Visit to Guatemala
My nephew Andy invited me to visit him in Guatemala so a member of his family could meet his girlfriend, who isn’t able to enter the USA. Last week he treated me to a vacation jam-packed with activities that left me exhausted but full of wonderful memories. Seeing this country firsthand was an eyeopener. I was surprised how modern certain features were, like the airport and a huge mall. Andy lives in a gated community where security guards patrol day and night.
I invite you on a tour via this blog post.
Guatemala
This mountainous Central American country lies below Mexico and between the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. It has become so populous that “flyover” highways have been built to accommodate the traffic.
Guatemala’s blue skies and temperatures in the 70s were a pleasant respite from Chardon’s mounds of snow and freezing days.
Spain brought Catholicism to the county in the early 16th century, so it became the predominant religion. But now Evangelical and Pentecostal religions have overtaken it as a result of their vigorous missionary activity. Still there are many Catholic churches, some in ruins.
My seat partner on the flight home was a woman eye doctor, one of the several from the USA who spent eight days treating the Mayan people.
Natural Disasters
Volcanoes
Volcan del Fuego emits plumes of smoke every fifteen minutes. In 2018, it erupted without warning, resulting in many deaths. My nephew lives four miles from this Volcano of Fire. Next to it is Volcan de Agua, named for the water at the top of the cone.
Other Threats
Guatemala is also subject to earthquakes and hurricanes.
Andy laughed at me because it wasn’t the volcano or earthquakes that frightened me, but the cobblestone roads and sidewalks. It was so difficult for me to walk on these that Andy usually held my hand for support. I felt like a little child.
Traffic
The streets were narrow and filled with vehicles. Driving was like playing Dodgem at the Euclid Beach amusement park. Motorcycles wove in between car lanes. People were polite, waving or honking when allowed to go first at an intersection. Riding over the bumpy cobblestone roads, I was surprised the cars didn’t fall apart!
A common vehicle was a tuk tuk, a square taxi that seemed to have no springs. I had to hold on for dear life. Usually we took an Uber.
Houses and stores were side by side and flush with the sidewalks. There were no lawns between them and the street.
Central Park
My first stop was Central Park in Antigua (Old Guatemala). There dozens of vendors lined the paths or sold their wares under a row of tents.
Churches
Across from Central Park is the Church of San Jose where I attended a Spanish Mass. People didn’t use hymnals but sang the hymns from their hearts.
Later we visited the Church of San Francisco, which was like a Roman basilica. There a crew of people were arranging manikins of saints that would be carried in Lenten processions. Saint Hermano Pedro’s tomb is there, which will be open to the public for the first time next month, March.
The yellow La Merced Church is 802 years old and has an earthquake-resistant design. I saw it frequently but didn’t go in it. Next to it are ruins.
Food
Fruit was abundant, some unfamiliar. At a café, I had carrot cake, my favorite. At Andy’s house I dined on coconut milk, pineapple, guacamole, tortillas, and pepian, which is a thick beef and rice stew. We dined at various restaurants.
We visited a store that was like Target as well as an enormous market, where Andy was charged double for pineapples because he is a foreigner. For one that usually cost 32 cents, he paid 65 cents.
Santo Domingo was a humongous old convent with thick stone walls that was repurposed as a restaurant.
Twice I had Rosa de Jamaica, a purplish, nonalcoholic drink made from dried hibiscus flowers.
We passed coffee fields and macadamia nuts spread out to dry. Chocolate is another Guatemalan specialty.
El Tenedor del Cerro (the Fork) was a restaurant and art museum at the top of a mountain. A very long cobblestone road led up to it. I managed to climb about fourth way before Andy hailed a hotel van to save me from having a heart attack. Going down the steep path was another challenge until an Uber rescued me.
On my last day, we ate breakfast at a luxury hotel’s buffet. Food such as omelets was prepared along the wall, but stations were positioned throughout the long room: juices, cereals, bakery, oatmeal, waffles, Mediterranean food.
Entertainment
On the day I arrived, we went to a soccer game between Antigua and Mixco. Fans from opposing teams do not attend in order to prevent brawls. On the bleachers we sat on small, green bucket seats. Three times six men with a stretcher had to carry a player off the field.
Posada de Don Rodrigo restaurant offered live Marimba music with dancers in costumes performing the Baile de los Moros, a folk dance. As I ate, one of the dancers wearing a bull mask offered me a maraca, an invitation to dance with him. After I did, other guests got up and danced.
At Las Palmas restaurant, Andy and I took a salsa lesson from a wiry, energetic teacher. I could not master the crossover step.
