THE CALLE REAL/THE STREET WHERE I LIVE: San Miguel the Archangel and the municipalidad protects us - 'Viva il Papa' !

I live in a smallsized Guatemalan village that is well populated with Roman Catholics, around 80%+ RC's. The charming old church on the main square has just added a large addition doubling the size of the nave with a side chapel...the masses are always overflowing with people standing outside the entrance and there are speakers that deliver audio mass to the square



At San Miguel we celebrate every major Holy day,  Semana Santa and many minor religious feast days too. Our Patron Saint is San Miguel the Archangel and September is combined with great festivities for him and the National Independence Day (from Spain) of Guatemala. 


We have parades, rodeos, costumed ¨convites¨ , religious processions (drums, flutes, incense) and every villager has their own special tribute when they die as their coffin is shoulder carried from their home to church, to the cemetery...off they go, right down the middle of the street with a brass band following the black clad mourners on foot. Even the funerals seem full of loving respect and community here.

This modest community has an atmosphere of industrous living and beliving at it's best...no big deal. it's the way that it has always been and continues to be as heavily loaded handcarts and donkey carts pass up and down the street and finca workers go off at dawn to pick coffee, or plant minature vegetables for export.  The ¨viveros¨ grow long stemmed roses in every color for the World to enjoy...this is a hands-on, quietly energized community with corn tortillas being made over fires ¨los tres tiempos¨ daily and ¨pan francese¨  baked in brick ovens that seem more like kilns.

The people of this town clearly express the virtues taught by the Roman Church at its best in their daily lives. There is also a tiny Order of Spanish Nuns who have a orphanage at the edge of our town...they work their own version of miracles and bring up well mannered, well groomed, well educated children who would otherwise be lost to the street in Guatemala City.

There are miracles going on everywhere.  Quiet ones, determined ones, kind ones.

We have few ¨incidents¨ of illegal behavior here. There
are street cameras that work and help protect innocents. Every principal street is monitored for our safety. 

The town mayor, Dr. Quiñonez, is a strong willed medical doctor who is community service oriented and the town sparkles in many ways.  There is a buy-your-own-home community complete with water, light and sewage systems that is a masterstroke in helping low-income citizens to own their own safe/secure homes and raise families away from dangerous shanties.  The Vice Mayor, Don ¨Chepe¨ officiates at legal/free wedding services on Saturday afternoons (and also teaches catechism on his own free time ) Still, the needs are many.

The community services go on and on with a full-time health clinic staffed with a medical nurse and vounteer Doctors/medicos (they usually come from abroad) and a nutrionist too.  Vaccinations are often available free of charge for people and even ¨pets¨ .

This town will have a new mayor soon who will no
doubt carry-on the tradition of excellence in goverance as full tranparency in management is the standard.

I am more than comfortable as an Episcopalian/Anglo-Catholic living among Roman Catholics. They add much to my physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.

I don't feel the same way about some of the ¨catholics¨ who sit on the bench of the Supreme Court of the United States..Scalia, Alito, C. Thomas and Roberts. I suggest they learn a thing or twenty about reality,humility, human decency, respect for ones sisters and brothers and dignity/equality from a little ¨Catholic¨
town in Sacatepequez, Guatemala, Central America.

Leonard Clark Beardsley
Leonardo Ricardo
San Miguel Dueñas

ANGELFOOD FOOD BANK**: Comforting the elderly, the marginalized, the enfirmed at a small pueblo in Guatemala

San Miguel, The Archangel*, by Leonard Clark


Greetings Friends

In honor of the return/visit of Jenn and John Holden to Guatemala and in support of  The San Miguel Dueñas ¨Angelfood¨** food bank you are invited to a LUNCHEON on Saturday, August 27th in San Miguel Dueñas.

Please come and join in the festivities and the enjoyment of one another at the foot of the Fuego Volcano.

