After twenty-five years in Guadalupe, Padre Jorge returned to Austria on Sunday, May 28th. He will be greatly missed by the people of Guadalupe and the surrounding towns. I imagine he has witnessed tremendous progress in Southern Ecuador. He himself is responsible for establishing the mission medical clinic, building a new church, a residence for the nuns, a retreat center and a dormitory (not to mention a regulation soccer field). Clearly, much of the town is grateful for his spiritual guidance and hard work. Consistent with Latin American style and tradition, Guadalupe has honored Padre with celebrations before he departs. On Saturday there was a big celebration in the Coliseo. Many parishioners arrived in their finest traditional clothes to show their respect. The Coliseo was decorated with flowers and had a fabric walkway bordered by rose petals leading to Padre Jorge's chair. On a side note, Emmett participated in two Saraguro traditional dances at the celebration today. Emmett has been practicing with a dance troupe 3 hours per day for the past week to prepare for the show. Emmett joined the dance troupe entirely on his own and he has really enjoyed working hard with his new friends. He met the dancers through his soccer club. It was fun watching the dynamic dance routines especially when the dancers shout in unison. The dances are highly energetic and fast-paced. I have videos that I can show anyone after we return to the USA. This past week Emmett has been quite busy touring with the dance troupe to festivals in the bordering towns.
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| Saraguro women forming two lines to honor Padre when he walks to the Coliseo |
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| Saraguro men |
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| Padre Jorge graciously accepted the fanfare and parties leading to his departure, despite his reserved and humble demeanor |
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| Padre Jorge seated at the big chair on the right |
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| A mariachi band from Loja entertained everyone. On the same day there was a festival in nearby Kansama Bajo, where I suspect much of the hard-core partiers chose to attend. |
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| Saraguro dancers |
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| Emmett hydrating before his first dance. The colored ribbons remind me of the pole with hanging ribbons used for the Easter Mass celebration each year. |
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| Emmett and male dancers performing their first dance |
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| Emmett dancing on the top left (second dance) |
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| Dance troupe getting ready for their first dance. Woman on the left is holding a full-face mask for the young boy, Jose, on the right. |
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| Emmett in the middle. Each of the male dancers used a hand-held scarf as part of the dance routine. |
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Padre Jorge, the sisters and town leaders sharing a dance
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