Bill Purcell (second from right), director of the Office for Peace and Justice, was one of a diverse group from Colombia, Ecuador and the United States who met to explore ways to bring hope to one of the most dangerous countries in the world. Photo by Sandy Berto

Colombia: from crucifixion to resurrection

By Bill Purcell
SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR

Humbling! That is the word I keep using when asked how my trip to Colombia with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) went. I have spent most of the past 15 years working on the social mission of the Catholic Church, and the faithful people I met in Colombia were some of the most true to the Gospel I have ever known. Many of them are religious leaders of all sorts who have seen people crucified by ideologues on both sides for standing up for respect for human dignity.

Going to Colombia a few weeks ago, I was very apprehensive. In fact, I told Catholic Relief Services to send someone else from the Office for Peace and Justice since I did not speak Spanish or even have a passport. They said they needed me to speak to various CRS partners about how U.S. (arch) dioceses work on social ministry. I knew then that God was going to make sure that I had firsthand experience of Lent.

		‘I felt this Lent that I was called to move beyond my comfort zone and see the Gospel in another light.’

As the father of two young boys, I wondered why I agreed to this trip. I knew that Colombia is listed as one of the most dangerous countries in the world and is the kidnapping capital of the world. Some 3,000 civilians die of political violence there every year. Almost 2 million people have been displaced. The violence comes from a complexity of social and political conflicts over 40 years. However, it has recently intensified due in part to substantial drug-related profits received from armed aggressors on all sides. But I felt this Lent that I was called to move beyond my comfort zone and see the Gospel in another light.

Flying to Bogota from Miami, it was eerie being on a plane that was half full. (It was packed on the way back.) Going through customs with young soldiers with big guns with none of us knowing how to communicate invited suspicion from both sides. It was comforting to see the familiar face of a CRS staff member and go to the Colombian Bishops Conference which, ironically, is wedged between a military school and a women’s prison. Then a bus and a caravan of cars traveled for two hours from the modern city of Bogota to a retreat center in Chinauta.

What I experienced over the next few days was not the American stereotype of Colombians as drug traffickers and caricatures of Juan Valdez. I encountered brave and holy people.

Hope was the key element expressed by all 11 representative groups of the projects CRS is supporting. There was also sadness, knowing that conflict was the motivation that brought this diverse group together from throughout Colombia, Ecuador and the United States. But by each group working to provide alternatives to war, hope was provided. Group after group struck my consciousness.

One group that especially touched my heart was from the Diocese of Quibdo, made up of a nun, a priest, an indigenous person and an Afro-Colombian. Through song they introduced how they stood up for human rights against forces from all sides in the Choco region of Colombia. They had an intensity of spirit, yet a groundedness in reflection. At the end of the conference, they wrote a note thanking the American people for praying for them and being in solidarity with them.

The spirit of many of the women was powerful. One was literally named hope, Esperanza. She was one of the most reserved people in the group. During morning prayer one day she shared how her husband disappeared for four days. When she found him dead after days of torture, all she could do was pray to God to forgive the people who could treat a human being so terribly. The strength of her witness and horror of her experience brought us all to tears.

Another woman, Gloria, told us that when a guerrilla or a paramilitary group comes to a town, the prettiest women in town are made their servants in order to psychologically control the morale of a town.

A portion of our time was spent planning to work together. One comment I wrote then I will carry as a theme throughout my life: “We need to plan for transition, not just for our dreams so that people do not fall into despair.” That was precisely what kept these people going.

These Colombians and Ecuadorians were standing face to face with the modern day crucifixions of Christ. However, they made drastic adjustments in their lives in order to continue to follow Christ so that they would not lose the vision of the resurrection. May God strengthen us to pray, advocate and walk with these modern day disciples for peace.



Purcell is director of the archdiocese’s Office for Peace and Justice. For more information about how to assist Catholic Relief Services in Colombia, contact the Office for Peace and Justice (312) 751-8390.