13. Witnesses: Jesus Moraza

Jesús Moraza Ruiz de Azúa (Araya, Álava, Spain, 1945) is an Augustinian Recollect, and Bishop of the Prelature of Labrea since 1994. He came to Tapaua when he had only been ordained a year, and had been a religious for five years. He stayed there in two periods (1970-1975; 1987-1989), as well as being between 1975 and 1978 part of the assistance team for the Purus and visited the communities in the rural areas. He has been Parish Vicar, Parish Priest, Teacher, Director of the Marizita School and of the rural schools, collaborator on sanitary issues and the first organizer of the rural grass roots communities.

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I had gone to the Prelature of Labrea together with six other volunteers. We found an area of more than 230,000 km² (almost half of Spain). It was attended to by only four priests, five Marist brothers in the city of Labrea, and five female Augustinian Recollect Missionaries dedicated to teaching, also in Labrea.

This need for people brought about the letter by the Prior General Luis Garayoa to all the religious in 1969, under pressure from the Holy See. I was a Primary school teacher in the College of Saint Augustine’s in Valladolid (Spain). Reading it deeply impressed me, and I felt called. Three days later I offered myself as a volunteer, with the expectation of responding in the best way possible by helping to cover that need. My heart was open, to do whatever I could to serve the people in all their needs. Tapaua, at the end of 1970, would have had some 1,000 inhabitants in the urban centre and some 7,000 in the rural zone. I arrived together with Francisco Piérola and Miguel Ángel González.

My knowledge of the mission was very superficial, with barely a few extraordinary details like the heroic death of the missionary Jesús Pardo. He died by saving some children who were drowning in the Purus River, and marked my missionary ideal. I had also received some stories from our magazine on the missions, and anecdotes, principally from Isidoro Irigoyen. About Tapaua in particular I knew even less.

I soon saw myself involved in health, education, and other social service needs. I came to attend to with Saturnino Fernandez the post of health for Tapaua, and served as Teacher and Director of one of the schools. We encouraged sport and initiatives for community work like the Mothers’ Club. There was much to be desired in terms of pastoral initiatives and religious life, but I believe that the Lord has done good things with me. May he be praised!

One of the most notable events was the arrival of the Marist Brothers in order to manage the junior level education, which we started a year before with some women teachers from Manaus. I accepted being Director of the school until they arrived, and later we collaborated as teachers.

The town obtained a pre-fabricated shack for health, that was run by Saturnino Fernandez and in which we both took part with some nurses. There were no doctors.

But the greater part of the time I dedicated to pastoral work and visiting the river villages of the Purus and their tributaries like Tapaua, Cunhuã, Jacaré, or Itaparaná-Ipixuna. This required several months a year, and came to me almost exclusively for being the youngest. Some nearby indigenous communities demanded greater care for the frequent conflicts between them; we acted as intermediaries, for we had the trust of both sides.

After five years in the mission I enjoyed my first holidays. In Spain I believe that we awoke some admiration for our work which was so different and in a difficult region, and we came to encourage enthusiasm and collaboration for the mission. Vocations and economic help came about as a result. In part this has been kept up, but I get the impression that this enthusiasm has got colder. Our strength is in the Lord who calls us, and we are not left alone. I believe that many of our brothers reinvigorate us with their close spiritual bond with the Lord of the harvest, even when we are neglectful.

My family have always supported me, for they see me working directly with the poor and amongst the poor. I believe they like seeing me like this, although they would like me to be closer.

We have received help from our religious houses and other institutions to support social projects, principally the Centres of Hope since 1994. Before, the help was directed towards boats, vehicles and facilities as well as fuel, food, etc.

The majority of the inhabitants of the parish, particularly in the rural zone, are very simple without many material worries and with great resistance to adversities. They live in harmony with their plentiful natural surroundings, thirsty for knowledge of all kinds, welcoming, and available to help those who are in difficulties. One of the things which captivated me was the people’s welcome and their joy, even in situations of great poverty. Their openness and solidarity with me, in other difficult moments, has been enthralling.

We didn’t have difficulties in relating to them, and together we reorganized the social and pastoral services: catechesis, Prayer Apostolate, the Legion of Mary (which continues today), along with more contemporary pastoral action. Also, socially, we have been able to count on their close collaboration.

I owe to Tapaua having learnt to live simply without needing a lot to be happy, as Saint Augustine said: “It is better to need little than to have a lot”. That is how it is for the majority of the people there, especially amongst the river people. I have learnt to recognize my weaknesses, and to be more understanding about others weaknesses. This has made me feel better as a religious, to persevere in my vocation. I have learnt to value the laity, even in pastoral activities, and to count more on them in what relates to the common good. Today in our parishes we have more than 3,000 lay people committed to pastoral and social work.

In this anniversary, I ask of the parishioners of Tapaua that would not lose the Christian values handed on by the missionaries who lived among them for so many years and in such difficult circumstances and which have gone from father to son. Also that they would not let themselves be deceived by the false promises of a consumer society, and of newer churches who take advantage of their trust and their warm welcome. That they would learn to put limits on their children and warn them against future dangers with greater ease, without falling into drugs or drink dependence.

Furthermore, that they would recognize and keep alive the joy of Jesus’s Gospel in their lives, with its attitudes of service and gift in favour of those most in need. They can always count on my bond with them in the Lord!

NEXT PAGE: 14. Witnesses: Eneas Berilli

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