Friends
We visited a beautiful bread and breakfast where Andy had stayed while learning Spanish. It is owned and run by Cony, a woman in her nineties. She served us breakfast. The cost is $40 a night and includes breakfast.
We also visited a lively Franciscan Sister that Andy had met. She and her sisters run a home for the elderly. They need funds to hire a man for one year. Any donors?
Cerro de la Cruz (Hill of the Cross)
At the top of another hill, a large cross overlooks the city of Antigua. Fortunately, we took an Uber most of the way up and down the cobblestone path. A statue of a quetzal, a colorful bird with long tail feathers, is a prop for photos. This bird is prominent in mythology and associate with the Aztec deity Quetzalcoati. It is Guatemala’s national bird and the name of its currency. As we left the site, soldiers lined the stairs, presumably to discourage robbers.
Safety
Although people warned me that Guatemala was a dangerous country, I was never afraid. The scariest part of my vacation was finding my way around Chicago O’Hare airport! By the way, if you travel soon, make sure you learn the latest TSA regulations.
What in Guatemala would you be interested in seeing?
Did anything about my trip surprise you?
Pier Giorgio Frassati, A New Young Saint
Pier Giorgio is the subject of a book I just read. I’m glad I did because I hadn’t been acquainted with this young man. What an appealing model for young people today!
He was born in Turin, Italy, on April 6, 1901. Pier’s mother was a painter and practiced the minimum of faith. His father, an agnostic, founded a newspaper and worked for the government. Pier died from polio on July 4, 1925 at the age of twenty-four. It’s surmised that he contracted with disease from sick people he had tended.
Faith and Good Works
As a youth, Pier already had a deep spiritual life and wasn’t shy about it. He loved the Eucharist and Mary. At a time when daily Communion was rare, he had permission to receive it. He was a member of the Marian Sodality and the Apostleship of Prayer. He became a member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic. Eager to share his faith, Pier enticed his friends to attend Mass, read the Bible, and pray the Rosary.
Love for the Poor
Even as a child, Pier manifested love for the poor. When a woman came to the Frassati house begging accompanied by a shoeless child, Pier removed his shoes and gave them to the boy.
When Pier was seventeen, he joined the St. Vincent de Paul Society and ministered to the sick and needy, orphans, and servicemen returning from World War I.
With a large heart for the poor, he gave his bus fare to charity and ran home. At his graduation, his father offered him a car or money. Pier chose the funds so he could distribute them to the poor. He gave up vacations at his family summer home, saying, “If everybody leaves Turin, who will take care of the poor?”
A Man of Action
Intending to be a mining engineer, he attended the Royal Polytechnic University of Turin. As a student, he joined Catholic Action and the People’s Party, which promoted the Church’s social teaching.
He helped organize a convention of Pax Romana, whose goal was uniting Catholic students worldwide to work for peace. Defending the faith, he was involved in fights with Communists and Fascists, once joining a demonstration in Rome against police violence. He said, “Charity is not enough; we need social reform.”
A Normal Young Man
Pier was athletic. He was a good swimmer and an avid mountain climber. His motto was “To the Heights.” He loved music and art and enjoyed going to the theater, operas, and museums. He struggled in school especially with Latin, played pranks, and horsed around with his friends.
Once Pier was attracted to a girl, but he gathered his parents would not approve of her. So he never pursued a relationship with her.
Pier’s disease manifested itself on June 30 while he was boating. The next day he was very ill. On that same day his grandmother died, so Pier refused to call attention to himself. Three days later he died. Before dying, with a paralyzed hand he wrote a message asking a friend to give his medicine to a poor man he had visited. At his funeral thousands of people lined the streets.
St. Pope John Paul II called Pier the “Man of the Eight Beatitudes.” Pope Leo XIV canonized him five months ago, on September 7, 2025. You might wish to read more about him. The Frassati Field Guide: An 8-Day Ascent to Heroic Virtue by Bobby Angel (Ave Maria Press) is a retreat to “seek the heights.” Several videos about him are on YouTube. Here is one of them: https://youtu.be/Qn33GQbMeno?si=jSyH5Zfh0CWOeDUX.
Words of Saint Pier
Jesus is with me. I have nothing to fear.
The secret of happiness is to be grateful for what you have.
Let us be convinced that we can change the world.
True friendship is a gift from God.
Seize the opportunity to share your faith in a world that desperately needs it.
The end for which we are created invites us to walk a road that is surely sown with a lot of thorns, but it is not sad; through even the sorrow, it is illuminated by joy.
I urge you young people to approach the Communion table as often as you can. Fee on this bread of angels whence you will draw all the energy you need to fight inner battles.
