Nearly 19 years ago, Viatorians responded to a call for missionaries to go to Bolivia and evangelize. They served parishes and opened a boarding school in Popoy-Covendo, located deep within the Amazon. Later, they served in the city of Cochabamba, an urban area nestled in a valley in the Andes Mountains.
Our Lady of Grace Parish in Cochabomba
Now, regrettably, they must leave.
“The reason is a lack of personnel,” says Fr. Marcelo Lamas, CSV, Provincial Superior of Chile. “Back in 2015, the Provincial Council of Chile decided to give us five years to discern our insertion in the Archdiocese of Cochabamba. To give continuity to our presence, it was essential to grow in vocations and prepare people to continue to collaborate in the mission. Both criteria have been very difficult to meet.”
The Colegio in Popoy
Now, in consultation with the Provincial Council, as well as Archbishop Oscar Aparicio and Fr. Robert M. Egan, CSV, Superior General, the Viatorian Community in Chile will conclude its presence in Bolivia in March.
“This decision was painful for us,” Fr. Lamas says, “but it comes after a long reflection.”
Fr. Egan affirmed their missionary work in Bolivia, which is one of the poorest countries in the world.
“I know it was a difficult decision, but those were productive years,” Fr. Egan said. “They effectively implanted the charism of Fr. Querbes, and for that I am grateful.”
The La Paz River, which flows into the Amazon basin
Several Viatorians served in Bolivia over the years, including most recently Fr. Txema Martinez, CSV, and Br. Jose Antonio Izaga, CSV, who ministered at Our Lady of Grace Parish in Cochamamba.
The Viatorian legacy will remain in Bolivia through the lives of Fr. Luis Gonzaga Trigueros, CSV, and Br. Ramon Arizon, CSV, who both died in Boliva and are buried in Popoy. Additionally, Fr. Kepa Plaza, CSV, spent nine years working in the Popoy-Covendo parishes and in the Popoy boarding school.