SOCIAL ACTION IN THE DIOCESE OF ARGENTINA

THE CATHEDRAL'S BIG ISSUE

St. John's Cathedral in Buenos Aires has been working alongside homeless people since 1989. It is proud to be one of the founding members of SIPAM, an ecumenical network of Anglican, Roman Catholic and Methodist churches who work together to provide integrated support to those who live on the city’s streets. In the first ten years since the organisation was founded, it has served some 11,000 people. On any given day, the different services of SIPAM work with approximately 2,000 men and women. However, they represent only a fraction of the city's homeless people.

The Cathedral runs the PASO project (Pastoral de Acción Solidaria). From Tuesdays to Fridays its hall is lively with the movement of the 70 or more people who come for lunch. But PASO also strives to provide a place where the homeless can feel welcome and recognised as a valuable part of the church community. Those who come to eat are also offered the opportunity to share in the day-to-day responsibilities of the centre. Along with sharing a meal, PASO also provides clothing, pastoral care, medical attention and a weekly Bible study.

The PASO team are directing the publication and distribution of Diagonal, Buenos Aires' recently launched equivalent to Big Issue. Diagonal is beginning to get more recognition in the local media and the project also provides support for the sellers. The number of people involved in the project continues to grow.

SUFFER THE CHILDREN...

The Anglican Diocese of Argentina until recently ran two day-care centres in Buenos Aires where they tried to make a difference, by means of professional and Christian care, to the lives of children, aged up to 3 years, and of their families. Normally, the children do not have a stable father figure and the mothers bring them up on their own (see the page on Challenges for the Future of Argentina). Unfortunately, this work has been terminated because of the crisis. The emphasis will now be on local social projects in the parishes.

NEW NEEDS, NEW OPPORTUNITIES

The needs of the children have continued long after they left the day care centres. Because of the difficult and cramped home conditions kids may not keep up with their homework and may give up school. As a result they are out on the streets all day, returning home only to sleep. There is a danger that this leads to them leaving home altogether in their later teens and depending on a local mafia.

Former supporters of one centre have kept in touch with the families they have helped and they have run a pilot holiday club for kids who might otherwise be on the streets. Developing this work will depend on volunteers with skills and commitment and who will most likely not be church members.


ACTION IN THE PARISHES

There are local social action projects at a number of churches. At Martínez, for example, the Anglican church is the setting for an ecumenical project providing long-term support for 40 families from very deprived areas. Families are given basic foodstuffs, sold clothing at very low prices and provided with relevant medicines. They receive guidance from a social worker, psychologist and clergy. There are creative workshops for mothers and children and teaching on such issues as family violence, alcoholism, drugs and AIDS.

THE CHURCHES OF THE DIOCESE OF ARGENTINA

The diocese is small with only 12 churches, all in the central belt from Buenos Aires to the cities of Rosario, Córdoba and Mendoza to the west. Some are described below. There are also isolated Anglican members in the south, in Patagonia, who are visited occasionally by the bishop or other clergy. The bishop, installed in October 2002 is the Most Revd Greg Venables, also Primate of the Southern Cone province. His predecessor was David Leake, an Argentine citizen, who was previously Bishop of Northern Argentina and had spent childhood years among the indigenous people.

BUENOS AIRES

Half of the churches are in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires.

The Cathedral (San Juan Bautista) is in the heart of the business district just 400 yards from the President’s offices in Government House. But the area has long been losing resident population to the suburbs and much of the cathedral's ministry is to people who work or stay in hotels nearby and to the street people (see the section on Social Action). Street people now form part of the Cathedral congregation. The new rector at the Cathedral is David George who is also Archdeacon in the Diocese and he is supported by Canon Carlos Halperin.

The church at Belgrano (San Salvador) draws its members from the older suburbs north of the City Centre where many of the professional Anglo-Argentinians settled. Following a five-year vacancy, making heavy demands on lay people and visiting clergy, Bishop Greg Venables is now the rector, supported by the newly ordained Hernán Dei Castelli, and Peter Clarke, a retired priest. The church has an active young people's group. Three of the recent ordinands have come from Belgrano.

The church at Martínez (San Miguel y Todos los Angeles) serves the newer areas beyond the old boundary of Buenos Aires. It first developed as an offshoot from Belgrano. The building is modern and well-suited for both worship and serving the needs of poor families as part of an ecumenical social action project. The priest, Brian Williams, is one of the recent ordinands, who is supported by two deacon’s Cinthia Dickin, and José Luis Guelli Saavedra who was ordained on march 2004.

