The government, is very slowly taking greater security measures for the population. But the care of the doctors and of the health personnel is not being looked into since they do not even have the indispensable materials: face masks, gloves, goggles. Some people have responded to the call to stay at home, but the vast majority are still out and about, because a large percentage of the population lives from their casual earnings and so go about their daily activities. They cannot afford to stay at home. In this sense, the government has not taken care of the most vulnerable among the population on the economic level either, but the civil society is organizing itself little by little to be in solidarity with those who have less.
Classes were suspended since March 13. The three schools continue to work through digital programs. The students continue to receive their lessons until tomorrow, April 13, when classes end and the vacation period begins. When we return from the holidays we will continue to work on the online classes so that the students can complete the school year.
In view of the stoppage of several activities, the families began to express concern about the economic situation. It is worth mentioning that in Mexico private schools do not have any state subsidy, all parents have to pay tuition. This complicates things a lot. But the three schools went through a discernment process to reduce the cost of tuition for the parents so as to be able to continue paying the salary of all the personnel who work in the educational institutions while all this is happening, as a way of showing solidarity on the institutional level.
In each of our apostolates we are trying to be attentive to the needs of both the families and the people around our area. At this moment the pandemic has not yet really hit us.
In the school communities we are accompanying the educational community through short prayer videos, texts for reflection, time for listening, materials for living out the Holy Week. We have tried not to disconnect ourselves from the families. They are very grateful. At the level of the work teams, there is accompaniment by the Sisters and the administrative teams, and we can perceive a great commitment to continue collaborating so that the students do not lose the school year. We invite persons to be in constant solidarity with those who have less. For example, a group of mothers are supporting a man who is very old and who used to sell ice cream at the entrance of the school. Now he is unemployed, and they are helping him out at this moment. There are many gestures of this kind but done very discretely. These are of great evangelical value.
On March 13, there was a retreat for all the staff with the theme "Companions on the way", since the Lenten campaign this year was in support of the migrants.
That day the staff made some personal hygiene kits with things that each one had brought: shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, etc. In addition, funds were raised from among the families.
We had the kits and the funds raised for the migrants... Yesterday we went out to give these to two shelters. Although at this moment the number of migrants is very small, we believe that this help will be useful to them in the coming weeks and months.
Everything that was planned in the Youth Pastoral Program for meetings and the Holy Week has been suspended in the community of Puebla and in the schools that were going on missions because of this pandemic.
However, the work of the Youth Ministry continues at home. They send subsidies so that the young people can live out Holy Week at home with their families.
We continue to follow up the young through video calls.
On Wednesdays and Fridays we have meetings with the two groups of Assumption Together also through audios and WhatsApp.We are open and attentive to share whenever someone knocks at our door.
This situation is giving us the possibility to live our life in a more balanced way. we have more time to share the Eucharist, prayer, praying the rosary as community and all of this is offered for the world, for the people who work in the health sector, the sick, those who have lost loved ones, those who have become unemployed, those who cannot stay at home because they live on a day to day basis from what they sell, for the Pope, the Bishops, priests, religious, and for the Congregation, especially for the province of Spain, France, Ecuador, Italy. ...we feel very united to the Assumption throughout the world. We prepare ourselves in this time of grace for the worst that is not long in coming, with the confidence that death does not have the last word and that it is the Risen Jesus who walks beside us in this time of pandemic.
The Province of MexicoWe pray for each other.Blessing upon the Assumption throughout the world.