How the commitment of a priest in Ecuador changed parish life

With 54 years of service in a rural parish in the Diocese of Guaranda, Ecuador, Salesian Fr Antonio Polo has changed the region through his pastoral and spiritual labours, but also, with the help of the local population, through business ventures such as the development of Salinerito Cheese.

When Fr Antonio Polo arrived in Salinas, Ecuador, from his native Italy, over five decades ago, he was not only struck by the beauty of the landscape but also by the difficult conditions in which its inhabitants lived. “There were no roads, no electricity, and the population worked very hard in the salt mines,” he tells Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). The salt mines themselves had quite an impact on him: the mountains of salt that shone like white cathedrals and the glittering salt mirrors were built with hard working days which put a heavy strain on the health and skin of the workers.

In an effort to help the community manage its own resources, and to relieve them of such hard labour, he decided that change was needed: “I did not want them to be fully dependent on charity, but to be able to provide for themselves. Working the salt mines was not enough, so I thought about cheese,” he recalls. This was the beginning of the Salinerito Cheese project, which he started with some of the local farmers. The climate, the cattle and the skills of the people made for the perfect combination to produce this cheese, which has been sold in Ecuador for 50 years. Today, Salinerito is a household name, and can be purchased in shops in the country’s main cities.

Currently, Salinas sells not only cheese, but also chocolate, natural cosmetics and other local produce. The community of San Miguel de Cañitas, which is part of the Salinas parish, plays an active part in these initiatives and, therefore, with the support of foreign volunteers and the Salesian mission, helps fight poverty and marginalisation.

A new chapel for San Miguel de Cañitas

Despite this progress, major challenges remain. Fr Jaime Chela, who has worked alongside Fr Antonio Polo for many years, explains that “access to these communities is difficult, because there is no bus service. In the winter, especially, when the rivers swell, it can be very difficult to get around.” Nonetheless, he adds, “there is a very strong sense of community and a desire to help those in need”.

Fr Antonio Polo explains that San Miguel de Cañitas “did not have a proper place to celebrate the sacraments. We would meet in a hall in the school.” The local people had long wanted to have their own chapel and promised to help with the construction. For this reason, ACN – which has already supported the priest in the past – is supporting the construction of a chapel for this community of 70 families, many of whom are of indigenous origin. “Boosting the Church’s pastoral work in this place could have a positive impact on other communities, motivating them to become active, and helping to spread the Faith in the region,” the priest explains.

Eucharistic celebration in the school classroom (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)

Fr Polo underlines the importance of the connection between spiritual and human development. “For me, there are three types of bread: the bread of the Word and evangelisation, the bread of the Eucharist, and our daily bread, our sustenance. Without this bread, we will lose the youth. If we do not offer them work, we also lose the opportunity to provide them with the other ‘bread’, even to those who feel a calling. Without work, there is no life."

Another issue that Fr Antonio Polo is working on, alongside the other Salesians, is digital evangelisation. “Nowadays there are no limits to communication, and the message of faith is like a shining light, which we want to nourish. Digital evangelisation fills us with hope. It is the key,” he claims. Fr Jaime explains that they broadcast Mass over Facebook and says that “the response has been very positive, it has been a beautiful experience. We are also forming indigenous choirs to recover Quechua, which is their ancestral language, and therefore help them to learn and to preserve their own tongue.”

“I was called to this mission 54 years ago; my time is coming to an end. Thinking of the future helps me draw new strength,” the Salesian says, adding: “We are deeply grateful for your help. These is sometimes a certain coldness with institutions, but that has not been the case with ACN. We constantly pray for ACN and all the generous benefactors who make this possible.”

Portrait of Fr Antonio Polo in Ecuador (Credit: John Valencia)

The Mass is the most effective prayer that could be said on behalf of those who have died. ACN can arrange recurring annual Masses for your dearly departed loved ones.