Fr John Hegerty and Gaspar gardening at the mini farm in Lima, Peru. Photo: Juan Diego Torres - Communications Team Peru
When COVID-19 appeared on the scene, Columbans all over the world had to react to the emergency. We all had to ask ourselves, “How can I carry on serving the people of God in these strange new times?” For Australian Columban John Hegerty, on mission in South America, it was a case, literally, of going back to his roots. He responded to the pandemic by combining his current role as, “Father”, and his original one as “Farmer”.
Born in 1941 in Redesdale, central Victoria, he grew up on his parents’ 1,700 acre sheep and cattle and rotational cropping holding, called Summer Hill. From the word go, he worked all the jobs around the place. John recalls that he worked on the property right up to joining the Columbans, aged 23. “I never had a city job. I went into the seminary as a ‘hayseed’. I was the "boy from the bush’, a ‘country hick!” he said.
During his holidays from the seminary in Sydney, he returned home and helped his mother and father with whatever was needed. He even managed to host some fellow seminarians for a week or so. This was cheap labour!
One thing that still makes him laugh is how some of these big burly footballers and surfies wilted under the pressure of sheep work. When crutching to remove wool from areas where flies might strike, their backs packed up. When pruning the hoofs to avoid footrot from the long lush of spring, their hands would swell. Maybe Hegs couldn't keep up on the long runs in the bush nor on the football field, but he was in front on the farm!
After ordination, he was posted to Peru, where he’s been for most of the last 50 years. By 2020, he reckoned he’d filled just about every missionary role imaginable. Then, COVID came knocking.
He was in semi-retirement in our Centre House in Lima, a fairly pleasant spot set amidst a kind of oasis (Lima lies in the world’s driest desert) and surrounded by schools and a university all of which were closed down for the duration of the crisis.
Peru was hit very hard by the pandemic and the economic collapse that followed. The Columbans were in lockdown for months, leaving them with two challenges: how to keep themselves sane and care for the people, given the new restrictions.
“We had this Irish Columban, Tom Hanley, who works in Chile but who’d been left stranded up here by the lockdown,” John explains. “Now, Tom had a lot of experience on the land back in Ireland, so he suggested he’d use his time digging up and planting part of our grounds. Not only would it keep him occupied, but it would also make us partially self-sufficient. He sowed vegetables, corn, herbs and (being Irish) even some potatoes. Well, they all grew like mad.” The experiment was a great success.
When restrictions eased somewhat, the Irishman was able to return to Chile, leaving the new post of farmer vacant. John suddenly felt those old green fingers twitching again. Fond memories of life back on the farm in Australia came flooding back. So, he filled the vacancy.
“Not that I was alone”, he remarks. Full-time local gardener, Gaspar, came in to lend his expert advice. Also coming to help were two young Columban seminarians from Fiji, Atonio Saula and Iowane Naio. “This was the perfect match,” says John. “Not only were they two strong bucks from a farming background in Fiji, but they were also working in a poor parish where there were a number of ‘comedores’.” (comedores are essentially subsidized canteens.) The Columbans set up a series of them at this time to help feed families who had lost their sources of income. Each ‘comedor’ caters for up to a hundred of the needy for each midday meal.
Columban seminarian Iowane Naio assisting with the gardening. Photo: Juan Diego Torres - Communications Team Peru
A regular routine has now emerged. John and Gaspar look after the day-to-day running of the mini-farm. As required, Atonio and Iowane come in and prepare new beds, adding manure, doing regular watering, and harvesting the produce. Some is kept for the Columban houses but the majority goes to one or more of the ‘comedores’. It is planned to continue this system even after the coronavirus emergency ends, for, as John points out, the effects of this virus on the poor will last for years.
John insists this has resulted in the best of all worlds. The poor are helped, Columban running costs are defrayed and, “it is great therapy for me. I love it. I go out working every afternoon after lunch. Much healthier than a long ‘siesta’. It’s doing me good.”"It really has been worthwhile, going back to my roots."
Columban Fr John Boles has worked in South America for the last 25 years.
Listen to "From Father to farmer"
Related links
- Read more from The Far East - March 2021
