An Appeal To Heaven For The Poor Living Along The Violent Roads Of Mexico
An Appeal from Fr. Christopher Hartley from his Mission in the mountains of Guerrero, Mexico, and the Mixteco people. 'Mission springs from contemplation.'
Dear friends of the Mission of Mercy:
It was July 1982 when a group of friends and I went with the Venerable José Rivera, our spiritual director, to the seminary in Carrión de los Condes at Palencia, Spain, to spend a month of spiritual exercises with him. I had finally finished eight years of formation at the seminary and, on July 11, I was ordained to the diaconate at the Primatial Cathedral of Toledo in the midst of the spiritual exercises. On the very afternoon of my ordination, I returned to Carrión to complete the remaining weeks in contemplative silence.
I don’t know why (perhaps in my rush and high emotions), I forgot to bring along some good spiritual reading. As I unloaded my backpack, I realized I had only two books: the Divine Office and the Complete Works of St. John of the Cross, published by Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos. So, though barely understanding anything, I began to read paragraphs and verses of the latter, tenaciously, stubbornly, but barely grasped it. Inexplicably, it set my soul on fire. Such was the impact of that book that, for the next seven years of my priesthood, I read no other book but that one, little by little, with underlinings and childlike notes on spiritual matters. St. John of the Cross became the best companion on my priestly journey.
That book has been my companion for the rest of my years as a missionary. From it, I have copied a few stanzas from his ‘Spiritual Canticle’ at the beginning of this letter.
For those wishing to contribute to funds for the mission, please use the bank transfer information below:
Business account for international money transfers directly to the building contractor for our mission in Mexico, Alex Company:
NAME ON ACCOUNT: ALEXI MARTINEZ NAVA
BUSINESS ADDRESS: LUCIO CABANAS S/N COLONIA RUPERTO HERNÁNDEZ C.P.
STANDARDIZED BANK CODE (CUENTA CLABE): 0243746555111685374
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 65 51116853 7
CELL PHONE NUMBER: +52 771 365 5853
NAME OF THE BANK: SANTANDER MÉXICO
BANK ADDRESS: CUAUHTÉMOC 49, COLONIA CENTRO OMETEPEC, GUERRERO, MÉXICO C.P. 41700
SWIFT CODE: BMSXMXMMXXX
To make money transfers via Bizum, Paypal, and banks, please refer to the MissionMercy.org website here: https://missionmercy.org/dona/
To donate via Bank of America, use the following
Name on the account: Christopher Hartley
Account number: 483097440575
Routing number: Paper: 021000322 & Electronic Wires: 026009593
For ZELLE transfer, use e-mail address: hartley.christopher@gmail.com
At last, the night has fallen silent, and my exhausted, glassy eyes are closing. As exhaustion pierces me to the bone, I curl up in the furthest corner of the mission chapel as the sounds, the people, and the “Alleluias” from the recent Easter Vigil (the third in a row) are fading away. I am alone in the chapel. It is pitch dark in the mountains and canyons of this inhospitable mission, and the power went out across the entire region this afternoon.
Enveloped in weary silence, entranced and moved, I have been gazing at the flame of the Paschal candle. It crackles and flickers over the wax, and I watch in awe as it is consumed by the fire that burns and devours everything. I hold the book in my hands, but I don’t need to open it. I can recite from the memory of my heart the verses I shared with you at the beginning of this letter: silent music, sounding solitude, supper that refreshes, and deepens love. (Spiritual Canticle: stanza 15). Suddenly, it dawns on me that the Easter candle is nothing other than the living representation of the living flame of love of which the mystical poet speaks.
Almost unconsciously, I reviewed the days I’ve spent among these humble people, and how the drama of Jesus’ Passion is nothing other than the Bridegroom’s desire to purify the heart of his bride. On Maundy Thursday, Christ the Bridegroom stripped Himself, tied a towel around His waist, and purified us all (the bride) with water from a basin. The next day, He did not strip Himself: they stripped Him violently. On that Friday of darkness and gloom, the Bridegroom purified the bride with His own blood. Finally, on that glorious Saturday, He purified us with the fire of eternal love—the fire of the Spirit of the Risen Lord. Redeemed, transfigured by water, blood, and fire.
