Fr. Mike Stalla's Mission - Teotepeque El Salvador
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Father Ragan Council 3269 of
Avon, Ohio is proud to have as one of its members Father Michael Stalla. Born
and raised in our area, Father Mike is one of the dedicated priests and sisters
from the Diocese of Cleveland's mission in El Salvador who are in constant need
of monetary support to help the humble, hard working poor of that country.
Most Americans who have not experienced it
personally cannot imagine the needs of the people that our missionaries serve.
Basic food and medical treatment are often lacking. The closest hospital is
over an hour and a half away. Roads, when available, are often terribly
substandard but since most of the people don't have decent vehicles that is not
a top priority.
The following excerpt is from Father Mike’s
blog of August 14, 2009…
I totally take for granted the infrastructure in the United States.
Imagine if the electricity went out almost every night and sometimes doesn't
come back on for days. Imagine if your water supply depended on rain. Imagine
if there were only two police officers on duty in a dangerous part of town...
and they didn't even have a car. Imagine if the local ambulance didn't have
enough funds to pay for gas. Imagine if the nearest hospital was an hour and a
half away. Imagine if a tree fell down in the road and no one was coming to
clean it up, time to pull out your machete and get hacking.
These are just some of the things that constitute a "developing
nation", and, believe me; things have come a long way in the last ten
years that I have been visiting El Salvador, but there is a huge amount still
lacking.
I take care of 34 villages, each with a varying population of anywhere from 25
parishioners at Mass to 650 at Mass. Most places get Mass only once a month.
Many of the places have unpaved roads and it is very bumpy. Cedar Point has
nothing over Salvadoran back roads. There are a few areas you cannot get to by
car. When it rains, we have to call the community leader (thank God for cell
phones) and ask if the road is passable. If not, then “we'll see you next
month”.
Despite their extreme poverty,
parishioners give what they can when the basket is passed during Mass. A
typical collection at the smallest and poorest village like San Benito, a remote agricultural
parish that has Mass once every month,
yields about $3.00. That is not a
misprint. That is what they can afford. . Their little church
was damaged in the earthquake of 2001 and needs rebuilding. It will cost
$7,000.
Other larger and less remote parishes have Mass more regularly and a bigger
collections depending on the size and wealth of the parish
Parishes in northern Ohio routinely raise three or
four million dollars for new churches. Those who have little make do with little.
Currently San Pedro parish in Teotepeque, where Father Mike lives, has a
rectory and church. The parish is in serious need of meeting space. There is an
old convent on the parish grounds that is falling apart. It is our dream to
make a two-story Parish Mission Center. The proposed building would be used for
meetings, catechesis, adult education, outreach programs, and Sacramental
preparation. It would also serve as a youth center. In addition, it would
provide a location for overnight rooms for retreats and visitors, and would
include a kitchen to make this possible.
A book, which is a compilation of Fr. Mike's experiences since arriving
in El Salvador in July 2009, is available for purchase. The stories are
heartwarming, humorous, sad yet hopeful, and are a truly insightful window into
the lives of the people of El Salvador.
One Hundred percent of the proceeds of the sale of these books will go
directly to Fr. Mike's mission. Not one nickel will be diverted to other
causes.
The cost of the book is $20.00 per copy, which includes postage, as
they will be mailed directly to you.
To order click on the link above
or send a check
for $20.00 to:
Rose Stalla 1393 Beethoven Drive Westlake, OH 44145
Make your check payable to Cleveland Diocesan Mission Office
Write Father Michael Book on the memo line.