Divine Word Missionaries

SVD Mission 2000

Province
Reports
for
the XV
General
Chapter

Contents

Presentation
Four Zones
AFRAM
ASPAC
EUROPA
PANAM
AR-
BOL
BR-
BRA
BRC
BRN
BRS
CHI
COL
ECU
MEX
PAR
US-
USC
USS
USW
Statistics
Index

en Español

SVD Publications
Generalate
Rome
1999

ARGENTINA PROVINCES

1. General Situation of the Country

Argentina, like most countries of America and the world, is going through a process of profound structural change. We are witnessing the emergence of globalization, under the cloak of neoliberalism. This phenomenon has its positive elements, such as political democratization, economic stability, a more open and pluralistic society. It has brought about a new consciousness of universal values and ways of thinking. It has advanced the process of decentralization and regionalization. One sign of this phenomenon is its presence in Mercosur.

On the other hand, neoliberalism has also brought about a serious division among the social classes and an increased poverty. We are witnessing situations characterized by individualism, injustice, and generalized violence, resulting in confusion and hopelessness. This system, which many claim is the only viable one, ends up leaving many of our countrymen at the margins of society, unable to have access to the goods which the system proclaims to be necessary for happiness.

Because our official politics leaves the poorer classes without protection, there is a growing sense of solidarity among the poor themselves. They realize that they must help one another and they are aware that lacking this unity of ideals and a shared struggle their lives and their future would only be worse. This sense of solidarity is certainly one of the remarkable traits of our country.

1.1 Socio-economic Profile

The neoliberal model now prevalent in Argentina is found in practically all other countries. It has its good sides. For instance, it can bring about the stabilization of inflation, fiscal balance, and the introduction of new technologies. But the system also causes social inequalities, the increase of foreign debt, the concentration of profit among a few, the rise in poverty and in the number of poor people, and the growth of unemployment. Capital is controlled by a minority. The number of people with very small means is growing while the middle class is declining and slowly disappearing. The most evident characteristic of present Argentinian economy is the unequal distribution of income. There are, on the one hand, those persons with a very high standard of living, while there are, on the other hand, those who lack even the barest necessities for a life free of privation. No measures have been adapted up til now to solve this delicate problem.

With 18.6% of the labor force without work, unemployment has now reached the highest rate in the country's history and is a cause for deep concern. If we add to this figure the 11.1% of underemployed, some three and a half million people, the enormity of the problem becomes immediately evident. Although the rate of unemployment has decreased by about two points last year, the problem still remains disturbing.

With the coming of neoliberal market practices, the country has been practically sold out, yet its foreign debt, instead of being paid, has only increased, leaving people wondering where the money earned through privatization has ended.

The needs of the poor are extensive and numerous. The gap between rich and poor has widened. Despondent and without protection, the poor are without adequate medical care, social security, or means to pay for the elementary and higher education of their children. Although the government says that Argentina belongs to the first world, in reality it does not. International studies show that the country has sunk to the lowest level, lagging behind even the countries of Africa and Asia. Experts say that the dollar-peso parity is a fiction, and the present rate of exchange is a deception in order to increase exports.

1.2 Socio-political Profile

In politics, after the successive military coups of the 1950's, 1960's and 1970's, the last, most brutal and repressive of all was the one led by General Videla when he deposed Peron's widow, Estela. For the past fifteen years, however, Argentina has been living in a democracy. During this time, two presidential periods have passed and the third ended in 1999. Since 1994, a new constitution regulating the country's institutions is in place. The fear of frequent military coups of the past decades now belongs to the past. Because of this freedom, the consolidation of democracy seems to have become a reality.

One of the country's greatest problems is corruption. It is present at practically all levels and in all forms: shady affairs, maneuvers for personal gain, illicit ways of enriching oneself, oft repeated lies by the media, red tape, a justice system weighed in favor of political groups, labor unions and other economic powers. These cause much uneasiness, disbelief and mistrust of politics and politicians.

1.3 Socio-cultural Profile

Unlike most Latin American countries, the majority of the Argentinian population has been formed by waves of immigrants from abroad, especially from Europe, and later by migrants from the countries at its borders. These populations, the result of the mixture of the natives and internal immigrants, of migrants from the farms to the cities, from the small cities to the metropolis, from the hinterlands to the capital region, have created the country's uniquely heterogenous socio-cultural foundation.