The foundation of our faith is charity. Without it our religion would crumble.
God gives us health so that we may serve the sick.
What about Pier’s life do you find inspiring?
Which of his quotations are meaningful for you?
In honor of Saint Pier’s passion and motto, here is one of my favorite songs:
Silence Is Precious
Silence is easy to come by for me lately—now that Ohio is wrapped in a thick blanket of snow. The other day I sat mesmerized, watching the large, lacy flakes dance their way down from the sky.
Silence, God’s First Language
God speaks in silence. Remember how the prophet Elijah waited for the Lord to pass by as he had promised. Strong wind split rocks, followed by an earthquake and fire. But God wasn’t in any of these loud things. He spoke in sheer silence.
God still speaks in silence. Pope St. John Paul II stated,“ Actually, it is only in silence that human beings can hear in their inmost being the voice of God which truly sets them free.”
When we sink into silence, we come face to face with God. To be still we must cease our frantic pace, put away the cell phone, turn off the TV, quiet our bodies, curb our racing minds, and close our mouths. Only then can we be attuned to the voice of God speaking from the eternal silence. St. Teresa of Calcutta offered another motivation for silence: “The more we receive in silent prayer, the more we can give in our active life.”
Advantages of Silence
Mother Teresa also noted: “God is the friend of silence. . . . See how nature, the trees, the flowers, the grasses grow in perfect silence—see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence.” When we are silent, we can glimpse deer, catch fish, read a book, and work out a problem.
You probably have memories that bear out the truth of the saying “silence is golden.” Maybe you remember walking into the peace of your own home after a noisy party, or taking a stroll before anyone else was awake, or gazing at a baby fast asleep. Such times are valuable because they draw us more deeply into reality. St. Elizabeth of the Trinity said, “There is nothing so great as silence. It shuts out the external world to open up the interior world.”
Daily Cacophany
Usually the world packs our minds with a million noises: music, chatter, commercials, traffic sounds, crowds. Sheltered from these distractions, we are free to concentrate on essentials.
In silence we find truth, goodness, and beauty. We discover who we are. Silence is the air that our spirit must breathe if our spiritual life is to thrive. St. John of the Cross taught, “The language that he [God] best hears is the silent language of love.” When you pray, go to a peaceful place, quiet your mind, and still your body. No need to speak directly to God—to adore and thank him or voice petitions. Just be still and listen.
Jesus Sought Silence
Jesus, our model, valued silence. He prepared for his public life by a 40-day private retreat in the wilderness. Before choosing his apostles, “He departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12). He often rose before dawn or drew apart from the hubbub of the crowds to commune with God alone: to celebrate their bond of love, and to center his life and his work on God’s will.
Jesus recommended praying in solitude to his followers: “But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret”(Matthew 6:6).
Silence as a Pathway to God
We believe that the Trinity lives within us. Quiet solitude enables us to attend to God. We can adore the Almighty in the depths of our being, delight in his loving presence, and strengthen our love for him. Refreshed and encouraged by loving encounters with God, we can better meet life’s challenges.
People who seek God have always reserved silent spaces in their lives. St. Thomas More, who was Chancellor of English in the sixteenth century, prayed every morning from two to six-o’clock! For centuries men and women religious have practiced silence. (Originally we Notre Dames observed Silencium Rigorosum, strict silence at night.) Serious Christians participate in days of recollection, retreats, and renewals in which silence usually plays a major role. During liturgical celebrations “at the proper times all should observe a reverent silence.”
The Incarnation
In the Christmas liturgy we hear “When peaceful silence lay over all, and night had run the half of her swift course, down from the heavens, from the royal throne, leapt your all-powerful Word” (Wisdom 18:14–15). Our silent hearts invite another incarnation. In the tranquility of silence the Word becomes living and active in us. Faith, hope, and love are born anew. We acquire the energy to live life to the hilt, and we increase our potential for eternal life.
Self-check
- Am I afraid to be alone?
- Am I uncomfortable doing nothing?
- Do I occasionally treat myself to several hours of solitude and silence—in a park, at the beach, or some other secluded area?
- During how much of each day do I experience silence?
- Do I always have the radio on when I drive?
- In the quiet evening hours do I always watch TV, or do I sometimes pray, read, or reflect?
- After receiving Communion, do I pray—or watch people go by?
- How much time do I allow for daily prayer?
A Prayer
Jesus, you speak to me when I am silent. Once amid thunder and crashing waves when you said, “Peace, be still,” the wind and waves obeyed you. Now calm me. Lord, quiet my body so that I might rest in your presence. Silence my heart and mind so that I might wait attentively for your word. Then when I am still, speak, Lord, and I will listen.
