Following the Footsteps of Padre José Walijewski

Ten pilgrims from the Diocese of La Crosse departed for Lurín, Perú, from August 8-16 to follow the footsteps and learn more about Father Joseph Walijewski, (3/15/1924 to  4/11/2006) a priest from our diocese whose cause for canonization is open.

In 1970 there was a terrible 7.9 magnitude earthquake in Perú killing 70,000 people and leaving 800,000 people homeless.  Father Joe learned of this natural disaster and asked permission from the bishop to return to South America to help. He had previously been a missionary in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

As I was flying into Perú, I reflected upon Father Joe and how the modern news capabilities and airlines made it possible for this priest in the Diocese of La Crosse to not only know about what was happening south of the equator, but also to be able to go help the people affected.  We landed just before midnight in Lima, a bustling city of nearly 9 million people nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the foothills of the Andes, and drove to Casa Hogar Juan Pablo II in Lurín, 27 miles south at about 2 AM.  Casa Hogar Juan Pablo II, a mission of the Diocese of La Crosse, first opened its doors to homeless and at risk children in 1985, but was officially founded the following March of 1986.  Currently, 64 children call Casa Hogar their home, where they are given faith, family, and a chance at the promising future they deserve. Using the Family Program based on the famous Boys Town® methods, Casa Hogar Juan Pablo II has become a leader in the treatment and care of orphaned, abandoned, and abused children of Peru.

We were blessed with the opportunity to celebrate Mass not only at Casa with the families, but also at a local parish a few blocks away. This parish literally has nothing but faith.  They use what used to be designated as a community center. It has a few crude benches, concrete walls and the heavens as a ceiling.

We prayed with several people there including one who needed someone to translate the Spanish into Quechua, an indigenous language of the Andes.  It gave us a good introduction to the community that Father Joe, Padre José, called home for so many years.  Later, at Casa, we hiked up the hill to the grotto carrying with us a box of petitions and prayed at the tomb of Padre José, asking his intercession.

On Monday evening we gathered with Msgr. Hirsch and the youth that accompanied him on their service trip to Oxapampa and Chontabamba, 12 hours’ drive from Casa Hogar.  In 1991, Padre José bought a ranch in a richly forested region bordering the Amazon rainforest to found a second orphanage, first being Casa Hogar in 1986.  At Chontabamba, he had hoped to run an orphanage with a farm, teach the families agricultural skills and allow families to stay in their ancestral communities.  However, on May 20, 1992, “Shining Path” terrorists came to execute Padre José.  Fortunately he was in Lurín at Casa Hogar at the time.  The terrorists killed 3 men, while a 4^th got a way.  They tied all the boys up and a pastor from a neighboring town saved them.  “Shining Path” had killed 2 Polish priests just 6 miles away on August 9, 1991.  Pope Francis declared Fr. Michele Tomaszek and Fr. Zbigneo Strzalkowski martyrs of the faith on February 3, 2015 canonizing them saints.  The unstable conditions caused by this terrorist group caused the closing of this location.  On April 11, 2005, the Josephite Sisters took over the orphanage and turned it into an 18 bed nursing home, a dream come true for Padre José.  The teens from Casa Hogar helped the sisters change soiled bed linens, bandages, cleaned open sores and helped feed and care for these elderly.  One girl told us a story of an elderly Quechua woman who was abandoned by her family by just leaving her in the plaza.  The sisters took her in and care for her.  This young teen said, “This could be me.”   Msgr. Hirsch stresses the importance for everyone to enter into solidarity with one another, listen to each other’s stories, and help one another.  The children follow the motto of Padre José in service to others,”You may not have much, but you have more than someone else.”

During the days, while the children were at school, we sorted donations, helped clean an area near the new playground equipment which was being installed while we were there, and helped gravel the driveway.  On Tuesday, one of our group, Dan Foor, helped coordinate a trip to Ica, a couple of hours south of Lurín, to tour some Peruvian agriculture.  Personally, I have never seen so much sand in my life!  There were sand dunes in every direction as far as the eye can see.  Everything grown needs to be irrigated, usually using a drip system.  The ground water so near the ocean is salty, so they had a desalination plant on site, not a cheap process.

Later in the week we took time to volunteer at a soup kitchen founded by Padre José in the city of Villa El Salvador.  Villa El Salvador was established on May 11, 1971 and platted for all the people who lost their homes in the earthquake.  It was here in 1981 that Padre José established the Iglesia San José, Church of Saint Joseph, fulfilling his mother’s wish.  Consuela, who manages the kitchen, said they used to serve 150 people per day, but thankfully another kitchen opened across town.  Consuela worked with Padre José and related a couple of stories.  He never just gave away a meal; the people had to work for it.  He could always find something for people to do.  Now they ask for donations for the meals; whatever people can afford.  The day I was there, my husband and I accompanied Consuela to the market with her 15 Soles (about $4.50) to buy 3 chicken breasts and a handful of fresh parsley to go along with the lentils, potatoes, barley, carrots and yucca to serve 30 to 50 people.  The money they collect that day will be used to purchase fresh food tomorrow.  The meals on Friday are usually bigger because Consuela knows the people won’t eat until Monday noon.  Juanita, one of the volunteers, grew up near the rainforest, but they could no longer afford to live there.  She and her family were evicted from their home and moved to Villa El Salvador to look for work.  The soup kitchen helped them when they came, so now she helps others.  The younger people in our group came back from the soup kitchen with plans for a fundraiser to help the kitchen because they saw how great the need is.

Saturday we went to San Pedro beach and I reflected on Padre José and his life.  When he needed to get away, he would walk along that same beach to pray and enjoy the waves.  His life was spent giving hope to others.  It was a sad time when we had to pack and leave, but we come bearing stories of hope.

Casa Hogar Juan Pablo II was founded and is run by the Diocese of La Crosse but is funded solely by your generous donations, none of which come from diocesan funds.  Please send donations to Casa Hogar Juan Pablo II, care of Diocese of La Crosse, PO Box 4004, La Crosse, WI 54602-4004