That is the flame that burns, consumes and devours us. And in the silence of the night, with no light to pierce the gloom other than the one burning in my heart, I feel a new mission beginning.
And the fact is, after so many, many years of mission work, at this stage of my life, the only thing I desire for what is left is that this fire of eternal love may be kindled in the hearts of the poor who have been entrusted to me. “And this is the will of Him Who sent Me, that I should not lose any of all that He has given Me, but that I should give new life and raise [them all] up at the last day.” (John 6:39).
A Growing Mission and an Unforgettable Holy Week
This year saw the fourth Holy Week I’ve celebrated in this mission work in the state of Guerrero, Mexico. How it has grown! The first Holy Week we celebrated in 2022 was with just two religious sisters and without an off-road vehicle, but we managed to reach as many people as we could in such rugged territory. But this year, we’ve been able to reach the villages and towns up in Guerrero’s mountains: Arroyo Prieto, El Coyul, San Pedro El Viejo, Joya Real, and Río Encajonado. Setting out from each of these, we have reached many more communities. Morning and afternoon, without rest, there have been Masses, catechesis, Stations of the Cross, family visits, meetings of youth groups, and rehearsals for liturgies. All of these overflowed with the people’s enthusiasm and magnificent response. I looked at them all, and it seemed to me that I was contemplating the most beautiful metaphor for Mother Church.
A team of laypeople came from Spain and sacrificed their few days of rest and vacation, and gave of themselves to the point of exhaustion and rushed to the airport on Easter Sunday in order to be at work on the other side of the Atlantic. That is what it means to take one’s baptism seriously. There were the seminarians who came from Veracruz, Mexico. They are wonderful young men and a sign that the Church of tomorrow will have excellent shepherds. There were religious sisters from three different congregations and charisms! Here was a marvelous icon of the Church as both Virgin and Mother. And the priests who came were in persona Christi, celebrating the mysteries of Easter.
I never dreamed that the Good Lord would send us so many magnificent co-workers. I thank you all for your generous dedication and your lives consecrated to the radical proclamation of the Kingdom.
Large churches, small chapels, though scattered throughout valleys and hills, are filled with young and old alike, amazed and awestruck by the beauty of the holy Catholic liturgy, sacred rites, and divine words brimming with light and mystery. These humble people caught a glimpse, in many places for the first time, of the eternal, the divine, the ineffable, and prostrated themselves in awestruck adoration, holding candles and bouquets of wildflowers in their hands. It is from such innocent wonder that the most beautiful faith springs forth. Special thanks are due to the rector of the seminary in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Father Enrique López García, for spending his third Holy Week with us. We look forward to seeing them all again next year!
Visit of Archbishop Jesús Sanz Montes, OFM
In the days leading up to Holy Week, we were visited once again by Archbishop Jesús Sanz Montes of Oviedo, Spain, a wonderful friend from my seminary days of more than 50 years ago! He was accompanied by his Vicar General, Father Adolfo Mariño Gutiérrez. They came to explore the possibility of sending two priests from his archdiocese as missionaries to these forgotten lands in the deepest and most rugged parts of Guerrero in southern Mexico.
These were intensely busy days during which we visited the communities where there were already priests and religious sisters established. The first night, after an extremely long journey of more than 10 hours on rough roads from the airport to Arroyo Prieto, we stopped in the town of Tlapa de Comonfort, where Bishop Dagoberto Sosa Arriaga treated us to a magnificent lunch at his residence. The next day, we left early for El Coyul to celebrate the First Communions and Confirmations of more than 50 children, catechized by the Marian Missionary Sisters. After a quick lunch, we set out for San Pedro El Viejo. There, we were welcomed by LD’s parents and the Franciscan Sisters of Divine Providence. We spent the night with them, and the next morning we celebrated the First Communions and Confirmations of a large group of children.