Already from the beginning of colonization, the aboriginal populations were systematically wiped out. Those who survived the aggression were re-settled in the harsh areas of the mountains and in the desert. Their lands were taken over by the new owners and used for the most part for agriculture and cattle raising. For many years these industries were the only significant sources of the income for the country.

Our population is the product of this crucible of cultures. It is hardly possible to claim that Argentina has its own homogenous culture. This culture possesses a few elements from each of those ethnic groups. It constitutes a valuable treasure, but at the same time it also has a limiting effect, in that it prevents the rise of a strong and coherent national identity. These groups may have gained the fundamental objective of acquiring a slot in the labor market and in the urban or rural system of production, but one still has to admit that the integration of these groups is only partial. They have found it difficult to assert their cultural identity and at the same time to strengthen their sense of belonging.

2. Situation of the Church

When one speaks of the Church in Argentina, one has to consider her from two standpoints. On the one hand, there is the traditional Church, resting on a solid foundation of norms and laws. On the other hand, there is the Church based on a more popular and biblical religious experience. The traditional Church puts emphasis on the hierarchy and on the institutions, on liturgical and sacramental practice and on an unshakeable obedience to the Pope and the Bishops. It is less critical and is dangerously identified with power and with the powerful.

The other Church emphasizes prophetic action in solidarity. It puts emphasis on the image of the God of life and mercy, who enters in alliance and communion with the poor of the earth. In this way it presents a Church which has a missionary aspect and is incarnated among the lowly. It is a Church consisting of brothers at the service of life, opening possibilities to the development of charisms and ministries of the lay people. Through them, God's Word is able to reach places where normally the Church has no access.

The recently chosen members of the episcopacy are showing a clear sign that they are distancing themselves from the political and government authorities. Thus, they have acquired a certain independence and freedom to enable them to make decisions affecting national affairs. In one way or the other, the politicians and the government need the Church to win a greater consensus among the people. When the Church allowed itself to become involved in benefices and privileges, it was also closely associated with situations of injustice. It ceased to exercise its prophetic role, by choosing to remain silent in the face of deeds and events which called for a clear position and direction. However, when it succeeded in maintaining its distance and proclaimed its commitment to the justice called for by the Gospel, it regained its credibility and the sympathy of the people, especially the lowly. On the other hand, the Church had to bear with the criticism of those in power.

3. SVD Missionary Service

SVD's in Argentina are working in three provinces: the Eastern Province, based in Posadas; the Northern Province, based in Cordoba; and the Southern province, based in Buenos Aires.

Our missionary service can be presented under three headings: parish ministry, educational apostolates and SVD priorities.

3.1 Parish Ministry

The SVD is in charge of about 60 parishes in Argentina. This considerable number of parishes requires a great deal of pastoral care from a large number of confreres. They are working in a variety of situations and among various levels of society.

Some parishes are found in the countryside, where the parishioners are mostly simple farmers. They are missionary parishes in the sense that they are of great geographical extension, where many small villages are to be found, mostly in Misiones, Jujuy, and Neuquen.

Some parishes are found in the hinterlands, such as in Entre Rios and in the province of Buenos Aires, where the SVD has been working practically from the birth of these towns, marked by traditional Catholicism and with people who are for the most part descendants of immigrants from Europe. Parish work here consists in revitalizing and renewing the faith by means of work among the youth and by strengthening the families through family catechesis. Emphasis is given to the vocation apostolate and to mission animation.

Another group of parishes is found among populations living in urban areas: Rafael Calzada, Ezpeleta, Cordoba, Mendoza, Cutral Co, Posadas and Resistencia. They are communities with a strong interior life, and exercise an evangelizing influence in their surroundings. Much importance is given to social apostolates, since the majority of these parishioners are poor and marginalized.

A last group of parishes is found in the very heart of the great metropolises such as Guadalupe in Buenos Aires, and Cristo Rey in Cordoba. The challenges here are particularly acute: secularism is making headway alongside the consumer mentality, which places moral and spiritual values in second place.

On the level of Society life, the parishes are grouped into districts, thus offering the confreres a chance to meet and share with one another. Much progress has been achieved in this area during the past years so that no confrere now lives and works in solitude. Since this ideal cannot always be fully realized on account of the different circumstances of the confreres' work, the districts play an important role in promoting communion and unity in the confreres' missionary tasks.

