Walking with the Oblates

Discovering Charism in Tijuana

Tucked away on a quiet street in Tijuana is the tiny Chapel of Guadalupe, an Oblate outreach parish. The physical appearance of the chapel, truth be told, is a bit of an eyesore. Paint chipping, dirt everywhere – even the sacristy where the Priest prepares for weekly celebrations is a disaster. Boxes full of old paperwork line the walls. Statues, once vibrant and beautiful, sit dusty and forgotten in the corners. The only redeeming quality, in fact, is the children’s artwork hanging haphazardly on the dirty, concrete walls.

In July, a group of young people, friends of the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, set out to change this chapel’s dreary outlook. Armed with a bottle of cleaner and some fresh, white paint, this group of college students left their air-conditioned homes in the St. Louis area to spread some sunshine to the Tijuana chapel – and to learn about the Oblate charism along the way.

During their week-long excursion, the group rose early each morning for prayer and to eat a simple breakfast together. The morning hours were then spent scrubbing and painting at the Chapel of Guadalupe. “Everyone deserves a nice place to go to Mass, so I’m happy to do it,” said Sarah Kelley, a sophomore at Webster University.

The afternoon and evenings were spent on a variety of activities, offering the group a unique look into the lives of missionaries and the role they play with the poor. One evening, the group had the honor of meeting Mother Antonia, a nun who lives in La Mesa prison in Tijuana. Once married and living in Beverly Hills, this mother of seven felt a calling to devote herself to God by becoming a nun and living among the prisoners of this notoriously dangerous prison. “Every face became the Lord’s face,” she explained of the prisoners who had become her neighbors and friends. “I’ve never found anybody who wasn’t worthwhile.”

Another night, they were able to experience mission work firsthand by working at a soup kitchen run by the Missionaries of Charity, the Order founded by Mother Theresa. Before the youth served dinner to the hungry crowd, the cafeteria silenced and everyone prayed the rosary in unison, taking the time to thank the Lord for providing the food before them. Everyone was touched by the experience, which allowed the group of youth to further understand the vitality of missionary work.

Father Salvador “Chava” Gonzàlez, O.M.I, the Oblate who accompanied the group to Tijuana, feels that it is important for the young people to get involved. “It’s life changing,” he told the group, “to see just how poor humanity can be.” He explained that the Founder of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, St. Eugene De Mazenod, felt strong bonds to young people. “St. Eugene felt that youth had something to offer. God hears the prayers of the young.”

Father Chava, after his third year of bringing youth from the Shrine to Tijuana, realizes the value of this type of work. He believes that these mission trips are wonderful opportunities to show youth the Oblate charism at work, while introducing other realities of evangelization of the Catholic Church. “Coming here reawakens a bit of their own identity, and I would challenge other young people to become missionaries in their own parish,” says Fr. Chava. “It was a sign of communion and an eye opener to the youth.”