Spring 2009 - Our Newest Additions!

The following biographies are of our newest missionaries that arrived this past January. Please continue to keep them in your prayers!

My name is Nereida Carolina Ballesteros Villamil. I was born in Siguatepeque, Comayagua. I am 28 years old, and am the third of six siblings. My brother Maynor also belongs to the Misioners of Christ. I am a public accountant, and worked for a family as an accountant for 10 years. I like to read and learn a little about everything. I belong to the parish of San Pablo in Siguatepeque and to the youth group “Missioners of Christ and Mary”. My best friend – Jesus. I love to talk to him.

My name is Rudy Benitez. I come from a family of 8 children, 3 boys and 5 girls. My new Christian life began when I was 18 years old through a priest named Father Maximiliano. He invited me to the youth group and at the same time to a mission with the Missioners of Christ. Through him I came to know the Missioners, and in seeing the testimony of the Christian life, I wanted to be a missionary. I spoke with Carolina and she gave me strength to continue to see if it was God’s as will – and it is, because now I find myself living in the community of the Missioners and I am here giving all that I can to find the call of God.

My name is Cecilia, but am often called Cece or Ceci. I hail from the San Francisco Bay Area of California, and am Filipina by blood and in heart. I am the only girl in a family of 5 children, and have the 4 coolest brothers a girl could ever have. I am 21 years old and just graduated from San Francisco State University with a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and minors in Philosophy & Religion, and Business Administration this past December. I take after my namesake and patron - St. Cecilia, music is one of my greatest passions and my favorite way to speak with our Lord. I am very excited to serve God among His poor, and am humbled that He would call me to serve Him this way. May the good God bless you and may Mary keep you, always!

My name is Edwin. I am 20 years old and am from Agua Blanca, Minas de Oro in Comayagua. I’m from a humble Catholic family. My hope has always been to serve and to surrender my youth to God. God has now given me this opportunity to be a missionary, so I’m going to work hard for God as a Missioner of Christ.

Nails in the Door

Most Sundays, a small group of us goes to the 9:00 “Children’s Mass” at the parish down the street: Santíssima Trinidad (Most Holy Trinity). All of the neighborhood kids come, and the church is always packed, which means that the Mass often turns into unmitigated chaos. Imagine – dozens of kids of all ages, many unaccompanied by their parents, some accompanied by their pets, older siblings dragging younger ones by the hand, babies crying, little boys picking their noses and punching each other in the arm, little girls playing with each other’s hair and chattering incessantly… It drives some of the missionaries crazy, but I love it! True, it’s not exactly an environment conducive to contemplation, but Fr. Erminio always gives spectacular homilies, and something about that Mass (chaotic as it is) always leaves me feeling like I’m exactly where God wants me to be at that moment. I usually see the little girls from my discipleship class, and they remind me of how God has charged me with the responsibility of being a good example for them. Yesterday, 8-year-old María Concepción came to sit with me, and when she wasn’t holding my hand or playing with the buttons on my jean jacket, she was imitating everything I did. Everything – even the way I had my hands folded!

Providentially, yesterday morning Fr. Erminio preached about the effectiveness of a good example, especially in regard to the conversion of our families. As he has many times before, he emphasized the great need in our society for parents who teach their children by example to love the things of God and not the things of the world. If parents want to be able to provide a better life for their families, he counseled, they must begin by being faithful to prayer and the Sacraments. Of course, he added, a good example only goes so far. Sometimes even the most devout parents find themselves unable to keep their children on the right path – and yet there is never cause to lose hope. To illustrate this point, he related the following story:

“Once, a father came to me who was very distressed by the behavior of his only son. He and his wife had done their best to teach him by their example to love the things of God and not the things of the world, but during his teenage years he rebelled against them by declaring himself an atheist and refusing to attend Mass. He joined the neighborhood gang, began abusing alcohol and drugs, and became frighteningly violent. Some nights when he came home drunk, the boy would hit his mother, and if his father so much as raised a finger in protest, the son threatened him with his machete. Because the father knew it was within his son’s power to kill him, he always backed down, and for this he felt ashamed. He had lived in this sort of fear for years before coming to me for help. Not knowing any way out of this seemingly impossible situation, I encouraged him to continue to pray that somehow his son would be converted, and promised to pray with him.

“The man went home, and while he prayed that evening, he was inspired with an idea. The next day, he began to hammer nails into a wooden door in their home, one nail for each of his son’s misdeeds. Each time his son boasted of some terrible thing he’d done, each time he beat his mother, each time he threatened to kill his father, his father hammered another nail into the door. Soon, there wasn’t space left for even one more nail.

