Impressions from the High Desert - May 1, 2022

I was very privileged to join a trip sponsored by the Catholic Extension to visit four mission parishes in New Mexico and Arizona April 19 – 22. We visited Catholic parishes on Navajo and Zuni reservation lands. The trip was funded by a grant from the Lilly Foundation. There were five other priests, two lay persons (including our own Mitzi Eastman), three staff members from Catholic Extension, and myself. It was a wonderful and educational trip.

Among the many impressions from that trip were the following: Distance. We spent hours each day in the van traveling hundreds of miles. The distances are immense. A 40-minute drive to church is considered close. The priests we met are all covering several missions, and it is the women religious, Sisters, who operate the local mission. We had a terrible dust storm one day, gorgeous scenery near Monument Valley, and a visceral experience of space. The huge distances, and far-flung nature of the communities, makes all ministry more difficult and time-consuming.

Truly dedicated priests, nuns and parishioners. The numbers of people involved in the missions is small, often only a handful. But they do tremendous work helping provide for both the physical and spiritual needs of their parishioners and neighbors. All the missions we visited have food banks. 

The Native American approach to time, and to membership, and to life in general, is not our western approach. At each mission we visited, a group of members of the mission met with us and shared with us their stories. It was very beautiful and very moving, but it was not our western approach of precision and efficiency. Sometimes it was difficult for me as I waited for them to get to the point. But like the large distances, it takes time and patience to tell the story. The stories were interesting and moving, but not quick.  The concept of time is very different from what I am used to. Schedules are more-or-less meaningless. 

Identity is somewhat fluid and somewhat confused. We saw lots of American flags and lots of signs of patriotism. The Native Americans are proud of being part of the U.S., and very proud of the contribution of the Navajo native code-talkers in WWII. But at the same time, they are insistent that the reservations are separate sovereign states. They need to be able to “shape-shift” from a western 9 to 5 way of thinking in order to hold a job in the modern economy, and also hold on to a very different mind-set that experiences time and distance very differently, and values relationships over things. I think this cultural schizophrenia leads to the high rate of alcoholism and drug use. 

Of the people who met with us, all but one were Seniors. Younger people may have been at work, but it sounded like many younger people are not involved in church. Too many are fighting demons of drugs and alcohol and other problems. 

The Catholic Extension is doing great work in helping to support the heroic and holy missionaries, both men and women, who serve in these far-flung missions in our own country. It was for me a blessed experience to hear and witness a small taste of the reality of their mission work. I am glad I went.