FATHER BENNY PIOVAN----taking a vacation

Padre Benny working in Saltillo Barrio

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6qRMHpV7Pc

                       (Pescador de hombres)

Father Benjamin Piovan, the Pastor of the Mississippi Catholic Mission in Saltillo, Coah., Mexico finally  takes his vacation this week, after 2 years.   Due to his busy schedule running such a vast and heavily populated Mission left him with no time to take his vacation.  Also, adding to his schedule last year was the building of the new church at San Miguel, where the Mission is headquartered, and the little chapel in the newest barrio.

Most Mississippi priests take a month off every summer and some in the Mississippi Dioceses take 2 or 3 months off.   

Besides running the parish, which consists of 7 large churches in the Barrios of the City of Saltillo and 24 mountain rancho churches each month, he has now been  asked  to take over 16 more ranchos and one more in the City.    He also took time off to visit the Ascension of our Lord Church in LaPlace, La. to fill in for 2 weeks for the pastor there. Father Benny, as he is affectionately known, was founding pastor of the LaPlace Church in 1979 and remained pastor until he "RETIRED" in 2006, then became a Missionary Priest in Saltillo.  Father Benny was assisting the Mississippi priest that was Pastor, and when he returned to Mississippi, another came for 2 years and then had to return to Mississippi.  That is when the Mississippi Bishop asked Fr. Piovan to run the Mission for the time being.   Mississippi opened the Mission in 1969 at Perpetuo Socorro Church, which then moved to San Miguel in 1997, after the death of  Father Patrick Quinn, the Pastor at the time.

Thanks to God, there are now 2 newly ordained Mexican priests who work with Padre Benny since they were ordained at San Miguel in February.   They will continue to hold down the fort while Padre Benny is in Italy, where he is from.   Fr. Benny was born in Padua, Italy, and in February celebrated his 75th birthday.  " I love doing Missionary work and I will continue to do God's work here as long as my health lets me," stated Father Benny.  Father Benny has served many roles as a priest, from teacher, counselor, chaplain, builder, missionary, priest, as well as accomplished gardener and raiser of chickens, birds, etc.  The vegetables and chickens he likes to share with the people in the ranchos and barrios.  

Padre Evelio y Padre David

Padre David Martinez and Padre Evelio Rodriguez are the two new padres working at the Mission with Father Benny.  They belong to a new Order named Misioneros Siervos de la Divina Misericordia and are happy be serving at the Mission since there is always lots of God's work to do.

The Mission will be in good hands while the Pastor is away with  the two new padres as well as the steady hand of the long time secretary, Ines Laureano, as well as a number of  really good catechists.

Ines and two Mission supporters

The Mission also provides a medical and dental clinic at San Miguel, with a doctor and dentist to provide dental and medical treatment for the many poor people of the barrios.  Visiting missionaries through  the years brought needed medicines from home to give to the Mission for use in the clinic as well as the distant ranchos served by Padre Benny and his two Mexican priests, but since the groups have stopped coming to the Mission because of the drug cartel violence,  needed medicines have been hard to come by.

Also, Father Benny announced that he has taken a massive overhaul of the youth program in the parish as well as starting youth recreation programs.  He said the youth are the future of the Church.

And there you have it, the Mission goes on. Padre Benny, Padre David y Padre Evelio are certainly "Pescadors de Hombres."

PESCADOR DE HOMBRES