After lunch, we set out for Joya Real, passing through Calpanapa, Yuvi Cani, and Barranca Ocotera. Joya Real was the main reason for Archbishop Sanz Montes’s visit, because during the previous week, we completed the construction and furnishing of the priests’ residence. It had been planned that Bishop Sosa Arriaga would visit us at that time, so that both of them could celebrate Holy Mass, First Communions, and Confirmations, as well as the inauguration and blessing of the priests’ residence.
We pray for all of you fervently and ask all of you for your prayers, and that the Good Lord may look with mercy upon these forgotten harvests, and that the Archdiocese of Oviedo may send us a couple of fishers of men. It was a wonderful visit for us evangelizers and for the people.
For me personally, the reunion with such a good friend from my early years as a priest was one of the most undeserved gifts from the Good Shepherd. “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were helpless and scattered like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’” (Matthew 9:36-37)
One of our current projects, which we hope to complete this year, is a place for retreats, gatherings, and formation for
missionary priests, religious sisters, seminarians, and lay missionaries.
Jesus cherished his friendship and intimacy with the Father: “At that time Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and he spent the whole night in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12), just as his friends, the apostles, cherished their inner life. “Then he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.’ For many people were coming and going, and they did not have enough time even to eat.” (Mark 6:31).
Mission springs from contemplation
The image of fire is the one that, in the spiritual tradition of the great masters of the interior life, best explains this reality. Fire has two qualities: it illuminates, and it burns. In fire, therefore, one quality cannot exist without the other. It cannot illuminate without burning, nor burn without illuminating. Traditionally, the brightness of fire has been identified with the active or apostolic life, and fire’s capacity to set ablaze or burn has been identified with contemplative life.
In reality, just as both qualities are inseparable in the nature of fire, so too are they inseparable in the Christian life—and even more so in the life of a missionary. A missionary who does not delight in contemplating the mystery of God’s infinite love and live it out intensely in his daily life renders his missio—his calling—meaningless. It would be pointless to go somewhere and reach out to people if one has not practiced contemplation. During these days of Easter, the witnesses of the Resurrection continually repeat this expression: “We have seen the Lord!” What are we to speak of if we have not seen the Lord, if we do not contemplate him at length in silent, adoring faith? Or as the great St. John of the Cross says: “O night, that guided me!
O night, sweeter than sunrise! O night, that joined lover with Beloved!
Lover transformed into Beloved!”
Computer Center
Thanks to Father Francisco Lunar, my fellow missionary, we have received from the Pro Nueva Evangelización Fund, which is part of the Bishops Conference of Spain, a generous donation to set up a small computer lab. As a parish and as missionaries, we want to contribute to the holistic development of our people. As everyone knows, it is very important today—especially for younger people—to learn basic computer skills. This will help them enormously in securing better jobs and in their college studies. We are still in the process of getting this up and running. In addition, we are looking for a teacher
who can teach basic computer programs to our students. If any lay missionaries would like to help us with this task, please let me know.
Community Library in Arroyo Prieto
“A book can change a life”
1. Our reality
Arroyo Prieto is a community with great human resources, but with very limited access to educational and cultural resources. Their exposure to reading is limited to what is strictly required for school, and sometimes even that is not enough. Young people, for their part, lack educational spaces where they can grow
intellectually, strengthen their identity, and discover broader horizons for their lives.
In a community where opportunities are limited, access to reading is not a luxury: it is an urgent necessity, a tool to break cycles of educational poverty.
Children and youth:
● Do not have books at home.
● Do not have a suitable space to study.
● Have not developed the habit of reading.
● Struggle with reading comprehension and expression.
● Lack educational opportunities outside of school hours.
