Henri J.M. Nouwen’s Gracias wrote as a Roman Catholic priest on a pilgrimage to Bolivia and Peru. This Dutch priest was on a visit to Latin America for six months in order to discern if he was meant to be a missionary to this region for an extended period of time. What resulted was a memoir and spiritual journal of exploration about his experiences.
Notably Nouwwen was blown away by the poverty he encountered, the warmth of the families he lived with, and the dedication of Catholic missionaries in this land. But first the author had to brush up on his Spanish to have an in-depth experience in the culture. This he did in Bolivia at a language institute that lasted some six weeks. During this time he had opportunities to interact with Bolivians, see the social disparities in this environment, attend lectures, and learn about Latin America’s martyrs. Nouwen commented sympathetically on the role of the Catholic Church in this region, conducted Mass at churches, visited prisons, and infirmaries for the handicapped.
The author was impressed by the purveyors of the liberation theology, had praise for their work with the poor people, commented on the work, dust storms in the people’s daily lives, and he participated in local festivals. Despite spiritual enriching experiences Nouwen still felt that he was alone, at times depressed, and had a hard time finding his niche. But before his visit came to an end, this former Yale Divinity professor felt that all he could really do was to be grateful for the many people and conditions that impacted him. He thought that his mission made him understand that he was transformed by the people he came to serve. It was these harsh experiences that taught him that Latin Americans were missionaries to him. These were the gifts that he was to bring back to his monastery in the United States. ( )