Fr Dan Harding (centre) together with fellow Columbans, a parish female lay minister (left) and permanent deacon (right). - Photo: Fr Dan Harding
The role of the laity - Ongoing Formation
Every year, the Archdiocese offers winter and summer programmes for the formation of the parish laity in a wide range of areas, encompassing the liturgy, social justice, personal development, safe environments for minors and vulnerable adults, personal and group prayer, scripture studies, the role of parish pastoral councils, running sacramental programmes, offering funeral services, visiting the sick, parish finances, evangelisation and mission, theological reflections, and leadership training.
As a result, San Columbano parish now has over a hundred pastoral agents who offer their services voluntarily to the parish. All are officially accredited to work with minors and vulnerable adults. Two women and three men are credited ministers who offer lay-led Sunday liturgies. Apart from visiting the sick, other ministers are available for funeral wake services in homes. All sacramental programmes are run by lay pastoral agents. There are no Catholic schools in the parish.
The members of the Parish Executive Committee, comprising four women and two men, take turns leading the parish pastoral council and economic committee where important parish decisions are made.
At this stage, the Archdiocese has no available clergy to take over responsibility from the Columbans, so the responsibility for the running of the parish will be left in the hands of the parish Executive Committee and a permanent deacon.
The parish Religious Dancing Group
San Columbano Parish’s religious dance community has over sixty members. Religious dance organisations are very strict in their rules and highly organised in their practice. Dancing is regarded as a privileged way to pray to God and honour the Virgin Mary. It is a very serious business where one must pass through different stages and attend all practice sessions as well as a yearly retreat. Religious dancing has its roots in the indigenous dance practices that combined Spanish traditions and faith.
The parish’s Religious Dancing Group, along with hundreds of other such groups, travels around the country to dance at major religious feast celebrations. This may involve dancing for several hours, non-stop, through streets or in the plaza outside a church, always accompanied by their large brass bands. They are a part of a larger federation of religious dance groups in Chile, Argentina, Bolivia and Peru.
The Columban Migrant Ministry
Chile has the highest percentage of recently arrived migrants in Latin America. When a former convent at one of the seven San Columbano parish chapels became available in 2019, it was converted into St Columban´s Migrant House of Hospitality. More than 300 homeless migrant men passed through this House before it was moved to its present site in July 2023. Two other ecclesial parish communities also accepted another 100 migrants, especially during the pandemic.
The great majority of migrants come from Venezuela, with small numbers from Colombia, Haiti, Peru, and Ecuador.
Youth dramatise the Stations of the Cross through the streets of the Parish. - Photo: Fr Dan Harding
Good Friday Stations of the Cross re-enacted through the streets
Acting out the Stations of the Cross through the surrounding streets on Good Friday is a common practice in Chile and all Latin America. This may last for two to three hours in San Columbano parish where the parish youth group brings the Passion of Christ to the residents of the neighbouring streets.
Parish-sponsored Social Outreach programmes
These include a project in one of the chapels involving eight large, raised-vegetable gardens where the elderly work without having to bend down. Another chapel has a special children’s programme with chickens, rabbits, tortoises, fruit trees and vegetable gardens, and large containers to catch rainwater. There are two Alcoholics Anonymous groups, one Narcotics Anonymous group and an active parish Scout group. The parish also ran a soup kitchen for several years, more recently during the pandemic.
The future of the parish
Over almost sixty years, Columbans have worked hard to develop co-responsibility with the laity in the organising and running of the parish. This is one of the pillars of the Archdiocesan pastoral plan. In this sense, it is time for us to hand over the parish to the Archdiocese, giving full responsibility to the local lay leaders who will work alongside future clergy.
Just as we are leaving the area, two new Metro stations have opened in the parish, connecting the parish to the larger Santiago Metro Network. Bad luck for the Columbans, but good luck for the newcomers!
Columban Fr Daniel Harding, former Parish Priest, San Columbano parish, Santiago, Chile.
Listen to "Mission Accomplished"
Related links
- Read more from The Far East - May 2024
