Painting the New Chapel in Pilancon

Pastor Ted Freeman and George Bodine, friends that grew up together in Auburn, NY, arrived on Columbus Day (by the way he's buried in Santo Domingo, we have DNA, no one else does) for a week of work in the parish of Don Juan.
Most of their valuable time was spent painting the new chapel in Pilancon.The people of Pilancon are very proud of their new facility. In the previous post you can see what the previous chapel looked like.

Interior of the chapel
Pastor Ted grew up as a member of the first black catholic family in Auburn. He considers himself now to be Catholic and Baptist. He is a product of total Catholic education.

Remember what Jesus said to his disciples when they complained about someone who was not a member of their company but curing in Jesus’ name? ‘Let them be if they are not against us.’

Pastor Ted is a go-getter and has fallen in love with the people of Pilancon. He has great ideas for projects there as well as other campos of the parish.
Mass attendance in the new facility has tripled. Let's hope that trend continues!

New Chapel in Pilancon

The current chapel in Pilancon

My anniversary gift to myself was completing the structure of the new chapel in Pilancon.
We still lack doors and windows, which will cost about $1000.

Front view of the new chapel in Pilancon
Then with the grace of God, we will have the funds to purchase pews, an altar, a lectern, a and celebrant's chair, which will like cost about another $1500.
Bit by bit we will get there.

Inside view of the new chapel
Prices here continue to climb with the outrageous cost of transportation. Diesel fuel, which is the cheapest fuel here, now costs more than $5.10 per gallon.

Our first Community Bank

Our first Banco Comunitario is off the ground with its Directive Board elected and its first three loans made!
A Community Bank is a form of micro credit but differs in this important way, it insists on participants having savings accounts and saving each week. Loans are based on a formula that is a multiple of what they have saved.

Directive Board Members

First Loan: Rosalia Rodriquez was loaned $211 to buy supplies to make sweets and snacks as street vender.


Second Loan: Margarita Castro was loaned $264 to buy supplies and more cooking utensils to make snacks and personal articles to sell to schoolchildren on the break.

Third Loan: Emperatriz Carrasco was loaned $400 to buy a small generator to keep working as a beautician when there is no electricity, which is about half the time.

Fr. Luciano Perez Rivera

Fr. Luciano Perez Rivera was ordained a priest on July 23rd.Fr. Luciano Perez Rivera is native of San Juan Bautista parish in Don Juan and is from the community of Bosque Abajo. Bosque Abajo is one of our campos, which is a what we call a very small rural village. The ordination of Fr. Luciano Perez Rivera is our third ordination to the priesthood in the last five years.

The happiness of a new priestFr. Luciano Perez Rivera is member of the Carmelite Order and a good friend of mine.
Please remember him in your prayers as he will you.

Fr. Ron's 50th Anniversary Celebration in Don Juan

Alter prepared with flowers

Cardinal preaching during the mass

Deacon proclaiming the gospel

Offertory preparations
My remarks at the end of mass

The Cardinal and I with my beautiful cake

Holy Thursday morning mass

People gathering for mass at the campo, Batuey Frias after rising at 4 am to do a penitential march for three hours
Betania reading the Scripture during mass
Washing of the feet during the mass of Holy Thursday
Holy Thursday morning mass at the cathedral of Santo Domingo during which priests renew their vows of their priesthood.
I went to the services because this year I am celebrating my 50th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood.

Missionaries from Sacred Heart Parish in Auburn

On March 20th four parishioners from Sacred Heart Parish in Auburn arrived for five days of activity with our school in Don Juan.

Arrival of group from Sacred Heart Parish
They took photos of all of our 400 and some students. Sacred Heart raises money to support our school by having parishioners “adopt” students. The parishioners are given a picture of their student for whom they then send money each month to support the education and nutrition.

Pat taking photos of the children

While visiting the group helped the students to make cards to thank their supporters, worked with some of the children on their computer skills, and introduced them to some of the books brought for the school library.

Lynda assisting some children in one classroom

Sarah working with one class in the school

Visiting the chapel Sacred Heart helped build
We are very grateful for their ongoing wonderful, generous support.

We are looking for support to complete this new chapel in Peluncon. The parishioners in the DR have gotten the chapel to this point through their own efforts.
Chapel in process

Golden Anniversaries

On March 18th the Cardinal of Santo Domingo, DR, His Eminence Nicolas de Jesus Cardinal Lopez Rodriquez, celebrated his golden anniversary as a priest.

His Eminence Nicolas de Jesus Cardinal Lopez RodriquezProgram for the celebration for His Eminence Nicolas de Jesus Cardinal Lopez Rodriquez

This year is also my golden anniversary as a priest. I will be celebrating it in the Dominican Republic on May 21st, and the Cardinal has graciously consented to preside at the mass of celebration in Don Juan.
I will be also celebrating my anniversary at the St. Catherine of Siena parish on June 12th. I was pastor at St. Catherine of Siena from 1987 until my retirement in 2003.

New classrooms in Monte Plata

These two new classrooms in the daycare center in Monte Plata were built with donations from Saint Catherine of Siena in Ithaca, NY.

New classroom
The new nursery

Finished latrines

Two Dominicans, Eddie and Osvaldo, completed the latrines begun by the students from the University of Rochester.



Also, my cousin Jim Gascon, new district governor of Rotary Syracuse area, is now raising funds to build more outhouses for families in Don Juan, DR who currently have no sanitary facilities at all.

Missionary projects

On the 3rd of January Fr. Brian Cool and seven students from the University of Rochester arrived in the DR. In the photo of the group arriving, Fr. Brian is the second from the left; I have known him since he was two years old.

The students are members of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. While in the DR, the group built seven outhouses for poor families in Don Juan, and also visited their project from January 2010, the facility in L'Elmo, DR.

Many poor families have neither indoor bathroom facilities nor outhouses. The great outdoors is their only resource. The crew set about to dig deep holes for the outhouses and then to make the cement platform for the floor with a cement toilet of sorts. I think the photos explain themselves.





visit to L'Elmo

Also at the same time Ed Hinchey, Jim Gascon and Charlie were down in Don Juan to work on the future purification of the water from our well for use in the school and convent. While visiting the group repaired all the toilets and sinks in the school and made plans for the development of the project. Work on the water project will continue in March.