Tarma 2005
Tarma Community
Dorothy, Celia and Roxana,
the 2005 community.
The following is the first report from Dorothy.
The winter climate here in Tarma and much of the Sierra is like Fairlie, only so far we haven’t had a frost here in the basin of hills, but the hot sun follows the cold nights. It rains heavily and frequently from December to March or April, sometimes with devastating effects. This rainy period is called winter in the Sierra and now is summer, and dry – my lips and hands are affected, but have got accustomed. I think the trees and plants live in a state of confusion because the peach tree outside by window has flowers and fruit as if it were a citrus.
The Sisters of Social Service of Mary Immaculate have their Teacher Training College just 2 blocks nearer town than our place. They have 24 cabins operating at 80c an hour to pay their teachers.
 The photos show that unlike houses in cities here generally, that are side to side and back to back with neighbours, our house is set with grounds all round. There are fruit trees all one side – plum, peaches, lemons, apples and figs. This last is the only one with fruit coming into season. The birds indicate that they are nearly ripe. Roxana and Celia have been clearing up the over-grown grass and have one area near the kitchen planted out in cabbages, celery, lettuce, beetroot and onions, with carrot and oregano seed in as well. They are very enthusiastic about the gardening, bless them. Fresias and other flowers seeds are sown round the front as well. The day we moved in Celia and Roxana were already pulling grass out from around bushes and roses while we waited for the furniture truck to arrive. Not every young lady who has helped on the family’s chacras – plots – is so enthusiastic to continue tending the earth.
The house needs some little ‘conveniences’ still, but we’ve made great progress. The electric stove was passed getting warm quicker than half an hour or more, so that is now under wraps outside waiting a decision from the dioceses which own the house. We have got a gas one in and tea was on time that night. Dripping taps, a whole fleet of  them await attention. The plumber couldn’t find the entry of the water system, but the Sisters were able to tell us that the architect of this house is presently building a bit hotel in the main plaza, so any day now the plumber should be back.
Time moves on. Now after two weeks we have a community routine. The marketing for daily meals differs from Lima in that we are quite away from the centre of town. So we need to buy for several days and hope that all 3 cooks will be happy with what was got. Produce is best bought on Thursdays and Sundays – market days for Tarma. This is not a town like Cuzco where there are tourists and a larger population, so apart from basic foodstuffs not everything city dwellers are used to is to be found. Even woollen clothes pegs are going to have to come from Lima – plastic ones slip along the line.
Looking through the kitchen window.
The three of us and a helper went to Huasahuasi to put the name plate on Irene’s tomb and paint it and tidy around. And today, 20th, we returned for her Anniversary Mass, which is a Mass and celebration for Peace. The gathering was beside the Stadium (also known as the Bull Ring) near our former house. We processed to the Church to the music of the “Sr Irene Therese McCormack” School Bank. The PP had moved forward the celebration so that the school children could take part. After the Mass all joined the Romeria (Walk) up to the cemetery where Padre Franklin led prayers at Irene’s grave and then at each of the men’s graves as well, as he prayed for them also in the Mass. The walkway to the cemetery curves around and up a hill to a plateau and taxes my lungs mightily at 3000 metres. Each cement step is about a metre or more with rises of roughly 4cms. And a great improvement on the track as it was before.
Now that we are close to a month in Tarma, we are ready to involve ourselves more actively in the Parish, Lord of Miracles. Roxana and Celia have become part of the Youth Mass every Sunday and I have opted for the 7am to get known and get to know the people who generally come to that Mass. As well, we have made contact with the priests, one of whom is happy to lead us into some practical work in the parish. Second Tuesday’s is meeting day for the Religious of this dioceses, so I went to Palca (half way to Huasahuasi) to become a part of this Tarma Conference. There are two Congregations of men not counting the Bishop who is a Franciscan, and six of women including us. Not all are in the city and since the meeting is in a different house each month (June with the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart), I will get to visit a few places I’ve not been before. One of the Women’s orders is a group of Poor Clares. There are Carmelites too but they are Apostolic Sisters.
The Tarma community is thus launched and may God bless and prosper its life.
Report from Dorothy Stevenson rsj May 2005 |
