Abstract
Father Paul Habing is a missionary priest serving the village of Nufioa in the
altiplano, high plains, of southern Peru. He and I were born about four years apart
and grew up about four miles apart, but we did not become acquainted until a few
years ago. I was helping with a Confirmation retreat, and he was home for his
annual visit and had come out to hear confessions and celebrate the Mass. Some
years earlier our parish, Sacred Heart in Effingham, Illinois, had adopted his
mission, San Pedro Parroquia in Nufioa, southern Peru as a sister parish. He had
thus celebrated the Masses at least one weekend every year at Sacred Heart, and
although I knew who he was and a bit about him, we had not met personally.
With both of us having a few minutes free while the previous activity was
concluding, I introduced myself and told him how much I admired what he was
doing, since I could never picture myself making that commitment. Rather than a
simple thank you he replied instead, “George, I admire the priests and lay ministers
who work in this country; its something I'm not sure I could do.” The quiet
humility of this man almost overwhelmed me. Since that time we have developed a
friendship, and I still quite admire him for his dedication and fortitude in spreading
the Good News in a less than comfortable environment.
