A Tarahumara Wellness Story - Tarahumara Childrens Hospital Fund

A Tarahumara
Wellness Story
by Fr. Pedro de Valesco Rivero, S.J.
presented by
Fr. Miguel Quintanilla, S.J.
On behalf of
The Tarahumara Children's Hospital
Fund (TCHF)
Updated October 2015 by TCHF of Oregon
Tarahumara Children’s Hospital Fund
Dear Friends and Benefactors:
In 1964, a young, ambitious and compassionate Jesuit
Catholic priest, Fr. Luis G. Verplancken, S.J., started putting
into action a wellness ministry in the Tarahumara Copper
Canyon region of the Sierra Madre Mountains in the State of
Chihuahua in Mexico.
His vision of compassionate care grew into what you will
read about in the following pages which describe the 50 years
of work with the Tarahumara people. Much has changed in
the lives of the Tarahumara: for example, no longer are 4 out
of 5 children dying before the age of 5. The 75 bed hospital
and its dedicated staff has dramatically improved the life
expectancy of children who now grow into a mature life of
60-70 years.
Food is distributed in lean years, clean water is becoming
more readily available, children are educated and health care
can be administered in Creel in support of the surrounding
communities. This care continues with the generous support
of many loyal Tarahumara Mission friends. Read more in
this remarkable Wellness Story that began with a young Fr.
Luis G. Verplancken 50 years ago.
Sincerely,
David Klosterman
Director of Operations, TCHF of Oregon
(Updated October, 2015)
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Table of Contents