The church at Lomas de Zamora (Santa Trinidad) is in a former railway centre at the southern edge of Buenos Aires and therefore had a concentration of Anglo-Argentinians. The rector is Horacio Garcia, himself once a Roman Catholic priest.

To the west of the metropolitan area is Hurlingham (San Marcos). Again, its location reflects where the Anglo-Argentinians lived (as the name suggests!). The church, like others, seeks to integrate traditional and newer Spanish-speaking members. They have developed the use of Alpha courses in an Argentinian context and these are now being used in other churches too. The is Daniel Genovesi who was licensed to work in this dioceses on March 2003 after being a Roman catholic priest.

The church in Villa Devoto (El Buen Pastor) is also in an older railway-based area and its membership had dropped to only a handful. It was, until recently, led by a lay minister and former diocesan evangelist, Agustín Marsal, and overseen by Hurlingham parish. It has now seen a considerable revival and Agustín was ordained in 1998. This has enabled the church to become more independent and the growth continues.

San Pedro, Flores, mission opened in 2003 and Marcelo Centurión, a lay minister, was sent and supported by San Salvador and El Buen Pastor to work in the ex- nursery building. They started with prayer meetings and services. Now they have a group of 40 people involved in different activities which includes house groups.

ANGLICANS IN ARGENTINA

It may seem surprising to find Anglican churches in such a distant country with its own cultural and religious traditions. There were two reasons why Anglicans first came.

CHAPLAINCIES TO THE EXPATRIATE BRITISH

Anglican churches were first established in the capital and the larger cities to provide a chaplaincy service to the expatriates working with British consulates and companies. Permission to hold Anglican services was given in 1824 (just 8 years after Argentina's independence from Spain) and in 1831 St. John's Church was built in the heart of the city.


MISSIONS TO THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

Meanwhile, an English naval captain, Allen Gardiner, had been exploring the possibilities of pioneer missionary work, first in Africa and then to the indigenous peoples of South America. After many brave ventures, all of which encountered opposition, he realised that a mission to the primitive 'boat people' of the channels of inhospitable Tierra del Fuego would be the only one where there would be no hindrances. After trying in vain to interest the established missionary societies in this possibility, he finally founded the Patagonian Mission in 1844. After initial setbacks, arrangements were finally made for him to lead a small expedition, including a surgeon and three experienced fishermen, to the Yaghans of the Beagle Channel. They arrived at Picton Island in December 1850 but on arrival soon ran into unforeseen difficulties, which meant their food began to run out. The expected scheduled supplies did not arrive and by September 1851, sickness and hunger had overcome them all.

The Mission responded: "This is not the end - with God's help, the mission shall go on". In spite of further loss, it did continue, and as the missionaries learnt to communicate in the Yaghan language, hearts were opened and lives changed. In 1864 the mission changed its name to the South American Missionary Society, now known as the South American Mission Society.


A NEW DIOCESE AND EXPANDING PRESENCE

The growing missionary and chaplaincy presence now made the creation of a new diocese, and the appointment of a bishop to oversee it, a priority. In 1869, the Society's Superintendent, the Revd Waite Stirling, was asked to become bishop of an enormous Diocese, which included the Falkland Islands and the whole of South America.

Twenty years later, in 1889, another important advance began. Bishop Stirling moved an adventurous and dedicated SAMS missionary trainee, Barbrooke Grubb, from Tierra del Fuego to the 'green hell' of the Paraguayan Chaco, anticipating the advance of white settlers. In 1910, Barbrooke Grubb made his first visit to Argentina, invited by an English family that owned a large sugar plantation employing Indian workers. In 1914, the first mission, Misión Chaqueña, was founded in the north of the country.

Meanwhile, in the towns and cities of central Argentina, there had been a large influx of English people working on rail and other civil engineering projects, banking and commerce. The chaplaincies had also grown. The bishop had moved his base from the Falkland/ Malvinas Islands to Buenos Aires. In 1910 St. John's Church became the pro-cathedral.

In the north, the next 50 years saw the founding of many churches in the Indian communities of the Chaco. The first ordination of Indians took place in 1966 and the first Indian bishop was consecrated in 1975. Important initiatives were taken to support Indian land rights.

The new growth meant new dioceses. In 1969 a new Diocese of Paraguay and Northern Argentina was formed, and, soon afterwards, the seven northern provinces of Argentina became a separate diocese. In the south, the new Diocese of Argentina, Eastern South America and the Falklands was formed. But the existence of national identities and the problems of the vast distances led to the formation of a separate Diocese of Argentina. This includes 17 provinces, comprising 77% of the area of the country and 87% of the population.