Last year, Jenn and John Holden, Juan Carlos Castillo, Tom and Elizabeth McCallaugh, Tom, Paul and Mom and I sponsored the first San Miguel Dueñas Food Bank party on ¨Boxing Day,¨ the day after Christmas at our home.  The party was a great success. Our intention was to gather food donations ( packs of rice, beans, sugar, cooking oil or pasta and the like) from our guests as they arrived for lunch and then donate the food anonymously after the party to the well-organized Church ¨outreach¨ service on the main square.  It worked!  The food was/is intended for folks in this community of San Miguel Dueñas who are elderly, shut-ins, in need of a little help and/or the enfirmed. 

Weekly, Fr. Carlos Enrique Marroquin and his Eucharist assistants visit the homes of the people who are unable to attend formal services and he offers them Communion and comforting individual spiritual care.  In addition, most of the elderly folks and sometime terminally enfirmed are also gifted with our food offerings, which are distributed by Fr. Carlos Enrique from all of the anonymous we´s.  We are thankful to be of service to this community and this next party on August 27th will be a continuation of our ¨Angelfood¨** Food Bank program.  Special attraction: This year Fr. Carlos Enrique Marroquin will be present to meet/greet and personally thank everyone...the food gifts will be delivered to the Parish directly after the party...every grain, every noodle, every bean, thanks to you, our generous friends.

PLEASE BE OUR GUEST

MENU

Cocktails/Greetings at 1:00 P.M.

· Rum, Vodka, Beer
· Fruit Juices
· Limonada
· Naranjara
· Soft Drinks
· Iced Tea
· Mineral Water

Note:  If you prefer wine please bring your favorite.

Juanchitos All-Central American Favorites:
·  Guacamole and Tortilla Chips
·  Mixed Nuts

Lunch is served 1:30-2:00 P.M.

Lisa´s Request Tostadas:  Spicey Beef and/or Savory Chicken
choice of salsas

Violetas famous rice:  with fresh veggies and chorizo

Leonardo´s Enchiladas:  Cheese with Mole

Cindy´s Fruit Kabobs: Assorted Fresh Fruit

Dessert/Postre:  It´s a surprise!
Coffee
Tea

Please RSVP:

Leonard Clark, Juan Carlos Castillo
santosiempre@yahoo.com
56568295 telephone (for easy instructions on how to find us)
in San Miguel Dueñas

* San Miguel, a hero in most religions as we have much in common:

Saint Michael the Archangel
A 13th-century Byzantine icon from Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai
Archangel
Honored in	Anglican Communion, Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Islam, Judaism, Oriental Orthodoxy, Lutheranism
Canonized	pre-congregation
Feast	November 21 (Old Calendar Eastern Orthodox Churches) / November 8 (New Calendar Eastern Orthodox Churches), September 29 ("Michaelmas"); May 8; many other local and historical feasts
Attributes	Archangel; Treading on Satan or a serpent; carrying a banner, scales, and sword
Patronage	Guardian of the Catholic Church;[1] protector of the Jewish people.[2]

