Sister Anne Wambach, prioress, addressed the worshipping assembly before the Christmas liturgies and explained a longstanding community tradition: the Christmas collection.
Every year we take two collections here at Mount St. Benedict—one at the Easter liturgies and one at this time, Christmas. The money collected is given to an organization or cause that is in great need and that shares the commitments that our community has made.
This year the donations we receive at our Christmas liturgies will be given to Voices on the Border, an organization based in Washington, DC since 1987 that has been working with and for the Salvadoran people. For over 20 years this group has been advocating for justice and equality, and informing United States citizens of the realities in El Salvador. One of their major projects right now is coordinating flood relief work.
In mid-October of this year, within a period of 10 days, nearly 60 inches of rain fell across Central America. This was nearly double the amount of Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Although fewer human casualties were suffered because of increased evacuation methods, the total disaster to the area was far worse. The hardest hit country was El Salvador, especially the area of Baja Lempa, where our own community has been doing Sister City work since the early 1990s.
The water has caused major crop loss: 40% of the corn and 70% of the bean. Two million dollars in Salvadoran coffee crops and production were also lost, perhaps as much as 17% of this year’s harvest.
Greatest of all, 80% of the public infrastructure was affected: hundreds of roads and bridges were washed away. A quarter of a million people had to leave their residences for temporary shelter and 18,000 totally lost their homes.
Voices on the Border is coordinating flood relief. It also supports community organizations working to reverse the current political policies that allow the hydroelectric companies to divert huge amounts of water onto communities in the Baja Lempa region without warning, thereby compounding the chances of natural disaster.
The rains lasted 10 days; the effects will last for years.
Christmas — the season lasts but a short time but its gifts can last forever.
The spirit of this season has a way of generating kindness and giving. The gift of Christmas hope and joy can inspire us to keep that hope and joy alive for others. Generosity is a way of doing that and a way of giving thanks for all that we have been given. It is the way in which we can pass on our blessings to others. May your generosity be a blessing —to the people of El Salvador as well as yourselves.
In the name of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie, I thank you and wish you a happy Christmas!