Data on the Raramuri
(Fr. Luis G. Verplancken, S.J.)
4

Complete History of the Tarahumara
(Fr. Pedro de Velasco Rivero, S.J.)
6

Fr. Miguel Quintanilla, S.J.
(Letter of Introduction)
25

Fr. David Ungerleider, S.J.
27

“Water for Life” (FAI)
28

“Campaign for Sustainability
29

Fund-An-Item Update, 2014
30

Fund-An-Item Update, 2013
32

Food Distribution, Jan-May 2012
33

Data on Creel, Chihuahua, Mexico
34

Contact Information
3
Back Cover
Data on the Raramuri
Fr. Luis G. Verplancken, S.J.
The Tarahumara, or Rarámuri as they call themselves,
are the original indigenous people of the fertile lands in the
state of Chihuahua in Mexico. They have remained, even
to this day, among the most compact and unmixed of any of
the Indian tribes of Mexico.
In the late 1700’s explorers seeking gold and silver took
the Rarámuri’s lands. Many fled into the Copper Canyon,
where the land is harsh, food scarce and due to the intense
erosion the water has also become scarce and polluted.
Respect and concern for another and for the community
are of primordial importance in the Rarámuri philosophy;
so, even in their poverty, they know how to share. They
give greater value to persons than to objects, to the extent
that even business matters are secondary in importance.
The first missionaries found that the Indians already
lived a life consistent with Christian belief; so their impact
on the religious life of the Rarámuri was great.
When the Jesuits were expelled from the area by King
Charles III of Spain in 1767, the Rarámuri, abandoned by
the clergy, were left alone for almost a century and a half.
They reinterpreted what they had learned from the missionaries and cast Christianity in their own symbolic and ritualistic molds. They have a religiosity very much their own,
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not caught up in dogma or abstract concepts. It is quite
rich, and surprisingly orthodox in all the basics; and they
learn it from life itself, from their relationships with the
community and in their ongoing relationship with God.
Their truth as children of God lies in their manner of living; their actions are their truth, a truth that necessarily
evolves and fits into their daily lives which also change.
They always live in harmony with their traditions. Their
religion is practiced in living day to day.
5
Tarahumara Children’s Hospital Fund
Jesuit Mission in Tarahumara
Creel, Chihuahua, Mexico
The Complejo Asistencial Clínica Santa Teresita A.C.
(CACSTAC) a nd its differ ent pr o g r a m s a r e the fr uit
of Fr. Luis Verplancken’s initiative: a Jesuit missionary
who worked in Tarahumara from 1960 and was in charge of
the Parish in Creel starting in 1964. In 1992 the Santa Teresita Hospital was legally registered with Fr. Verplancken
as its director. Following his death in 2004, the Society of
Jesus continues to be in charge of the management and direction of the Complejo Asistencial and its different programs.
Father Luis G. Verplancken, S.J.
1926—2004
6
When Fr. Verplancken arrived in Creel in 1964, the
Tarahumara mortality rate among children under five years
of age was 75 % (three out of every four children would die
in their early infancy) The main causes were undernourishment, infections (otherwise easy to cure) and the lack of the
most basic medical services in the whole area. A group of
volunteer women in Creel, through Fr. Luis’ invitation, took
care of some of those children in a little borrowed house
near the church. Over the next 45 years, with the collaboration and enthusiasm of a group of donors, volunteers, nurses, doctors and other workers, that little house grew into a
real hospital – inaugurated on July 31, 1979. Five other projects later became part of that initiative.
Beginning in 1962, when Fr. Verplancken was posted to
another mission (Sisoguichi) he began to get food donations
to palliate hunger due to poor crops affected by frost or
drought. He exchanged baskets of basic food supplies for
communitarian work on old churches, dirt roads, cemeteries, etc. This project grew and became more institutionalized over the years.
At that time, the most serious health problems stemmed
from the lack of clean water or the lack of water at all. Not
just for very tiny communities but even for bigger towns like
Creel. So, in 1970-1971 he promoted and supported – with
the Food for Work system - a major project to bring water
to Creel from the Bocoyna River across the hills as well as
the construction of the Arareko “lake” dam.
In 1992, the Santa Teresita Hospital team began to drill
wells and supply the community with hand pumps and then
the water project went into full swing in the year 2000.
Forty years ago, Raramuri children living in small communities had no chance at all of getting a formal education.
Schools were a dream for 90% of them. So in 1968, Fr. Verplancken built the Gonogochi boarding school for more
than 100 children. This was followed in 1973 by the one in
Rejogochi. Fifteen years ago, the Gonogochi building was
turned over to the local community and later ceased to
function. The Rejogochi School is still functioning today.
In order to get some support for the hospital and to promote handicrafts - especially among women - the Tarahumara Mission handicraft’s shop was established in 1972. Fr.
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Luis’ last major project was the Loyola Museum. Finished
in 2003, it exhibits 45 paintings from the old Jesuit and
Franciscan missions in the Tarahumara. Most of the paintings - from the 17th and 18th centuries - were in very bad
condition and had to be restored by a group of Czech artists.
The museum was built in the Cusárare community alongside
the Church “Los Cinco Señores de Cusárare” where 14 paintings
on the life of the Virgin Mary originally hung. The Museum is
run by two Raramuri women from Cusárare.
CACSTAC MISSION
The Santa Teresita Complex’s mission is to care for and
promote the integral well-being of the Tarahumara people,
focusing on the most needy, vulnerable or dispossessed,
and especially the children. We are committed to care for
and promote their dignity, freedom, environment, culture,
health and lives, without any discrimination due to race, religion or economic status and at the same time always respecting their culture, traditions and ways of life. Our main
areas of interest and work are healthcare, education, protection and rational utilization of their environment and the
diffusion of their cultural and artistic expressions.
CACSTAC VI-
SION
We want to
establish – in
collaboration
with the Tarahumara people better and more
just living conditions, by providing services, formation and
support for healthcare, food, education and culture, making
it available to the whole region, especially the Raramuri.
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We pledge a harmonious development of our surrounding world; engaging in the design and implementation of
our work the very same people we vow to serve, respecting
their autonomy and cultural habits.
In order to accomplish this, we must be able to count on
the experience and commitment of our personnel, the trust
of the Raramuri people, the infrastructure and technology
appropriate to our needs and services, as well as the support and trust of a very diverse group of benefactors.
COMMITMENTS

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To maintain and improve the health and educational
services we currently offer the Raramuri as well as extending these services to more and more people.
To improve the programs for early detection and attention of health problems, mostly among children. To promote a more accurate knowledge of their causes, symptoms and consequences as well as available remedies. To
increase the awareness of the need to protect and restore
the soil and water quality, the woods, as well as improve
better crop growing systems.
To improve and diversify our water supply programs
and our well drilling capacity.
To improve, accompany and follow up for our Food for
Work projects in a closer and more systematic way,
mainly in regard to the method and efficacy of its distribution.
To keep the Rejogochi School functioning as a more culturally adapted and accessible alternative for the Raramuri children, providing them with food, healthcare,
school supplies and clothes.
To continue to raise awareness in Chihuahua, Mexico
and abroad about the Raramuri culture and their needs.
SPECIFIC GOALS FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS

To review and study the role and performance of CACSTAC in the recent past, evaluating the effectiveness and
meaningfulness of our services.
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To improve our methods for detecting, accompanying
and evaluating people’s needs and urgencies, and for assessing their demands for assistance.
To evaluate our personnel and their qualifications and
needs. Designing and implementing programs to help
us have a more stable and qualified staff, especially for
the hospital and the school.
To introduce new electronic systems, programs and devices, and then train our staff in order to improve administrative procedures, making them faster and more
accessible both at the hospital and the main office. Improving the flow of information and documentation
through modernized systems.
To guarantee the necessary finances to sustain and improve our work for the next five years. This includes salaries, building and vehicle maintenance, medicine and
other hospital- related items (i.e., food, propane and
gasoline).
To refurbish our well drilling equipment and older service vehicles.
To keep and renew the existing agreements that we have
with foundations, government agencies and civic groups
for the collaboration and support of our projects.
THE TARAHUMARA PEOPLE
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Demographic Profile of our Beneficiaries
“Even if we provide health services to everyone in dire need in
this Tarahumara region, 95% of our beneficiaries would be Raramuri Indians – most of them children - from more than 200
very small communities located in the municipalities of Guachochi, Bocoyna, Urique, Batopilas, Carichí, Témoris and Uruachi.
All of them are subject to extreme poverty.”
The Raramuri are one of the largest and most traditional
Indian groups in Mexico. About 60-65,000 reside in the
Tarahumara mountains and canyons. They have essentially
been corn / bean growers and goat herders for more than
450 years but now their crops and animals are not enough
for their basic subsistence. Because of that, there is acute
poverty. Most of them have no access to clean water, health
services, electricity or to the most basic means of communication such as roads. For some communities way down in
the canyons, this means having to walk up to 8 hours (when
bringing their sick children to the hospital) just to get to the
nearest road in the hope of getting a lift to the nearest railroad station.
Name and Location of our Main Projects

