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Show THE SPIRIT of St. Christopher's is as contagious as measles! It is that of a Cause - the spiritual, educational and physical welfare of the Navajo. How exciting it was to witness the germ of Christian love being transmitted through an atmosphere of real dedication and service . . . I loved it all! -Anne Booth As I think back to my experiences at st. Christopher's, and am a little more mature for having had them, I feel that I would not exchange my dearest material possession for the memory of one callus gained by working the barren soil, or the thrill of enlightening, in some small way, a proud people, anxious to learn.-Sally Allen. NEWS LIKE the. modern d rug store that has a modest little drug department tucked away in back, the NEWSLETTER ought to have some news. Perhaps the most startling is that we are "on the air." Yes, every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. we broadcast in Navajo language a half hour program. : As yet we don't know just how far KVFC r eaches, but it certainly covers our jurisdiction, and, as many Navajos now have radios in the hoghans, and as forces subversive to the Faith are using this medium, it seemed imperative that we take up the challenge. Hymns or songs in Navajo, r eadings from the Gospels, a short sermon, little news items and personal greetings to individuals, all make for a well balanced half-hour, and we hope that the instr uctions will cover "all things that a Christian should know and believe to his soul's health:" (We need an anonymous sponsor!) With the baptism of four of our Montezuma Creek catechumens we now have communicants at all four of our fixed stations stretching acr oss the map from Navaho Mountain to near the Colorado line. Through the kindness of Dr . and Mrs. Hoot, of Blanding, our Navajo children have had the advantage of immunization shots for "DPT" and smallpox vaccination. Sharpe and Dohme and the Lederle generously sent us the vaccines . . . Hospital trips still take a lot of time and mileage; it has been a great help to be able to put some of our patients into the San Juan Indian Hospital at Farmington, N.M. where our old friend and former co-worker Father Botelho is now superintendent. Again, as in so many . instances, the Church gladly does what the Qo.Vet;nment cannot or will not do. 5 r CHRISTMAS went off with a bang" -lots of people at all Masses, many more for the archery contest and the dinner, all was peaceful and happy until late afternoon when the bootleggers got into their stride, and we had to call the deputy sheriff who handled the troublesome ones with tact and firmness which seemed not too violently in contrast with the spirit of the day .. .. Alcohol r emains one • of our great problems - or is it only a symptom? The federal law against selling liquor to Indians has been repealed. Perhaps it is too much to expect a people who have been repressed, exploited, robbed of their lands, discriminated against and deprived of basic rights to have access suddenly to an easy means of escape from realities · and inhibitions, and to leave it alone. . . ... LENT and Easter are now behind us - services and extra devotions were reasonably well attended, and it looks as if by Trinity Sunday most, if not all, our converts will have returned to their Paschal duties. . Construction worK; laid aside during the bitter winter weather, has been resumed, and is being pushed to the utmost of our available manpower. A large truckload of hospital equipment, greatly needed and more than welcome, has been received from Clarkson Memorial Hospital and the University of Nebraska Hospital delivered freely by the various trucklines between Omaha and Bluff. THERE IS JUST SPACE to answer a question that often comes to us in one form or another: "Why do you enclose a pledge card when I have already pledged for this year?" Answer: Uncle Sam r equires that all mailings under this lc permit be identical. So, even if we had time to go through our list and leave out cards from Newsletters that go to people who have pledged, we would not be allowed to do so. Please do not be offended, or think us thoughtless, grasping or unappreciative! 6 |
