In March 2014, the Señora Panchita Llancamil retired after working for 30 years as a House Keeper, friend and collaborator with Columban Missionaries in Chile. Panchita sees her work with the Columbans as a part of her vocation in life.
Here is her story
Francisca Andrea Llancamil (Panchita) was born around 1950 in an indigenous Mapuche community in the south of Chile. Like many Mapuche women at that time who sought to escape from poverty, discrimination and the lack of opportunities, Panchita left home to go to Santiago to work as a live-in maid for a wealthy family. It was 1965 and she was 15-years-old.
The following year at the age of 16, Panchita married Remigio, who also comes from a Mapuche community in the south. She married against her mother's and her family's wishes. After some pressure, her father gave her permission to marry at such a young age.
As the years went by, Panchita worked for several wealthy families in Santiago. She would have to be up at 5:00am every morning, even in the sub-zero temperatures of the Santiago winter. She would have a long day ahead of her, cooking, cleaning, shopping and washing and ironing clothes. She would also have to look after the young children and the elderly members of the family.
In 1984, Panchita began working for the Columban Fathers in the parish of San Marcos. She worked for the Columbans for the next 30 years until her retirement in March 2014. In that time, she worked with many Columban priests in the Columban parishes of San Marcos, San Columbano, San Pedro Nolasco and San Matias. In recent years, Panchita has worked for Columban Frs Michael Hoban, Patrick Egan, Vincent Ratnam and the Parish Priest of San Matias, William Lee. She decided to retire in March to take care of Remigio, a diabetic who requires dialysis several times a week.
During this time, Panchita and Remigio raised five children, four sons and one daughter. Their eldest son is now 48-years-old. Every day Panchita and Remigio give thanks to God for the opportunity that God gave them of working with the Columbans and being able to provide a good education for their five children, an opportunity they never had. Among the five children of Panchita and Remigio, one is an accountant, another a teacher, another a public servant and another a house painter. They have nine grandchildren.
Panchita has always been actively involved in her own parish, Jesus el Señor. For many years, she has sold cakes after the Sunday Mass in order to buy 50 Columban Calendars. She then gives these calendars away to a variety of people as a way to promote the Columbans. She says that people really like the Columban Calendar.
Panchita is also a Minister of Communion, taking communion to sick members of her parish every Sunday. She is also involved in parish finances, collecting the monthly donation to the parish from parishioners.
Panchita says that she has seen many different personalities among the Columban priests for whom she has cooked, cleaned, shopped, answered telephones, washed and ironed. "Yes, the priests have all been different, just as I also am different and have my own personality." She especially remembers the Columban and Associate priests for whom she worked and who have now died - Frs Peter Lemass, Michael Cody and Francis O'Leary.
"I am very grateful to the Columbans. They have always treated me well and fairly. They have been a part of my life and story since my early 30s, the raising of my family and my married life. I have enormous affection for them," she concludes.
 |
LISTEN TO: Panchita's vocation (Duration: 4:25mins, MP3, 2.02MB) |