(ANS – Lima) – On 14 August last ANS published a brief news item and photo regarding the visit that Fr Václav Klement, Councillor for the Salesian Missions, made to the indigenous Achuar group at Kuyuntsa in the Yurimaguas Vicariate; on that same day Fr Vicente Santilli, the former Provincial in Peru, sent a letter to the Rector Major, Fr Pascual Chávez, telling him of the difficult situation they are going through at San Luis, a mission parish in the Conchucos district. Here are some excerpts from that letter and the Rector Major's reply:

Fr Santilli begins by describing the joint visit he made with Klement to these missions in the high plains, to Pucallpa and Alto Amazonas, where he met Fr Diego Clavijo, Permanent Deacons, Ministers of the Eucharist and the word. “Their testimonies were vivid and poignant. One gets a sense of the great work of evangelisation, and especially of Fr Bolls personality – he has the stature of the great evangeliser and saint”.

And he goes on:“In case news has not reached you, I would like to tell you what happened at San Luis, a parish run by the Mato Grosso Programme in the Conchucos district. Some extortionists killed a parish worker, threatened volunteers and have written five or six threatening letters to Fr Ugo de Censi, who is fortunately in  Lima and cannot easily reach these altitudes.

The volunteers withdrew and care for the disabled has been suspended; they either went to another location or have returned home to ensure their safety. Whenever someone is doing good, there are always enemies...

On 30 August, Feast of St Rose we had planned the opening of a church which had been built by Fr Ugo in a place close to Chacas. I am not sure how we will proceed. Let us pray that it all works out”.

The Rector Major replied, saying that “it is comforting and encouraging to encounter missionaries like FrBolla. He has written wonderful and glorious pages for the Congregation in the mission field. I am certain that Fr Diego Clavijo will continue his work, along with the Permanent Deacons and the Ministers of the Eucharist and the Word”.

Then concerning the situation in San Luis, he added: “I am quite distressed, however, at the extortion that the parish has been encountering, and that has already cost the life of one of the parish workers, as well as threats against Fr Ugo. I entrust Fr Ugo, the volunteers and everyone from the Mato Grosso Programme to the maternal care of Mary Help of Christians”.

Published 16/08/2013