The confreres usually follow the guidelines provided by the local Churches. Sometimes they are able to create a presence which is more markedly SVD. They can put their own brand of being SVD in their work, flowing from their spirituality and charism, to the benefit of the local Church. They do not wish to be simply substitutes of the diocesan clergy. Many times however, the bishops are looking for religious, not so much for their charism, but simply because they need people to look after their flocks. The SVD's are known for being tireless workers. However, some SVD parish workers still do not have a sufficient grasp of pastoral planning which also takes into account the priorities of the SVD.

The provinces are open to rethinking the purpose of their work in the parishes. They are willing to give back to the bishop the parishes which do not correspond as closely to our Society objectives and the parishes which we can no longer maintain because of lack of personnel.

3.2 Educational Apostolates

The SVD is administering seven schools in Argentina with a total enrolment of about 10,000 students. They are co-educational and are of three educational levels: pre-primary, primary and secondary.

The three provinces have agreed to push forward educational work, realizing that in the schools there is still a valid opportunity to spread the Gospel and for helping the country. These students and their families expect from the SVD, with the help of their teachers and volunteers, a solid Christian and human education. The SVD has accepted this challenge, and although, as in any other activity, one does not always harvest the results one would wish, still the effort is being made. This effort would be impossible without a reliance on the high qualities of the lay persons helping in the work. This reliance on the laity has been one of the major commitments of the SVD in Argentina. The laity is to direct, conduct and administer our educational institutions, so that we SVD's can devote ourselves more to spiritual and pastoral animation.

3.3 SVD Priorities

SVD's in Argentina are seeking to implement the "essential dimensions" of our charism and spirituality: Bible Apostolate, Mission Animation, Justice, Peace & Integrity of Creation and Communications. In the beginning, there were two obstacles: a low level of understanding and the lack of personnel prepared to undertakes some of the new tasks required. Progress has been found in the meantime, both on the level of the individual provinces and in the collaboration of the three provinces. At the insistence of the superiors, and because they have realized that these dimensions are beneficial to all, the confreres are now ready to work in accordance with these new guidelines. Each dimension has now a coordinator, in some cases there are even two or more, and teams are being set up with the help of the laity. The ideal has not yet been reached but there is no lack of good will to achieve more cohesion and unity in this endeavor, also on the level of the three provinces.

Mission and vocation animation: This is one of our utmost concerns. The interest of the confreres has been aroused enough to form an animation team. From their respective places of work, they wish to avail themselves of the help of this team. They want to present the missionary vocation to the youth who are open to a religious vocation. If the SVD does not take care of vocations, it has neither a future nor can it fulfill what is expected of it in Argentina.

Biblical apostolate and spirituality: On all levels, the Bible is accepted as a fundamental element for evangelization and for spiritual renewal in the Church. Each province in Argentina has made several confreres available for this apostolate. They perform their task with joy and enthusiasm and are gaining the confidence and collaboration of more and more confreres. Still, it is perhaps necessary for the communities to give more emphasis to the Bible in the activities of the communities themselves, especially during the times given to reading, meditation and common prayers.

Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation: Everyone fully realizes how difficult it is to implement this dimension both in the Church and in our Society. Nevertheless, one can see signs and the exemplary witness given by communities which are able to place the gospel at the service of life, social transformation and in a new relationship with creation.

Communications:Not many confreres are prepared for this task. Most of the efforts in this field are concentrated in the Editorial Guadalupe which is in charge of printing and distributing printed media. There is still little interest and cooperation to take up this task on the level of the three provinces. People are questioning whether a more coordinated activity in this field is possible in Argentina or in Latin America.

Initial formation and the vocation apostolate: After many years of experience, formation activity in Argentina has become a collaborative work of the three provinces. Formation centers are located in Posadas, Cordoba and Buenos Aires, with various formation phases and levels. After the candidates pronounce their vows, they form small communities and live in a popular milieu. For the past three years, the novitiate has been conducted in collaboration with Chile and Paraguay.

For their philosophy and theology, our candidates attend centers of study which also accommodate the students from other religious institutes. The ISET in Buenos Aires and the CEFYT in Cordoba both offer a satisfactory course of studies which are Latin American in orientation and are open to the world as well. The Brothers are trained according to their chosen professions. They are given the liberty to choose their own professions in agreement with their formators and the provincial council.