“One morning, as the boy was walking to the kitchen for breakfast, he noticed the door covered in nails and stopped in front of it. ‘What are all the nails for?’ he asked his father.

“‘For each of your misdeeds,’ his father answered, with great sorrow in his voice. ‘And this isn’t all of them – I only began doing this some time ago, and soon I saw that the door wasn’t big enough.’

“His son stared at the door for a while, and looked at his father as if he were still in need of an explanation. ‘I used nails,’ his father said, ‘because each terrible thing you did felt like a nail driven into my heart.’

“The boy began to weep, and asked quietly if he could remove the nails from the door. There were so many, and he was ashamed. ‘You can begin to remove the nails,’ his father said gently, ‘if you begin doing good deeds in reparation for all of the hurt you’ve caused – not only to me and your mother, but to God.’

“His son promised to begin doing good, and after several months, he was able to remove the last nail from the door. ‘Well done, my son!’ exclaimed his father, embracing him. ‘Now, we must celebrate!’

“Much to the man’s surprise, his son began to cry – deep, heavy sobs, the way he had cried as a small child. ‘Father,’ he said through tears, ‘the nails may be gone, but their marks are still in the door.’

“‘Don’t let that trouble you,’ his father said. ‘We will fill the holes made by the nails, not with putty or clay, but with the love we have for one another.’”

Prayer to St. Joseph for Families

Gracious St. Joseph, protect me and my family from all evil as you did the Holy Family. Kindly keep us ever united in the love of Christ, ever fervent in imitation of the virtue of our Blessed Lady, your sinless spouse, and always faithful in devotion to you. Amen.

Meet Our Missionaries

The following missionaries have been serving at the mission here in Comayagua during Summer and Fall 2008. Please keep all of them in your prayers!

Maynor Ballesteros - My name is Maynor Ballesteros, and I am 26 years old. My parents have been married for 32 years, and I have 3 sisters and 2 brothers. I have lived in community with the Missioners of Christ here in Comayagua for the past 3 years. I am here to grow in virtue so that I can better serve those in need and to grow in holiness through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Diana Blanco - My name is Diana Blanco, and I am 19 years old. I was born here in Honduras, and I have been living with the Missioners for a year now. In December I will leave the Missioners to attend university. I work with the Rosas de Maria, a group of young girls aged 11 to 14, and help with the coordination of Advance Missions. I also work with leadership retreats for youth and pro-life ministries. The reason I am here with the Missioners is to grow in my faith and as a person, with the help of God and my brothers and sisters in the community, and to learn how to be a better servant of God.

Roger Blanco - Hi! My name is Roger Blanco, and I am 21 years old. I am Honduran and from the department of La Paz. I come from a small family, 3 brothers and 2 sisters. I am currently living with the Missioners of Christ, along with my sister Diana, and completing the first year of my secondary education. I have been with the Missioners for 17 months. I am a strong Catholic, thanks be to God. I like to work in the garden and with children and young people, and I am open to doing the will of God. Please pray for me. God bless you!

MJ Brennan - Hello! My name is MJ Brennan, but here in Honduras I also go by Maria. I am 22 years old, and I just graduated from Boston College, though I am originally from Grand Rapids, MI. I heard God calling me to live with the Missioners for, God-willing, two years to dedicate my daily life to serving God completely in community life and to learn how to better love the poor. I have begun working with a number of programs including the Scholarship Program, the Single Mothers' program, Rosas de Maria catechism class (11-14 year old girls), and short-term missions. I am very grateful that God has placed me here for this season in my life.

Emily Byers - Peace of Christ be with you! My name is Emily Byers, I'm 21 years old, and in May I graduated from Louisiana State University. On my first mission trip in 2004, I knew that God was asking me to serve Him as a missionary, but I wasn't sure where (or when) He wanted to send me. Throughout college, I participated in several mission trips to Mexico and continued to discern God's call. By the time I was ready to graduate, our Lord had made it abundantly clear that He was sending me to Honduras! I arrived in August of this year and plan to stay for two years. Right now, I'm working with the Niñas del Rey Montesorri class (for girls aged 7-9), Academic programs, including the library in Casa Guadalupe, Local Evangelization, Communications and Worship (Music Ministry). What a great gift it is to serve God's littlest ones in this way – to see the face of Christ in His poor!

Mark Fein - My name is Mark Fein, and I'm from North Dorr, Michigan. I am 30 years old and have served with the Missioners of Christ in Honduras since January 2008. I hope to continue serving for another year. The ministries I participate in include evangelization missions in mountain villages, teaching Montesorri catechism classes and helping prepare boys at a local orphanage for their First Holy Communion. Sharing the light of Christ and my Catholic faith is very rewarding for me.