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Santa Teresita Hospital: Creel, Chihuahua.
Rejogochi Primary School: Rejogochi, Chihuahua.
Clean Water Project (offices and warehouse): Creel, Chihuahua.
Food for Work Program (offices and warehouse): Creel,
Chihuahua.
Artesanías Mision Handicraft Shop: Creel, Chihuahua.
Loyola Museum: Cusárare, Chihuahua.
IMPACT ON OUR SURROUNDINGS
The Santa Teresita Hospital is the reference center for a
region that comprises 7 of the most difficult, rugged and
poor municipalities in our country. Through diligent work
over the past decades, our programs now reach more than
2,000 different families every year, (about 12,000 persons,
which represents almost 20% of the Tarahumara population).
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ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE SANTA TERESITA
HOSPITAL
Without
a doubt,
our most
important
accomplishment
is the more than 15,000 children and adult lives that we
have saved from certain death (4,000 of them in the last 10
years). This means that we have saved at least one life every
day during the past 45 years, and most of them have been
children under 5 years of age. Even if it is not the only factor, the hospital has been very significant in the huge drop
in infant mortality (from 75 % in 1964 to around 20% today).
During 2010, we performed the following medical services: 4,487 consultations (1,801 children); 342 emergencies; 616 hospitalizations; 6,609 laboratory studies; 1,030 X
-Ray plaques for 765 patients. There were 13 deaths.
The main health problems and illnesses were as follows:
undernourishment, tuberculosis, lung and other respiratory
system problems, gastrointestinal infections or parasites,
skin infections and burns from open fires.
During the last decade (2000-2010) the Hospital had
44,770 consultations (21,135 children) and 4,987 emergencies; 7,486 hospitalizations; 61,595 laboratory studies;
10,661 X Ray plaques for 8,843 patients; and 126 deaths.
Another important accomplishment is the progressive
formation of an engaged and skilled staff that understands,
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respects and assumes the Raramuri culture and habits, and
then adapts their medical knowledge and practices to their
lifestyle. We now have 75 people working directly at the
hospital comprised of the following staff:
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3 General Physicians
1 Resident Doctor from the National Institute of de Pediatrics (who is transferred every 4 months).
2 Medical Students doing community service
1 Chemist in charge of the laboratory
1 X-Ray Technician
8 Registered Nurses
8 Student Nurses.
13 Nurse Auxiliaries
13 Rarámuri Nurse Auxiliaries and Translators.
24 people in the other areas of service: 2 in the pharmacy; 4 in administration and reception; 11 in general services (cooking, cleaning, etc.); 2 drivers; 5 in maintenance.
1 Hospital Director
A third accomplishment has been making the hospital
adapt more to the needs of the area and our patients. We
now have a house and a dining room where patients’ families can stay as long as needed as well as several buildings to
house doctors, nurses, students and visitors.
Ignacio when he arrived at the
hospital in 2008
Ignacio when he left the hospital
later in 2008
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Today, the hospital has 77 beds, 30 for pediatric hospitalization, 20 for adults, 3 for gynecology and obstetrics, 18 for
children with malnutrition and 6 for TB patients. We also
have a laboratory for clinical analysis, an X-Ray room, an
emergency room, a pharmacy and three offices for consultation. Plus, we have everything needed for the hospital to
function: a sterilization room, a kitchen to prepare the baby’s food and milk and keep it refrigerated, a general kitchen and dining room for the hospital staff (we serve about
400 meals a day), and a laundry room. We also have an oxygen machine, incubators, an ambulance and other vehicles.
The hospital has been administered during the past 30
years by the Saint Vicente de Paul Daughters of Charity.
Other Posiour Accom-
tive Effects of
plishments
After all these years of work, the Raramuri have had unbounded trust and confidence in the hospital and, little by
little, they have asked for more treatment and medicine.
They used to be very reluctant to go to hospitals and subject
themselves to western medicine. However, since the Hospital adapted to their culture, they now come to us more and
more for care, support and hospitalization for themselves or
their children, leaving them with us at the hospital sometimes for weeks if they have to return to their communities
to take care of their families or crops. They also understand
now that they must follow up with their treatments, even if
they believe that they are fully recovered. Thanks to the
hospital, and to the Raramuri nurses that go to their communities, they have learned to detect symptoms early in in
order to gauge the severity of an illness. Through all of
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these activities and more, the hospital has definitely had an
important impact on the overall health education of the
communities.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE REJOGOCHI
SCHOOL
Thanks to this bicultural / bilingual primary school (over
the past forty years), almost the whole Rejogochi community can read, write and manage the basics of mathematics.
Over these last ten years, we have enrolled an average of 85
students with about 8 of them finishing their studies every
year and beginning high school. This is a significant improvement from 20 years ago when none of them would go
beyond elementary school.
The school has succeeded in implementing a program
that promotes the conservation and appreciation of their
own culture, traditions and religious feasts. The children
are taught traditional skills for farming and handicrafts, as
