by Marcelle Keating, Kelli Nelson and Emily Ruskamp, IWMs serving in Chimbote, Peru.
June 30 marked the feast of St. Peter, the celebration of the patron saint of Chimbote. For two weeks tradition takes over the city with dances, concerts, and fairs with artistry and food from all over Peru. Each day of the festivities honors a different group of people from women, to children, to healthcare workers, and fishermen with Masses, parades, and the raising of flags. It all closes with St. Peter’s statue leading a procession of fishing boats out to sea to honor those fishermen that have died and to intercede for a prosperous catch this year.
It would be easy to walk downtown, browse through all the venders, hear all the music, eat all the foods, see all the people, and think the city was celebrating as perhaps any other city would – its independence, its annual food fair, its anniversary, etc. But the depth of this celebration goes far beyond that which the eye permits.
Chimbote, more than anything, is a fishing town. Its history is steeped in various tribes or settlers exploiting its fertile bay, and its present continues to revolve around the cycles of fish production. While everyone in Chimbote somehow carries that identity, not everyone is a fisherman. A simple survey of people in the community would reveal that a fisherman’s characteristics are very distinct -- simple, rugged, hard-working, formally uneducated, and perhaps a little crude – the “real” Chimbote. What better patron, then, than Peter: a simple, rugged, hard-working, formally uneducated, perhaps a little crude, man who Jesus chose to be the rock of his church? Even for non-devout Christians, Peter represents the vocation of the common person. If Jesus personally chose Peter to be an agent of hope for the world, why can’t he choose me? If Jesus could walk right up to the shore and pull his team members from their nets in the sea, why not suppose he would just as readily stand on the malecón seafront in downtown Chimbote and summon the fisherman from their boats, or the storekeeper from her cash register, or the waiter from his table, or the mechanic from his car? Jesus’ call is not reserved from the wealthy; Jesus’ call reaches out to the simplest, most humble of people.
There are numerous metaphors that we could reflect upon in relation to Peter, not the least of which being our role as fishers of men and women. I do not suppose, though, that these metaphors are at the forefront (or even the back) of everyone’s minds during the festival of San Pedrito. What I do see is that a whole city can come together and celebrate its existence – Chimbote is not forgotten, and nor are its people. Though it may be a simple town of humble origins, Chimbote is alive, it is hopeful, and it has a future. For Catholics, Peter is the one who built our church on the rock of his faith. For Chimbotanos, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, Peter is a symbol of the strength at the heart of this community – its industries, its culture, and, more than anything, its people. And that, for us, is a great reason to celebrate!
Our community’s encounters with the festivities included:
-Celebrating a mass with co-workers from hospice
-Enjoying Peru’s vast collection of art at the fair
-Kelli singing The Cardigan’s “Lovefool” in a rock concert and winning
-Sharing the traditions of Chimbote with a visitor who was seeing everything with a new pair of eyes
-Sampling Peru’s yummy foods
-Seeing friends and others we know take advantage of the business opportunities whether it be selling candies or keeping their store open all night long
-Listening to hours of live music
-Seeing a llama cross the street as the light turns green at 2 in the morning
-Making a train of five people to get through the crowds in the main plaza
-Waking up super early and running around looking for the right boat to board
-Chatting with musicians performing on one of the ships about how little sleep they got the night before in light of the festivities
-Taking pictures of the pelicans gliding above the water and the sea lions swimming below
-Feeling our stomachs getting tossed around at sea
-Watching St. Peter’s 2 ft. statue get passed from boat to boat in the middle of the ocean
-Seeing families from work sites enjoying the festivities together
I think it is incredibly cool how the festivals in Peru are nearly identical to the huge fiesta celebrations we have here in San Antonio. It looks like tons of FUN!!
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