SHARING IN PRAYER – A PRAYER CYCLE
(based on the Prayer Guide of the Diocese of Argentina).


Day 1
Bishop Gregory Venables and his wife, Sylvia.
Day 2
The Cathedral of San Juan Bautista; Rector, the Ven David George.
Day 3
Vocations to the ministry.
Day 4
The Church of San Pablo, Córdoba, and the Revd Mónica Tompkins.
Day 5
The PASO project for street people at the Cathedral.
Day 6
The church of San Salvador, Belgrano; Rector, Bishop Greg Venables, assistant minister, Rev’d Hernán Dei Castelli.
Day 7
The Diocesan Office.
Day 8
The church of San Marcos, Hurlingham; Revd Daniel Genovesi, Mercedes and his daughters Carla and Camila
Day 9
Anglicans dispersed in communities in Patagonia.
Day 10
The church of Todos los Santos, Quilmes, Buenos Aires.
Day 11
The mission at Mendoza and San Rafael; Revd Anthony Gregory and Mollie.
Day 12
The church of San Pablo, Bahía Blanca; the Lutheran pastor who visits monthly. And the new link with the church in Marttinez
Day 13
The Argentine Diocesan Association.
Day 14
For generous and cheerful giving throughout the diocese.
Day 15
The diocesan committees.
Day 16
The church of El Buen Pastor, Villa Devoto; Revd Agustín Marsal and Katherine.
Day 17
The Federal Government, the President and the Congress.
Day 18
Marriage Encounter weekends.
Day 19
The church of San Miguel y Todos los Angeles, Martínez; Revd Brian Williams and Verónica, Revd Jose Luis Guelli Saavedra and Jenniffer, and their families.
Day 20
The Allen Gardiner Centre and chapel, Los Cocos.
Day 21
The Diocese of Northern Argentina; Bishops Humberto Axt and Mario Mariño.
Day 22
The Diocesan Women’s Association.
Day 23
The church of Santa Trinidad, Lomas de Zamora; the Revd Horacio Garcia and Beatriz.
Day 24
Retired clergy and their wives and widows.
Day 25
The Governors of each of the Provinces.
Day 26
The missions in Arias and Venado Tuerto (in the Pampas), Revd Juan Carlos Sosa and Heather.
Day 27
The mission societies (SAMS and USPG).
Day 28
The church of San Bartolomé, Rosario; Revd Andy Lenton and Evangelina.
Day 29
The young people of the Diocese and the youth camps.
Day 30
The ecumenical contribution of the Anglican church.
Day 31
The Province of the Southern Cone (Cono Sur de América).

THE WIDER CHURCH IN ARGENTINA

The Anglican dioceses cover the whole of the country but the churches are few and many are very scattered. Their ministry remains a drop in the ocean and other denominations form a vastly greater part of the Christian presence in Argentina.

The Roman Catholic church

The Roman Catholic Church has a very large membership reflecting the Spanish and Italian origins of much of the population. Even where Argentinians are not practising Catholics, its traditions still influence its culture, which is much more religious than in Britain. But:

- the Roman Catholics are losing ground to secularism,

- the hierarchy's support for past dictatorships has caused disillusionment among younger people,

- parts of the church have not yet experienced the reforms that have changed the Roman Catholic Church in other parts of the world.

- Even so, the church is experiencing renewal in some areas. The current Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, sees that a major task facing the church is to address the immense social concerns of the people of Argentina.

The Pentecostals

The largest numerical growth is in the Pentecostal churches. They place great importance on evangelism and people are also attracted by the emphasis on the individual and personal experience of God. These churches are growing very quickly. Their weakness is in their lack of depth in theology and teaching and so they are not always able to retain their new converts.

WHERE THE ANGLICAN CHURCH FITS IN

The Anglican Church is just one of many denominations. These include Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran and Orthodox churches brought to Argentina by the various national groupings that migrated here. But it has a distinctive role and has proved itself able to meet needs that are not being satisfied in the larger denominations. It offers the rootedness and tradition of an episcopal church and a degree of theological depth, whilst not being tied down by practices that no longer connect with a new generation of Argentinians.

The Anglican Church's contribution on the ecumenical scene is limited by its small size. But it is probably true to say that its influence is out of proportion to its membership as shown by former Bishop David Leake having been one of the presidents of the Argentine Ecumenical Committee of Christian Churches. He has commented, "We do have a special opportunity in the Anglican Church, as we can move within the Roman Catholic and evangelical spheres without difficulty". The Roman Catholic Archbishop has indicated his appreciation of Bishop David's place in the life of Buenos Aires.