well as new ones like growing fruit trees or vegetables. We
provide the children with school items, clothes, medicine
and two daily meals.
This year we refurbished the tin roof, changed all the old
wood windows for double glass aluminum ones, changed
the old wood stoves and water heaters for propane ones and
replaced the classroom furniture and the whole electrical
system. Finally, we improved the water supply with raincatching systems and new tanks.
15
The
school functions with a staff of just 9 people: 6 teachers and
3 general service women (for cooking, laundry, etc.). One
important achievement is that 7 of them are Raramuri people from the very same community.
Thanks to the work over all these years, the community
has become more involved and interested in their childrens’
education. Moreover, it is worth mentioning that this is
true for both boys and girls. As a matter of fact, this year
girls represent a majority of the student body making up
55% of the enrollment. In addition to that, the school has
improved nutrition, health and hygiene among children and
has educated the overall community as well in these areas.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE “WATER PROVIDING”
PROGRAM
Even though CACSTAC began digging water wells in
1992, it was only in 2000 that the water providing program
went into full swing. As a result of this program, CACSTAC
has provided clean water to more than 850 families (5,000
people from 70 small communities). To achieve this, we
have drilled 56 wells (avg. depth of 150 ft.) furnished with
manual pumps to extract the water.
We have also installed 71 rainwater-catching systems (40
of them just finished this year) and 14 spring water systems.
Some of them also provide water to local schools.
Having clean water to drink and to wash dishes causes a
radical drop in the incidence of gastrointestinal diseases
and allows for healthier families and communities. It also
reduces the economic and human costs of illness, the need
to go to the hospital or use medicine.
16
We can appreciate the impressive
costbenefit balance
if we understand
that one well
can give clean water for 10 or 15 years to an average of 12
families with 6 members each. This means that with 56
wells, at 3,500 dlls each, 4,000 people will have water – and
better health - for more than a decade at a cost of only $5
USD per year. As for the rainwater systems, each one costs
about $1,400 USD, has a lifespan of 20 years and serves an
average of 1.3 families. This means that with 75 systems we
can provide water for 100 families / 600 persons – at least
for 4 or 5 months a year - during 20 years at a cost of $8.75
USD per year.
CACSTAC already has the basic equipment needed for
this work: a drilling machine and a 1975 truck (a pickup
truck the staff adapted for this), a homemade trailer and a
warehouse for the storage of materials. There are 4 people
on the staff (the same personnel in charge of all the mechanics and vehicle maintenance at the hospital).
The
local
communities have experienced an enhanced consciousness and
appreciation for the benefits of clean drinking water and
improved health because of this program.
17
Without easy access to a serviceable well, it can take as
much as two hours of walking to get 12 gallons of clean water. So, by getting clean water nearer to their houses this
saves hours of walking for women and children (who are
usually the ones in charge of getting water for the family).
Another positive benefit of this program is that we now
exchange old wood roofs for new tin ones that will last for
up to 25 years. This saves a lot of labor as well as pine trees,
which are now very scarce because of deforestation.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE “FOOD FOR WORK”
PROGRAM
We do not
have an exact
record of the thousands of tons of food that this program
has distributed over 45 years, nor do we have an idea of the
pain and the number of lives it has saved. But since the
year 2000 we have distributed an average of 280 tons of
food every year to the poorest and most isolated communities in our area. We estimate that we reach about 2,500
families; that means 340 pounds of food per family every
year.
This year we distributed 380,000 pounds of corn, 51,000
pounds of beans and 38,500 pounds of potatoes. In addition to that, we also handed out 2,788 blankets. All this
went to 3,127 families and 10 boarding schools from 79
communities located in the municipalities of Bocoyna, Guachochi, Uruachi, Urique, Guazapares, Maguarichi and
Carichí.
Obviously, this program does not solve the most elementary problems of the Raramuri population. But it is important because we give out food during the spring and
summer months in which their crop reserves have been depleted. Food for two or three weeks could mean the difference between barely surviving on weeds, green apples or
18
peaches and waiting until the first rainfall brings mushrooms and more edible vegetables.
On the other hand, the program has brought significant
benefits to the communities because of the work they do in
return. These last years we have insisted on making soil retaining walls in their plots or along the rivers or creek sides
to prevent erosion and to improve the quality of the soil.
They have built or rebuilt dirt roads or donkey paths to get
to the water supplies and little “warehouses” where they
keep the food until they can get into town. They have also
built some health rooms where sick people stay and get
basic care until they can make it to town. This program is
administered by the same team we have for the maintenance and wells.
Originally, the Raramuri people used to weave “agave” baskets and wool blankets or belts. They also made coarse pottery and clothes for everyday use. But they did not make
any handicrafts, per se. Fr. Verplancken was the first one to
promote handicrafts of more elaborated traditional items to