Therese Floyd - Hi! My name is Therese Floyd, and I am from Warren, New Jersey. I am 22 years old and recently graduated in Nursing from Seton Hall University. I was involved in a lot of volunteer work throughout high school and college and felt called to unite my love of nursing with my call to be a missionary! I was drawn to the Missioners of Christ because this is a place where I am supported in my faith and given the opportunity to serve the poor spiritually and physically. Some of the programs I am involved in are Hijas del Rey for girls aged 15 to 22 years old, a program for women in crisis situations and a prenatal program with women from the mountains. I also work as a nurse at San Benito Hospital and work with the medical brigades. The Lord has been so faithful to me, and I am striving to respond to His call.

Marylee Grabowski - Hola! My name is Marylee Grabowski and I am from Richmond, VA. The Lord has filled my life with many blessings; especially a loving Catholic family and friends who daily encourage and challenge me toward holiness. After graduating from the University of Virginia with degrees in Spanish and Environmental Sciences, I taught third grade at a mission school in New Mexico for a year. Upon returning to Virginia I began working with the amazing young people of the Church as a youth minister. I have been a part of the Missioners of Christ community for the past seven years and feel truly blessed to have spent this past year in Comayagua loving, serving and learning from the poor. I am so grateful to the Lord for the opportunity to be here and for the support of all my friends and family back home. Praised be Jesus Christ now and forever!

Kathy Hernandez - Hi! I'm Kathy, and I'm 17 years old. I'm from Honduras, from the city of Siguatepeque. I come from a family of 8, and I've gone to Catholic school my entire life. Why am I here with the Missioners? After my conversion, I asked the Lord how He wanted me to serve Him. I wanted to serve Him as a missionary, but wasn't sure how to do so. A friend invited me to visit the Missioners, and before coming to visit them for the first time, I told God: “If you want me to serve at this mission, open the door.” And He opened the door! I have a passion for serving the Lord, and for leaving everything and giving myself to Him totally during this time in my life so that I can truly grow as a person.

Tracy McGee - I am Tracy McGee, and I am 36 years old. I come from Scotland, although I am actually of Irish descent. I have been in the MOC Honduras community for over a year, and what an interesting year it has been. I praise God for the gift of being here and getting to know myself, strengths and weaknesses, and for the privilege of serving Jesus alongside all these wonderful young missionaries, who are trying so hard to grow, to love and to serve. Serving Christ in His poor is challenging, wonderful, heartbreaking, and delightful all at the same time. I thank God every day for calling me here. We are embarking this year on a new form of catechism based on Maria Montesorri's wisdom, and I am really excited at the prospect of “educating our children to peace.” I also currently serve as Communications Coordinator and get involved with all our other projects in whatever way I can. Please pray for all of us here in Comayagua. God bless you.

James Minogue (Santiago) - Hello, everyone! My name is James Minogue, but here in Honduras I'm known as Santiago. I am 19 years old and from the great state of New Jersey. I am an XT Missioner who came in June of 2007 and will be here until next June. I had the desire to serve when I was in high school, and the opportunity came after the completion of my studies. My youth group leader who spent a year here recommended this specific missionary organization. After much prayer I applied to come down as a summer volunteer. God opened the door, and just a week after coming here I felt the desire to stay longer. I prayed about it and realized that it was the will of God. My ministries and responsibilities are Worship Coordinator, Assistant Coordinator for the mid- and extended-term Missioners, and a Montesorri catechism class. I also help with the community finances, but my main "mission" here is to grow closer to Jesus and to learn how to serve as He served. Praise be to God!

Candyce Maximiliana Ochoa (Mili) - My name is Candyce Ochoa, but here in Honduras I go by Maximiliana or Mili. To recall the advice of a dear priest friend of mine: "Look where God has brought you; remember where you were." I have lived in many different places and have done many things, most of which the average 20-year-old has not, and I now live in Honduras as a lay missionary of the Holy Roman Catholic Church. Wow! I've been in Central America for a few months now, 6 weeks of which were spent in Guatemala for language school. Now at home in Comayagua, I notice how God has prepared me for this my whole life. My gifts and experience all come together here. A few months ago, I applied to serve with the Missioners since I was too young to enter the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal. My greatest and most loved responsibility here is the Sacred Liturgy - cleaning vessels, linens, vestments and chapels – it's beautiful!

