LED WHERE I DID NOT PLAN TO GO

I arrived in Peru accompanied by the provincial, Fr. Francis Cavanaugh, OSA. Frs. Lehane and Kelly met the plane. It was agreed the provincial would see the nuncio first. I was to be accompanied to the hotel. Once I got into the hotel and got settled, the two priests who had come with me asked if they could speak with me. I said, “Certainly, come in and sit down.” And they did. They told me they had been in Peru a year before my arrival and during that time they had explored the territory of the new prelature. It was to include the three civil provinces of Ayabaca, Morropon and Huancabamba, and they had visited each of these provinces. They said, “John, we’ve seen it, and it’s just impossible. There’s no way we can begin to evangelize that large a territory. We don’t think we should take the prelature as it is planned.” This was a surprise to me. They actually pleaded with me not to go to the nunciature. While we were talking, the phone rang, and it was the nuncio, telling me to proceed to the nunciature where Fr. Cavanaugh was waiting. I explained to the priests that I didn’t know what this was all about. I did remember the evening of my first Pontifical Mass at Tolentine when Fr. Cavanaugh called me to his room and talked about two things. One was that we were going to Peru but, he said, “I’m not sure we’re going to take the prelature.” “What?” I replied. “You mean to tell me you’ve had all this publicity; you had the Cardinal come out for a Mass; you announced it to the Chicago media; you told all the Chicago houses of our Order, and you’re NOT SURE?” And the provincial said, “That’s correct. I can’t explain anymore. We will go to Peru, and once we are there, maybe things will be a little clearer.”