● Do not have access to reference books, young adult literature, or educational materials.
2. Our Vision
We want to create a parish library that is more than just a place with books.
We hope for a space that is:
● A center for learning and study.
● A safe and welcoming environment.
● An educational space where a love of reading is awakened.
● A center for intellectual and personal growth.
● A meeting place for children and young people.
● A space where faith and culture come together.
● We don’t just want shelves full of books. We want to open windows to the world.
As a parish community, we believe that evangelizing also means educating, developing the mind, and nurturing the heart.
A library does more than just improve academic performance:
● It shapes judgment.
● It strengthens self-esteem and opens the soul to truth and beauty.
3. Formative and Evangelizing Dimension
3. Our Mission
Our mission is not solely academic. We want this library to be:
● A support for the holistic growth of the person.
● A tool for values education.
● A space where children learn to think, engage in dialogue, and dream.
● A place where they can also find books that nourish their faith.
Reading helps them:
● Develop inner life.
● Better understand their own history.
● Discover their own vocation.
● Open themselves to an encounter with God through knowledge and reflection.
A child who learns to read well also learns to understand life. A young person who discovers good books finds role models, hope, and meaning.
4. Why is this urgent?
Among vulnerable people, a lack of access to reading:
● Limits academic development.
● Reduces future opportunities.
● Weakens self-confidence.
● Impoverishes cultural and spiritual horizons.
● Leaves them with fewer tools for understanding.
● Leaves them with less confidence to express themselves.
● They have fewer chances to broaden their horizons.
● They may lose interest in studying.
● They lack cultural and educational role models.
When children do not have access to books, their world becomes smaller. When a community has a library, the world opens up.
“Investing in books is investing in dignity and the future.”
“Investing in education is sowing hope.”
“Investing in holistic education is building the future.”
5. What do we need?
Donations of new or gently used books, especially:
● Children’s and young adult literature.
● Educational books and school support materials.
● Illustrated storybooks.
● Books that teach human values.
● Dictionaries and reference books.
● Encyclopedias.
● Spiritual books adapted for children and young people.
● Stories of the saints.
We also need furniture:
● Bookshelves
● Tables and chairs
● Organizational supplies
● Financial donations to renovate the space.
6. Expected Impact.
With a library in Arroyo Prieto, we aim to:
● Foster a love of reading from an early age.
● Improve reading comprehension and academic performance.
● Offer reading and educational workshops.
● Create a safe space as an alternative to risky environments.
● Help young people become more critical, creative, and confident.
● Strengthen the cultural and spiritual dimensions of the community.
A book can change a life:
● A book can inspire a calling.
● A reading space can transform a generation.
● A reading space can change a destiny.
Help us open a library in Arroyo Prieto. In our community, many children don’t have a single book at home. We want to create a space where they can read, learn, and dream. Will you help us sow the seeds of a future and hope?
A very special thank you to Colegio San Patricio de la Moraleja (Madrid), whose students, parents, faculty, and administration have sent us their donations. And especially during Holy Week, they sent us the first books, which have already arrived at the mission (I’m not sending photos because we don’t have any bookshelves to put them on yet!)
School Supplies
In this letter, we want to thank everyone who has helped us financially for the specific purpose of purchasing school supplies. A very special “thank you” to the people of Mexico who have sent us school supplies via courier to the Poor Clares of Tlapa, which we promptly collect up when the sisters notify us. Please don’t stop sending your help!
We continue to distribute school supplies, and now the shelves in our warehouse are empty. Please keep helping us. The children are eager to go to school.
To send us school supplies or other items for our evangelization work (liturgical items, rosaries, etc.), please send them to the following address in Tlapa:
Attn: Father Christopher Hartley
Hermanas Clarisas
Calle Morelos #106
Zip Code 41305
Tlapa de Comonfort, Guerrero, MEXICO
We have many projects underway and just as many financial needs, as follow:
- Vehicle maintenance
- Constant purchase of fuel so we can continue traveling over rough tracks in the mountains
- We are setting up a computer lab in the basement of the parish church to teach computer skills.
