OUR CATHOLIC FAMILY
Proyecto Desarrollo Humano: 20 Years and Marching On
Stories and photos BY PAUL BINZ
P royecto Desarrollo Humano in western Hidalgo County is an apt name for the ongoing effort that has become a mod- el of community service and peripheral ministry during its 20 years. Desarrollar is a Spanish verb that means “to develop,” but with subtle connotations of making progress, improve- ment and growth. So Proyecto Desarrollo Humano really means a project to make people’s lives better. Marking its 20th anniversary Oct. 26 with a spe- cial Mass at nearby St. Anne Catholic Church in Pe- nitas, the parochial vicar there, Father Melchor N. Villero, M.J., told those gathered, “Gracias a Dios, hemos podido hacer algo.” (Thanks be to God, we’ve been able to do something.) “En el momento cuando comenzamos y iniciamos todo esto, tanto sacrificio, tanto lucha, tanta entrega en compromiso,” he said. “Solo podemos agradecer a Dios por las cosas maravillas que ha hecho … Gracias a Dios.” (When we began all this – so much sacrifice, so much struggle, so much dedication in commit- ment. We can only thank God for the marvelous things that have been done.) But Father Villero admonished that the mission’s work must go on. “ Hermanos y hermanas , on this occasion we are challenged with the question: How will we continue? How will tomorrow be?” he said. “It is not just what you believe that matters; it is how you respond with your heart and your actions. … sino como respon- demos con puro corazón y con acciones concretas .” Catholic Extension Society, the national organi- zation whose stated mission is working “in solidarity with people to build up vibrant and transformative Catholic faith communities among the poor in the poorest regions of America,” was instrumental in providing support for Proyecto Desarrollo Humano at its outset. Father Jack Wall, president of Catholic Extension, visited from Chicago for the anniversary celebration. “The very, very first place I went to as president was right here,” Father Wall said. “I came here 18
years ago when I was just beginning, and so was the Proyecto. And the colonia here was very isolated, very separated and apart. “Through the years, over and over again, what I’ve come to see is the presence of the Lord and the spirit of the Lord on you and all that you are doing.” How Proyecto Desarrollo Humano began In 2004, nuns of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary ventured west from their station in Brownsville looking for new opportunities and places to serve in the Rio Grande Valley. Western Hidalgo County is a sprawling expanse whose rural character has been transformed in the modern era by a steady growth of population. The sisters soon identified a particular area several miles north of Peñitas which seemed to lack services in general. As a likely spot to start their ministry, they settled on an isolated neighborhood there named for its landmark tall palm trees. At that time the colonia named Pueblo de Pal- mas was little more than a grid of muddy streets and a few house trailers scattered here and there among mostly empty lots. In an effort to meet the residents, the late Sister Tellie Lape and Sister Fatima Santiago would set out and go house to house through the mud, where they were often confronted by snarling dogs, locked gates and suspicion. The people in the trailers, often recent immigrants from Mexico, were wary and not easy to reach, but the sisters persisted. Seeking a permanent presence, the sisters also arranged to meet the subdivision’s developer, Gary Frisby, to explain their mission. Providence brought them an ally in Frisby and his wife Dawna, who promptly agreed to donate a valuable corner lot on which the Missionary Sisters could set up shop. That lot became the site for a small building that would become the mission’s nucleus. The sisters reported their progress to the late Bishop Raymundo J. Peña, whose approval and
Una fuerza impulsora para un
futuro mejor.
ABOVE: The special Mass for the 20th anniversary of Proyecto Desarrollo Humano begins with a procession. The Mass was celebrated at St. Anne Catholic Church in Peñitas. TOP LEFT: Sister Fatima Santiago, director of PDH, recounts its history.
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DIOCESE OF BROWNSVILLE
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THE VALLEY CATHOLIC
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