They oversee pastoral activities such as sacramental preparation, celebrations in the absence of a priest and the leading of processions and rituals for Church festivities.
These men have taught us what it means to be an active community. Luis Miguel is the youngest catechist and has been a volunteer at the parish for years. Following his faith and call to service, he is undergoing a vocational discernment process with the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers.
He has learned from other community leaders like don Avelino, the senior catechist, who reminds us that the processions and rituals the parish celebrates are related to Gospel passages. Don Avelino also encourages parishioners to participate in religious services.
Another catechist, don Silverio, told us that his religious traditions were passed down through his ancestors from generation to generation, never being lost even when his people migrated to other regions. The liturgical and worship melodies are provided by don Florentín, who has taught many others to play Indigenous music on violins, bass drums and a bone flute. Don Francisco and don Valentín have been his students and play the violin at Masses and celebrations. Don Joaquín, a young catechist, is eager to learn from his elders to continue this legacy.
The catechist structure is completed by the abadesas (literally, “abbesses”). They are the wives of some of the catechists and other elderly women from the village. They are responsible for praying for the needs of the community and collaborating in various services. Many have not had the opportunity of formal education.
One of our projects is to start a literacy program for adults. Doña Andrea, don Avelino’s wife, told us how difficult it was to access education when she was a child. Another abadesa, doña Julia, also spoke to us about the violence women in the community have suffered, from both their fathers and their partners.
During a mission visit, doña Baldomera spoke to us about the loneliness experienced by the elderly in the community. Although the families provide love and care for their loved ones, the younger family members go out to work on their farms, leaving the elders alone for most of the day. Doña Cándida explained how difficult it is to access adequate care for a complex illness, as advanced hospitals are located in large cities — more than six hours away—and poverty prevents them from paying for medical treatment. Often, they must accept deterioration or death because they have no other option.
The community of the Santísima Trinidad parish belongs to the Mojeño Trinitario ethnic group, one of the three variants of the Mojeños or Moxos Indigenous people. The other two are Mojeños Ignacianos and Mojeños Javerianos. Another group sometimes mentioned is the Mojeño Loretano. The names of the communities became known in the department (state) of Beni, where they settled over time.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Mojeños were evangelized by Jesuit missioners who taught them agricultural techniques, trades and music. Father Cipriano Barace, a Spanish martyr who was the founder of the city of Santísima Trinidad and is now a candidate for canonization, is one of the most well-known Jesuits among them, as he introduced livestock farming. These early missions established an economic and social system in keeping with Indigenous culture and the logic of the Gospel, promoting community organization and collective work.
In the ecclesial structure, the presence of “catechists” was instituted to lead religious life and practices.
The Mojeños have maintained the faith and life of the community for centuries, even in the absence of priests or religious women. They are a synodal model of mission and of lay leadership in the life of the Church. We Maryknollers were welcomed here two years ago, and since then we are learning the role of the pastor as a servant of the community. Everything we do is in consultation with these leaders to help us integrate into their community.
Featured image: Don Saturnino Yabanure, a catechist at the Santísima Trinidad parish, plays music he learned from his ancestors and that he now passes on to younger generations in his community in the Bolivian Amazon. (Adam Mitchell/Bolivia)