What is your favorite memory of silence?
Here is the snow falling as seen from my balcony Tuesday:
Saints for Fun
Because joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, naturally saints have a sense of humor. They are not the solemn, dour people as sometimes assumed to be. This quality makes them attractive. Arguably the prime example of a saint who loved to have fun was St. Philip Neri. He walked around in shoes too big for him and with his beard half shaved. Above the door of his house was the sign “House of Christian Mirth.” He kept a book of jokes on his desk and played practical jokes on young seminarians.
St. Francis de Sales, author of The Introduction to the Devout Life was not above being silly. One day a woman came to him for spiritual advice. She asked, “Some say we should wear rouge; others say not to. What should I do. St. Francis replied, “Wear it on one cheek.”
Recently canonized St. Pier Giorgio Frassati liked to play pranks like shortsheeting the beds of others on retreat.
I imagine the halls of heaven ring with laughter!
Saints in Children’s Eyes
Here are a few gems about saints culled from my book Why Is Jesus in the Microwave?
Saint Charade
One eighth grader refused to take notes as his class viewed filmstrips on the lives of the saints. He insisted to Sister Andrew that he could remember the material. Later a quiz proved him wrong when he made these identifications: St. Martian Despress (for Martin de Porres)—He cured people and then they died; St. Catherine of Siena—She cut off her hair, and then she became a noun. (Sister thought Catherine was more like a verb.)
Living Saint
Sister Mary Beth took her first graders to the church for a tour. The children stood in awe before the large, colorful stained-glass window that depicted Pentecost. It showed the Holy Spirit coming down upon Mary and the apostles. One child whispered seriously, “Sister, where are you in the picture?”
Modern Translation
The seventh grade was telling the story of John the Baptist’s life. When it came to the part where John declared that he was not worthy to unloose the Savior’s sandals, one student gave an original version. He stated, “John said he wasn’t worthy to untie Christ’s saddle shoes.”
Mary’s New Vocation
Two kindergarten students were discussing whether or not the Blessed Virgin Mary was a sister.
“She had to be a sister. She wore a veil,” said one.
“No, she was Saint Joseph’s wife and had a baby, Jesus,” retorted the other.
“Well, after Jesus and Saint Joseph died, then she became a sister,” explained the first.
“Yeah, that’s probably true,” conceded the second.
A Tableau
In the front yard of St. Joan of Arc church stands a large, white, marble statue of St. Joan astride a horse. One fall day when Sister looked out the window, she saw that figures had been added to the scene. Two third grade boys stood, one on either side of St. Joan, sticks drawn as swords, pledging their loyalty to the warrior-saint.
Saint Defaming
As homework to prepare for the Feast of All Saints, Sister Jude Andrew told her children to learn something about their patron saints. On the feastday itself the parish priest paid a visit. Father asked little Frank, “Who is your patron?”
“St. Francis,” came the quick reply, to Sister’s relief.
“Good,” said Father. “Do you know anything about your patron saint?”
“Oh, yes, Father,” Frank said. “He was a sissy.” The boy apparently had not persevered long in his research of St. Francis of Assisi.
Food for Thought
Before the Feast of All Saints the first and second graders were discussing heaven. Lacey said, “There must be an awfully long table in heaven for all those people. And it’s going to take forever to pass the mashed potatoes.”
Alex tried to dispel her concerns. He said, “I heard that our plates will be full when they are put in front of us.”
Not one to stop worrying, Lacey replied, “But what will we do for seconds?”
Clean Spirits
One little girl was spending a very long time in the bathtub. Puzzled, her mother questioned, “Why are you in there for so long, honey?”
“I’m washing my Guardian Angel,” was the surprising reply.
The next day the girl came home from school and announced to her mother’s relief, “Mom, I don’t have to worry about my Guardian Angel anymore. I found out that he doesn’t have a body.”
My Friends in High Places
Speaking of saints, I’ve become acquainted with them by writing about them and giving talks about them.
My book I Am Going offers reflections on the dying words of saints.
I’ve written biographies of St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Teresa of Calcutta, and St. Julie Billiart.
Years ago I produced the popular Saints Kit, a box of cards each with the life of a saint and related activities for students. Still available is Saints and Feastdays (Loyola Press).
Due to come out this September is my daily devotional based on words of the saints. (Loyola)
What humorous story about a saint do you know?
How do you show you have a sense of humor?
Here is a short video about St. Philip Neri:
Children and Prayer Anecdotes
We all have memories of learning how to pray. I remember my mother practicing the Our Father and other prayers with me as I swung in our basement. This was for my Wednesday catechism classes. My friend’s Italian mother used the Hail Mary, which speaks of “fruit of thy womb,” to teach her about the birds and bees.