- We continue to contribute to the reconstruction and repair of our dozens of churches
- Benches for chapels in the poorest communities
- Purchase of medications for the most vulnerable communities.
The days of this blessed Easter are slowly passing, but I remain here, curled up in the farthest corner of the chapel. Silence envelops everything just as the Virgin Mother enveloped the Child Jesus on that night in the stable, just as she enveloped him in the intertwining of her from his arms when they took him down from the holy cross… blessed silence… blessed solitude…
Here I will wait for you forever,
Beloved of my soul, alone; more and more alone… alone with my solitude; here I will wait for you, with my waist girded, my oil flask full of your oil, the lamp lit, so that, like a thief, you may take me by the hand and bring me with you to the wedding where the clay of my nothingness is wed to the tender embrace of your goodness.
And I remain here gazing at the flame of eternity, a blossoming candle, a blinding light, a silent melody that my soul hums as I wait for the dawn of eternity to break. And if someone were to ask me tonight what my only remaining desire is at this point, I would ask for
only this: “Lord, let me see you, let me see you soon, let me see you for all eternity!”
We pray for everyone before the tabernacle of the mission. I bless you from the bottom of my heart in the name of the Risen Christ, missionary and Alleluia of the Father.
Father Christopher Hartley: hartley.christopher@gmail.com
Please visit our website: http://www.missionmercy.org/
I BEG YOU, PLEASE, TO FORWARD THIS LETTER TO ALL
YOUR FRIENDS, ALL YOUR CONTACTS, AND EVERYONE
YOU KNOW WHO HAS HELPED US—AS WELL AS THOSE WE
HAVE NO WAY OF CONTACTING. PLEASE CONTINUE TO HELP US; I BEG YOU IN THE NAME OF GOD AND THESE POOR PEOPLE!!
In addition to the Mission of Mercy Foundation’s account and the various ways to donate to it listed below, we are now also INCLUDING THE ACCOUNT FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO DO SO.
If anyone would like to contribute to this project, the Mission of Mercy Foundation’s contact information is at the end of this letter. There are people in Mexico who want to help us with these projects. Since we missionaries cannot have a bank account in Mexico due to our immigration status, those who are already helping us from Mexico transfer their donations directly to the business account of our engineer:
Business account for international money transfers. Cuenta Fiscal para transferencias internacionales: Alex Company, constructor y topografía
NOMBRE COMPLETO O RAZÓN SOCIAL: ALEXI MARTINEZ NAVA
DIRECCIÓN FISCAL: LUCIO CABANAS S/N COLONIA RUPERTO HERNÁNDEZ C.P.
CUENTA CLAVE: 0243746555111685374
NÚMERO DE CUENTA: 65 51116853 7
TEL. CEL. +52 771 365 5853
NOMBRE DEL BANCO: SANTANDER MÉXICO
DIRECCIÓN DEL BANCO: CUAUHTÉMOC 49, COLONIA CENTRO OMETEPEC, GUERRERO, MÉXICO C.P. 41700
CÓDIGO SWIFT: BMSXMXMMXXX
Why, after wounding
This heart, have You not healed it?
And why, after stealing it,
Have You thus abandoned it,
And not carried away the stolen prey?...
The bride has entered
The pleasant and desirable garden,
And there reposes to her heart’s content;
Her neck reclining
On the sweet arms of the Beloved.
Beneath the apple-tree
There were you betrothed;
There I gave you My hand,
And you were redeemed
Where your mother was corrupted….
In solitude she lived,
And in solitude built her nest;
And in solitude, alone
Has the Beloved guided her,
In solitude also wounded with love….
Let us rejoice, O my Beloved!
Let us go forth to see ourselves in Your beauty,
To the mountain and the hill,
Where the pure water flows:
Let us enter into the heart of the thicket.