Michael (Hebrew: מִיכָאֵל‎ (pronounced [ˌmixäˈʔel]), Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; Greek: Μιχαήλ, Mikhaḗl; Latin: Michael or Míchaël; Arabic: ميخائيل‎, Mīkhā'īl) is an archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic tradition. He is viewed as the field commander of the Army of God. He is mentioned by name in the Book of Daniel,^[3] the Book of Jude,^[4] and the Book of Revelation, in which he leads God's armies against the Devil's forces during his uprising.^[5] In the book of Daniel, Michael appears as "one of the chief princes"^[3] who in Daniel's vision comes to Gabriel's aid in his contest with the angel of Persia (Dobiel). Michael is also described there as the advocate of the Children of Israel and as a "great prince who stands up for the children of your [Daniel's] people".^[6]
In Hebrew, Michael means "who is like God" (mi-who, ke-as or like, El-deity), which in Talmudic tradition is interpreted as a rhetorical question: "Who is like God?" (which expects an answer in the negative) to imply that no one is like God. In this way, Michael is reinterpreted as a symbol of humility before God.^[7][8]
Much of the late Midrashic detail about Michael was transmitted to Christianity through the Book of Enoch, whence it was taken up and further elaborated. Christian cultus devoted to the archangel was first initiated in the East, as a healer, at Chonae near Colossae in Phrygia and in the West, at the end of the fifth century, as a patron in war, at Monte Sant'Angelo sul Gargano. In late medieval Christianity, Michael, together with Saint George, became the patron saint of chivalry. Jean Molinet was one who glorified the primordial feat of arms of the archangel as "the first deed of knighthood and chivalrous prowess that was ever achieved."^[9] Thus Michael was the natural patron of the first chivalric order of France, the Order of Saint Michael of 1469. In the British honours system, a chivalric order founded in 1818 is also named for these two saints, the Order of St Michael and St George. Michael is also considered in many Christian circles as the patron saint of the warrior. Police officers and soldiers, particularly paratroopers and fighter pilots, regard him as their patron. He is the Patron of the Catholic Police Guild. He is also a patron of Germany,^[10] the City of Brussels,^[11] and Kiev.
Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans refer to him as Saint Michael the Archangel and also simply as Saint Michael. Orthodox Christians refer to him as the Taxiarch Archangel Michael or simply Archangel Michael.^[12] Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventists, and certain New Age Christian denominations refer to Michael as the Christ Michael, or Christ before he became man.^[13][14][15] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that Michael is the heavenly form of Adam from the Book of Genesis,^[16][17][18] and that Michael assisted Jehovah (the heavenly form of Jesus Christ) in the creation of the world under the direction of God the Father ...read it all HERE)

** Angelfood Food Bank was conceived by Jenn Holden
(she has just introduced another one in Redwood City, California)

SEPTEMBER/Archangel Micha'el/Mîkhā'ēl: Who is like God? No one is like God--Part One

Guido Reni's archangel Michael (in the Capuchin church of Santa Maria della Concezione, Rome, 1636) tramples Satan. A mosaic of the same painting decorates St. Michael's Altar within St. Peter's Basilica.

Michael (Hebrew: מִיכָאֵל‎ (pronounced [ˌmixäˈʔel]), Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; Greek: Μιχαήλ, Mikhaḗl; Latin: Michael or Míchaël; Arabic: ميخائيل‎, Mīkhā'īl) is an archangel in Hebrew, Christian and Islamic tradition. He is viewed as the field commander of the Army of God. He is mentioned by name in the Book of Daniel,[1] the Book of Jude[2] and the Book of Revelation in which he leads God's armies against Satan's forces during his uprising.[3] In the book of Daniel, Michael appears as "one of the chief princes"[1] who in Daniel's vision comes to the Archangel Gabriel's aid in his contest with the angel of Persia (Dobiel). Michael is also described there as the advocate of Israel and "great prince who stands up for the children of your [Daniel's] people".[4]

In Hebrew, the name Michael means "who is like El (God)", which in Talmudic tradition is posed as a rhetorical question: "Who is like God?" to imply that no one is like God.[5]

Much of the late Midrashic detail about Michael was transmitted to Christianity through the Book of Enoch, whence it was taken up and further elaborated. In late medieval Christianity, Michael, together with Saint George, became the patron saint of chivalry, and of the first chivalric order of France, the Order of Saint Michael of 1469. In the British honours system, a chivalric order founded in 1818 is also named for these two saints, the Order of St Michael and St George. St Michael is also considered in many Christian circles as the patron saint of the warrior. Police officers and soldiers, particularly paratroopers and fighter pilots, regard him as their patron. He is also a patron of Germany,[6] the City of Brussels[7] and Kiev.

Roman Catholics and Anglicans refer to him as Saint Michael the Archangel and also simply as Saint Michael. Orthodox Christians refer to him as the Taxiarch Archangel Michael or simply Archangel Michael.[8 HERE

· Thanks to Wikipedia
· Thanks to San Miguel the Archangel