Announcing my new Website!

With the expert skill of Michael Piliero we now have a new Website!
I celebrated his wedding to his beautiful bride in exchange for the website.

I will continue to update this blog, and when I have time to learn how to use flickr, I will also be adding photos and videos to the website.

www.frrongaessersprojects.org. Give it a look.

Blessing of the new classrooms

As I mentioned before, this fall saw the opening of the first four grades of the grammar school in Hato Nuevo, which serve 120 additional children. October 28th I blessed the new classrooms whose finishing touches were furnished by some of the wealthy ladies of the DR.

Assembly of children and ladies for the blessings
The foundation obtained the money to build the structure, finish the basement and first floor as well as the bathrooms on the second floor, and to put a roof over the open center of the building to prevent future inundations of the classrooms from torrential downpours.

Children performing during the blessings

Children ready to sing during the blessings

In other thoughts, I could not help but notice on my return to the DR at the end of October how empty the airports were. It reminded me of air traffic after 9/11.

Much love to all who care and help me with my now over 800 "grandkids" and growing.
~P.Ron

New school year enrollment

Today I would like to share with you our enrollment numbers from August, the opening of the school year.

The day care center in Monte Plata has over 125 little ones, from infants in the nursery, to classes for mentally challenged and autistic children, as well as children needing help to get up to speed to enter grammar school.

Preschool class at Portal de Belen

Challenged children at Portal de Belen


At the school at Don Juan we were able to add the 7th grade because of the two new classrooms that were just built. That school now serves children from preschool through 7th grade, for a total of 406 children. Next year an eighth grade will be added to the school.

New classroom at Don Juan

New second floor classroom at Don Juan


In Hato Nuevo this school year, the number of children we serve has grown by leaps and bounds! The daycare has 90 little ones, 90 children attend the after school program for those not in school or who have problems learning, and grades one through four study at the grammar school. This significant growth demonstrates that the sisters in Hato Nuevo have gained the confidence of the people there.

Third grade students at Hato Nuevo

Fourth grade students at Hato Nuevo


Que Dios siempre le bendiga
~P.Ron Gaesser

Faith

Thursday, October 1st was the feast of St. Teresa of the Child Jesus, who is the patron saint of the little chapel in L'Elmo. A Carmalite nun who never left the convent, Teresa is the patron of missions because of her intense prayers for the missions. She died at the age of 24, after 18 months of suffering from tuberculosis. What has always fascinated me is that on her deathbed she spent hours wrestling with her doubts about faith in God.
As a result, the recent revelations over the doubts of faith of Mother Teresa of Calcutta don't surprise me.

At times, I wrestle with my own faith. Although working with God's favorites, the poor, constantly reinforces and strengthens my faith.

Children at mass

The Catholic chaplain at the University of Rochester, NY, Fr.Brian Cool (whom I have known since he was 2 years old), is working to raise funds and book students to come and build a new chapel for the people of L'Elmo, hopefully this January.

The chapel at present
Preparing for mass inside the chapel

Two members of the little community of L'Elmo, despite their poverty, generously have donated the land for the new chapel.

Several views of the donated land which will be the site of the new chapel




God continues to surprise me with the generosity of others.

~P.Ron, Don Juan DR.

Remembering two special people

Since July, two of my very good friends here in the DR have passed away.

Both were very warm and welcoming when I first arrived here, and continued to be so throughout our relationships.
The first was Dona Rosario, a woman of some 80 years. Dona died of cancer after a lifetime of service to her community and church in Monte. She also functioned as the chaplain to the inmates at the Provincial Prison in Monte Plata. All who were fortunate enough to know her loved her. She raised at least six children and one niece, who all matured into professionals, besides running various businesses with her husband, also deceased, of some 50 years. A great inspiration to all with her faith, Dona dedicated herself to countless charitable activities, both in her church and local community.

The other was the permanent deacon in Monte Plata, Andres Martinez. He was a simple, beautiful person, a dedicated husband, and a wonderful father to his ten children. Andres lived his life very committed to his faith community, and was a successful businessman as well.

Two wonderful persons, both unique and irreplaceable.
I have been coming to the DR for some ten years and feel their loss personally.

~P. Ron

Books about Dominican identity

There are two books worth reading if you want to understand well the Dominican identity and personality.

The first is Black Behind the Ears by Geinetta E.B. Candelario. This book gives an in depth understanding of the Dominican sense of themselves. Candelario is a professor of Sociology and Latin American Studies at Smith College. Parts of the book are a bit dense and college-oriented, but skip those parts if you care to and read only the more direct explanations. It's worth the read.

The other book I will recommend today is The Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Oscar Diaz.
This book is quite a bit spicy and racy in its sexuality at times. One comment is that it requires a highly flammable warning. But again, worth the read. The book has won the Pulitzer Prize and been translated into 24 languages. I have been reading it in English and Spanish at the same time. The Spanish translation comes no where near the original English text in its power of language and graphic descriptions, but helps me get a handle on Dominican slang.
Without reading it first, I gave the Spanish edition to the Mother Superior when she was here. Should be an education and a half for this Argentinean sister. Glad it is not as descriptive in Spanish as it is in English!

~P.Ron

Fr. Ron

On Dec. 23, 1935, Mildred and Walter Gaesser gave birth to their second of five boys (me) in Rochester, NY. In 1949 I entered St. Andrew’s Seminary completing four years of high school and two of college, followed by the remaining years of college at St. Bernard’s where I obtained a masters in theology.

After ordination on June 3, 1961, my first assignment was at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Rochester, NY where I remained for six years. In 1967 my next assignment took me to Auburn, New York where I spent 14 years in various assignments, which included a pastorate at St. Joseph’s Cayuga, NY from 1972 – 1981 and college chaplain to Auburn Community College and Eisenhower College in Seneca Falls. By 1970 I also acquired a masters in counseling and psychology from Syracuse University. It was a wonderful and invigorating time of my life – best of all worlds – pastor, college chaplain and instructor in psychology at Finger Lakes Community College.

The next six years were spent at St. Columba in Caledonia, NY. Then in 1987 I was named pastor of St. Catherine of Siena in Ithaca and All Saints in Lansing, NY. In 2003 I retired from St. Catherine’s at the age of 67 and began that summer to live and work in the parishes of Monte Plata, Dominican Republic where I now hang my hat. I now call the Dominican Republic my home and my plan is to die and be buried here. (But not for a few more years.)

In January, 2002 I had major prostate cancer surgery. Unfortunately the cancer had already metastasized to the lymph node system, but with constant medication, the cancer remains contained. Hopefully research will come up with a cure for my aggressive cancer.

I entered the diocesan seminary with the idea of being a missionary, but I am a late bloomer in this career. I love what I am doing now and hope that with more than 700 grandchildren in three projects in the DR, that they are my insurance policy for a long life, caring for God’s wonderful and most beautiful children as well as ministering to several thousand people in 17 communities in the parish of San Juan Bautista in Don Juan, DR. One pastor and one assistant priest reside in Monte Plata, and along with me in Don Juan, together we care for more than 42,000 people and 43 communities.

~P.Ron