VALENCIA IN THE HILLS OF CARACAS
The experience of a missionary family of the Neocatechumenal Way in the Diocese of Caracas (Venezuela)

In august we will celebrate the 500 anniversary of the beginning of the Evangelization in Venezuela, when Christopher Columbus arrived to the seashore of this country during his third trip.
The church in Caracas has started a mission period. The first steps are being given towards the celebration of a Venezuelan Concilium. It is wonderful to find the presence of the church of Valencia (Spain) in the center of this Evangelization impulse.
Caracas is a "lineal" city, "sunk" between the mithycal Avila and the humble "Cerros"(hills). In one of those "cerros" are working Father Jesús Martínez Gutierrez, presbyter of the Archdiocese of Valencia, the family of the valencian painter Francisco Bolinches with their eleven children, originally from the parish of St. Jerónimo and Father Antonio Zubía, a marianist father from the Pilar School and a member of a Neocatechumenal community at St. Isidoro.
Some years ago, his Holiness John Paul II considered as providential and supported a new way of evangelizing promoted by the Neocatechumenal way through missionary families. In this way, back in 1989 several families from Spain, together with Father Antonio Zubía were sent by the Pope to the hills following a request made by the Archbishop of Caracas.
The immersion in the new reality was very difficult. The contrast between the human and social reality of the neighborhood and the social position they had left behind in Valencia was brutal.
The "cerro" is an immigration place. Many Venezuelan and south American families, especially from Colombia, have been settling there. The occupation of the land in order to build the "ranchitos" was done fast but without the necessary planning. Nevertheless the situation has been improving lately.
The reality of the people in the hills is that of an emotional, human and religious uprooting. The family as an stable nucleus is missing, and delinquency, drugs, alcohol and violence, among others problems, are very common.
The Lord brought us into this reality, and those initial fears have been changed into joy and hope, gifts that only the Lord can give.
The first thing we did during the first months was to visit the neighborhood, one house after the other. As we could not find matrimonial couples we had the idea of starting the so called "tortilla pastoral", that is, we invited all the "stable couples" we found in the neighborhood to supper. More than one hundred came. Later on we could also preach the Christian initiation catechesis in an environment where the religious experience was minimal. The Lord has consoled us with real miracles. The Neocatechumenal communities are growing in number and maturity. Many families are being rebuilt, the couples get married and the children are starting to feel how good it is to feel loved by their parents, who, in spite of being poor, have changed their way of living as they have discovered the love of God as their Father.
All this evangelization process is changing the "cerro", even in its external appearance, as the people are improving their houses, giving them more dignity and becoming a more human environment.
But there are even better results: Statistics done among those who have join the Neocatechumenal communities, more than three hundred, show that::
14% were taking drugs.
28% were wearing guns although we did not ask, in order to preserve their privacy, how many of them actually killed somebody.
37% were involved in prostitution activities.
60% used to steal frequently.
60% were regularly getting drunk.
34% were, or still are, living in concubine.
But there is still a more consoling statistic. During 1996 there were around fifty people killed in our "cerro". In 1997, only seven were killed, and up to now, in 1998, there has just been one person killed.
How can we not bless the Lord and think on the future with hope? It is unquestionable that the encounter with the word of God converts the hearts of those who listen to it. That is why an exciting new future is being opened for this hill of "Casablanca-Oropeza".
The church we built eight years ago is not big enough any more. The way of waking of the communities in their catechumenal process makes necessary more rooms to meet. The people in the neighborhood need of resources to help them in their social and human situation. We are planning to build a simple but effective health center. Children and teens need of an extra help in their studies, so we are going to open a public library, and other places to help them to study, as their "ranchos" lack of space and other conditions. We need to build workshops so they can learn a profession. The housewives are requesting to learn how to cook, to sew, how to decorate their houses… Those who never learnt to read, will be able to learn. And there will be legal advise to help them in their many problems. We will also promote the Venezuelan culture.
All this project is called "city of hope". Will it be possible? We are sure it will be. God will move many hearts, as they are his children the ones in need. That is why in the center on the city, we will build a big and proper church.
The church in Valencia, through us is present in the hills of Caracas. It is here with us.

P. Antonio María Zabía S.M.
P.Jesús Martínez Gutierrez
Francisco Bolinches

Personal translation by Antonio Enrique from the original in spanish published by Valencia Misionera magazine, No 59, June 1998.