In Latin America, when a girl turns 15, we celebrate a Mass commonly known as a “Quinceañera”. At AGAPE, Fr. Flavian had a custom of gifting the young lady a copy of the New Testament. I continue the custom of the New Testament, but I add either a San Damiano Cross, a Rosary, or the complete Bible for Young People.
At a recent Quinceañera, I was approached by a young woman who told me that she had not received any sort of gift in her Quinceañera Mass three months before. You see, it had occurred while I was away from AGAPE – on the day in fact that I left to be with my sister who was in the hospital in Orlando, Florida and knew she was dying.
This young woman said: “Could I please have something to remember my Quinceañera Mass of thanksgiving, too?” I thought of what I might do. I remembered that I had one more Young People’s Bible, and if she would like to wait, I would go and get it. When I returned with the Bible, I gave it to her, and she asked that I write something in it for her. She had obviously heard me say that I add a message to each Quinceañera in remembrance of the day, writing my words of wisdom on the first page on the inside cover of the Bible.
I said that I would write a note for her and so asked her for her name. She said: “Don’t you remember me? My name is Carin. You first met me in ‘Anzuelo de Dios’.” Anzuelo de Dios is one of the programs at AGAPE that cares for kids living in an environment which is not constructive for those who are alone at home while the parent works or when they are not in school. It means “God’s hook”; the concept is to keep the children hooked to God, protecting them from falling into drugs or gangs.
Back then, she was a five or six-year-old kid, active and so approachable and sociable. Now, unrecognizable as a young lady, she was still pleasant and gracious. I gave her a big hug and felt a sense of pride in the work that AGAPE had offered this child, now a young woman. To see her grown up, with her mom and younger brother, gave me an emotionally good sensation.
For these children in elementary public grade-school, AGAPE creates opportunities to receive tutoring, necessary psychological attention, and interactive games or play time. Many of the kids who have gone through the “Anzuelo” process have moved on to a lifestyle that is positive and rewarding for them in life and work.
This program and others like it are possible because of benefactors like you, who are reading these stories about what our Franciscan Missionaries in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador experience on a daily basis. Your donations continue to make dreams come true for the youth of today, like Carin, who’ll guide and lead their communities to a prosperous future with values that will make a better world in which to live.
About AGAPE
AGAPE is the Agape Association of El Salvador, one of the IC Province missions that your donations to Franciscan Mission Associates (FMA) supports. AGAPE was founded in 1978 by Father Flavian Mucci and has grown into a human development institution.
AGAPE contributes to meeting the needs of the most unprotected sectors of the country through services in education, health, food, evangelization, environment, social assistance and promotion of values—all guided by ethical principles and Franciscan Christian values. AGAPE carries out care programs that, combined with productive projects or activities, generate resources for its sustainability and increasing its social impact.