When I arrived to site, I came at the beginning of the twice-annual celebration of the Holy Cross of Chalpon. It felt only fitting that a year and a half later I was at an all-night vigil for the same cross, like my time had in many ways come full circle.
Just a few weeks before the vigil, my site mate Joe, a business volunteer, introduced me to the president of Jóvenes para Cristo (Youth for Christ). JPC originally formed with the mission to involve Olmos’s youth in the twice-a-year festival. The founders had noticed that participation of their peers had significantly decreased over the years, and they set out to change that. They held their first vigil on the hill where the cross is kept just the night before I arrived to begin my service in August of 2014. Since then, they’ve grown the group to include 10 very dedicated members and several who come around every now and then. The members range in age from 18 to 25, are students at the universities in Chiclayo or are professionals in town, and have developed close friendships.
We worked weekly and then daily to prepare for the vigil, planning activities and practicing dances. Two of the group’s leaders found a pantomime, featuring a teenager who fell in love, became pregnant, was left by her boyfriend, had an abortion, turned to drugs and alcohol, fell into a deep depression and was saved by Jesus’s love and grace for us to perform. The production was basically a dance, no spoken words. Most of our time meeting was spent rehearsing this.
Before I knew it, it was February 23rd, the night had come.
We met near the center of town and piled into two moto-taxis that took us to a neighborhood down the Old Pan-American Highway. While normally the vigil is held on the hill where the cross is kept, the path was under repair and we instead would utilize a small plaza and chapel. There, we unloaded our belongings and waited. The group officially in charge of the cross was about to take the cross out of the chapel to march around the plaza.
We joined the 50 or so community members in this march, filled with music and singing. Every so often our procession stopped so that new volunteers could hold the massive alter supporting the cross. While we walked, a man at the center of the plaza lit of flares, which gave off resounding explosions. As the cross neared the chapel upon its return, fireworks flew in the air, lighting the dark night sky with brilliant colors.
The night continued with a rosary, where participants solemnly citing the Hail Mary followed by Our Father, time and time again. Afterwards, members of JPC worked to start a bonfire, and we sang and danced for a bit before handing out supplies to make s’mores. Joe and I taught the small group how to roast marshmallows and assemble the delicious chocolate, graham cracker sandwiches. After the gooey goodness that is s’mores, we performed the pantomime then ended the night screening movies.
By the time morning came, I hadn’t slept yet I felt refreshed. As I rode in the moto taxi home, I felt a stronger connection to my community having participated in the vigil. While it was a new tradition, it was part of a much larger community heritage. The night had such a positive vibe it was hard not to feel excited about working with JPC in the future. I left eager to see what my last six months in Olmos had in store.
Brittany McGee 