Most Reverend Pedro Rubiano Saenz, Archbishop of Cali (Valle), entrusted
Parroquia Nuestra Señora de la Asunción (Our Lady of the Assumption Parish) to
the Basilian Fathers on
Early
in the morning of 
of protest to the press: "...the kidnapping of Father
Francisco Amico, priest of the Community of the Basilian Fathers and spiritual
guide of the parish Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, calls for the solidarity of
the Catholics of Cali and of men and women of good will to demand his prompt
release, as well as that of so many persons who have been deprived of their
freedom." While they hoped and
prayed for the best, people could not help but fear the worst. The local
community suffered five days and five nights of agony. Then, on the evening of
February 20, 1990, when Bishop Alfonso Cabezas, auxiliary bishop of Cali, was
finished celebrating the Eucharist in the parish church for the safe return of
the pastor, Father Amico appeared at the door as suddenly and mysteriously as he
had disappeared. The parish sadness was turned into joy as shouts of
thanksgiving, songs, ringing of bells greeted the beloved pastor, back safe and
sound in his church. When asked later by the press if this harrowing experience
would prompt him to return to his native land, the
The school serves the primary grades through high
school, and has become one of the most outstanding schools in the state of
Valle. Because of the excellent language skills learned at the school, which
include English, Latin, French, Italian, Chinese, and Japanese, a number of
parish youth were chosen to serve as guides during World Youth Day in
St.
Basil’s
In
Medellin, Fathers Bob Seguin and Juan Carlos Rojas, with the help of
William Bran Pardo, Mario Dominguez Castro, Carlos Gutiérrez Zapata, Mario
Pulido Carvajal, Jorge Salcedo Naránjo, and Angel Sierra Montañez formerly
served the poor at Ecce Homo Parish in Barrio Blanquizal, but
relocated to the new San Basilio Parish in Barrio Olaya Herrera
when the Archbishop divided the parish.
Ecce Homo parish was in a remote area of
In
2004, the Basilians began construction on Proyecto San Basilio, a new and larger
Church and
Community Center in Barrio Olaya Herrera. The bell tower was
completed in 2008. Major social services
of the parish include medical consultants, paralegals, a library and the
artisans tallers, or workshops. The sale of products from the
tallers goes into a communal fund for the parish school, where the
Hermanas Escolapias co-operate with the Basilians in providing
an education for children from primary through high school age. Funds
from the tallers help to support the school and allow for a small commission for
the artists who work there.
Many
professionals come as volunteers to assist the Basilians in Barrio Olaya
Herrera. In addition to serving as m
edical and legal personnel, some volunteers
teach classes in other vocational skills. The parish clinic employs a medical
doctor who is assisted by the Marianista Sisters and other volunteers in the
treatment of more than 1,500 poor people, and the distribution of medicines at
little or no cost, laboratory work, and informative programs on nutrition and
raising children. The library, a small room with donated books, benefits the
entire area and is sometimes the only diversion for many children and youth of
the sector. Adult catechists are trained to work with the
children and the Basilians are hoping to open more tallers to encourage
the youth to develop their own small businesses.
In
1997, the Basilian Fathers opened a scholasticate in Bogotá. They named it "Casa
Annonay" in honor of the French cradle of the order with hopes that the
Colombian Annonay would serve as a source for native vocations.
Father Bob Barringer taught at the seminary and university in Bogotá. Father Tom
Rosica was one of the main organizers for World Youth Day activities in 2002 and
arranged for crosses from the tallers in
In
January 1999, the Basilians took possession of a newly-acquired Casa Annonay in
b
arrio El Campin. In addition to
being across the road from the large parish church, this location allowed the
scholastics to get to their classes in only 20 minutes. Juan Carlos Rojas Ramos,
Pedro Miguel Mora Medina, Wilberth Pineda Nieto, Jair Hailton Sarasty Medina,
and Jose Heriberto Salgado, who had been doing their postulancy, left Ecce Homo
in
Father Vince Thompson spearheaded a project known as Loaves and Fishes in one of
the poorest of the barrios. When poor women from the barrio began appe
aling to
Father Vince for food for their families, he could not turn them down. So he
reached in the Basilian cupboard. The numbers requesting food grew and
eventually a house was rented from the diocese where today representatives of
over 160 families come weekly. They come in small groups to hear a brief talk
and receive the bread, milk, and rice that keeps their family from starvation.
Local companies donate part of the food; the rest is funded by generous Basilian
donors. A local agronomist friend of the Basilians helped them establish a
community garden project. His skills in teaching the people how to compost waste
resulted in six lots of poor terrain becoming productive.
What
about the matter of a specifically Basilian habit?
The tropical heat of
In 2011, Father Bob Seguin was re-assigned to Casa Annonay in
Bog
otá
where he assumed responsibility for the eight postulants in residence with the
capable assistance of Father Wally Platt.
The postulants pictured are (left to right) Wilmar Henao Henao, Carlos
Arturo Rodriguez, James Leonardo Yañez, Javier Higuera Orjuela, Camilo Alejandro
Díaz, Edward Alberto Padilla, Nelsón Andrés Timiná, and Luis Edicson Sánchez.
In July of 2011 we were blessed with the arrival of nineteen
(19) young Colombian men interested in becoming Priests and pursuing the