sell to the tourists.
Since 1972, the Artesanías Misión shop has sold unique
Tarahumara handicrafts acquired directly from the Indians.
They are either paid directly or indirectly with products
they need that we can usually secure better prices (fabric,
food, raw materials for handicrafts, etc.). Thanks to this
business, the more than 700 artisans – most of them women - that supply the shop earn approx. $70 USD each per
year. That may not seem like much, but it can represent
19
about 450 pounds of corn (enough to feed a family of six for
three weeks).
The handicraft shop also has a little display room in
which we have some traditional clothes, pottery, instruments and other special items from their culture and history. We also have books and pictures of the landscape, people, ceremonies and traditional work. The store is run by 3
people; one of them is a Raramuri.
A new building, the Loyola Museum, exhibits 45 old
paintings that Fr. Verplancken rescued during his 45 years
as a priest from the different places he visited. The paintings were in very bad shape, most of them abandoned in the
ruins of old churches or sacristies. He had them professionally restored by artists from the Czech Republic. The Museum used to get about 700 visitors a month providing a small
income for people in the Cusárare Community who sell
their handicrafts, food or beverages to the tourists in the
store just inside the entrance to the Museum. Unfortunately, visits to the Museum have recently decreased because of
the ubiquitous violence affecting tourism in Mexico.
It
is
worth
mentioning
that
the
two
girls
directly in
charge of
the museum are Raramuri. There also is one Director (a
woman) in charge of the Shop and the Museum.
Both projects, the shop and the museum, have helped
make the Tarahumara way of life and culture more known
and appreciated. At the same time, the sale of their handicrafts has made the artisans more skilled and has convinced
them to design and produce new and more sophisticated
objects, using new materials, forms and techniques.
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CACSTAC’S INFLUENCE ON OTHER GROUPS AND
ORGANIZATIONS
Following CACSTAC’s experience, other groups and organizations that work in the Tarahumara have implemented
similar programs for water, handicrafts, healthcare, nutrition and environmental protection.
Some Specific Virtues of CACSTAC
Because of its long history and influence in the Tarahumara community, CACSTAC, as an institution, and through
its personnel has a deep knowledge and appreciation for the
Tarahumara people and their culture. We have the experience of having worked and lived for 45 years in their social
and ecological milieu. We have established a deep personal
rapport with many of them and their communities. Thanks
to all of this, our team is very skilled, efficient and committed to their work. This is why we can function with a very
small and restricted budget both for the projects as well as
the administration of the whole Complex.
"Thanks
to
our lasting relationship
with the
Raramuri
People
and to
the work we have done for 45 years, we can count on their
recognition, support and trust.
For the same reason, we can also count on the confidence of our
benefactors and the support of volunteers, totally committed to
their work and love for the Raramuri people and their culture."
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Problems, Shortcomings and Limits
One of our main problems is that CACSTAC’s operation,
in fact its very existence, is totally dependent on the goodwill and donations of individual benefactors, foundations
and government agencies. Staff salaries, medicine, instruments, electricity, fuel, food, hardware for the water projects, etc., this year amounted to almost $100,000 USD per
month all of which came from donors.
To complicate matters, our geographic location, climate,
isolation and the endemic violence in the region make it
very difficult to get collaborators – mainly doctors - to stay
long enough at the hospital in order to retain some stability.
These same factors also make it difficult to maintain the
medical instruments and vehicles.
Lolita
(Kitchen)
Sylvia y Feli
(Office)
Vinicia
(Asst. Nurse)
Conclusions
At the end of 2010 CACSTAC has 6 main projects. It directly employs 97 people and 35% are Raramuri (of that,
80% are women). Thanks to our staff, and to the work and
generosity of many other people who are no longer with us,
CACSTAC has served the Raramuri people for 45 years. We
22
can honestly say that after these years in the Tarahumara
mountains and canyons, CACSTAC has directly contributed
to save the lives of several thousand children and adults and
to improve significantly the quality of the life of many more.
As we begin the year 2011, we continue to operate with a
minimum of personnel, equipment and budget. Even so,
the work we have done (and still do) is proof of the skills,
efficacy and unending commitment of our staff.
Sister Juana and
Sister Bertha
Wells and
Food For Work Team
We have maintained and improved our equipment
and buildings, our services and administrative procedures
and our capacity for communication and information. We
have even set up two web pages: There is one in Spanish
which can be found at www.misiontarahumara.org and one
in English which can be found at www.tchforegon.org.
With these two sites, many more people can come to know
what CACSTAC has done and wants to continue to do in the
future.
“We have maintained and increased the trust that the Rarámuri
people have in our work, projects and institutions. We hope that
our benefactors have also. We have maintained and increased
positive relations and agreements with different foundations
and government agencies, both public and private, that work
within the Tarahumara territory.
We have also continued to inform all of our benefactors and
supporters about the use of the money they donate.”