Carol Restaine - Peace be with you! My name is Carol Restaine, and I have been truly blessed to be a part of this wonderful mission here in Comayagua. My hope is to continue to serve Christ through the people of Honduras while striving to live out the universal call to holiness. May Christ fill you with His love and joy as we follow in His footsteps!


Cristina Rivera - May the Lord's peace dwell in your heart. Hola! My name is Cristina Rivera. I am 22 years old, and I live in New York City. I graduated from Metropolian College in May 2008 with a degree in Human Services. My degree is exactly what I want to do for the rest of my life: to serve people. I worked with the CFRs, serving the poor and the youth in the South Bronx, for 2 years, and then God called me to serve Him here in the beautiful country of Honduras with the Missioners of Christ. What a beautiful experience serving the poor in the mountains, in the neighborhood and in our programs. Some of the ministries I work in are teaching of Theology of the Body to youth, spreading the truth about God and His plan, and working with young girls from the neighborhood in Montesorri catechism - but my main ministry is to grow closer to Jesus and to trust that He loves me and has me in the palm of His hand.

Juan Carlos Rodriguez - I am Juan Carlos Rodriguez, and I am 23 years old. I am from El Salvador and am the oldest son in a family of 4 children; I have 3 sisters. I heard the call of God at age 14 and have been serving Him ever since. Why am I here? The call of God in my life was very strong and powerful, and I serve Him gratefully.

Richard Vaughan - My name is Richard Vaughan, and I am 23 years old and from Austin, Texas. I have been here in Honduras for more than a year now and have been working a lot with missions and evangelization. I am here to serve, evangelize, and love for His greater glory and the body of Christ. Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.

"Come, my brothers, let us begin!"

My first month as a missionary in Honduras has been full of "firsts." I think I've seen or done something new every single day that I've been here! Last Friday was no different. For the first time, I got the chance to experience a truly unique Franciscan tradition: the Transitus of St. Francis, a solemn celebration of his life and his transitus (passage) from this life to the next.

The evening began, of course, with dinner at the friary. Practically the whole neighborhood had turned out for this special event, and much to my surprise, I recognized so many faces that it took me a while to greet everyone that I knew. What a beautiful part of Catholic culture - that our celebrations almost always include a communal meal! As a Eucharistic people, we recognize that sharing a meal is a powerful expression of our love for one another, that when we gather to "break bread," we remember how Christ has made us one Body in Him.

After dinner we walked along a candle-lit path through the cloisters of the friary, following Fr. Juan Antonio, who was carrying a crucifix, and we sang:

Bendiga alma mía al Señor, y bendice su santo nombre.
Bendiga alma mía al Señor; Él me rescata de la muerte.

(Bless the Lord, O my soul, and bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, for He rescues me from death.)

The procession ended in the chapel, and once everyone took their seats, quite a few people were left standing near the doors. At the front of the chapel, surrounded by dozens of candles, lay a crude wooden coffin, and inside it, the "body of St. Francis" (a stuffed habit, laid out as if for a funeral, with lit candles at its feet). After singing a song of praise, we listened as one by one, the friars recounted in dramatic fashion stories about the life and death of their father, Francis. What a gift it was to see how the children present laughed and listened attentively to so many of the stories, wide-eyed in amazement. Who knew that St. Francis was once a child like them, one who threw wild parties for his friends and had dreams of growing up to be a famous soldier?

The narratives, of course, took on a more somber tone when the time came to speak of Francis' stigmata, of the way he wore himself out in service of the poor, and finally of his passage into eternal life. Dr. Carlos, a friend of our community who works at San Benito (the friars' hospital), commemorated the saint's death by singing the hymn that Francis himself sang as he was dying. While by this time some of the children in the chapel were struggling to stay awake, most of the crowd seemed completely taken in by the drama of the moment - we were listening to the last prayer of a dying man as though we were truly present at his bedside, and in those few minutes, we were able to glimpse not Francis the saint but Francis the man: a man of profound humility, who went before his Creator in prayer knowing that even up until the moment of his death, he was only a weak soul in need of a Savior.

The narrative having been thus concluded, the friars knelt around Francis' coffin and chanted a beautiful hymn to our Lady, "Ultima in Mortis Hora," asking her to pray for us in our last hour and to obtain for us a holy death. When they were finished, we left the chapel in prayerful silence, remembering St. Francis' final exhortation to his followers:

"Come, my brothers, let us begin, for up until now we have done little or nothing."

St. Francis, pray for us - pray that we might learn to be poor and humble servants, to love our brothers and sisters in community as you loved your own, and to live with the Cross of our Lord always before our eyes. Amen.