Christ Church, Exeter
July 18, 2013
Our Man in
Havana
The phrase 'Our Man in Havana'
conjures up for me images of the Cold War, Latin heat, and intrigue. Published
in 1958, and later turned into a movie, Graham Greene's thriller evokes
nostalgia as it offers a satirical way of looking at the world that never seems
to get old.
Back in 1986 I was that
imaginary man. I spent a year, mostly based out of Havana, working for the
Episcopal Diocese of Cuba and attending classes at the seminary two hours away.
The Episcopal Church's presence in Cuba goes back to the late 1800's when
Americans began taking more of a commercial and political interest with the
islands in the Caribbean. Before Fidel Castro took power, the Cuban Episcopal
Church was a church of the middle class, with schools having been planted
throughout the countryside by American missionaries. Though the government
confiscated its schools, no churches were closed by the Revolution. Today the
diocese is led by the Rt. Rev. Griselda Delgado Del Carpio, a native of Bolivia
but who has lived in Cuba for over three decades.
My son Will leaves for Cuba on
Monday as a Young Adult Service Corps volunteer of the Episcopal Church. Though
obviously new to Christ Church since April, you all are his official sending
parish. Donations have been arriving from his supporters around the country
into our parish office (thank you Lucia!) and then sent on to the Episcopal
Church offices to fund his year.
YASC is inspired in many ways by
the Peace Corps. YASCers are meant live simply, be hosted by local
Episcopal dioceses, and use what skills and gifts they possess to further the
work of the church. Will will be assisting in the hosting of various
groups visiting from other countries, as well as coordinating the communication
of several development and building projects around the diocese. The
plan is for him to live with a clergy family (my former classmate from 1986)
about two hours east of Havana, while traveling to the capital often.
This Sunday we will commission
Will for his year away in the service of the church at the 9:30 service. As his
father, I ask for your prayers for him - for his safety and for the
possibilities of what the year can bring. You are invited to follow his journey
at his website < http://pendletonyasc.blogspot.com/> which is
named, of course, 'Our YASC Man in Havana.'
I am planning a trip to Cuba in
January. If you would like to join us, please do let me know.
The Rev. Mark B. Pendleton
Rector
No comments:
Post a Comment