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We
are
part of an open and honest process of intercultural / interinstitutional dialogue and collaboration, which we trust will
continue. Our benefactors and all supporters of CACSTAC
are aware of the importance of our projects, our way of
thinking and the goals that we want to reach. Gradually,
and with respect for the experiences, needs, times and
rhythms of the Raramuri people, we have been able to incorporate all that we do into their style of life and work. We
also want to participate, more and more, in their lives and
celebrations and let them transform our own lives and mentalities.
With the Tarahumara, we believe that the work of all of
us, and our celebrations, help our Father Mother God to
keep harmony and life in this world.
This is why we can truly Thank Him/Her and all of you.
Pedro J. de Velasco Rivero, S.J.
Creel, December 31, 2010
2010 TCHF of Oregon
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Fr. Miguel Quintanilla, S.J.
Mission Director
March 2015
Dear Friends and Supporters,
I arrived in Creel this past 28th of March. Since then
Fr. Guillermo Estrada, S.J. took charge of going over all of
the details I needed to be aware of so that I could assume
my new mission in service of the Rarámuri Indians in the
Sierra Tarahumara. I am becoming more and more familiar
with the Santa Teresita Clinic and our school “Benesika
Angupi” (learning one of each other), and I’ve had the
opportunity to visit several communities where we have
distributed corn, as well as visit our Museum in Cusárare
and our Mission Store. I have encountered some very
impressive people who know and love their work. They are
the ones who will teach me about the mission I have
received.
I arrived here knowing full well that I have been sent to do
the work of Someone, with a capital letter, who is greater
than me. I realize that “our cause is in the hands of the
Lord”. My work will be a grain of sand, a service in collaboration with a great team of people, of which all of you are a
part since the time when the memorable Fr. Luis
Verplancken, S.J. was alive. I feel proud to be able to serve
this mission that has progressed, thanks first of all to God,
since it’s his work, as well as to the many people who have
sincerely collaborated in solidarity with our most needy
indigenous brothers and sisters.
Fr. David has spoken to me about you, your human quali25
enthusiasm and hope because I am joining an effort of
many people. For me, this is a light in the midst of so much
egoism and voracity that we witness in our daily lives.
Thanks to your support and prayers, we Jesuits have been
able to continue work with our sight focused on those who
have less.
May the God of life continue to cure so many human lives
through people like you and help you maintain a deep joy in
your hearts knowing that you are collaborating with His
work.
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Fr. David Ungerleider, S.J.
Director, Casa Manresa Retreat House
Tijuana, Mexico
Fr. David Ungerleider has a been a Jesuit for over 40 years.
Although he was born in upstate New York, he has spent
most of his adult life in Mexico and is a member of the
Mexican Province of the Society of Jesus. In addition to his
undergraduate degrees in philosophy and theology, he also
completed a Masters degree in social anthropology and has
worked in Mexico City, Tabasco, Puerto Rico, Torreon and
now in Tijuana, where he is Assistant to the President of the
Jesuit University. During his time there, he has built a
church, public library, gymnasium and the Casa Manresa,
the first retreat house in the city of Tijuana.
In 2003, Fr. Luis Verplancken asked Fr. David to assist
him with his work in the Tarahumara. Since then, he has
been very active with the Mission helping Fr. Verplancken
up until the time of his death in 2004. He then worked
with Fr. Gilberto during the year of transition until the
Jesuit Provincial appointed Fr. Pedro as the new full time
director of the Mission in Creel. Fr. David has been integral
to the Mission effort during this period of growth and transition and we are privileged that that he will continue to assist new Director Fr. Quintanilla and the Mission for many
years to come.
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The Fund-An-Item for 2015 is “Water for Life”. Even
though the Copper Canyon has seen moderate precipitation
in recent years the challenge still remains for dependable
and safe access to clean drinking water. A comprehensive
scientific survey of the existing conditions will be managed
by Schneider Water Services of St. Paul, Oregon fully staffed
by volunteers but still requiring a significant budget to execute. The outcome of this survey will determine what needs
to be done in the way of rehabilitation and new construction
for the long term delivery of safe drinking water to the
Tarahumara families who depend on it.
At present there are 67 wells serving 5,000 people, 16
springs serving approx. 1,000 people and 103 rainwater collection systems serving about 1,000 people. Even so, it is
still often necessary for families to travel several hours each
way by foot and/or donkey to collect and transport water
for drinking, cooking, sanitation and bathing.
This will be a multi-year program that will put the infrastructure in place for decades to come. Steve Schneider and
his team will be making their first trip to Creel in November
of 2015 to lay the groundwork for this project.
Please check on the website for all of the details on this
campaign, including an in-depth downloadable report that
you can print on your own. Thank you for your support.
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Tarahumara Children’s Hospital
Endowment Fund (TCHEF)
”Campaign for Sustainability”
The TCHEF was established in 2013 by the TCHF of Oregon
Board of Directors with the encouragement and support of
