely new way (I had a similar experience when I visited the mission in Peru supported by the Diocese of Ogdensburg, where I formerly served as Diocesan Bishop from 1994-99).

Yes, the outreach we give does assist the development of peoples, both on the human and social levels and on the faith level. Over the centuries the Church has understood so profoundly the fact that starving people cannot hear the Gospel being preached. Therefore, we must collaborate to fulfill the total needs of the human person: physical, emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual. This we are doing through our union with the Diocese of San Juan de la Maguana.

Although I had met the Diocesan Bishop, His Excellency Jose Grullon Estrella briefly on the morning of my installation as the Bishop of Arlington on March 25, 1999, I was blessed to spend time with him on this trip. As I listened and watched, I saw that this bishop has the heart of a good shepherd for his people; his heart is one with the Heart of Christ. I experienced the zeal he possesses as he meets the challenges of his diocese: access to the remote areas by building roads, so that what takes four to six hours or more could be accomplished within a few hours; potable water, so that diseases and resulting deaths can be eliminated; literacy, so that people can become citizens and knowledgeable in their faith; education, so that people can earn a living and grow in knowledge; catechesis, so that people can be fully formed in the living out of their Catholic faith and influence the society.

Bishop Grullon visits each parish every year and that includes the outlying districts. Our priests have accompanied him on these long journeys, sharing the difficult travel, the most elementary accommodations, sleeping on a mat on the ground and frugal food. Yet, the bishop and our priests tell me of their joy in making these visits and of the deep spirit of fulfillment they experience.

Bishop Grullon also reviewed with me his Pastoral Plan for the diocese, a plan very detailed and equally realistic. His desire is to give his people a spirit of true hope as they acknowledge the blessings they are for each other in their journey of faith. His theme for this year touched me: “Disciples of Jesus Christ in communion and mission.”

I experienced God’s love made manifest in the missionary outreach of our diocese through the priestly ministry and presence of our priests and through the loving service of so many volunteers. I am proud of this missionary outreach begun by Bishop Keating and I know how blessed our diocese is by the support we have been giving these past 15 years and will, with God’s grace, continue to give for many years to come.

Pope Benedict XVI recently published his first encyclical, “Deus Caritas Est.” I could not help but think how appropriate these words of his are as I end this pastoral visit to Banica and Pedro Santana and invite your continuing and deepening support for our missionary outreach to the Diocese of San Juan de la Maguana. “Love of neighbor, grounded in the love of God, is first and foremost a responsibility for each individual member of the faithful, but it is also a responsibility for the entire ecclesial community at every level: from the local community to the particular church and to the church universal in its entirety … within the community of believers there can never be room for a poverty that denies anyone what is needed for a dignified life” (20).

Faithfully in Christ,

Most Reverend Paul S. Loverde

Bishop of Arlington

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