On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the passing of Father Alejandro García Durán (Chinchachoma) to the House of the Father, the Piarist Province of Mexico and the Pontifical University of Mexico have organised a conference to remember as a family the person, work and charism of Father Chinchachoma.
On 17 April at 5:00 pm, we gathered in the UPM auditorium. Several Piarist Brothers, the directors, some volunteers and other people linked to the houses in Mexico, Puebla and Veracruz were present. There were also people present who had the opportunity to get to know Fr Alejandro in life and who shared more than one anecdote.
Fr. Reyes Muñoz Tónix, Sch. P., welcomed us and introduced those who led the event. Father Fernando Hernández, Provincial of the Pious Schools of Mexico, welcomed us at the beginning of the event and reminded us of the uniqueness of the charism and person of Chinchachoma. We also welcomed the director of Hogares Providencia, the organisation founded by Father Alejandro, which also continues the mission entrusted to it by God.
The conference was led by Dr Eduardo Garza Cuellar from the University of Valencia-Ibero, a collaborator and friend of Chinchachoma. He spoke to us about the charism that can be found in the life and work of our honoured man. In memory of him, he shared with us in an endearing and at the same time systematic way what he called: “Chinchachatomic theology”, in which the love of God manifests itself in a paradoxical, surprising and contradictory way to human logic. A God who confesses and speaks to the street child to take responsibility for his creation, who goes out to defend it with his infinite love and a clear predilection. In a reality marked by violence, abandonment and insignificance, God himself descends to the pavement to seek out his most forgotten children and remind them that they are loved, that they are seen and recognised in their dignity.
At the end of the conference, there was a small sharing in the garden in front of the auditorium, which allowed us to further comment and share the memory and affection for Fr Chinchachoma.