Fr. Estrada, S.J. in Creel, Fr. Ungerleider, S.J. in Tijuana
and the Jesuit Province of Mexico. We would also like to
acknowledge Fr. Pedro de Velasco, S.J. for the compiling
the main content of this “Tarahumara Wellness Story” and
for his many years of service to the Mission as an inspiration for the ongoing efforts to support and sustain the noble
way of life originally recognized by Fr. Verplancken so many
years ago.
The “Campaign for Sustainability” focuses on building this
fund for the ongoing administration of the Mission projects
in the Copper Canyon. Generous supporters like you have
nurtured the fund from a seed of just $95 in 2013 to over
$140,000 by February of 2015. The growth of this fund will
provide a level of stability for the Mission Director and his
staff to continue to provide the compassionate care that is
so heavily depended on by those in need in Creel and beyond in the Copper Canyon.
For more details on this TCHEF please visit the website. If
you would like to receive a separate booklet outlining all of
the key components of this campaign, please contact the
Oregon chapter at the information shown on the back of
this booklet.
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Fund-An-Item Update
“Facilities, Health and Safety Upgrades”
2014
Many of you will remember the major projects over the
past decade supported by the annual Fund-An-Item (FAI).
Each year, the sitting Mission Director nominates the subject of this campaign supported by all three chapters in
Detroit, Louisiana and Oregon. Some of the larger projects included a new X-Ray Room, Oxygen Generation
Equipment, Ambulances, a Playground and even Emergency Food Distribution in those worst years of drought.
In 2014, Fr. Guillermo selected “Facilities, Health and
Safety Upgrades” as the FAI. This focused on all of the
small pieces of essential equipment that were either
missing or not in working condition. Not only did this
hinder the performance of the medical staff, it compromised the official operating status of the clinic.
You will see here the type of devices that any small clinic
in the U.S. would have. We are very pleased to see that
these gaps have been addressed and that the Clinica is
now in full compliance with federal guidelines. Thank you
to then-Director Fr. Guillermo for spearheading this effort
and for current Director Fr. Miguel for overseeing the ongoing implementation of this program.
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Infusion Machine
Phlegm Suctioning
Machine
Oxymeter
Crash Cart
Defibrillator
Bedside Vitals Monitor
Bedside Vitals Monitor
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Fund-An-Item Update
“Playground Equipment and Wellness Center”
2013
The old playground equipment was built by the local
staff about 20 years ago and had well served its
purpose. However, harsh summer and winter weather
exacted a hard toll on the structure and it had become
unfit for safe use by the recovering young patients.
Tarahumara children are accustomed to living and
playing outside and this new outdoor equipment and
indoor wellness center represents the only opportunity
they have for physical exercise during their recovery. It
is truly a means of “wellness” for the health and recuperation of the young patients. Thank you to all of the
supporters in Michigan, Louisiana, Oregon and around
the world for making this project possible.
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Food Distribution Update
January - May 2012
Description
Amount
Unit
Corn
248
tons
Beans
100
tons
Corn Flour
3,637
pounds
Rice
21,384
pounds
Milk
576
gallons
Pantry Bags and Boxes
8,601
na
Sack of Potatoes
186
tons
Blankets
4,248
na
No. of Families Assisted
5,163
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Creel, Chihuahua, Mexico
Regional Community Profile
Creel is a town in the Sierra Tarahumara (part of the Sierra
Madre Occidental) of the Mexican state of Chihuahua. It is the
second-largest town (after San Juanito) in the municipality of
Bocoyna. It is located some 175 kilometres (109 mi) to the
southwest of the state capital, Chihuahua. At the census of 2005
it had a population of 5,338 inhabitants.
Near Creel is Divisadero, perhaps the best-known overlook of
the "Three Canyons" area of the Copper Canyon, as well as Basaseachic Falls, one of the highest waterfalls in Mexico. Creel was
historically a logging town, although tourism has become the primary job source over the last 20 years. There are many hotels,
restaurants and a number of tours down into the canyons and
throughout the surrounding area.
Creel was founded with the name ‘Estación Creel’ on May 26,
1907, as a railroad depot on the Chihuahua –Pacific line. It was
named after Enrique Creeland Astolfo Nicolas Mendoza Mendoza, governor of Chihuahua state at the time. He was the son of
Reuben W. Creel, American delegate in Chihuahua. For many
years before its completion the line ended at Creel.
Regional Provincial View
Regional City View
Creel
Creel
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Life in and around Creel
35
Tarahumara Children’s Hospital Fund
(TCHF)
For website information or general inquiries, contact the
Oregon TCHF. For information regarding your regional
TCHF, see below:
Oregon:
Detroit:
14009 S.E. Matilda Drive
32538 Sabrina Court
Milwaukie, OR 97267
Warren, MI 48093
Telephone: (503) 659-4342
Telephone: (586) 268-8938
FAX: (503) 652-5991
FAX: (586) 268-0524
Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]
New Orleans:
3441 Willow Bay Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
Telephone: (225) 757-5447
Email: TCHFFund1@aol .com
San Diego:
P.O. Box 532233
San Diego, CA 92153-2233
Telephone: (619) 980-5997
Email: [email protected]
Website (English): www.tchforegon.org
Website (Spanish): www.misiontarahumara.org
To purchase a copy of this document or to
make a donation please visit us at:
tchforegon.org
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