SOUTH AMERICAN MISSION SOCIETY - SAMS

The South American Mission Society goes back to the time of Allen Gardiner (see sheet on Anglicans in Argentina). It is now engaged in enabling mission in South America, Spain and Portugal, and Britain. Its role is not only to be a sending society but also to be an agent for international mission.

In partnership with South American, Spanish and Portuguese churches, its priorities are:

raising the standard of theological and mission training

completing bible translation into indigenous languages

sharing strategic initiatives in evangelism

working with marginalised communities to achieve dignity of life

facilitating cross-cultural mission by South Americans.

SAMS contributes to the support of three of the clergy in the Diocese of Argentina – Bishop Greg Venables, the Revd Andy Lenton and the Revd Juan Carlos Sosa. The Society has mission partners in the other dioceses of the Province of the Southern Cone (Northern Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile, Bolivia, Peru) and in the Province of Brazil.


UNITED SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL

The Society’s involvement in Latin America grew out of the British colonial enterprise in the Caribbean. Personnel and funding for evangelism and the creation of missions were provided as early as 1742 in the mainland areas of Central America and northern South America.

The involvement of USPG in Argentina began when the Synod of the newly formed Diocese of Argentina and Eastern South America approached the SPG in 1912 for funds to pay the stipends of chaplains serving in the region. Since that date, the Society has made regular contributions to the diocese through:

long-term development grant to the Province of the Southern Cone

grants to fund specific projects

scholarships for the training of local staff

low-interest loans from the Festina Loan Scheme (used at the Los Cocos centre).

There are records of sponsorship of missionary personnel by the SPG in the diocese from as early as 1918. Although this involvement was small compared with other parts of the world, it has included key people such as Bishop Richard Cutts, who preceded Bishop David Leake. Today it supports the Ven David George, Rector of the Cathedral, and the Revd Anthony Gregory at Mendoza.

In the wider region, USPG personnel also serve the Church in Belize, Guyana, Venezuela, Brazil, Chile and Peru. Funding commitments include the Province of the Southern Cone, Brazil, the West Indies and the extra-provincial diocese of Venezuela.


ARGENTINE DIOCESAN ASSOCIATION

The Argentine Diocesan Association exists to support the work of the Anglican Church in Argentina. Membership is open to anyone who is interested in the work in Argentina. The association has an annual meeting each November and keeps members in touch during the year with its bulletin Adelante three times a year.

The Association helps to raise finance for specific projects in the diocese including the day care initiative. For more details, see the addresses in the sheet, For More Information about Argentina.

CHURCH AND THE CRISIS

The churches are deeply affected by the crisis. They are also looking for meaning in it. Some see it as a judgement – others as a challenge to change. Speaking to Argentine bishops at the Vatican, the Pope declared that corruption, egoism and poor management were to blame:

“Your country is experiencing a profound social and economic crisis that affects the whole of society, and places democratic stability and the public institutions in danger... At the root of this painful situation there is a profound moral crisis. Corruption and impunity run the risk of being generalised.”

The new Anglican Primate of the Southern Cone of America and Bishop-elect of Argentina, Gregory Venables had raised similar concerns in his Christmas message. To overcome the terrible problems the country was facing, all political parties had to overcome corruption.

“We must insist that all political parties and government systems work in the light of honesty and of transparency at all levels. The corruption which needs to be overcome is not of the few but of the many. Unfortunately, it is a corruption which many now see as the norm.”

The Revd Mónica Tompkins, minister at San Pablo, Córdoba, expresses something of the mood in her congregation, who are finding ways of coping but few signs of hope:

“The situation here is pretty drastic. It is hard to keep up our hope, and there is really no idea that we will get any better for the time being. Our congregation seems to be taking things in their stride, even those who come from lower incomes are managing alright. But there is a very heavy feeling in the air, and most of our young couples are hoping, planning and dreaming of leaving.

The boys at Casa San Pablo [the church-run student hostel] are doing ok, but you can tell also that they are finding it hard to make ends meet. One of the basic ingredients of our diet here, bread, has gone up so much that they are all baking their own now.

I am conscious of thousands in our country today who are not only living in real underprivileged situations, but with fear, even terror, as the social problems escalate and there is so much violence, theft, kidnapping and all sorts.

Anyway... on we go in the hope that we might learn through all this situation and hoping it will all have an end at some point.”

Bishop David Leake writes with an eye to the future of the church:

“As a church we are called to minister in very changed circumstances, we are a community that has certainly suffered economically, many losing their jobs and all with reduced incomes. As a church we need to look to new ways of caring for those in need, we need to look to projects that provide what is most needed with least financial dependence. We may see the future with uncertainty, but our trust is in God who continues to love and care for us all and we look to Him and to the prayers of our many friends as we move forward with hope. God reigns!”

