In the service of love

Parish and community volunteers work together to reach out to the elderly poor in their midst

Submitted by Leonor Andino and Scarboro missioners Barbara Heshedahl, Michael Hiebert and Julia Duarte-Walsh
October 2005

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Riobamba is a city in the heart of the mountains of Ecuador. Although it is an active commercial and agricultural centre, it is not uncommon to see elderly folk living in poverty, their lives on the street made even more difficult in a harsh mountain climate with strong sun during the days and frosty temperatures at night.

Here, social services such as we have in Canada are non-existent and people must depend on a network of family and friends to support them when they get old. Without this network, and unable to care for themselves, the elderly poor end up on the streets hoping that the community will be compassionate and give them a few cents to help.

During his time as bishop of Riobamba, Monsignor Leonidas Proa¤o began giving the elderly poor each a few cents of his own money every Saturday as a sign of solidarity. The current bishop Victor Corral continues this practice today. As well, for the last two years Leonor Andino, one of the pastoral agents of the diocese, has been giving her time each Saturday to listen to and share in the lives of the poor who come to the cathedral courtyard.

Our Scarboro mission team was interested in the reality of those on the margins here in Riobamba. Working with Leonor, we proposed to the bishop to operate a community kitchen each Saturday in the courtyard of the cathedral. It was important to us that the community kitchen be a pastoral and community effort in solidarity with the marginalized.

This is where our adventure in faith and hope began. Our first step was to visit all of the Catholic schools in the city and ask for their financial support and participation through music, games and prayer, sharing in the lives of the people. The students also agreed to give what they could of their own monies. We hoped this participation would put the youth in contact with the reality of the poor in their community.

As well, pastoral groups such as the Legion of Mary, the charismatic prayer group and the Ministry to the Sick do the preparation of the food, serving and clean up. Each Saturday, about 100 elderly folk come for a time of fellowship, a hot meal, and a chance to reflect on the Word away from the business of the streets.

Bishop Corral has provided space in the courtyard for the elderly folks to sit and a kitchen area where the food is prepared. Each Saturday, he greets the people, offering his blessing to each one, and continues the tradition of giving, at this time 50 cents, to each person. Fifty cents may seem very little to us in Canada but here in Riobamba it can buy three litres of milk and a small loaf of bread, or three trips on the city bus.

This experience for us as missioners is a great lesson in living in another country. By combining local efforts we meet God in the poor and in the solidarity of those with whom we work.

Photos for this article provided by Tom Walsh and Carolyn Beukeboom.

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