With mountains and fog in the distance, a tree and weeds in the background, a black and white cow eats garbage on the side of the road.
Why do they leave home?
“You work in Honduras, help me understand why people leave.”
“Why do people keep trying to cross the border even knowing they are unlikely to make it to the U.S. and not be deported?”
“What is the Church doing to help suffering Hondurans?”
“How can I help members of our parish understand the challenges faced by Catholics in Honduras?”
These are but a few of the questions friends, family and members of my parish have asked me over the last few weeks. I am happy about their questions and sad about the events that have driven them to ask these questions. My answer is always the same, “It’s complicated, but let me try to answer you.”
This inadequate response drove me to ask other Catholic organizations how they were seeking to provide information about their work. It was these conversations that provided the motivation behind the conversation we will hold on April 20, 2021.
The panelists have spent years working in different areas across the country and with a variety of missions- homes for children, health projects, clean water projects, and sponsoring schools. We are pleased to be joined by Fr. Arthur Ssembajja, who served on a team from the University of Notre Dame that visited Honduras last year and is providing recommendations to OAF that will drive our work over the next five years. He will bring a unique perspective to the discussion as a native of Uganda and a priest involved in integral human development. Our moderator, Christopher White, of the National Catholic Reporter, has covered the work of the Church across the globe and will bring thoughtful questions to the conversation.
It is the hope of the participants that it will be enlightening to those who participate to “see” beyond the border and into the lives of the families and children who benefit from our work on behalf of the Church.
-Susan Nedza M.D., M.B.A., M.L.A.
Watch the recording of the discussion: Understanding Central American Emigration, a Conversation with Catholic Organizations Serving in Honduras