On these cold, dark, dreary days, (at least here in Ohio) I offer more humorous anecdotes to warm your heart. Last week they were related to religion. This week these thirteen true stories from the Sisters of Notre Dame have to do with children and prayer. Maybe you or your children have mangled a rote prayer with a funny result. If so, please share this in a comment.
Funny or Sweet Responses
First-Century Planes
The school was assembled in the gym for the Stations of the Cross. A special microphone system had been set up. Everyone was finally in place and hushed, waiting for the Lenten devotion to begin. A first grader was the first one to the microphone. In a strong voice he announced, “The First Station, the pilot said Jesus must die!” The Roman governor Pontius Pilate was thereby acquitted.
Divine Affirmation
During the first graders’ religion class, Sister invited, “Now let’s close our eyes and listen to what God is saying to us.” It was very quiet as the children prayed silently. After a short time, Sister asked, “Can anyone tell us what God said to them?”
One hand went up, and a small boy reported, “Kevin, you’re my best invention.”
Semi-Contrition
A second grader preparing for First Reconciliation was practicing the Act of Contrition. He began, “O my God, I am partly sorry.”
A Happy Ending
When November 2 came along, the second graders learned about the poor souls in purgatory. At least one child remembered the lesson—at least partially. A few days later during the morning prayers of petition, Andrea prayed, “For the repose of the soul of my uncle. He was killed in a car accident but is doing much better now.”
Rote Prayers
Despite the rule that no children may enter the building during recess, one day two young girls appeared at the principal’s office and announced, “Sister Regina, we saw the Blessed Virgin above the garages.”
“Is that so? Did you tell the teacher out there?” Sister asked.
“Yes,” the girls shook their heads. “She saw Mary too.”
Deciding that this needed to be investigated, Sister Regina went outside and walked over to the teacher.
“Yes,” the teacher confirmed, “some clouds were in the shape of the Blessed Virgin.”
Sister Regina asked, the girls, “What did you do when you saw Mary?”
“Well,” one girl replied, “we said our First Communion prayers, then we prayed a Hail Mary, and then we said the Pledge Allegiance to the Flag.”
A Fan
In the school chapel was a book in which the students recorded petitions. To the amusement of the faculty, one petition read, “That Sister Mary Judith Ann may continue to teach.”
The Lord’s Sabbath
The students were writing acrostic prayers to God based on their names. Each letter in their name began a phrase of their prayer. Maurene’s prayer was quite unusual. For one E in her name she had written, “Eternal rest grant unto you, O Lord.”
A Parent’s Prank?
Sister Thomasin told her third graders that for homework they were to bring to school pictures of people they should pray for. To her surprise, one student came with a picture of Lady Godiva.
Greeting Gabriel
Sister asked her first graders what Mary said when the angel appeared to her. A quick-thinking lad answered, “She probably said, ‘Angel of God, my guardian dear.’ ”
It’s All Relative
When praying intercessory prayers, Sister Regina’s fourth graders prayed only for family members and pets. To teach the children to make their intentions more inclusive, Sister decided to act as a model. She began to offer prayers such as “For all police officers and firefighters who work to keep us safe” and “For people in hospitals and those who try to bring them back to good health.”
One day Sister asked, “Does anyone notice that my prayers are different from everyone else’s?” Heads nodded vigorously. “How are they different?” Sister asked.
Mark responded, “Well, we all pray for our relatives. But you don’t seem to have any.”
Prayer Posture
The first graders were talking about prayer. Johnny informed everyone that he prayed every night. “Can you say your night prayers for me?” Sister de Xavier asked.
The boy thought for a while and then asked, “Can I get on the floor?”
“Sure,” Sister replied.
Johnny got down on the floor, lay on his back, and folded his hands on his chest. Then he recited his night prayers.
False Alarm
Whenever fire engine sirens were heard during a lesson, Sister Ricarda and her students prayed for the firefighters and the people in danger. Sister discovered that this practice had made quite an impression on the children after she taught them the prayer for the faithful departed, who may be enduring the fires of purgatory.
One day she was surprised to hear some children praying, “Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the fire department, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.”
Messages from Heaven
After a time of quiet prayer, Sister Marie asked her first graders what God had said to them.
A child answered, “God told me he loves me.”
Another said, “God said, ‘Thank you for coming to Sunday school.’ ”
To one child, God sounded just like her parents. She said, “God told me to turn down the TV.”
Your Turn
So what garbled versions of prayers have you heard?
Who taught you to pray? How?
What is your favorite prayer(s)?