THE CHURCH’S SOCIAL PROJECTS

The economic situation has caused the Diocese of Argentina to speed up a rethink about its social projects that had already been happening. The two day-care had already closed.

The work was already going through a difficult financial crisis with rising costs to satisfy new regulations and less income due to the drawn out recession. This was brought to a head by the devaluation and limited access to money in the bank. It became impossible to afford the salaries of the numbers of staff required by law to look after the children. The mothers were unable to pay any more, though some came in to help with cleaning and other ancillary work.

The Diocese remains as committed as ever to care for children and their needy mothers. The urgent issue is how to do it. The emphasis will now be much more on local action and ownership and the use of volunteers rather than salaried workers. The PASO Project at the Cathedral and the ecumenical project at Martinez show what can be done. Where professional paid help is needed they would be paid for their services as self-employed rather than employees of the Diocese.

Each parish is encouraged to reaffirm its commitment to social action and look for new creative ways of fulfilling it in the changed and challenging circumstances that now face Argentina.

ALLEN GARDINER CHAPER

In the Hills of Cordoba lives the remains of a community of Britons who settled the area at the beginning of the 1900s, originally attracted by the healthy dry climate, escaping from the hot and often pestilent plains and cities (Buenos Aires, Rosario, Santa Fe and others), and driven there by the hope of curing, or easing in some way the sufferings of the rampant tuberculosis. La Cumbre (which means the peak, or highest point) is the highest station (1180 metres above sea level) on the narrow-gauge railway that runs between summer-hot Cordoba city and always-hot Cruz del Eje, a line built by the British as so many of our railways were. It was the policy of the railway companies to send those of their employees or their families stricken with TB to the small hotels/sanatoria which provided some measure of hope for their recuperation. Together with these the Rev. Blair transferred his South American Missionary Society orphanage from hot and steamy Rosario to Los Cocos, a village only 6 Km from La Cumbre, higher and off the railway, in 1902. The local Anglican cemetery bears testimony to the period in the numerous graves of young people (16 to 30 years old) whose headstones bear British names and are buried there, struck down in their youth by the scourge. I suppose there are many such outpost throughout the world wherever British expatriates lived, certainly in India where hill-stations received a summer influx of people escaping from tropical, steaming, unhealthy climes on plains and the coast

 

 

By the late 30s and early 40s, with the advent of effective medicines and treatment for TB, the area converted to a summering-ground; many more hotels sprang up as did holiday homes and a large population of retired folk settled there permanently. With the collapse of the Anglo community in the country in the late 1940s, people returned “home” to UK, mostly for political or economic reasons. The growing acceptance of inter-cultural marriages with the consequent loss of English as a family language, helped to reduce the numbers over time and today only some 40 to 60 people with British names remain, English-speaking citizens, many with dual nationality. A few of these are not retired and chose the area to raise their families.

With the arrival of the Allen Gardiner Memorial Homes (Blair’s orphanage) two local needs were satisfied – a school for Los Cocos where all village children received primary education till the government school was built, and a chapel for Anglican worship. Being a relatively small community of limited financial resources, with Presbyterians, some Lutherans and many Roman Catholics, clergy were only intermittently designated to the “parish”/chaplaincy and it has been the rule that Lay Readers fulfil the tasks of leading worship and other services such as burial of the dead, with the occasional visit from ordained clergy from the rest of the diocese, both officially sent or on holiday.

Until the late 1980s services were conducted in English, fully traditional, with chanted canticles and psalms, A&M hymns and the service following the 1662 Prayer Book. But by this time the writing was on the wall: clearly the English services would peter out with the demise of the old folk so the services were also conducted in Spanish while attempts were made to attract a Spanish-speaking congregation. At a more recent date a Spanish-speaking clergyman was designated to cover our needs and under his leadership a youth group and Sunday School started up, built around his numerous family. This year he has been moved to a distant town with the mission of starting churches in the area and these two initiatives have foundered. The surviving faithful still worship in Spanish (English hymns are the only concession to the old congregation) and a separate monthly English service is held in the church-originated retirement home (Links House) since many of the residents are beyond the possibilities of travelling the six kilometres to the Allen Gardiner Memorial Chapel in Los Cocos. Once a month we have visiting clergy – from Rosario (300 miles) or Cordoba (60 miles) and a Lay Reader leads worship on the other Sundays, travelling up from Buenos Aires (500 miles) where he works, though his home is in Los Cocos.