The day of celebration began early with 5:00am firecrackers and music. It
was the Festival of St. Peter, patron saint of Chenalho county. CPTers had
been invited to join in the festivities and see how these indigenous Mayan
brothers and sisters put on the biggest celebration of the year.

At 8:30 am the mass began with a gathering on the highway at the entrance
to the community and a colorful procession to the canopy-covered open-air
chapel in the valley below. Men, women and children knelt on the
hard-packed dirt floor for a full 30 minutes while an elder from the
community conducted a traditional prayer ceremony, complete with incense and
music played on rustic hand-hewn string instruments, flutes and drums.

More than 1000 members of Las Abejas from all over Chenalho county crowded
in and around the chapel to participate in 22 baptisms, 16 first communions,
and 3 weddings.

This was the first celebration of the patron saint to be held in Acteal.
Normally, everyone would go to the municipal capital for the day. However,
the Jesuit priests who minister to the communities have been banned from
entering the town of Chenalho. Instead, the municipal authorities have
invited a priest who has been officially de-frocked by the bishop to run
the church in town.

The day's reflection focused on the common suffering of the Apostle Peter
and the people of Chenalho. Peter was martyred as were 45 Abejas in
Acteal; Peter was jailed as were 5 members of the Abejas early in the
formation of their organization; and now, the brand new statue of St. Peter
brought to Acteal with such tender ritual, was displaced from his original
home (in the Chenalho church), as are 2000 members of Las Abejas.

When it came time for the offering, they didn't pass the plate. Instead,
different groups were invited to offer symbols of solidarity to the
community gathered there. The leadership council of Las Abejas offered a
pine sapling to be planted in honor of their beloved catechist, Alonso, who
was among those massacred on December 22, 1997. Mexicans visiting from
several states offered a small white flag tied to a palm branch as a symbol
of their hopes for peace. CPTers, representing the international
community, offered a poster in Spanish produced by Mennonite Central
Committee with text by CPT Steering Committee Chair John Stoner which reads,
"Un Pequeno Paso Hacia la Paz: Que los Cristianos de Todas las Naciones Se
Comprometan a No Matarse Los Unos a Los Otros." ("A Modest Proposal for
Peace: Let the Christians of the World Agree That They Will Not Kill Each
Other"). CPTer Kryss Chupp explained, "We consider that you, Las Abejas,
are at the forefront of this path, following in the footsteps of Jesus and
Peter, showing today's Christians what it means to refuse to kill."

The five-and-a-half hour mass was followed by a special meal and lots of
music and dancing until the wee hours of the morning. CPT Reservist Lisa
Martens commented, "It was such an honor to accompany people who have
suffered beyond comprehension in so beautiful a celebration."

Current Mexico team members include: Kryss and Kori Chupp (Chicago, IL);
Wendy Lehman (Kidron, OH), Lisa Martens (Brandon, MB), Frank Moore (Houston,
TX), Lisette Sanabria (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico), and Pierre Shantz (Elmira,
ON).