We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be…This is the inter-related structure of reality.
— Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail
Dear People of St. David’s,
A couple weeks ago Padre Miguel Salanic and his son, Angel, waved to Carol Kangas and me from the crowd outside the customs exit at the Guatemala Airport. They had been awaiting our arrival to take us to our meeting with the new bishop of Guatemala, the Right Reverend Ramón Ovalle.
As we made our way to the car, we noted the number of Guatemalan families also arriving. Angel nodded, quietly stating that many families were returning from the United States, fleeing its current anti-immigrant policies. The ability to support those who are returning is a concern. Guatemala, filled with lush green mountains, continues to face two major issues to sustain its people…food insecurity for more than half of its population, especially for its majority indigenous people, and climate emergencies such as frequent hurricanes and droughts.
This month, we were able to bring some medical supplies, as well as provide menstrual kits for fifty women from the Project Ensonga Days for Girls program. During the long drive to one of the sites, we were surrounded by miles of sugar cane fields: A crop which uses a tremendous amount of water, electricity, and pesticides. Sugar cane has increasingly displaced the planting of corn and beans, contributing to the food shortage. Padre Miguel noted that only the sugar not fit for export is available in Guatemala. I couldn’t help but think about what these fields could and ought to be.
We were blessed to spend time with Padre Miguel Salanic, his wife Roselia, Padre Tomas Calel, Padre Tomas Calel, Jr., and their congregations. Time to imagine together ways to build on the tremendous works and resources that stem from these faithful communities. I cannot express our gratitude enough for their hospitality and wisdom during our visit.
Even in the face of adversity, the resounding message from the community has been one of gratitude. Gratitude for the past twenty-six years of connection with the parishes that have been planting the seeds and tending the growth of the faithful. It is evident in the beaming faces of those that greet Carol, who has been going to Guatemala for most of those years, recognizing that we have been connected through a “network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.”
Let us raise our voices in thanksgiving for these beautiful Guatemalan communities with which we are “one garment” in the Body of Christ and pray that together we may be what we “ought to be.” Amen.
With love and gratitude,
The Rev. Tanya Regli
Associate Rector
Published on July 31, 2025.