In spite of the lack of formators, the provinces are committed to attain their set goals through the common efforts of all three provinces. A formation plan has been set in place to coordinate the various programs.

The PFT program has been a positive experience, both for the students coming into Argentina as well as for those going from Argentina to foreign countries.

Administration: The administrative area has seen considerable progress during the past years. This is due to the fact that the local and provincial administration has been improved and that steps were taken to optimize all resources to achieve economic self sufficiency in all three provinces.

In accordance with their vow of poverty and living in a world torn by poverty and misery, SVD's would like to give an example of a simple and humble life. This implies the responsible management and administration of our material goods in a spirit of solidarity with the poor. In general, the communities and the parishes are able to finance their own needs, with the exception of two groups which require our special help: the elderly and the ill confreres, and those under formation.

3.4 SVD in Uruguay

Uruguay is part of the South Argentina province. The community there was founded in 1982 so that the SVD can share its missionary charism with the local Church, particularly in the areas of Mission Animation and the Bible Apostolate. A confrere is working for the Uruguayan Pontifical Mission Societies, while two others, sometimes three, are living in a parish on the outskirts of Montevideo. From there they offer their services to the Church. The steps taken so far have been good. The SVD is appreciated because our confreres are living in the midst of the people and are respectful of the particular situation of the Church in Uruguay. As more confreres become available, the team will be be in a position to widen their field of activity.

4. Personnel Situation

In recent years, the three provinces have been blessed by the arrival of a good number of new missionaries from Asia: Indonesians, Indians, and to a lesser degree, Filipinos. Their arrival has helped to bring down the high median age of the confreres in the three provinces. They have also enriched the provinces with an aura of internationality. At the same time it is a challenge, first, for those coming from the outside to integrate and adapt themselves, and second, for those who are to receive the new members. For this purpose, the three provinces launched a shared program to introduce new missionaries into the realities of the people, the Church and society in Argentina.

4.1 Readiness for Work

The SVD's are, in general, highly appreciated in the parishes and colleges, because of their dedication and commitment in their efforts to integrate themselves into the pastoral plans of the dioceses. Many senior confreres continue to work with self-sacrifice and devotion. They do not wish to retire unless ill health befalls them or unless old age prevents them from working. They give a fine example to the young confreres who are just beginning to take up their responsibilities.

The provinces do not wish to lose sight of the urgent needs of the Society. Already during the initial formation of our candidates, they are encouraged to look beyond the frontiers of their own countries. Nevertheless, there are also the provinces' own needs to be considered. Neither the manpower the provinces have received nor that which will be sent in the future will be enough to maintain the old structures and to continue the work which has traditionally been done. There is enough personnel however to maintain our missionary presence with renewed vigor and fervor.

4.2 On-going Formation

The three provinces are insisting that the confreres show more interest in personal renewal and keeping themselves up to date. The results have been uneven. There are those who, although they are already advanced in age, continue to update themselves through reading and participating in courses of formation. There are also those who are just satisfied with their basic knowledge and who have no time for spiritual and cultural renewal.

4.3 Religious and Fraternal Spirit

During the last few years, great emphasis has been placed on building up our religious and fraternal spirit. This is due in large part to the climate by the last General Chapter with its stress on communion in the service of mission. Some progress can be seen. There exists a fraternal spirit among the confreres, and likewise there is the wish to achieve greater unity and the integration of the communities and districts. There are, however, instances of members distancing themselves from the communities and of the persistence of prejudices which block the spirit of brotherhood.

The following developments are seen as positive signs in the three provinces:

• the growing cohesion of the confreres within their districts. No one is found at the edges of the life and activities of the Society.
• the organizing of annual retreats in the traditional style and personalized retreats and renewal courses given by the spirituality team.
• the provincial assemblies during which no one could feel excluded from the work of the groups.
• the meetings of the three provincial councils, which take place two times a year.
• the meetings of formators and the coordinators of the different areas.

These and many others are signs that there is a growing communion and a spirit of planning and working together in the three provinces.

The process of internationalization which has been intensified with the arrival of confreres from Asia, is an enriching factor for the Argentinian provinces. Confreres from Argentina and those coming from other parts of the world form the one SVD family with one unique mission.